Helmet or no helmet?
Comments
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Well I am also one not to get drawn into debates but I am a firm believer in helmets.
I live in Aus, specifically Melbourne and here helmets are law - you have to wear them. I myself have always worn them, from peewee BMX racing days up. I consider myself a very good bike handler but have seen a lot of crashes on the road (the most recent two weeks ago where we were in a pack doing 60kmh into a sprint) and in 95% of those crashes, the helmet has taken impact and has appeared to help that rider (of course this is only based on the immediate aftermath).
My understanding of helmets is they operate on the same principle as climbing ropes or crumple areas on cars - they absorb energy that would be dissipated elsewhere so in the case of the helmet, through your head. I have no scientific evidence of what good a helmet would do in the case of any form of impact but then again I have no evidence of the good that not wearing one would do either.
What I do know is that prior to the law, I wore a helmet and will always wear one, regardless of where I live, what sort of rider I think I am, how skilled I am, how expensive they are or how uncool they may look.
It may be a choice where you are but as a previous poster pointed out, its your head. Or as the old Bell Australia ad used to say “Got a $20 head, wear a $20 helmet”.There's no time for hesitating.
Pain is ready, pain is waiting.
Primed to do it's educating.0 -
alfablue wrote:whyamihere wrote:I wear a helmet. I also know that it's unlikely to help me. I'm a relatively experienced rider. The only way I'm likely to come off is either getting a fast corner wrong, or being hit by a car. In neither case will the helmet protect me from the forces involved. Basically, if you're going to die, you're going to die. Putting some polystyrene on your head won't save your life.
So why do I wear one? Well, I said that the high impact crashes were more likely. I can't eliminate the chances of, for example, my pedal malfunctioning meaning I can't unclip, which would cause me to drop over sideways at low speed or some other similar mishap. This is where helmets excel. Without the helmet, I could easily get a pretty nasty cut and a bit of concussion if I hit the kerb. I won't be likely to die, but it will hurt. With a helmet, the helmet will absorb the impact instead of my head.
By the way, I would ALWAYS wear a helmet for mountain biking. The lack of cars and lower speeds means that you're within the realm where helmets work permanently. Looking at the rock dents in some of my old MTB helmets, you'd be an idiot not to use one off road.
A lot of what you say makes sense, but I think there is a tendency to underestimate the potential injury from apparently trivial impacts. A fall of 1m on to concrete is likely to cause a serious head injury in more than 70% of falls.
Which is exactly where pedestrian falls / trips mainly fit..... lack of cars, lower speeds falls from low heights, and a tendency to underestimate the potentia;l injury and its effects - these are just the reasons for introducing pedestrian helmets?<b><i>He that buys land buys many stones.
He that buys flesh buys many bones.
He that buys eggs buys many shells,
But he that buys good beer buys nothing else.</b></i>
(Unattributed Trad.)0 -
Things that cost money are always important...
like terrorism, the local colonic irrigation courses and a nice holiday in gran canaria. Good point.A friend recently got helicoptered off a triathlon bike course having been hit by a coach. Her bike and helmet were destroyed in the crash. She suffered a broken collar bone, broken ribs and almost no head injuries.
Still think there's a question about wearing a helmet???
But would she have been hit in the first place had she not been wearing one? CTC proved that wearing one brings cars an average of 8.5cm (3") closer. http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4689
I wear one in NZ atm as its law. The effects seem to be exaggerated here because of that. Usually drivers come really close. one day i forgot my helmet out of habit and it was like I was on fire or something. No-one came near me and everyone at work thought I was insane.yep, my letter 0 key is bust0 -
If you ride solo then do want you want, it's your head. personally I like to keep mine intact. If you ride with others then IMO you should be wearing a helmet (if they do anyway), last thing I want to be doing is picking up bits of skull from the road.
The point is if you do come off and sustain a serious head injury it's not you that has to deal with it to start with. I certainly won't ride off-road with someone without a helmet, on road I'd be a bit more relaxed but I'd be thinking they were a muppet.0 -
If you ride with others then IMO you should be wearing a helmet (if they do anyway), last thing I want to be doing is picking up bits of skull from the road.
ok to wear a wooly hat then, keep all the bits together0 -
Oh dear, the words 'can' & 'worms' spring to mind!!
Looking through the comments its a bit of a mixed bag. I suppose its down to personal preference.
