How many of you ride without a helmet?

Matt the Tester

i only wear it on club runs.

Scotxr

~Muz~ wrote:

Don't see why the pissy attitudes on here? If you don't like the thread don't read it?!?! It's a beginner forum not a gods gifted cyclist forum, I would guess the majority of readers are new to the hobby like me, and to be honest the attitude of some of the older members is appauling! Not a very inviting atmosphere at all

I usually lurk in the MTB forum, love my bikes, was wary about posting on the roadie section. One thing about MTB'ing is the closeknit thing, most people willing to go out their way to help you, I just dont get that impression from the roadies (I may be wrong). So many elitists. How if you dont achieve a certain average speed etc you're muck - whereas if you tell someone it took you 3 hours to do Glentress today (in the MTB section) they'd congratulate you and give you advice on how to manage it quicker.

Just my opinion of course.

ooermissus

CiB wrote:

And scotxr or whatever you call yourself, your lurid claim to see 'lots' of head injuries. Come on - spill the beans - how many? 50, 60 a day? 2 or 3 per week? 1 or 2 per month? How bad is this epidemic of head related injuries that cyclists (oh and climbers and bikers too, to boost your numbers obviously) seem to suffer from?

Fewer than 5% of critical care cases involve head injuries of any kind (however they may have been caused) so I can't imagine that the average ICU nurse sees that many caused by cycling each year. That said, just a few admissions may be enough to leave a deep impression.

~Muz~

Scotxr wrote:

~Muz~ wrote:

Don't see why the pissy attitudes on here? If you don't like the thread don't read it?!?! It's a beginner forum not a gods gifted cyclist forum, I would guess the majority of readers are new to the hobby like me, and to be honest the attitude of some of the older members is appauling! Not a very inviting atmosphere at all

I usually lurk in the MTB forum, love my bikes, was wary about posting on the roadie section. One thing about MTB'ing is the closeknit thing, most people willing to go out their way to help you, I just dont get that impression from the roadies (I may be wrong). So many elitists. How if you dont achieve a certain average speed etc you're muck - whereas if you tell someone it took you 3 hours to do Glentress today (in the MTB section) they'd congratulate you and give you advice on how to manage it quicker.

Just my opinion of course.

Starting to think that myself lol.... Time will tell :roll:

Scotxr

~Muz~ wrote:

Scotxr wrote:

~Muz~ wrote:

Don't see why the pissy attitudes on here? If you don't like the thread don't read it?!?! It's a beginner forum not a gods gifted cyclist forum, I would guess the majority of readers are new to the hobby like me, and to be honest the attitude of some of the older members is appauling! Not a very inviting atmosphere at all

I usually lurk in the MTB forum, love my bikes, was wary about posting on the roadie section. One thing about MTB'ing is the closeknit thing, most people willing to go out their way to help you, I just dont get that impression from the roadies (I may be wrong). So many elitists. How if you dont achieve a certain average speed etc you're muck - whereas if you tell someone it took you 3 hours to do Glentress today (in the MTB section) they'd congratulate you and give you advice on how to manage it quicker.

Just my opinion of course.

Starting to think that myself lol.... Time will tell :roll:

Although to be fair when I posted for advice about ordering my Ribble the guys were VERY helpful, so maybe i'm not giving them credit.

My bike should be here next week so i'm looking forward to getting out there and seeing all the Roadies, hopefully get some advice from them.

springtide9

My wife also had a stint as a junior doctor in A&E at one of the major hospitals in London.
I think she stated that she would see a couple a week on average, head injuries - from cycling.. It was probably about 15 years ago.. so would guess less people wore helmets then.

Like lots of things she saw in A&E, she is obviously is very opinionated in areas where people's lives were destroyed - but could have easily have been avoided.

When we talk about "Risk" - it is based on the likelihood of an event happening coupled with the frequency of that activity. The higher the likelihood OR the higher the frequency - increases the risk.

ooermissus

Scotxr wrote:

I've not even read all the replies on this thread - dont really want to read all the idiotic replies.

