What a helmet

Sleeper Cell

Had a small altercation with a driver today after we disagreed over how he should drive. I pointed out he should not drive like a tw@t. He seemed to think that riding considerately near the edge of the road constituted a hate crime and pulled a stupid overtake nearly knocking me off.

His crowning comment in the whole 'debate' was: "well if you don't wear a helmet, don't expect me to give you extra space to compensate" (or words to that effect because he wasn't particularly comprehensible).

fudgey

It pisses me off when i see cyclists with no helmets on too. But i still give them space when overtaking so,there is no need for the driver to be twunt.

What are your reasons for not wearing helmet then.

I do and drum it into the kids thst they will not ride their bikes sans lid.
Just last week i was out in the street with them (aged 6 and 3) when the boys school friend came out on her bike for 5 mins too. Without a helmet.

Cue a circa 8-10mph hit into the curb and she goes down, smashes her head into the pavement and has a golfball sized lump that as soon as she lifts her head is pissing blood...

So off i trot to get the first aid kit after walking her back to her mums.

If she was wearing a lid she would have just had cut hands, not a big gash in the front of her head aswel. The mother felt guilty and so she should!
I have also been saved by a helmet after a 40mph off on my mountain bike. The new lid was on its second outing and served it purposed. I still broke my ankle in 2 places, lacerated my knee and chin but at least my bonce was ok!

So, who is the helmet? Both.

veronese68

I'm guessing the OP can ride a bike better than the average 5 year old though.

cookeeemonster

Sleeper Cell wrote:

Had a small altercation with a driver today after we disagreed over how he should drive. I pointed out he should not drive like a tw@t. He seemed to think that riding considerately near the edge of the road constituted a hate crime and pulled a stupid overtake nearly knocking me off.

His crowning comment in the whole 'debate' was: "well if you don't wear a helmet, don't expect me to give you extra space to compensate" (or words to that effect because he wasn't particularly comprehensible).

100% support your choice to not wear a helmet - the same way I wouldn't expect a car driver or pedestrian to wear one even though far more lives would be saved if they did. And I'm a helmet wearer.

A minority of road users are utter twunts regardless of how you ride on the road, ignore him and enjoy your cycling!

fudgey

Veronese68 wrote:

I'm guessing the OP can ride a bike better than the average 5 year old though.

Think she was 6 actually.

Was just trying to illustrate that a low speed off can still cause a fair bit of damage.

And i am sure the OP can ride well enough, but when that car gets a little too close and clips, or totally wipes you out then every little bit of protection is going to help.

All imo of course!

kingstonian

I've found that anyone driving like a twat is generally too thick to have a considered conversation

merkin

Fudgey wrote:

It pisses me off when i see cyclists with no helmets on too. But i still give them space when overtaking so,there is no need for the driver to be twunt.

What are your reasons for not wearing helmet then.

I do and drum it into the kids thst they will not ride their bikes sans lid.
Just last week i was out in the street with them (aged 6 and 3) when the boys school friend came out on her bike for 5 mins too. Without a helmet.

Cue a circa 8-10mph hit into the curb and she goes down, smashes her head into the pavement and has a golfball sized lump that as soon as she lifts her head is pissing blood...

So off i trot to get the first aid kit after walking her back to her mums.

If she was wearing a lid she would have just had cut hands, not a big gash in the front of her head aswel. The mother felt guilty and so she should!
I have also been saved by a helmet after a 40mph off on my mountain bike. The new lid was on its second outing and served it purposed. I still broke my ankle in 2 places, lacerated my knee and chin but at least my bonce was ok!

So, who is the helmet? Both.

What is your reason for not wearing ankle protection? Why were you riding a mountain bike at 40mph? Why were you riding a bike instead of safely sitting on your backside at home watching Emmerdale?
Personal choice? :roll:

de_sisti

Fudgey wrote:

It pisses me off when i see cyclists with no helmets on too.

Mate, it's a personal choice. If it pisses you off so much why don't you confront these cyclists? :roll:

dodgy

Unhelmeted cycling is less risky than taking no exercise at all.

So when are the helmet evangelists on this thread going to start knocking on the doors of their neighbours, or hassling their work colleagues to go take more exercise? Maybe start a campaign or something.

captain_tiara

I bet the kid picks up the importance of not having accidents faster than the bump and go helmet wearing bunch.

jgsi

Captain Tiara wrote:

I bet the kid picks up the importance of not having accidents faster than the bump and go helmet wearing bunch.

Well I'll back that 1 up... no one wants to have an 'accident' but seriously, if you havent had an 'off' on a bike at least once in your life, then you dont do enough.
I can be fairly reckless at times , I admit, but the fairly innoculous falls that I have had from black ice to a slow spill touching wheels in a race , I have been happy to be wearing that helmet. It's one less place that doesn't hurt like hell when you pick yourself up from the tarmac.
Anyways, I'm waiting for the helmet law that bans utterly futile threads like these.

sloppyschleckonds

Veronese68 wrote:

I'm guessing the OP can ride a bike better than the average 5 year old though.

sloppyschleckonds

De Sisti wrote:

Fudgey wrote:

It pisses me off when i see cyclists with no helmets on too.