Bearing in mind the injuries that could be sustained, even from falling off at low speed I'll be making a purchase pretty soon.
Thanks guys.0 -
I fell off at about 16-18 mph, wheel went from under me and I fell to the right. I don't wear a helmet and I hit my head quite a bit, there was even a slight mark on my temple. 10 seconds after the fall, It didn't hurt.... and as far as i'm aware there were no siderhjeheiejiejedeej j hnje jsdfdfsdfn n effects.
My elbows and knees were hurt far more than my head, should I wear knee and elbow pads?0 -
In my opinion, helmets make a modest but worthwhile (given the relatively low cost and inconvenience of wearing them) contribution to your safety. But the benefts are modest enough that I don't think people are silly or irresponsible if they don't wear one.
whyamihere saidI'm a relatively experienced rider. The only way I'm likely to come off is either getting a fast corner wrong, or being hit by a car. In neither case will the helmet protect me from the forces involved.
I doubt I'm as experienced as him but I came off earlier this year on the gentlest of bends because I hit a diesel spill and lost the front wheel. It happened so quickly that I don't think even a pro could have done much about it. It was quite early in the morning and the road was damp so there was no way I could have seen the diesel patch at 22mph. I only found it after the event when I was looking for an explanation for what the hell happened.
I hit the road hard around my temple. The helmet crushed and cracked. My glasses smashed and cut me above the eye. I had a mild headache. I have to believe that the force required to crush and split my helmet would have been distinctly unpleasant on my bare head.
Seems to me that it is in this kind of incident that helmets earn their keep.
J0 -
One thing which I suspect seriously skews the statistics when they are trying to prove a beneficial effect from wearing a helmet is the fact that at least 50% of people who use one don't wear it properly. There's not much point wearing a helmet on the back of your head with the straps loose, and yet I am amazed at the number of people I see doing this. What are they thinking?? It's one thing to make a personal decision not to wear a helmet based on a full understanding of the risks and the complexity of the issue (although it's not a choice I would make), but to choose to wear one and then to do so in such a way that it is not going to work is just daft. I'll bet these sorts of logically challenged people are also more likely to do stupid things on the road (undertaking HGVs when they are turning left, etc) hence further negatively skewing the statistics on the effectiveness of helmets.0
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Reasons not to:
spoils your hairdo
makes you sweaty
makes you feel silly
dents your pride
whiffs of cowardice
doesn't match your outfit / self-image / prejudices
Consequently, I wear one.0 -
I wear a helmet for my own personal safety and if others dont want to then its up to them.
I glad I do though as I crashed this year at speeds approaching 30mph and had a few injuries and could have had a lot more as I cracked my helmet in several places and that could have easily been my skull.Brian B.0 -
There's a chance that wearing a helmet might save my life in a crash. It's a chance I'm willing to take, so I always wear mine.0
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IMHO it depends on the situation, at least for me it does.
I ride a bike for much of my everyday transport (mini-commute, shopping, etc.) within town, and for sport/recreation/competition out of town, sometimes alone, sometimes in groups.
I never wear a helmet on short trips on my heavier (still not too heavy, it's Sheffield) bike in town.
I (almost) always wear a helmet when out on my race bike on my own.
I always wear a helmet when out on my race bike in groups.
When riding in groups there's just too much risk of something going wrong, when a helmet could make a difference. Same when you're pushing it and taking risks when riding fast and getting tired on your own.
In town speed is lower, you're not tired, and most of all I want to be able to use a bike casually in town without always needing to carry a helmet around. Therefore I would vehemently oppose any proposals to make wearing a helmet on a bike compulsory. But then I'm originally from a country where people go to the pub or on a date on a bike...0 -
My sister had a tree branch fall on her (helmeted ) head on the way to work once. Cracked the helmet, she was fine. Musta hurt like, but still.0
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I always wear one when commuting and never on mountain bike.
Worse fall was being knocked off the bike in Wandsworth Common by a really fast dog skewing my front wheel. I went over handlebars and landed on my back and hit my head hard against the tarmac. Luckily I had a helmet. Now I use the proper, hard plastic one with better straps.
