Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Advocacy & Safety
Reload this Page >

The helmet thread

Search
Notices
Advocacy & Safety Cyclists should expect and demand safe accommodation on every public road, just as do all other users. Discuss your bicycle advocacy and safety concerns here.
View Poll Results: Helmet wearing habits?
I've never worn a bike helmet
178
10.66%
I used to wear a helmet, but have stopped
94
5.63%
I've always worn a helmet
648
38.80%
I didn't wear a helmet, but now do
408
24.43%
I sometimes wear a helmet depending on the conditions
342
20.48%
Voters: 1670. You may not vote on this poll

The helmet thread

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 10-10-12, 09:52 AM
  #3651  
Senior Member
 
rekmeyata's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: NE Indiana
Posts: 8,686

Bikes: 2020 Masi Giramondo 700c; 2013 Lynskey Peloton; 1992 Giant Rincon; 1989 Dawes needs parts; 1985 Trek 660; 1985 Fuji Club; 1984 Schwinn Voyager; 1984 Miyata 612; 1977 Raleigh Competition GS

Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1125 Post(s)
Liked 249 Times in 200 Posts
Originally Posted by rydabent
Hmmmmm--------I must have hit a nerve!!!
I'm sure you did, you can tell when a person tries to insult someone by saying nothing intellectually.
rekmeyata is offline  
Old 10-10-12, 11:32 AM
  #3652  
Bicikli Huszár
 
sudo bike's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Fresno, CA
Posts: 2,116

Bikes: '95 Novara Randonee

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by rekmeyata
I'm sure you did, you can tell when a person tries to insult someone by saying nothing intellectually.
The fact you're defending ryda doesn't help your credibility much, FYI. Even the helmet advocates seem to not want to touch that with a 10' pole.
sudo bike is offline  
Old 10-10-12, 12:30 PM
  #3653  
Banned
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Lincoln Ne
Posts: 9,924

Bikes: RANS Stratus TerraTrike Tour II

Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3352 Post(s)
Liked 1,056 Times in 635 Posts
I guess I must train myself to believe only members of the anti helmet cult are right. Everyone elses post are to be discarded out of hand. It make no difference that in real life situations where people attest to the fact that their helmet prevented injury. In fact we will be treated to name calling and insults telling us how stupid and wrong we are.
rydabent is offline  
Old 10-10-12, 01:37 PM
  #3654  
Senior Member
 
Mithrandir's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 2,401

Bikes: 2012 Surly LHT, 1995 GT Outpost Trail

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
https://www.bikeradar.com/news/articl...URCE=BRGENHOME

A new study from Illinois Neurological Institute and Bradley University found what most cyclists probably already knew — bicycle helmets are effective to prevent or minimize injury in a crash. Scientists found that helmets can reduce acceleration of the skull in a crash by as much as 87 percent.
Mithrandir is offline  
Old 10-10-12, 02:52 PM
  #3655  
Senior Member
 
rekmeyata's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: NE Indiana
Posts: 8,686

Bikes: 2020 Masi Giramondo 700c; 2013 Lynskey Peloton; 1992 Giant Rincon; 1989 Dawes needs parts; 1985 Trek 660; 1985 Fuji Club; 1984 Schwinn Voyager; 1984 Miyata 612; 1977 Raleigh Competition GS

Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1125 Post(s)
Liked 249 Times in 200 Posts
Originally Posted by sudo bike
The fact you're defending ryda doesn't help your credibility much, FYI. Even the helmet advocates seem to not want to touch that with a 10' pole.
Please don't touch me with your 10' pole, that kind of would disturb me if you know what I mean.
rekmeyata is offline  
Old 10-10-12, 03:48 PM
  #3656  
Senior Member
 
bandit1990's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 122
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Glad to see this thread is still going. Can we please get to the "chicken before the egg" argument? How about "paper vs. plastic"? Stop trying to change anyone's beliefs about the benfit/non-benefit of wearing a helmet. Seriously...no one is going to affect anyone's belief in the benifit/detriment of wearing a helmet. But keep going!
bandit1990 is offline  
Old 10-10-12, 04:35 PM
  #3657  
Bicikli Huszár
 
sudo bike's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Fresno, CA
Posts: 2,116

