For those of you who don't...

Rad2474

Had my worst crash today on section 13 at Hamsterly,very sore ribs on my left side and a few grazes. As for the thread title those of you who don't wear a helmet,if i wasn't wearing mine reckon i might just have had a trip to A&E fairly smacked my head, one those hits were there's a loud sharp bang and a white flash. What looked like a small dent in the helmet turned out to be a split wouldn't like to thing what my head would have been without it. (fortunately the bike is ok bar couple of scratches.)

welshkev

glad to hear you're OK mate.

I was out for a ride yesterday and some guy on a hybrid overtook us with his lid/grandkid riding behind him. we apologised we didn't hear his bell first time, his reply was "it's cos you're wearing those stupid hats"

we were a bit perplexed and asked him what he meant? he replied "those stupid helmets, what are you wearing those for? you don't need them" really? wtf?

we basically told him that when we see him in front of a car with his head smashed in we'll remind him of that...great example to set for the kid too :roll:

Giraffoto

Little bit of an emotive issue with some people. Funnily enough the strongest opinions both for and against give the impression of having just had a bump on the head . . . .

Glad your head is still in one piece, by the way

The Rookie

Could my nogging ever be worse of after a crash if I wore a helmet versus not - No not very likely

Could my nogging ever be worse of after a crash if if I didn't wear a helmet versus doing so - Yes.

Ergo wear helmet.

Unless it's a full face most bike helmets leave your ears free, so Mr Hybrid was probably a moron.

welshkev

i'd just like to clarify, we were linking up 2 trails by riding up the cycle path. he wasn't ringing his bell to overtake us on the final section of the twrch

cooldad

Too late for excuses. But I suppose it was a really gnarrly path.

cooldad

I read on the internet that helmets cause more injuries than they prevent.

daveenglish

must be true if it's on tinternet!

Kowalski675

I've bounced my head off tarmac at around 80mph and put a hole in a drystone wall with my head (separate occasions, lol) and walked away both times - wouldn't fancy trying either of those without a helmet.

stubs

Last wednesday night a mate went over the bars at the bottom of some rock steps in the woods at Gisburn and head butted a tree. Result one dented helmet and one rider with spinning eyes who had to sit down for 10 minutes before he could walk and couldnt come out with us yesterday because his legs are still a bit wobbly.

According to the internet without a helmet on he wouldnt have fallen off because 300 grams of polystyrene on your nut overbalances you.

houston26

Always wear a lid, but the only argument against it is I can see it gives people a lot more confidence, a lid won't help you if a car hits you, on the trails it won't save you broken bones.

But if people don't wanna wear one then I never chastise them, entirely there choice, nothing better than the wind in your hair, but to neglect you children's safety is negligence, should be a law against it

Kowalski675

houston26 wrote:

a lid won't help you if a car hits you

Of course it will. Broken limbs are a lot less life threatening than a fractured skull.

Clank

houston26 wrote:

a lid won't help you if a car hits you, on the trails it won't save you broken bones.

Got to say, I've heard the same arguments before, too and they are really, really weak. Here's my stock response:

Bones heal. Brains don't.

WindyG

I grew up in the days where helmets were never worn but I wouldn't ride without one now, I came off and headbutted a gate post a few months back and it certainly saved me from any injury. The common thing I see is parents putting helmets on the kids but not wearing one themselves which I find very hypocritical.

WindyG

houston26 wrote:

a lid won't help you if a car hits you, on the trails it won't save you broken bones.

Unless of course you get thrown in the air and come down on your head or even if you get knocked sideways and headbutt a kerb, how would a helmet be of no benefit then? If could be the difference between riding the next day or spending the rest of your life drinking through a straw and having your arse wiped for you.

Kowalski675

WindyG wrote:

I grew up in the days where helmets were never worn but I wouldn't ride without one now,

Aye, when we were kids doing daft stuff on BMXs you'd have been laughed out of town for wearing a lid, but I wouldn't do anything more gnarly than a towpath ride without one now.

Most irresponsible helmet related parenting I've seen in a long time was a guy on a late model sportsbike wearing all the proper gear (full leathers, race boots and gloves and £500 helmet) with his kid (maybe 7/8 tyears old) on pillion in shorts, trainers and what looked like dad's spare lid that was so big you could've probably spun it round on his head without his ears touching the sides. :roll:

Kowalski675

WindyG wrote:

houston26 wrote:

a lid won't help you if a car hits you, on the trails it won't save you broken bones.