Also, I ride horses. Was with a friend on a hard ride. Her horse collapsed with a heart attack. Recovered, scrambled over her, kicked her in the head, and had another seizure 50 yards away and died. My friend can't ride any more, see in one eye, or concentrate much. all because she was too vain to wear an effing hat!0 -
neeb wrote:At the other end of the scale, it is clear that a helmet is going to make a big difference to the outcome in lower energy collisions of the type that cause serious concussion and other nasty injuries
Fully agree with Neeb here. Similarly, at our Road racing speeds/environment Helmet's are a must (I wear one).0 -
I have read every post (probably) on this thread, and I still don't understand why you wouldn't wear one.
The "if you get hit by a car it would make no difference" thing is complete balls. Maybe if you stood there bending over trying to ram the oncoming car like a goat, then I doubt it would make a difference, but if you get hit by another part of your anatomy, (e.g. you roll up onto the bonnet hitting your head on the windscreen then the impact on the head will have been reduced by having something on top of it.
The person that said they hit their head and then a minute later they were fine? How is that relevant?
I've never hurt myself on my bike, but i did once wake up in Vancouver hospital after a collision (at literally walking pace) with a friend whilst snowboarding. I had a helmet on, and was still completely out of it.
I just can't see how people can genuinely think that it doesn't make a difference. If you don't want to wear then fine, but saying that it won't make a difference is just b0llocks.http://www.KOWONO.com - Design-Led home furniture and accessories.0 -
Sorry but I dont care if I look like a twat or not, but I will always wear one, both on road and on the MTB. Ive seen some pics of the damage that can be done falling off at 20mph.... its shocking!Cycling never gets any easier, you just go faster - Greg LeMond0
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Because I had a fall/crash where I did hit my head on the floor, without wearing a helmet and I was fine. People have been saying in this thread that if you fall off at low speed with no helmet you will get brain damage/broken skull/death.robthehungrymonkey wrote:The person that said they hit their head and then a minute later they were fine? How is that relevant?
And it's not like a helmet is a total lifesaver comparable to a seat belt in a car, it's a bit of styrofoam and plastic.
And unlike a seat belt, you can't hurt anyone else by not wearing one, so why do people care if other people wear them or not? It's their own risk to take....0 -
Infamous wrote:
Because I had a fall/crash where I did hit my head on the floor, without wearing a helmet and I was fine. People have been saying in this thread that if you fall off at low speed with no helmet you will get brain damage/broken skull/death.robthehungrymonkey wrote:The person that said they hit their head and then a minute later they were fine? How is that relevant?
And it's not like a helmet is a total lifesaver comparable to a seat belt in a car, it's a bit of styrofoam and plastic.
And unlike a seat belt, you can't hurt anyone else by not wearing one, so why do people care if other people wear them or not? It's their own risk to take....
As i said, I don't have a problem with anyone not wearing them (or with people smoking etc etc.) it's their choice. I went for a ride recently without one.
But, just because you didn't get brain damage doesn't mean the next person won't, or you won't next time. There's no logic in that statement.
I don't think people should be dissuaded from wearing a helmet when cycling.http://www.KOWONO.com - Design-Led home furniture and accessories.0 -
I realise that if you fall off - its better to have something protecting your head than nothing.
What gets me is that for the first 10 years or so of my cycling career - I didnt have a helmet and I fell off a good few times. Lots of damage, but no harm to my head. The helmet fanatics just put me off by being so fanatic - if you believe them you would think that cycling is almost certain death unless you have the latest offering by Giro or Bell. Its not.0 -
Infamous wrote:
robthehungrymonkey wrote:
The person that said they hit their head and then a minute later they were fine? How is that relevant?
Because I had a fall/crash where I did hit my head on the floor, without wearing a helmet and I was fine. People have been saying in this thread that if you fall off at low speed with no helmet you will get brain damage/broken skull/death.
And it's not like a helmet is a total lifesaver comparable to a seat belt in a car, it's a bit of styrofoam and plastic.
And unlike a seat belt, you can't hurt anyone else by not wearing one, so why do people care if other people wear them or not? It's their own risk to take....
You can seriously injure yourself falling from no higher than 4 feet onto your head onto tarmac. It doesn't always mean you will. I came off at 16mph on a wet corner, landed on my back and hit the back of my head on the road. I had a large bump and a big headache for the next few hours.
I wear a helmet now because I want to minimise the risk of hurting my head. It doesn't completely negate the risk; that would require me not cycling.
