Soldato
I'd ask the question why not wear a helmet? To me it is like wearing a seatbelt or not?
Cycling helmet...to buy or not to buy!
- Thread starter lawrence281
- Start date
Caporegime
The evidence for helmets limiting injury is far less clear cut than it is for seat belts.
Man of Honour
Like many things, the "common sense" argument is often essentially founded on baseless assumptions. Once you start to research the subject properly everything becomes far more clouded/confusing.
There's some research linked to and discussed on the site below:
http://www.cyclehelmets.org/
Personally it annoys me that there are a lot of assumptions that aren't based on science out there *but* I still wear a helmet for all riding myself, so I'm a hypocrite
Soldato
Like many things, the "common sense" argument is often essentially founded on baseless assumptions. Once you start to research the subject properly everything becomes far more clouded/confusing.
There's some research linked to and discussed on the site below:
http://www.cyclehelmets.org/
Personally it annoys me that there are a lot of assumptions that aren't based on science out there *but* I still wear a helmet for all riding myself, so I'm a hypocrite
I've read all the links people post on here, but the simple fact reminds if you crash with a helmet on it's certainly not going to do you any more harm!
When I crashed last summer if I hadn't been wearing a helmet I would have been recovering from more than "just" a broken leg.
My helmet split in two
Man of Honour
I've read all the links people post on here, but the simple fact reminds if you crash with a helmet on it's certainly not going to do you any more harm!
When I crashed last summer if I hadn't been wearing a helmet I would have been recovering from more than "just" a broken leg.
My helmet split in two
If you crash a helmet isn't going to do any harm yes, but if you just look at everything in isolation loads of really dumb stuff suddenly seems like a good idea.
You've got to consider all the evidence and potential impact on your safety. This isn't just true for the wearing helmets debate - it's something you should apply to everything in life.
#YOLO
Don't be a ***. Wear a helmet at all times.
Perfectly comfortable and tbh I forget I even have it on.
£50 to stop you ending up as a vegetable is nothing.
Makes me rage when I see cyclists without them. You wouldn't jump out a car at 30-40mph without one, so riding on the road should be no different.
Perfectly comfortable and tbh I forget I even have it on.
£50 to stop you ending up as a vegetable is nothing.
Makes me rage when I see cyclists without them. You wouldn't jump out a car at 30-40mph without one, so riding on the road should be no different.
Man of Honour
Soldato
I wore my new shoes this morning. HIGH FIVES.
I don't wear a helmet on bridleways, tow paths and the tiny bit of road riding I do. I do wear one for red runs at trail centers.
It's all about looking at the facts and accessing your personal risk in a rational manner.
I'm not against helmet use, wear one if you want but don't blindly regurgitate the hyperbole around helmets followed up with abuse such as calling people idiots, as well as being offensive, it's also very ironic.
It's all about looking at the facts and accessing your personal risk in a rational manner.
I'm not against helmet use, wear one if you want but don't blindly regurgitate the hyperbole around helmets followed up with abuse such as calling people idiots, as well as being offensive, it's also very ironic.
But it is the same old discussion, and inevitably, it will diverge into the same old same old.
Soldato
Pretty sure it already has, strong volumes of anecdotal evidence and people believing a helmet will save your life if you get hit by a car already posted.
Man of Honour
Well, after I posted my reply to you it did exactly what you said so... You're right
Yup, well said.
Quite right. Make sure you wear it round the house and when walking too, you can never be too carefull. More seriously look at the reasearch and decide for yourself. Wearing a helmet changes the behaviour of motorists towards you and increases the risk of certain injuries. It's probably wise to understand quite how little protection a bike helmet is designed to provide.
Soldato
bang on! I really dislike the random screaming you get from people "wear a helmet or you'll turn into a veggie!!!!!!"
Man of Honour
I have to agree with this comment tbh. I decided to buy one about 2 years ago, merely under peer pressure. I tried it for about 5 months and motorists perception is completely different without a doubt. To them, i'm just another cyclist. Conversely, I'm noticed more as a person riding a bike when i don't wear a helmet and people have a little more time..
Half of my 3 mile ride to the station is across country paths, fields and cycle paths but the latter part is on a busy carriageway and i've been doing that for 18 years. I do feel vulnerable not wearing a helmet and understand the consequences but I feel twice as vulnerable when I do.
That said, if i cycled into a busier area, such as London, i would wear a helmet.
Being seen and abiding by the rules of the road is far more important than thinking that a helmet alone is enough. I've seen cyclists wearing helmets dashing through red lights which is a contradiction to say the least..
Soldato
- Joined
- 24 Sep 2007
- Posts
- 5,189
I always wear one. It's very comfortable and keeps my head warm. I don't like the idea of a head impact with tarmac, that's why I wear one. It seems an easy thing to do for a bit of extra safety.
Man of Honour
This - the only time I really take it off is when riding up fire roads and I'm too hot. Always wear one on the road bike and at other times on MTB. Having fallen off several times and always hit my head on something in some small way, I just don't think I shouldn't wear it.
I've been hit by three pedestrians, doesn't change the attitude of someone that doesn't look when they step into the road. It does however give me somewhere to mount my camera and can follow what i'm looking at. The camera changes how drivers drive around me, i was amazed the first few times i used it how much more room i was being given.