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The helmet thread

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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

Old 02-04-13, 06:15 PM
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Originally Posted by curbtender
Do kids still have a science fair? If there are a couple of of reps from each side who'd like to help thier kids prove/disprove helmet safety use, I'd be interested in the results.
Okay. I'll take the group of experienced and cautious bare-headers who go out of their way to avoid situations where they might land on their heads. You take the group of Lance-boomers who say things like "Bro, if you don't crash sometimes then you're not going hard enough. Courage for your head, dude!"

We'll meet back here in five years to compare results.
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Old 02-04-13, 07:09 PM
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I was wondering how the testing would go... maybe a merry-go-round for the non-helmet?
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Old 02-04-13, 07:14 PM
  #4628  
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Originally Posted by Six jours
Okay. I'll take the group of experienced and cautious bare-headers who go out of their way to avoid situations where they might land on their heads. You take the group of Lance-boomers who say things like "Bro, if you don't crash sometimes then you're not going hard enough. Courage for your head, dude!"

We'll meet back here in five years to compare results.
No fair. Those are already brain-damaged.
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Old 02-05-13, 12:08 PM
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Originally Posted by Hippiebrian
Beautiful. If only everyone could keep[ it that simple and not try to convince everyone else that they aren't making a wise decision by not wearing a helmet, life would be so simple...sigh.
Yeah, and if only everyone would not try to convince everyone else that they aren't making a wise decision by not wearing a seat belt or not smoking or not downhill skiing w/o a helmet or not driving a motor vehicle with functional safety equipment or not bothering to have safety laws regarding building codes/practices or not having environmental laws, life would be so simple...
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Old 02-05-13, 02:18 PM
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Originally Posted by EriktheFish
Yeah, and if only everyone would not try to convince everyone else that they aren't making a wise decision by not wearing a seat belt or not smoking or not downhill skiing w/o a helmet or not driving a motor vehicle with functional safety equipment or not bothering to have safety laws regarding building codes/practices or not having environmental laws, life would be so simple...
Totally irrelevant to bicycle helmets. Bicycle helmets are not intended to save someone's life or prevent serious injury.
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Old 02-05-13, 07:43 PM
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Some people enjoy wearing helmets...

Last edited by CbadRider; 02-05-13 at 08:19 PM. Reason: Replaced inappropriate image with photo of Biker Fox
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Old 02-05-13, 07:55 PM
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Originally Posted by curbtender
Some people enjoy wearing helmets...










Hey, who took that picture of me? Wheres the pic with me in the shower? Do NOT post it...

EDIT; My crocks are gray...JFYI Thus there is something fishy with this picture switch...

Last edited by 350htrr; 02-05-13 at 09:08 PM. Reason: Replaced inappropriate image with photo of Biker Fox in quoted post
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Old 02-05-13, 07:58 PM
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Originally Posted by 350htrr
Hey, who took that picture of me?
Not trying to mean, but you could stand to lose a few pounds from the thighs.

The heels do make your calves look pretty nice, though.
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Old 02-05-13, 08:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Six jours
Not trying to mean, but you could stand to lose a few pounds from the thighs.

The heels do make your calves look pretty nice, though.
No, No, No, I'm pretty sure I am that guy wearing the bike helmet...
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Old 02-05-13, 08:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Six jours
Not trying to mean, but you could stand to lose a few pounds from the thighs.

The heels do make your calves look pretty nice, though.
Ha, those are ear muffs...
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Old 02-05-13, 08:23 PM
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Just a little reminder that this is a family-friendly forum, at least for the images. Helmet discussion is another thing altogether.

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Old 02-05-13, 08:31 PM
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Originally Posted by CbadRider
Just a little reminder that this is a family-friendly forum, at least for the images. Helmet discussion is another thing altogether.

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Phew, no pics of me in the shower with my helmet on... Yay...
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Old 02-05-13, 08:33 PM
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OK, I'd hate to tell a kid not to wear a helmet.
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Old 02-05-13, 08:37 PM
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Originally Posted by 350htrr
No, No, No, I'm pretty sure I am that guy wearing the bike helmet...

Wait a minute what happened?... Now that's NOT me, that guy "may" have been me with that dancer... but this guy NO, NO NO...
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Old 02-05-13, 08:39 PM
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I retract the positive comment about your calves.

The one regarding your thighs still stands, however.
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Old 02-05-13, 08:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Six jours
I retract the positive comment about your calves.

The one regarding your thighs still stands, however.
Hey, there's some shenanigans going on here with that pic, it was a lot more flattering pic of me with other "people" doing some relaxing after work er hobby "things"...

Last edited by 350htrr; 02-05-13 at 09:04 PM.
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Old 02-05-13, 08:47 PM
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Originally Posted by 350htrr
Hey, there's some shenanigans going on here with that pic, it was a lot more flattering pic of me with other "people" doing some relaxing after work er hobby...
Moderator, I commend you for a most delightful shenanigan.
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Old 02-05-13, 09:30 PM
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Originally Posted by PunkRockMD
Ok, so I am new to this sport and am curious about helmet use. Working in the ER for a few years now shows me anecdotally that more head injuries occur without a helmet. As a scientist, I dont take these personal figures to heart. I started reading this thread in hopes of some scientific data that presented the case for or against helmets based on a study of head trauma and helmet use, but after reading a few pages I was seeing that that was not the direction the thread was heading.