There is a financial argument of course. Wearing a helmet will save you money: you will be less likely to need time off work if you are involved in a crash and if you want to take it from the government's point of view, you will be less of a burden on the healthcare industry and therefore less of a burden on taxpayers.
Sorry to paint such a stark picture but people do think this way.FCN = 4.5 Roadie, hairy legs, half a beard (say goateeeeee!)0 -
On the other hand ... pottering around bridleways with the family, none of us wear helmets. It looks a bit sissy to me, though doubtless elf n safety wouldn't approve.0
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I have read every post (probably) on this thread, and I still don't understand why you wouldn't wear one.
I agree with the sentiment here (I always wear a helmet myself), but there are obviously reasons why someone might choose not to wear one. It's a hassle, it's uncomfortable, etc etc etc. The question is are these reasons outweighed by the advantages. Now, this is the point where many people say "of course they are, what a dumb question, how can you compare slight hassle and discomfort with the risk of death or a serious head injury??". It's not as simple as that though, as the discomfort is certain, whereas death/serious injury is less certain; in fact, statistically, it's unlikely. The decision then rests on the all-important questions 1) how unlikely? 2) how much difference is wearing a helmet going to make? Assuming you can estimate these quantities (actually rather difficult), it then comes down a personal risk-taking decision. The fact is, it's probably still less dangerous to cycle without a helmet than it is to hang-glide, go caving or whatever, and yet we don't condemn people who do these things (although we might not choose to do so ourselves). You might say "that's different, the cavers/hang-gliders aren't taking unnecessary risks, only the necessary ones to engage in the sport". But hang-gliding itself is an unnecessary risk; all you gain from it is personal pleasure/satisfaction. If someone considers that they get sufficient pleasure from not wearing a helmet to justify a risk they are fully aware of (in the form of comfort, lack of hassle, sense of freedom or whatever) that's their choice, just as it is the hang-glider's choice to do what he does.
I used to leave my bike locked up at work in an outdoors bike park. Despite the obvious risk of having my lights stolen, I got into the habit of leaving the lights on the bike just to save the everyday hassle of taking them on and off. The bike park was on the premises, and I reckoned the chance of having the lights stolen was small enough such that the risk was worth taking. In the two or three years I was there, the lights actually were stolen on one occasion, This was a hassle and it cost me 20 quid to replace them, but it was still a lot less hassle than taking the lights on and off the bike twice a day, every single day of the year. So I still think the risk was worth taking, even although I lost a set of lights. Some people think this way about bike helmets. They never wear one, maybe come off and get concussion a few times over the space of many years, but still think the risk was worth it. They also presumably consider that the risk of death or serious injury is not large enough to justify the hassle of wearing a helmet, given the difference it could make etc. I disagree with them, but they are not being irrational.
You really could apply all of the pro-helmet wearing arguments to argue for pedestrians in towns to wear cycle helmets. It would save lives and certainly reduce the seriousness of some injuries. The only difference is the magnitude of risk, i.e. the chance of coming off a bike compared to the chance of being hit by a car at 20-30mph while crossing the road. Obviously the risk in the first case is higher, but it's not an order of magnitude higher. In Finland you see a lot of pedestrians wearing reflective armbands or medallion-thingies. Personally I wouldn't do that and I'll bet most pro-cycle helmet people don't either, but it could easily save your life.0 -
People in this thread have been saying "I crashed, hit my head and my helmet cracked". My point of view is just as valid.robthehungrymonkey wrote:But, just because you didn't get brain damage doesn't mean the next person won't, or you won't next time. There's no logic in that statement.As i said, I don't have a problem with anyone not wearing them (or with people smoking etc etc.) it's their choice. I went for a ride recently without one.
so which is it? you dont care if people wear them or not, but you don't want people to be dissuaded from wearing one?I don't think people should be dissuaded from wearing a helmet when cycling.0 -
OK, let me summarise the flawed logic that always gets wheeled out in this type of thread:
Pro-helmet- My sister's friend's classmate fell off their bike, hit their head but was wearing a helmet and they were fine so helmets must be a good thing
- My sister's friend's classmate fell off their bike, hit their head but wasn't wearing a helmet and they died so helmets must be a good thing
- Well, it can't do any harm, can it?