This was the first line of your first contribution to this thread - and then you have the cheek to complain about people having a bad attitude!

Scotxr

ooermissus wrote:

Scotxr wrote:

I've not even read all the replies on this thread - dont really want to read all the idiotic replies.

This was the first line of your first contribution to this thread - and then you have the cheek to complain about people having a bad attitude!

Touche!


Probably not the nest way to start but he ho, done now. My observation on attitude however stands.

Scotxr

springtide9 wrote:

My wife also had a stint as a junior doctor in A&E at one of the major hospitals in London.
I think she stated that she would see a couple a week on average, head injuries - from cycling.. It was probably about 15 years ago.. so would guess less people wore helmets then.

Like lots of things she saw in A&E, she is obviously is very opinionated in areas where people's lives were destroyed - but could have easily have been avoided.

When we talk about "Risk" - it is based on the likelihood of an event happening coupled with the frequency of that activity. The higher the likelihood OR the higher the frequency - increases the risk.

People are measuring to an end point of death, whereas the end point should be head injury. Even if the evidence is anecdotal I would rather go with that than risk me/the wife/the boys severely brain damaged or with some deficit to their personality/physical function.

Just my opinion of course.

sloppyschleckonds

~Muz~ wrote:

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

~Muz~ wrote:

Dare I coment? lol...

I do wear one but not bothered if others don't.. I wear one as common sense says it must provide some protection, if I wore a bucket on my head it would do something in a bump, even I just keepin out the gravel..

The thread has achieved its objective, nobody cares.

In that case why don't you wind your neck in and keep your funny comments to yourself? If the thread is finished surely the mods will close it??? Or is it finished when you say so?? Tool..

I didn't say it was finished or needed closing. You've posted on another thread derogatory comments about the intellect of people in the armed forces and the North East.

Try thinking before you post.

Scotxr

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

~Muz~ wrote:

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

~Muz~ wrote:

Dare I coment? lol...

I do wear one but not bothered if others don't.. I wear one as common sense says it must provide some protection, if I wore a bucket on my head it would do something in a bump, even I just keepin out the gravel..

The thread has achieved its objective, nobody cares.

In that case why don't you wind your neck in and keep your funny comments to yourself? If the thread is finished surely the mods will close it??? Or is it finished when you say so?? Tool..

I didn't say it was finished or needed closing. You've posted on another thread derogatory comments about the intellect of people in the armed forces and the North East.

Try thinking before you post.

Derogatory comments!! The only reason you are bringing that up is because you've been called out for adding nothing but smart ar*e comments to the thread. Why dont you think before you post.

MaxwellBygraves

There's only one thing you can be absolutely sure of when it comes to helmets, and that is any debate on the internet will end up with several pages of opinions and never reach any conclusion.

~Muz~

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

~Muz~ wrote:

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

~Muz~ wrote:

Dare I coment? lol...

I do wear one but not bothered if others don't.. I wear one as common sense says it must provide some protection, if I wore a bucket on my head it would do something in a bump, even I just keepin out the gravel..

The thread has achieved its objective, nobody cares.

In that case why don't you wind your neck in and keep your funny comments to yourself? If the thread is finished surely the mods will close it??? Or is it finished when you say so?? Tool..

I didn't say it was finished or needed closing. You've posted on another thread derogatory comments about the intellect of people in the armed forces and the North East.

Try thinking before you post.

I didn't notice this was such a politically correct area.. What said was a joke, and FYI I am an ex member of the armed forces, a decorated one at that, most of my good friends still serve, many in theatre atm, so if you want to go down that line I suggest you find somebody else to play with!! 8)

You're comment was a case of 'here's a newbie i'll take a cheap shot'... Well done big man.....

Now you try thinking before you quote..

Edit: The North East comment wasn't by me, check you're facts.

Scotxr

~Muz~ wrote:

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

~Muz~ wrote:

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

~Muz~ wrote:

Dare I coment? lol...

I do wear one but not bothered if others don't.. I wear one as common sense says it must provide some protection, if I wore a bucket on my head it would do something in a bump, even I just keepin out the gravel..