Mate, it's a personal choice. If it pisses you off so much why don't you confront these cyclists? :roll:

Don't encourage the idiots.

fudgey

You did read that i said even tho it grates me i still give any cyclist wearing a helmet or not enough room when i overtake them yes?

As a kid i never used to wear one, a few offs made me see the importance of one.

And its not always being hit by a car, the week before i broke my ankle i was riding to work and hit black ice and ended up on the road, that hurt. Then 1/2 mile down the road it happened again, that time when i went down i landed on the back of my head and cracked my helmet. Hence having a new one on for when i fell off and broke my ankle.

Of course every one is a big enough boy to decide if they will wear one or not. I choose to but as you say, i wont go knocking on people doors telling them to wear one.

bendertherobot

dodgy wrote:

Unhelmeted cycling is less risky than taking no exercise at all.

So when are the helmet evangelists on this thread going to start knocking on the doors of their neighbours, or hassling their work colleagues to go take more exercise? Maybe start a campaign or something.

It's also, statistically, safer than helmeted riding.

Though less safe than wearing a wig. That gets you the most room.

dodgy

bendertherobot wrote:

It's also, statistically, safer than helmeted riding.

In that societies that have mandated helmet use see a decline in cycling, therefore more health risks to the would be cyclists who are now sedentary?

I think that's what you meant, no need to be cryptic

bendertherobot

No, nothing cryptic. That bloke who did that survey in Bristol found the closest passes when helmeted, mid level when not and furthest away when wig wearing

dodgy

bendertherobot wrote:

No, nothing cryptic. That bloke who did that survey in Bristol found the closest passes when helmeted, mid level when not and furthest away when wig wearing

Ah, in that case several reasons to not wear one

I still wear one, mind, but it gets on my tits when people try to crack a hard problem like mandatory helmets whilst forgetting all the other problems that are causing early deaths, and not just on our roads.

Same as people who bang on about people listening to music while riding, usually using the "I wouldn't want to deny myself of one of my senses while riding". Do the people having a go at these earphone users have mirrors on their bikes? No, usually not.

Roberto di Velo

I realise I'm about to extend another, largely futile helmet argument, but there's something that's been really irritating me for a while... ...the number of people I see wearing badly fitted helmets!

Admittedly, it's usually numpties, but most weekends I'll see someone who's helmet is in danger of slipping down the back of their neck. Worse, a lot of kids I see wearing a helmet, don't seem to have one with a decent fit either. Seriously, if you are going to wear a helmet then you might want to make sure it actually offers your head some protection!

KnightOfTheLongTights

Fudgey wrote:

It pisses me off when i see cyclists with no helmets on too.

Fail to see why someone else's choice, which has no bearing whatsoever on your own safety, should cause you anger.
You seem to object on the basis that if someone not wearing a helmet were to have a crash near you that involved a head injury, it might inconvenience you more than if they had been wearing a helmet.
In that incredibly unlikely instance, I suggest you offer them not assistance but a few stern words on the merits of helmets.

fudgey

KnightOfTheLongTights wrote:

Fudgey wrote:

It pisses me off when i see cyclists with no helmets on too.

Fail to see why someone else's choice, which has no bearing whatsoever on your own safety, should cause you anger.
You seem to object on the basis that if someone not wearing a helmet were to have a crash near you that involved a head injury, it might inconvenience you more than if they had been wearing a helmet.
In that incredibly unlikely instance, I suggest you offer them not assistance but a few stern words on the merits of helmets.

If they have an avoidable head injury due to not wearing one then we all pay for it when they use the
NHS

Its like seeing people deiving while on their mobile phones, that pisses me off too.

veronese68

Driving on a phone endangers others, riding without a helmet does not. Fairly basic difference there.
Regarding costing the NHS money what about the increased costs of people not exercising?

fudgey

Maybe its just me then. When i ride i use main roads and feel pretty vunerable sometimes so i wear a helmet to protect myself as much as i can. Like you say tho, each to their own and all that.

Daz555

Fudgey wrote:

If they have an avoidable head injury due to not wearing one then we all pay for it when they use the
NHS.

Perhaps it would be better if all stayed at home and rode the turbo? If you get knocked off, helmet or not, it would have been avoided had you stayed home.

chris_bass

Daz555 wrote:

Fudgey wrote:

If they have an avoidable head injury due to not wearing one then we all pay for it when they use the
NHS.

Perhaps it would be better if all stayed at home and rode the turbo? If you get knocked off, helmet or not, it would have been avoided had you stayed home.

I have, on ocassion, almost fallen off turbo when reaching for a drink that was a little too far away, so if you do, make sure you wear a helmet!