Would you wear a helmet if.......

redddraggon

.....there were no cars on the road?

I probably wouldn't. I'm not saying that a helmet would help in a bad collision with a car, but I reckon that a low impact fall might be caused indirectly/directly by car (e.g. cutting you up and you evading). If I was bunch racing, or cycling when there was ice I would wear one as well.

This isn't meant to be helmet rant (like most end up), more a question of why you wear a helmet if you do?

Panter

Yes I still would.

I just wear it to help in the event of a low speed fall caused by blow-out, loss of traction, clipless moment or similar.

I don't wear it in case of car interfaces anyway as, like you, I doubt it'd do much good. Saying that though, it can't do any harm......


Cheers

Chris

giant_man

Yes I still would too, not all collilsions on bikes are involving other people or cars.

z000m

i would probably think twice about spending £70 on a lid

PostieJohn

40 mph down a hill with 23mm of rubber between me and concrete, cars don't even come into it.

andy_wrx

I tipped-over last weekend, nobody else involved, just me and this corner I know pretty well.
I was concerned about the ice still present where the hedgerows cast shadows, but this corner was just slippery with winter road muck and I just lost the front wheel doing all of about 10mph and went down splat.
Gravel rash on thigh, stiff shoulder - and cracked helmet (better than my head....)

All very embarrassing :oops: :roll:, would have been less so if I'd being doing 40mph down a tricky descent or been taken off by a car, but this was just me, low speed, corner I know well.

So Yes, I'd wear one.

Smokin Joe

As I don't wear one anyway, no.

meagain

What Panter said, I think.

Guess got more cowardly with age - after all, I used to ride m'cycles helmet-less.

APIII

I still would. Impacts with cars is far down the list on reasons to wear a helmet IMO.

mrbrown

Most of my falls and friend's falls have been non-car related. Just a pothole or a brick in the way, and boom, road rash, shoulder injury, and head gets hit. And each time, the helmet saved the day.

So yes here too.

chopper1

I automatically put on a helmet without thinking about it, and yesterday a friend of mine crashed in a Time Trial, helmet split in 2, did its job, just aswell she was wearing it, as there were many that were not!
I understand why people do not, as they are not designed to withstand high speed impact with cars etc, but people do crash/come off at lower sppeds.

il_principe

Yes. I used not to wear a helmet, came off and landed on my face/forehead, a helmet would have helped big time, as it was I got knocked out and had to have my lip stitched up. Not wearing one seems a tad daft after that.

on the road

Once I fell over on the bike, I wasn't wearing a helmet, but because my head was lighter from not wearing a helmet it was easy for me to keep my head from hitting the ground, it's just instinct.

I suppose if you've always worn a helmet and you go out without a helmet and then crash, because you're so use to wearing a helmet when you crash without one you automatically let your head hit the ground because you've not learned how to keep your head from hitting the ground.

Porgy

In 30 years and plenty of falls and accidents, my head has never once hit anything.

il_principe

Easier said than done when you get clobbered by a taxi at 20mph and you're clipped in! I I find the first instinct is to clip out anyway - but these things can happen very quickly.

scherrit

Hmm, not too worried about cars, my head has been attacked mostly by the ground (mountain biking), a concrete velodrome surface (twice) and the retaining wall on a mountain pass.....
S.

wastelander

Coming from the world of powered two wheels most definitely and without question. Strange that I used to ride MTB without a lid but after a few major spills I figured that perhaps I was riding my luck.

Lagavulin

I would. If you take the cars away kerbs and tarmac won't get any more sponge like.

geoff_ss

I've destroyed 2 helmets. Neither accident involved a motor vehicle. This was after years of riding bare-headed with never a tumble. I even used to ride motor cycle trials wearing just a tweed cap, as we all did at the time.

The first accident involved a cat in my front wheel which ended up being pretty serious for me. It happened 18 years ago and I've never fully recovered but I think without the helmet I may not have recovered at all. The second was riding a hired ATB with no toe clips down Mastiles Lane. I think I skidded on some ice but I don't know as I have no memeory of the actual accident. It looked serious and involved few hours of plastic surgery to my face but, apart from a droopy eyelid, I fully recovered.

So yes, I would wear one but I'm totally opposed to compulsion.