The best source I foudn supporting helmet use was this, https://www.iihs.org/research/fatalit...cles&year=2009, which I hope has already been posted. I was unable to find any reliable sources in which helmets were deemed an accessory with little impact on rider safety. Rather than read these 180 pages of bickering without sources, are there any arguments against the IIHS data? If so, are there sources for this argument?
It looks convincing but the major issue I have with this is that it does not speak to the actual level of risk. Another way to put it, if 37 is the most common winning lottery number and 54 is the least common, how does choosing one or the other affect my chances to win? What are my chances if I choose 37, good enough to warrant a dollar? Good enough to warrant the time spent checking the ticket, even if it's free? Without knowing the odds of winning in the first place, the statistic is almost meaningless.

Or put it another way. I've seen fatality statistics with respect to lighting strikes, and enough people who are struck die that I believe it would be a good thing to avoid. I could carry a lightning rod wherever I go, and when I see clouds gather a few miles away I'll ground it and stand some ways away. This would reduce the chances of being struck by lightning. Would it be worthwhile? Not if my chances of being struck at any given day are one in 10 billion. One in a hundred, probably so. It depends on the actual risk.

Last edited by wphamilton; 02-05-13 at 09:39 PM.
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Old 02-08-13, 08:52 AM
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Im still waiting for the anti helmet crowd to post verified incidents where a bike helmet killed someone!!!!
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Old 02-08-13, 09:17 AM
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Originally Posted by rydabent
Im still waiting for the anti helmet crowd to post verified incidents where a bike helmet killed someone!!!!

Something to consider, examining Australia's helmet legislation:

"WA's helmet legislation has diverted resources from preventing bicycle crashes into increasing helmet wearing rates. For instance, about 50% of the WA Police Bicycle Safety Section's time is devoted to enforcing the helmet law. At the same time, about 80% of cyclists on the road at night are riding without lights," https://www.helmets.org/veloaust.htm

Since the resources are diverted away from serious safety issues there are likely more injuries and fatalities due to their mandatory helmet laws.

Additionally, discouraging bicycle use by mandating helmets leads to increased incidence of obesity and heart disease.

https://www.cycle-helmets.com/helmet_statistics.html
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Old 02-08-13, 09:04 PM
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Originally Posted by rtuuji
I also don't get how accident prone people seem to be. Y'all must fall an awful lot. I don't seem to have that problem, so I'm not concerned about an off-chance of minor injury. I'll take the convenience and deal with any cuts or bumps I get in the meantime. If you don't, that's OK, it just seems like a really silly thing to get all hung up over when someone else thinks is overkill, just like I'm sure you think body armor probably is. Unless, of course, you fall a lot for some reason, like riding in icy weather, pushing your limits a lot, etc. But hey, your choice, bud. I just don't think I need a helmet for riding a bike anymore than I need one for walking.

Yes, We are all invincible... Until we are not, then we become statistics... That others won't even consider because they are better, and it won't happen to them... Good... Nay, not even conceivable that a helmet could help out in a crash even to excellent riders...
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Old 02-08-13, 09:34 PM
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It's not inconceivable that a helmet could help a cyclist.

It's also not inconceivable that a helmet could help a pedestrian, or a car driver, or a ladder climber. And yet folks aren't lined up to be A-holes about unhelmeted pedestrians, drivers, and ladder climbers.
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Old 02-10-13, 09:32 PM
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Originally Posted by rtuuji
I am new to this sport and am curious about helmet use. Working in the ER for a few years now shows me anecdotally that more head injuries occur without a helmet. As a scientist, I dont take these personal figures to heart. I started reading this thread in hopes of some scientific data that presented the case for or against helmets based on a study of head trauma and helmet use, but after reading a few pages I was seeing that that was not the direction the thread was heading.
Does it really show that more injuries occur without a helmet, or does it only show that out of the head injuries that appear in the ER, more of the cyclists were apparently not wearing helmets? Is it possible that many injuries occur with and without helmets, which did not result in a trip to the ER? What is the statistical risk of injury of not wearing a helmet while cycling, compared to other active pursuits?

"Apparently" because I wonder if the anecdotal categorization arises from observation of scalp wounds, which most people will agree are effectively reduced by helmets. If so, that observation alone does not inform much about the risk of serious trauma.
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Old 02-10-13, 09:37 PM
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But...





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Old 02-11-13, 08:14 AM
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rtuuji

Your real world experience is REAL. All the "studies" are meaningless when place up against what happens in the real world.


The vast majority of "research" projects and papers are entered into by people that are trying to prove they are right in their preconceived ideas. And guess what-----------their research just happens to prove them "right"!!!!!
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