Bikes: '95 Novara Randonee

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by bandit1990
Glad to see this thread is still going. Can we please get to the "chicken before the egg" argument? How about "paper vs. plastic"? Stop trying to change anyone's beliefs about the benfit/non-benefit of wearing a helmet. Seriously...no one is going to affect anyone's belief in the benifit/detriment of wearing a helmet. But keep going!
This is empirically false. If you can look up my archived posts in the old helmet thread, your evidence is there.
sudo bike is offline  
Old 10-10-12, 04:49 PM
  #3658  
Senior Member
 
bandit1990's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 122
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by sudo bike
This is empirically false. If you can look up my archived posts in the old helmet thread, your evidence is there.
Really? Wearing a helmet is better than not wearing one? Provide evidence that wearing one will decrease the incedence of concussions. Oh yes, you can't. Youe have some belief that helmets can provide protection....there are over 1000 posts that refute your position. No one on this thread can give an argument either pro or non helmets. Pissihng in the wind. Have fun.
bandit1990 is offline  
Old 10-10-12, 04:51 PM
  #3659  
Senior Member
 
bandit1990's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 122
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by sudo bike
This is empirically false. If you can look up my archived posts in the old helmet thread, your evidence is there.
I apologize for grammer/spelling. My Mom would be outraged.
bandit1990 is offline  
Old 10-10-12, 07:57 PM
  #3660  
Bicikli Huszár
 
sudo bike's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Fresno, CA
Posts: 2,116

Bikes: '95 Novara Randonee

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by bandit1990
Glad to see this thread is still going. Can we please get to the "chicken before the egg" argument? How about "paper vs. plastic"? Stop trying to change anyone's beliefs about the benfit/non-benefit of wearing a helmet. Seriously...no one is going to affect anyone's belief in the benifit/detriment of wearing a helmet. But keep going!
Originally Posted by sudo bike
This is empirically false. If you can look up my archived posts in the old helmet thread, your evidence is there.
Originally Posted by bandit1990
Really? Wearing a helmet is better than not wearing one? Provide evidence that wearing one will decrease the incedence of concussions. Oh yes, you can't. Youe have some belief that helmets can provide protection....there are over 1000 posts that refute your position. No one on this thread can give an argument either pro or non helmets. Pissihng in the wind. Have fun.
I... wasn't making a statement about the usefulness of helmets.
sudo bike is offline  
Old 10-10-12, 08:27 PM
  #3661  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Leeds UK
Posts: 2,085
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 38 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times in 3 Posts
Originally Posted by Myosmith
This finding, while interesting, says absolutely nothing about the effectiveness of a helmet. It basically says that even if the head injury could have been reduced or prevented, the patient would have died from other injuries unrelated to the protection or lack thereof offered by a helmet. Indeed if the patient had no head injury at all, he/she still would have died. Other questions that would have to be asked include:

- what percentage of the victims were properly wearing bicycle helmets at the time of the accident?
- if there had been no other potentially fatal injuries to consider, what percentage of those who were not wearing a helmet could reasonably have been expected to survive if they had been?
- of the 8% that died of head injury alone, what percentage of them might have survived if they were wearing a helmet?

A problem I see in many helmet debates is that arguments seem to lump all head injuries into two categories, fatal and non-fatal. There are a wide range of head injuries ranging from a painful bump or getting your bell rung, a whole range of concussion injuries, skull fractures and intracranial bleeds. The purpose of a helmet is to prevent or lessen the severity of injuries from impacts to the head. If a rider sustains a concussion while wearing a helmet, one should not assume that the helmet did not work, but rather ask how severe the concussion might have been without it. You can also ask just so much from a helmet. If you lose control at 40+ mph on a steep mountain downgrade and clip an oncoming truck before smashing headfirst into the guardrail, you are probably going to die with or without a helmet.