Anti-helmet (or pro-choice, if it's a debate about making helmets compulsory)- My sister's friend's classmate fell off their bike, hit their head and wasn't wearing a helmet but they were fine so helmets must be a pointless thing
- A study showed that helmets were beneficial for children travelling at <12mph so they must be pointless for adults travelling above that speed
- If you get hit by a car/lorry/steamroller/asteroid, a helmet isn't going to help
There are two things that affect my decision to wear a helmet and neither has been mentioned yet in this thread:- A study in Australia where helmet use was made compulsory found three things that I consider germane: 1) Bike use reduced, 2) there was no reduction in serious head injuries, and 3) there was a reduction in minor head injuries (cuts and abrasions). Personally, I'll take a reduced chance of a minor head injury
- A study has shown that helmets are beneficial for children travelling at <12mph. Since I have 3 offspring in this category, I lead by example. It would appear hypocritical for me to demand that they wear a helmet if I do not
So I choose to wear a helmet but strongly object to any compulsory helmet legislation.
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If you take a look at any serious research (of which, admittedly, there isn't a whole lot) I don't think there is a clear cut position either way.
This is a quite useful site http://www.cyclehelmets.org/index.html with a fair amount of research and stats. It also looks to address the "helmet saved my life" brigade, amongst others. There is evidence to support the wearing of helmets; there is evidence to show that wearing a helmet can increase the risk of injury; the introduction of compulsory helmets in Australia and New Zealand had little impact on head injury rates... and so on.
In my experience, most people who hold an entrenched position on helmets, either way, can't back it up with any real evidence to support their position. It's usually based on "Well there was this one time I/my mate fell off.." or "it's just common sense..." etc
It just isn't a clear cut decision - for every argument for there is one against. Basically, you should do some research and make an informed decision.
I wear a helmet off-road mainly to stop my head being smacked by branches etc. Not exactly life threatening, but can get a bit sore over a day. I generally wear one on road but not always. It's as much to do with keeping the other half happy as anything.
I'd say the only thing that is agreed on is the health benefits of cycling outweight the minimal risk of getting injured - helmet or no helmet - so get out and ride
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One "interesting" issue that doesn't seem to be mentioned too often, is the efficacy of helmets in lower energy "solo offs" (no vehicle involved) when travelling above 12 mph - ie - a solo training ride or club run - Rider comes off at 16, 18, 20, 22 mph - Rider's head cracks the ground hard - anecdotally, it seems that helmets in most cases appear to save the rider from possible concussion/certain head cuts (Many of us have seen or experienced this - thousands of accounts on bike forums over the last 10 years etc..). So, anecdotally at least, helmets do seem to have a use in protecting the head (from possible concussion/certain head cuts) in solo-off lower energy impacts above 12 mph.0
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This is the problem, isn't it? It's amazing how few studies there are really.serious research (of which, admittedly, there isn't a whole lot)
You would think that if helmets worked really well, the manufacturers would fund lots of studies...
Of course the fact that they don't doesn't prove that they don't work.
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Mettan wrote:One "interesting" issue that doesn't seem to be mentioned too often, is the efficacy of helmets in lower energy "solo offs" (no vehicle involved) when travelling above 12 mph - ie - a solo training ride or club run - Rider comes off at 16, 18, 20, 22 mph - Rider's head cracks the ground hard - anecdotally, it seems that helmets in most cases appear to save the rider from possible concussion and certain head cuts (Many of us have seen or experienced this - thousands of accounts on bike forums over the last 10 years). So, anecdotally at least, helmets do have a use in protecting the head (from possible concussion/certain head cuts) in solo-off lower energy impacts above 12 mph.
Perhaps it would be more accurate to say "So, anecdotally at least, helmets may have a use in protecting the head (from possible concussion/certain head cuts) in solo-off lower energy impacts above 12 mph".
I came off my MTB back in May at, I would estimate, 20-25mph. 15 minutes later, I came round - though unable to remember or recognise where I was - and, after a couple of hours, I was mentally back to normal (for me!) - though the stitches and broken collarbone took longer to heal
Emotionally, I feel that my helmet saved me from more extensive, even permanent, head injury. However, I cannot know this - would I have been going as quickly were I not wearing a helmet? Perhaps the fact that I was wearing a helmet effectively caused the unplanned dismount. I also cannot know that a slightly different off wouldn't have caused a more serious injury with the helmet on, but that would have been less serious without a helmet.
These questions can only be answered statistically - and it would seem that largely the studies haven't been done that provide these answers.
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