The thread has achieved its objective, nobody cares.

In that case why don't you wind your neck in and keep your funny comments to yourself? If the thread is finished surely the mods will close it??? Or is it finished when you say so?? Tool..

I didn't say it was finished or needed closing. You've posted on another thread derogatory comments about the intellect of people in the armed forces and the North East.

Try thinking before you post.

I didn't notice this was such a politically correct area.. What said was a joke, and FYI I am an ex member of the armed forces, a decorated one at that, most of my good friends still serve, many in theatre atm, so if you want to go down that line I suggest you find somebody else to play with!! 8)

You're comment was a case of 'here's a newbie i'll take a cheap shot'... Well done big man.....

Now you try thinking before you quote..

Edit: The North East comment wasn't by me, check you're facts.

He's been owned by a noob, love it!!

I have a mate who serves - been in the Stan and is now over in Belfast, I know he'd laugh at that joke too.

~Muz~

Scotxr wrote:

~Muz~ wrote:

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

~Muz~ wrote:

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

~Muz~ wrote:

Dare I coment? lol...

I do wear one but not bothered if others don't.. I wear one as common sense says it must provide some protection, if I wore a bucket on my head it would do something in a bump, even I just keepin out the gravel..

The thread has achieved its objective, nobody cares.

In that case why don't you wind your neck in and keep your funny comments to yourself? If the thread is finished surely the mods will close it??? Or is it finished when you say so?? Tool..

I didn't say it was finished or needed closing. You've posted on another thread derogatory comments about the intellect of people in the armed forces and the North East.

Try thinking before you post.

I didn't notice this was such a politically correct area.. What said was a joke, and FYI I am an ex member of the armed forces, a decorated one at that, most of my good friends still serve, many in theatre atm, so if you want to go down that line I suggest you find somebody else to play with!! 8)

You're comment was a case of 'here's a newbie i'll take a cheap shot'... Well done big man.....

Now you try thinking before you quote..

Edit: The North East comment wasn't by me, check you're facts.

He's been owned by a noob, love it!!

I have a mate who serves - been in the Stan and is now over in Belfast, I know he'd laugh at that joke too.

Most would mate... I feel I should elaborate for anyone wondering what the joke was, I referred to my first ride out as making me 'Sweat like a Marine in a maths test'.. There ya go, not really a nasty derogatory comment bout the armed forces now was it? But apologies and hugs to anybody that is upset

Pseudonym

MaxwellBygraves wrote:

There's only one thing you can be absolutely sure of when it comes to helmets, and that is any debate on the internet will end up with several pages of opinions and never reach any conclusion.

I'm sure there is a graph somewhere which shows that as the number of pages increases, the standard of debate falls and the level of personal insults goes up.....

~Muz~

Pseudonym wrote:

MaxwellBygraves wrote:

There's only one thing you can be absolutely sure of when it comes to helmets, and that is any debate on the internet will end up with several pages of opinions and never reach any conclusion.

I'm sure there is a graph somewhere which shows that as the number of pages increases, the standard of debate falls and the level of personal insults goes up.....

CiB

Scotxr wrote:

CiB wrote:

Something very boring

I'm sorry but i'm not on here to give you an indepth analysis of ITU admissions.

Fair enough then, don't. But you're ducking the question of whether you see all types of cycling, all the way from coasting to church on a Sunday morning to attacking a long downhill wooded section on a MTB, as being identical levels of risk. If you find that sort of detail boring, that's fine. It doesn't add much credence to your argument though.

Scotxr wrote:

...few have chimed in saying they don't wear helmets means the large portion of people don't wear them. I find with the helmet topic most who don't wear helmets are so proud to state it to be "cool and different", and the ones who do wear helmets feel it is too stupid to reply, myself included. .
The bit in bold I believe covers you..........

Oh. You believe wrong then. Sorry. I'm a bit too old tbh to worry about things like being cool, or shouting 'look at me being different'. Sorry to disappoint.

