njkayaker

No, including the last sentence: people use prefer helmets with better ventilation when they are working too hard to use a closed-helmet (regardless of the activity). You see this in cycling, skateboarding (apparently), and skiing.

Yes, this is why I said "typically". The fact that you can find exceptions (which you oddly characterized as "mostly") doesn't contradict "typically".

"Mostly" (typically), skate boarders are not moving "all out" for a mile on the flats. And, if the few that are going "all out" probably don't like the closed helmets (with poor ventilation).

mconlonx

Meh, I use a fuller-coverage, skate-style helmet all the time. But I live in ME, so it's rarely too hot to use a low-vent helmet. Even for a 1.5-2hr commute.

But then I often use a helmet mounted light, so that negates and benefits from a smoother exterior surface...

Six jours

Young children are much more likely to fall than is a competent adult recreational road cyclist. Their heads are much larger, proportionally, than an adults, and their neck and shoulder muscles weaker. They're also closer to the ground and typically ride at much lower speeds, and their skulls are not as resilient as an adults. Altogether, this makes helmet use much more sensible for children than for the above-mentioned adult.

I know these facts will not dissuade the helmeteers from catcalls of "hypocrite" (and all the rest of the typical insults) but that does not change the facts.

RazrSkutr

Well, I'm not anti-helmet, I'm anti wearing one for activities where it doesn't help.

So I make my children wear helmets for all activities where a fall might cause them serious damage. All playing, especially tree-climbing, anything involving running, going up and down the stairs necessitates the donning of a helmet. I think you'll agree with me that as a responsible parent that's a given. Some people might worry that their helmet-wearing child would be strangled by the straps of the helmet (as sadly happened here), or that the dramatically increased radius of the head would lead to more head strikes, or that the extra weight on the weaker neck-muscles (speculated to be one of the reasons why female hockey players have more concussions) would be problems. But I scoff at these concerns, because I know that the One True Headgear is Our Salvation.

Short answer: no I don't.

rekmeyata

Just buy a motorcycle helmet, drill some large one inch holes all over it for ventilation and your good to go, you'll have the safest bicycle helmet in the world.

hagen2456

I don't know how relevant such speculations are, but it's my impression that the softer skull (and skeleton in general) of children is actually one thing that protects them in their many smaller and larger accidents. Like the stories one hears of kids falling from 5th floor and surviving.

sudo bike

Have you ever skateboarded?

Back when I still did, I'd be a lot more tired after 2 miles of skateboarding than 2 miles of riding. Same for equivalent times on each; put me on a bike and 30-60 minutes of riding is nothing... make me jog it or skateboard it and my legs will be on fire . Bikes have a mechanical advantage... you can amble along with not much effort. With a skateboard, even its ambling speed requires more effort because you don't have the benefit of gearing to help you.

It's an obvious point that has been ignored many times in this thread as people look down disdainfully on those who choose not to wear one as being moronic, organ donors, etc; they're perfectly OK with their sacrifices of safety, then attempt to degrade others for sacrificing safety. And that doesn't even approach the fact that the "safety" gained is highly debatable.

LesterOfPuppets

Ummm. OK, You're right AND you know skateboarding. Satisfied?


I had a guy yell "HELMET" at me on the MUP yesterday. I finally used the response I've been wanting to use for a while. I just yelled "KNEE PADS!" back at him. Whadda chump.


Time trialists eschew ventilation and protection levels for aero in their helmet choice. Some Tri guys do this also.


Bicycle helmet or not, we're all gonna die on our bikes.


This is the only guy that truly understands the protection levels required for riding a bicycle down the road:

mconlonx

As opposed to the many in this thread who look down disdainfully on those who chose to wear a helmet as being moronic and ignoring the "facts"...?

RazrSkutr

How many times has someone yelled at you to take off your helmet while riding?

mconlonx

What part of "in this thread" was too difficult to understand?

RazrSkutr

Ah, right. You live on the internet. And when you randomly offer your personal experience to strangers during a debate you are surprised and insulted when they're not impressed with it.

hagen2456

But are there "many" in this thread? I don't really think so. Can't think of one example, really, but of course I'm probably a bit biased

mconlonx

Ignorance always takes me by surprise; I'm rarely take insult from what people say online; I don't really care if others are impressed or not with what I say.

Odd: the few times I ride without a helmet, I don't have people telling me I ought to be wearing one...

mconlonx

Hmm... I can think of two right off the bat, with a bunch more who exhibit the same kind/level of disdain Sudo Bike claims the pro-helmeteers throw around.

Six jours

Example?

mconlonx

Just about any post by Meanwhile, but more the the point, the ones where he's calling people idiots, morons, stupid, etc. RazrSkutr, the same. And any post where someone claims a cracked helmet failed before providing protection without anything more to go on than a picture or description of a cracked helmet.

LesterOfPuppets

It can take a while. I somehow went two years mostly bareheaded, without any comments before that recent obnoxious MUP admonition.

There were some dirty looks in that time though.

ianstew

.......but it's not the Stig........it's the Stig's Swedish cousin!.............

hagen2456

That's not QUITE the same thing, but I get what you mean. On the other hand, there's been lots of abuse on both sides. I just can't think of an example of people calling helmet-wearers idiots for just wearing a helmet :-)

Six jours

You moved the goalposts. I'm looking for examples of "look(ing) down disdainfully on those who chose to wear a helmet". I just don't see that.

chasm54

Me neither. Naturally, I look down disdainfully on those who are unable to understand that I am right, but I think that puts me very firmly in the majority.

ianstew

Thats because you are one of the ones looking down disdainfully.........

rydabent

Discounting all the anti helmet blather, I went for a very enjoyable bent club ride today. I put the helmet on when we started, and totally forgot all about it till the ride ended and I took it off.

hagen2456

This is too stupid for me, sorry. Straw that broke the camel's back. Will someone please tell me how to "ignore" another member?