This I would like to see a properly conducted study on as the potential to increase neck injuries is sometimes overlooked when designing head protection.
It's quite a while ago and I can't recall all of the details, nor do I still have a copy of the magazine (CTC's Cycle) it was summarised in. However, his conclusion was that wearing a helmet might save about 6 lives per year
atbman is offline  
Old 10-10-12, 09:26 PM
  #3662  
Senior Member
 
Mithrandir's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 2,401

Bikes: 2012 Surly LHT, 1995 GT Outpost Trail

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by bandit1990
Really? Wearing a helmet is better than not wearing one? Provide evidence that wearing one will decrease the incedence of concussions. Oh yes, you can't. Youe have some belief that helmets can provide protection....there are over 1000 posts that refute your position. No one on this thread can give an argument either pro or non helmets. Pissihng in the wind. Have fun.
https://www.bikeradar.com/news/articl...URCE=BRGENHOME


You are wrong. Science proves it. It could be 1000 or 10000 posts who disagree, but that's the funny thing about facts; facts don't care if you agree or not. Facts are facts no matter what people believe.
Mithrandir is offline  
Old 10-11-12, 05:00 AM
  #3663  
Senior Member
 
skye's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 900
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 30 Post(s)
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by Mithrandir
https://www.bikeradar.com/news/articl...URCE=BRGENHOME


You are wrong. Science proves it. It could be 1000 or 10000 posts who disagree, but that's the funny thing about facts; facts don't care if you agree or not. Facts are facts no matter what people believe.
And the fact is that this study did not even concern itself with the main cause of TBI, which is rotational injury; so how they could have reached this conclusion, I have no idea. I haven't had a chance to read the whole study yet, but from the reports alone, I'm ready to guess that it is laughably bad.
skye is offline  
Old 10-11-12, 05:08 AM
  #3664  
Senior Member
 
skye's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 900
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 30 Post(s)
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
No, wait. I just found the abstract. Even more stupid than I thought...

"To test the effect of an impact injury, each skull was outfitted with a standard children's bicycle helmet and suspended upside down on a carriage of the test apparatus. The skull and helmet were released in free fall from heights ranging from 6 to 48 inches, landing on a flat steel impact anvil."


Stop the presses! Helmets may be effective at reducing impact (though not reducing risk of brain injury) if you fall less than four feet while standing still and land on a perfectly flat surface!!!


Honestly, you couldn't get a more stupid study than this. This study does nothing -- and I mean absolutely 0 -- to increase our understanding of helmet ineffectiveness or brain injury.


There is a lot more that's truly bad about this study, but I'm laughing too hard right now to talk about it. Maybe later.
But if you're going to try to use a study as monumentally stupid as this to support your position, you're going to have a bad time of it.
skye is offline  
Old 10-11-12, 06:36 AM
  #3665  
Senior Member
 
Mithrandir's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 2,401

Bikes: 2012 Surly LHT, 1995 GT Outpost Trail

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by skye
No, wait. I just found the abstract. Even more stupid than I thought...

"To test the effect of an impact injury, each skull was outfitted with a standard children's bicycle helmet and suspended upside down on a carriage of the test apparatus. The skull and helmet were released in free fall from heights ranging from 6 to 48 inches, landing on a flat steel impact anvil."


Stop the presses! Helmets may be effective at reducing impact (though not reducing risk of brain injury) if you fall less than four feet while standing still and land on a perfectly flat surface!!!


Honestly, you couldn't get a more stupid study than this. This study does nothing -- and I mean absolutely 0 -- to increase our understanding of helmet ineffectiveness or brain injury.


There is a lot more that's truly bad about this study, but I'm laughing too hard right now to talk about it. Maybe later.
But if you're going to try to use a study as monumentally stupid as this to support your position, you're going to have a bad time of it.
You clearly have no idea how physics works. But by all means, continue to give out horribly misinformed 'advice' that will get people killed.
Mithrandir is offline  
Old 10-11-12, 07:33 AM
  #3666  
Banned
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Lincoln Ne
Posts: 9,924

Bikes: RANS Stratus TerraTrike Tour II

Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3352 Post(s)
Liked 1,056 Times in 635 Posts
atbman

I would be willing to bet if helmet saved 6 lives a year, those 6 believe that wearing a helmet is a good deal. I would hazard a guess tho that helmets save more than 6 lives, and countless injuries.
rydabent is offline  
Old 10-11-12, 08:44 AM
  #3667  
Senior Member
 
telkanuru's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Allston, MA
Posts: 171

Bikes: Trek 720 (touring, 1981 (?) model); Trek 7.3

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Mithrandir
You clearly have no idea how physics works. But by all means, continue to give out horribly misinformed 'advice' that will get people killed.
Dude, he posted in extra-large bolded text. Obviously he's right.
telkanuru is offline  
Old 10-11-12, 11:27 AM
  #3668  
Senior Member
 
mconlonx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,558
Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7148 Post(s)
Liked 134 Times in 92 Posts
Originally Posted by bandit1990
Really?
Really. You're wrong.