It's entirely about risk perception, and accepting that some things in life carry some risk, and some don't, and that there's a massive range of points in between. In my view, cycling is at the bottom end of the risk scale. MTBing in the woods is a bit higher and over the threshold so warrants the hat, as does organised road events etc. By & large though my experience of this sort of thing and my outlook on life swings me towards a 'no thanks' attitude of going along with the views of the all-pervasive Safety Industry.

You're welcome to your opinion but without anything other than some lurid claims that you don't feel able to support (too boring obviously), I'll remain unconvinced by the need to treat most forms of cycling as anything other than v low risk.

Is that ok with you?

Scotxr

CiB wrote:

Scotxr wrote:

CiB wrote:

Something very boring

I'm sorry but i'm not on here to give you an indepth analysis of ITU admissions.

Fair enough then, don't. But you're ducking the question of whether you see all types of cycling, all the way from coasting to church on a Sunday morning to attacking a long downhill wooded section on a MTB, as being identical levels of risk. If you find that sort of detail boring, that's fine. It doesn't add much credence to your argument though.

Scotxr wrote:

...few have chimed in saying they don't wear helmets means the large portion of people don't wear them. I find with the helmet topic most who don't wear helmets are so proud to state it to be "cool and different", and the ones who do wear helmets feel it is too stupid to reply, myself included. .
The bit in bold I believe covers you..........

Oh. You believe wrong then. Sorry. I'm a bit too old tbh to worry about things like being cool, or shouting 'look at me being different'. Sorry to disappoint.

It's entirely about risk perception, and accepting that some things in life carry some risk, and some don't, and that there's a massive range of points in between. In my view, cycling is at the bottom end of the risk scale. MTBing in the woods is a bit higher and over the threshold so warrants the hat, as does organised road events etc. By & large though my experience of this sort of thing and my outlook on life swings me towards a 'no thanks' attitude of going along with the views of the all-pervasive Safety Industry.

You're welcome to your opinion but without anything other than some lurid claims that you don't feel able to support (too boring obviously), I'll remain unconvinced by the need to treat most forms of cycling as anything other than v low risk.

Is that ok with you?

That's absolutely ok with me.

I will however echo what's been said, I pray you never have to be in the situation where yourself or a loved thinks "would things have been different if I (he) wearing a helmet"

If there is a 1% chance that wearing a helmet can reduce/stop death or a serious head injury then it's worth taking in my opinion.

Is that ok with you ??

CiB

Scotxr wrote:

[If there is a 1% chance that wearing a helmet can reduce/stop death or a serious head injury then it's worth taking in my opinion.

And that ultimately is where we'll always differ. A 1% chance of head injury can be applied to any situation; DIY, contact rugby in school, mowing the lawn, being on a plane, being in the loft looking for something, having a shower, painting the guttering, whatever.

It's an extension of the old argument that goes 'if it saves one life it has to be worth it'. In my world that argument doesn't hold. In yours it may well, and like I said, that's where we'll always differ. Life's a risk. I'll mitigate that risk to some extent, but never to the nth degree.

thegibdog

Scotxr wrote:

If there is a 1% chance that wearing a helmet can reduce/stop death or a serious head injury then it's worth taking in my opinion.

I agree. Please will you explain that to my work colleagues who keep giving me funny looks for wearing my helmet whilst sat at my desk?

In answer to the OP I don't ride without a helmet apart from the very rare occasions when I forget.

Scotxr

CiB wrote:

Scotxr wrote:

[If there is a 1% chance that wearing a helmet can reduce/stop death or a serious head injury then it's worth taking in my opinion.

And that ultimately is where we'll always differ. A 1% chance of head injury can be applied to any situation; DIY, contact rugby in school, mowing the lawn, being on a plane, being in the loft looking for something, having a shower, painting the guttering, whatever.

It's an extension of the old argument that goes 'if it saves one life it has to be worth it'. In my world that argument doesn't hold. In yours it may well, and like I said, that's where we'll always differ. Life's a risk. I'll mitigate that risk to some extent, but never to the nth degree.

