Convincing my mum to wear a helmet
Biomech
Posts: 158
My mum now has a bike - it's a classic old lady, basket bike, but she refuses to wear a helmet. I've told her I'm getting one for her for Christmas regardless. But how can I make sure she wears it?
Middle aged / old women seem to have this thing about not needing a helmet because they cycle at 2mph on the pavement with a basket strapped to the front.
Any ideas / recommendations of style?
Middle aged / old women seem to have this thing about not needing a helmet because they cycle at 2mph on the pavement with a basket strapped to the front.
Any ideas / recommendations of style?
0
Posts
This. Move on.
Per km travelled, your mum is almost twice as likely to receive a head injury after being hit by a motor vehicle when she is walking as she is when cycling, so don't forget to tell her that she shouldn't just wear it when she is on her bike...
I'd probably focus on kerbs and the damage that can be caused by the most inoccuous of incidents when stopping/ starting at traffic lights and pedestrian crossings. Suspect it'll be a hard sell for you to pull off.
Peter
All you can do is explain the benefits and show her some nice comfortable,modern ones and then let her make her choice. At the end of the day if a person has a serious accident on a bike a helmet wont really do much as they are not robust enough to withstand big impacts. If you ski/snowboard or kayak you will see what I'm on about because those helmets do offer protection.
So really all bike helmets are good for is slight knocks, and keeping the sun,and rain out of your eyes and you head a bit warmer than it would be otherize.
These helmets are fairly new. It was only about 30 years ago that polystyrene ones came out. Plenty of people survived just fine without them. Don't worry about your mum.
ABCC Cycling Coach
Sorry you think bike helmets are only robust enough for slight knocks. Not my experience at all. I have come off on two occasions - once going round a corner hit oil and back wheel went in a flash; the other hit from behind by a pal who was not paying attention. Both times my head whacked the ground; helmet cracked; no head injuries. I may well otherwise have been in hospital without wearing a helmet. The helmets were relatively easy to replace, unlike my skull.
Peter
Can I assume then, that all of those who think they don't offer any suitable protection and "people did fine for years without them", you don't wear helmets when you go out on your bikes then?
I've been to quite a few fatal road traffic collisions where people have died from head injuries. They may we'll have been ok if they'd worn a helmet. Yet we don't harp on about car drivers wearing helmets do we?
ABCC Cycling Coach
Or foreign made lids have better protection as standard.
I tend to wear mine to either give my wife peace of mind or because it is conditional on the ride/event I am doing.
Yep that's why it's called the BS test
Unless she's a death camp survivor she'll love it.
But to come back to my question, so darkhairedlord, NapoleanD, cougie, BenderRodriguez - none of you wear helmets then?
If your mum is doing 2mph on the bike - then does she really need one ? Runners are a lot faster than that and I've never seen a runner with a hard hat.
Depending on her age I would guess that her driving factor is avoiding helmet hair. If she has entered the age of thinning hair and thinking it's time for a blue perm then she will not want her "hairdo" interfered with.
Have a good talk with her but save your money. All you'll do is put her off and salve your concience.
Fine work sir.
Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
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Scott Foil 18
Try nursing ever more obese people as they were put off cycling as a form of excercise as it is too dangerous and needs specialist safety equipment according to some.
Personal choice, wear a helmet, don't wear a helmet, wear a helmet for certain types of cycling but not for others - it is all personal choice; but far more important than wearing a piece of plastic and foam on your head is getting more bums on saddles; telling people how dangerous it is (it is not) is not going to help any individual or our wider society.
She doesn't need a helmet. You force a helmet on her it's probably more likely she'll stop cycling than be forced to wear it. She's older and wiser than you are.
Apologise for hounding her about it and buy her something she would actually like with the money (maybe a hairdo).
I say probably because a helmet is for one thing, and one thing only. I helps a lot if you hit your head hard.
People on here have done that when stationary and dismounting their bike, so yes, she might need one, but probably does not as she is just as likely to do that getting off a bus.
You would look pretty silly wearing a helmet on a bus. You do not look at all silly wearing one on a road bike though (this is a road bike forum) so personally, I wear one on my bike even if the risk is the same (although its not, its a lot higher ;-) ).