Just posted my own thoughts recently on how this thread changed my views on the subject and informs my current opinion.

Originally Posted by sudo bike
I... wasn't making a statement about the usefulness of helmets.
mconlonx is offline  
Old 10-11-12, 12:45 PM
  #3669  
Senior Member
 
bandit1990's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 122
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Really. You're wrong. You made the following statement in post #3625:

"Cycling is safe enough that helmets are truly optional, without conclusive evidence for or against either way."

Glad to know that you are now convinced that helmets protect, or maybe they don't protect. Thanks for clearing that up.
bandit1990 is offline  
Old 10-11-12, 12:53 PM
  #3670  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Tampa Bay area, Florida
Posts: 217

Bikes: '09 Diamondback Insight 1, '05 Trek 3700 ( now a hybrid street/cross trail bike), (Vintage model) Kent Supreme 10 speed road cruiser, BMX (just for fun), Trek Multitrack 720 and a homebuilt recumbent low-rider.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 25 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I feel dizzy just reading some of these posts. Maybe the fact that I wasn't wearing a helmet on my ride yesterday, has affected my brain.
fire is offline  
Old 10-11-12, 12:56 PM
  #3671  
Senior Member
 
skye's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 900
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 30 Post(s)
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by rydabent
atbman

I would be willing to bet if helmet saved 6 lives a year, those 6 believe that wearing a helmet is a good deal. I would hazard a guess tho that helmets save more than 6 lives, and countless injuries.
Wrong as usual. The Australian study showed that increased helmet use actually increased mortality and morbidity.
skye is offline  
Old 10-11-12, 12:58 PM
  #3672  
Senior Member
 
skye's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 900
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 30 Post(s)
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by Mithrandir
You clearly have no idea how physics works. But by all means, continue to give out horribly misinformed 'advice' that will get people killed.
Really? Tell me "how physics works," then. I'm just dying to hear what you have to say.
skye is offline  
Old 10-11-12, 09:35 PM
  #3673  
Senior Member
 
mconlonx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,558
Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7148 Post(s)
Liked 134 Times in 92 Posts
Originally Posted by bandit1990
Really. You're wrong. You made the following statement in post #3625:

"Cycling is safe enough that helmets are truly optional, without conclusive evidence for or against either way."

Glad to know that you are now convinced that helmets protect, or maybe they don't protect. Thanks for clearing that up.
Back at you, Dr. Wrongenstein:

That's not the post I was referring to. The one I was talking about is the one where I said, "OK, at first? I was all like, helmets are so totally rad! They'll, like, totally protect me if a dump truck nails me at 90mph while I'm blowing a stop sign." And the bare head brigade chimed in with, "Nuh-uh! A helmet totally wouldn't help like that and here's some studies showing why." "No whey?!?" "Whey!"

So yeah, went from being a totally ignorant helmet wearer to being an informed helmet wearer. In marked contrast to your first claim.
mconlonx is offline  
Old 10-11-12, 09:40 PM
  #3674  
Senior Member
 
mconlonx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,558
Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7148 Post(s)
Liked 134 Times in 92 Posts
Originally Posted by skye
And the fact is that this study did not even concern itself with the main cause of TBI, which is rotational injury; so how they could have reached this conclusion, I have no idea. I haven't had a chance to read the whole study yet, but from the reports alone, I'm ready to guess that it is laughably bad.
Where do you get a figure for rotational injury where bicycle related TBI is concerned?
mconlonx is offline  
Old 10-12-12, 05:32 AM
  #3675  
Senior Member
 
curbtender's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SF Bay Area, East bay
Posts: 7,648

Bikes: Miyata 618 GT, Marinoni, Kestral 200 2002 Trek 5200, KHS Flite, Koga Miyata, Schwinn Spitfire 5, Mondia Special, Univega Alpina, Miyata team Ti, Santa Cruz Highball

Mentioned: 52 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1606 Post(s)
Liked 2,570 Times in 1,218 Posts
Originally Posted by mconlonx
Where do you get a figure for rotational injury where bicycle related TBI is concerned?
I don't get that either. Those forces would be present with or without a helmet.
curbtender is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.