To some extent I agree with you :shock:

Here's an example. I had a head injury in recently where someone fell off some ladders when he was fixing his roof. Do I think all DIYers should wear a helmet?, no (although statistically it is very dangerous).

BUT I dont think you can compare a once in a blue moon activity like fixing a roof to an activity performed 3-4 times a week for an hour or so like biking.

IMO

MountainMonster

Man, some of you really are on your periods. Well funny to read!

Ginjafro

Helmet hair - this is the ultimate reason helmets are bad for you.

Scotxr

MountainMonster wrote:

Man, some of you really are on your periods. Well funny to read!

Mountain Monster I have quoted you in this thread

thegibdog

Scotxr wrote:

Here's an example. I had a head injury in recently where someone fell off some ladders when he was fixing his roof. Do I think all DIYers should wear a helmet?, no (although statistically it is very dangerous).

BUT I dont think you can compare a once in a blue moon activity like fixing a roof to an activity performed 3-4 times a week for an hour or so like biking.

IMO

But surely whether you wear a helmet or not should be determined by how dangerous that activity is not by how often you do it?

By your logic if I decide to get on a motorbike and ride it at 100mph through the city centre but I'm only going to do it once in my entire life I needn't bother wearing a helmet??

Scotxr

thegibdog wrote:

Scotxr wrote:

Here's an example. I had a head injury in recently where someone fell off some ladders when he was fixing his roof. Do I think all DIYers should wear a helmet?, no (although statistically it is very dangerous).

BUT I dont think you can compare a once in a blue moon activity like fixing a roof to an activity performed 3-4 times a week for an hour or so like biking.

IMO

But surely whether you wear a helmet or not should be determined by how dangerous that activity is not by how often you do it?

By your logic if I decide to get on a motorbike and ride it at 100mph through the city centre but I'm only going to do it once in my entire life I needn't bother wearing a helmet??

That's not what I was getting at and I think you know that.

I think I shall bow out of this thread, I have said what I wanted to and if it makes even one person think twice about not wearing a helmet then it was worth it.

2betterthan4

I only wear my helmet off-road or when I ride my road bike. If I'm just commuting, I don't bother as I only travel at 15mph or so and, touch wood, haven't done anything stupid to come off like that. Have been hit twice on my road bike though.

Not sure how much protection they actually give - I think they just hold your head off the floor rather than protect from the force.


Happy Training!

MountainMonster

Scotxr wrote:

MountainMonster wrote:

Man, some of you really are on your periods. Well funny to read!

Mountain Monster I have quoted you in this thread

I'm in this thread other than this post??

Scotxr

MountainMonster wrote:

Scotxr wrote:

MountainMonster wrote:

Man, some of you really are on your periods. Well funny to read!

Mountain Monster I have quoted you in this thread

I'm in this thread other than this post??

Yep!! Read the next quoted bit and see if any of it seems familiar from the MTB section....

Scotxr wrote:

CiB wrote:

Something very boring

I'm sorry but i'm not on here to give you an indepth analysis of ITU admissions.

I started a thread over on MTB to get an idea of what those guys thought, seems like I have more in common with them.

Here's a couple of quotes......

cooldad wrote:

Not this again.
@scotxr - just because lots of people respond on a forum saying they don't just means lots of people who responded don't, not that lots of people don't. Not even very subtle difference.
Look next time you are out - I would say just about every serious rider I see, roadie or MTBer does. People popping to the shops often don't.
Chavs don't, which is a GOOD thing.

MountainMonster wrote:

I don't know a single person who rides without a helmet if they are doing any form of serious riding. I see even most older people out for a 5km bike ride with helmets on, and the only times I see someone without a helmet is when I'm leaving the city, and people are just commuting to the shops or such

Like the guy above me posted, don't think just because a few have chimed in saying they don't wear helmets means the large portion of people don't wear them. I find with the helmet topic most who don't wear helmets are so proud to state it to be "cool and different", and the ones who do wear helmets feel it is too stupid to reply, myself included. .

The bit in bold I believe covers you..........