Geoff

simonali

Porgy wrote:

In 30 years and plenty of falls and accidents, my head has never once hit anything.

Same here. The reason why I've never bought one in my life!

APIII

simonali wrote:

Porgy wrote:

In 30 years and plenty of falls and accidents, my head has never once hit anything.

Same here. The reason why I've never bought one in my life!

Wish I could say the same. Hope your luck holds out.

ellieb

on the road wrote:

Once I fell over on the bike, I wasn't wearing a helmet, but because my head was lighter from not wearing a helmet it was easy for me to keep my head from hitting the ground, it's just instinct.
.

Errr. Seeing as your head weighs at least 4.5-5kgs without hair & a helmet weighs between 2-300g I rather doubt that your neck muscles would notice the difference. Although of course by wearing the helmet you might have built them up

Whether you are able to keep your head off the ground will be about the speed of deceleration, whether anything is sticking up to hit you and the general geometry of the incident. Wearing a helmet will have a tiny effect.

andy_wrx

Yeah, the arguments about the weight of a helmet causing you to bang your head are definitely specious.

Because a helmet is bigger than your head, you might hit it when you would otherwise not have done, but that's a rather different point.

on the road

ellieb wrote:

on the road wrote:

Once I fell over on the bike, I wasn't wearing a helmet, but because my head was lighter from not wearing a helmet it was easy for me to keep my head from hitting the ground, it's just instinct.
.

Errr. Seeing as your head weighs at least 4.5-5kgs without hair & a helmet weighs between 2-300g I rather doubt that your neck muscles would notice the difference. Although of course by wearing the helmet you might have built them up

Whether you are able to keep your head off the ground will be about the speed of deceleration, whether anything is sticking up to hit you and the general geometry of the incident. Wearing a helmet will have a tiny effect.

I was just being sarcastic

cee

Geoff_SS wrote:

The first accident involved a cat in my front wheel which ended up being pretty serious for me.
Geoff

Yes but how was the Cat? and was it wearing a helmet?

nasahapley

simonali wrote:

Porgy wrote:

In 30 years and plenty of falls and accidents, my head has never once hit anything.

Same here. The reason why I've never bought one in my life!

Me too! But now I've got to - entered a sportive that makes them compulsory. I don't think this is a very common requirement though?

Porgy

APIII wrote:

simonali wrote:

Porgy wrote:

In 30 years and plenty of falls and accidents, my head has never once hit anything.

Same here. The reason why I've never bought one in my life!

Wish I could say the same. Hope your luck holds out.

If I was going to wear a helmet for any reason it'd be for driving the car - a very dangerous occupation IMO.

Rich Hcp

I always wear a helmet. I have had concussion when I've worn a helmet in a crash. Not dressed without a lid.

As has been said, most accidents are hitting things like the ground or kerbs etc.

Why do people assume it'll be an accident with a car?

Often it is bad riding, than bad driving that causes accidents

TimBaker

the objects you will hit are likely to be the road and kerbs rather than cars.
Is the content of your head worth £40?
I have crashed 3 times in seven years, none involving hitting a car but two involving my head hitting the road. Two helmets trashed but my head is intact.
Even with a helmet the crash last Saturday on ice resulted in damage to chin, lips and teeth but at least I could walk home (200m) and then drive to hospital. Helmet died saving my head, gives an excuse to buy a new one though.

oldwelshman

redddraggon wrote:

.....there were no cars on the road?

I probably wouldn't. I'm not saying that a helmet would help in a bad collision with a car, but I reckon that a low impact fall might be caused indirectly/directly by car (e.g. cutting you up and you evading). If I was bunch racing, or cycling when there was ice I would wear one as well.

This isn't meant to be helmet rant (like most end up), more a question of why you wear a helmet if you do?

I came off on ice recently and the side of my head landed bang on the kerb edge and bounced a couple of times. helmet dented and also pride only!!
What do you think the outcome would have been if I had no helmet and hit kerb on side of head after falling doing 23mph?

lateralus

Last crash, no car involved, banged head on road, glad I had the helmet on as it was a decent thump. Wouldn't ride, on or off road, without one.

Though you do raise one interesting point - if there were no cars on the road, perhaps the patch of diesel that caused the crash wouldn't have been there in the first place!