Unless of course you get thrown in the air and come down on your head or even if you get knocked sideways and headbutt a kerb, how would a helmet be of no benefit then? If could be the difference between riding the next day or spending the rest of your life drinking through a straw and having your ars* wiped for you.

Exactly.

houston26

Kowalski675 wrote:

WindyG wrote:

houston26 wrote:

a lid won't help you if a car hits you, on the trails it won't save you broken bones.

Unless of course you get thrown in the air and come down on your head or even if you get knocked sideways and headbutt a kerb, how would a helmet be of no benefit then? If could be the difference between riding the next day or spending the rest of your life drinking through a straw and having your ars* wiped for you.

Exactly.

Well no, cycle helmets are light impact, it's even written all over every bit of literature that comes with a new helmet, they are designed for you falling off a bike, not save you from a car.

See what I meant about over confidence?

I would guess that most cycle deaths involve the driver being crushed, not flung, what would a lid save then?

Please don't take this as anti helmet, as like I said I do wear mine, but just don't think that it is the most important bit of kit you have.

Clank

houston26 wrote:

I would guess that most cycle deaths involve the driver being crushed, not flung, what would a lid save then?.

And now your quoting non-statistics to prove a point? :shock:

Houston, we have a problem.

I would mock you, but the challenge has gone.

welshkev

Light impact or not. You can be out crash test dummy. Crash onto your head without one and then we'll repeat the test again after you're out of hospital. I've crashed at approx 20mph head first into a tree. Knocked myself out, hurt my neck, destroyed my helmet, but walked away relatively unscathed. I wouldn't like to try it without.

I know you say you wear your helmet so its not necessarily a dig at you. But what would you consider the most important bit of kit? A new xtr rear mech?

angry_bird

I've written of several helmets over the years. Fortunately they're relatively cheap, which is good as you can't buy a new head (yet).

Giraffoto

as Giraffoto wrote:

Little bit of an emotive issue with some people.

thelonegroover

I had cause to head-butt a tree in Gisburn Forest on Sunday. Well. It did get in my way! Glad I had a sill hat on.

thelonegroover

I had cause to head-butt a tree in Gisburn Forest on Sunday. Well. It did get in my way! Glad I had a sill hat on.

cooldad

Obviously damaged your brain and made you repeat yourself though, so maybe helmets are dangerous.

The Rookie

Supporters of Darwin may consider helmets a bad thing by getting in the way of natural selection.......

Carrying that forward an argument COULD be made that if people are stupid enough not to wear a helmet, then that is Darwinian Evolution when they kill themselves.....removing the most stupid from the gene pool? Discuss

pesky_jones

Clank wrote:

Bones heal. Brains don't.

Instead of healing, doesnt the brain designate the job of the injured part to an uninjured part?

Clank

Pesky Jones wrote:

Clank wrote:

Bones heal. Brains don't.

Instead of healing, doesnt the brain designate the job of the injured part to an uninjured part?

If you're lucky and you damage the right attributes, yes.

If you're not lucky, you end up like me.

Now *there's* a good reason to were a lid!

Kowalski675

houston26 wrote:

Kowalski675 wrote:

WindyG wrote:

houston26 wrote:

a lid won't help you if a car hits you, on the trails it won't save you broken bones.

Unless of course you get thrown in the air and come down on your head or even if you get knocked sideways and headbutt a kerb, how would a helmet be of no benefit then? If could be the difference between riding the next day or spending the rest of your life drinking through a straw and having your ars* wiped for you.

Exactly.

Well no, cycle helmets are light impact, it's even written all over every bit of literature that comes with a new helmet, they are designed for you falling off a bike, not save you from a car.

See what I meant about over confidence?

I would guess that most cycle deaths involve the driver being crushed, not flung, what would a lid save then?

Please don't take this as anti helmet, as like I said I do wear mine, but just don't think that it is the most important bit of kit you have.

thelonegroover

cooldad wrote:

Obviously damaged your brain and made you repeat yourself though, so maybe helmets are dangerous.

Yes, the first post took so long to appear, I thought it failed so did it again.

thelonegroover

cooldad wrote:

Obviously damaged your brain and made you repeat yourself though, so maybe helmets are dangerous.

What would I put the red light on if I didn't have a helmet?