helmets

beckenham

What's the view on these things? I am starting to ride more often and further. I don't particulalry want to wear a helmet because of heat issues and comfort.

I did the L2B without one and intend to do the Oxford to Cambridge at the end of September probably without one.

If I start entering road races presumably they are mandatory?

Whats the views of other forum users?

jonesy124

B-U-Y A H-E-L-M-E-T

---

NOW!!!!!!

The more often you ride, the more you will realise how easy it is to come off. Even a little topple can result in cracking your head on the pavement. Its really not worth the risk. A decent helmet will be well ventilated anyway.

beckenham

My head's telling me to buy a helmet (no pun intended) but my heart says no. I like the wind in the hair feeling (well I would if I had any hair!)

jonesy124

lol

I hardly notice a difference when im riding. If you cycle fast enough you should still get enough of a breeze anyway.

AndyGates

The debate will go on and on and on and on until I die of old age...

But if you race, the rules say you must have a helmet. So if you plan on racing, get a helmet.

McBain_v1

beckenham, how would you feel about the wind blowing over the bald disfigured patch on your head where you had to have a skin graft to replace the large section of scalp you lost after a crash? A helmet will minimise skin loss, but as for other issues (e.g. overall impact protection) I realise that there are lots of conflicting opinions out there :roll:

jibi

Helmets are like religion and politics

topics that bring out absolute diverse opinions

Road riding...... If you want to, use one.

but

MTB and off road ..... always use one

george

Greenbank

And get a spine protector while you're at it.
And kidney protectors that motorcyclists also wear.
And some knee and elbow protectors that skaters use.
And...and...and...

PeteinSQ

Rather more important to protect your head than other parts of the body I would have thought.

McBain_v1

For spine protection whilst riding an MTB I find that my CamelBak MULE without 2.5l of drink in the bladder is hard to beat

Greenbank

Read the stuff on http://www.cyclehelmets.org/ and then make up your own mind.

Don't just follow the sheep that get one because "it must help" or "I had one and it saved my life!"

jonesy124

Oh but there is just soooo much to read on that website. Anyone fancy giving it 'in a nutshell'?

How can cycle helmets be bad?

McBain_v1

How can cycle helmets be bad?

Your hair can poke through the vents, giving you a wacky "helmet hair do" when you get to the café that makes everyone chuckle...

Greenbank

jonesy124 wrote:

How can cycle helmets be bad?

1. Risk Homeostasis or Risk Compensation.

In other words, if you increase the amount of safety equipment you use you will, subconciously, take more risks to equal the perceived risk. So by wearing a helmet you may be more likely to risk going between two cars, or go faster, or whatever. Where as without a helmet you'd feel more prone and therefore less likely to take these risks.

2. Increase in rotational neck injuries.

With 1" of extra plastic around your skull your head will be deflected by a larger amount causing more stress on the neck. This can push it past the threshold for the bones and cause broken necks.

What would have been a small graze without a helmet becomes a trip to hospital on a spine board with a neck brace.

Also, you have an inbuilt sense of spatial awareness. You can quite happily duck under low beams etc but if you put a helmet on you'll often hit your head as you're not used to the extra 1" of padding. In an accident this could mean that your body will protect itself in such a way that it expects your head to remain clear from hitting something, but by adding 1" of polystyrene to it you may actually strike something.

There are several other reasons but that should give you a start...

It's just not as simple as "Well it's got to help hasn't it!"

beckenham

Blimey, bit of a cane of worms this. I intend to do road stuff rather then MTB. I do use the MTB but only low speed stuff pottering around the woods.

I never had a helmet when I was a kid and used to out and about on the bike all the time. I've also seen old clips of the Tour where the riders are wearing little caps. No protection there then!

I'm in 2 minds over this (Didn't intend that pun either!) and I can see both sides of the argument.

The posting about protection and taking risk is an interesting one. Though the same argument could be side for telling builders not to wear hard hats and drivers not to wear seat belts. Mmmm I need to think that one through.

Still undecided. I'll give it some thought over the weekend

Greenbank

It's a tricky one indeed. My point is not to try and enforce my point of view on you. It's for you to know that there are two sides to the argument, that you should read more about it, and make up your own mind.

For record I sometimes wear a helmet, sometimes not. Depends on what I'm doing and how long I'm going out for.

I don't wear it when commuting, and I think I take fewer risks when riding amongst cars in busy London traffic. This may change of course.

However I do wear one when doing Audaxes. Probably partly because it's a nice place to mount a Petzl headtorch so I can read the routesheet in the dark, and these are often roads that I've never travelled down before (so I hope I would be more cautious than normal).

JustRidecp

Tough one, down to personal choice. I wear one all the time but don't give folk that dont wear one a hard time. I know there's arguments for and against but personally I cant drag myself away from the feeling that common sense dictates that even a piece of polystyrene and plastic is better than nothing. Even if its protecting against minor injuries e.g. road rash or knocking on the ground. Your head isn't expendible like limbs for say - broken legs/arms heal. Broken heads are a bit trickier. I guess cycle helmets may only offer genuine protection in relatively low impact scenarios. Anything at speed and you'll be screwed anyway. I guess Its just something I've always done.

One of my mates came off his bike at Glentress and landed square on his noggin. He was wearing a helmet and it performed its job - split in half absorbing some of the impact. He was knocked cold and woke up in a & e with concussion but no other physical damage. Cant help but feel if he wasn't wearing a helmet the injuries would be worse e.g. lacerations or skull damage.

BTW, I find that the majority of people my age (mid 20's) wear helmets and it seems the majority of helmetless folk I see are older generation cyclists. Cynics could say that we've been roped in by shrewd marketing campaigns? Maybe. Also, from the time I started to get into cycling, all the pros were wearing helmets anyway. I guess its always been something I associate with cycling.

Jeremy Parker

beckenham wrote:

What's the view on these things? I am starting to ride more often and further. I don't particulalry want to wear a helmet because of heat issues and comfort.
[snip]

IThe Dutch don't wear them, but what would they know about bikes?

I don't wear one either. neither do I wear sunglsses - you must always wear the matching sunglasses if you wear a helmet.

Without the helmet and sunglasses, I can catch the driver's eye if I need to negotiate a lane change. I look like a human being, rather than Darth Vader, so other road users treat me like a human being

Go topless, you know it makes sense, even if Chicken Little is right, and the sky actually is falling

Jeremy Parker

Rich Hcp

Get a decent one, well vented, you'll forget it's there if it fits properly

fossyant

I'll second the "get a good well vented one" - heat isn't an issue, and the good quality ones fit better.

I generally wear my helmet 100%, other than pottering about with the kids.

Always get the kids to wear their helmets - saved my son from a trip to A&E a couple of weeks ago, fell off his bike trying to get up a kerb - then head butted the kerb. He was a little shaken, with a dent in his helmet.

GeorgeShaw

A friend cracked hers and had blurred vision at the weekend. I hesitate the think what might have happened if she was not wearing one.