Cycle helmet funny - a lesson taught to my Son.

[TonyEnjoyD]

I was chatting to my 16 year old Son at the weekend about biking and he said to me "yeah Dad, I remeber how you taught me about why to wear a helmet".

When he was about 12, he was coming to mine for the weekend and I borrowed my Brother-in-law's bike & bike rack.
I collected my son and put his bike on the rack then back to mine.

As we were getting ready to go out for a trundle, I asked him where his helmet was and was partly shocked at his reply of "Nah, they're stupid and none of my mates wear one either cos they make no difference"!!

So, I took him into the garage, gave him my old helmet and said to pop it on. I got it fastened then as he looked away, I grabbed a stout peiece of 2"x1" and twatted him over the head.
He shoutes and jumped back, then took the helmet off saying "haway Dad, what was that for??
Well I said, I just wanted to get my aim in, now you've taken the helmet off, I'm going to smack you over the head again - and as you've noticed, it shocked you but didn't really hurt. I now want to see if the cycle helmet ""doesn't really make a difference"" (with a huge grin on my face)

Needless to say he got the message

TonyEnjoyD

 

[simon_adams_uk]

I just so hope this is a wind up...

S

 

[Crackle]

Did you smack him with the force of a 30mph car collision or a 12mph kerb head meeting?
Were there any rotational forces or was it a straight tw$t?
How old was the helmet?
What standards was it made to?
Have you considered that you've infinged his human rights, not to mention broken down the father son trust relationship?
Was the wood quite fresh and springy or old and gnarly?
What damage was done to the helmet, pictures please?
Do you believe this is a realistic tet of helmet protection or does he just cycle through a rough neighbourhood to get to school?

We need to know the answers to these question and more to make an accurate assesment of helmet protection

 

[4F]

Did you smack him with the force of a 30mph car collision or a 12mph kerb head meeting?
Were there any rotational forces or was it a straight tw$t?
How old was the helmet?
What standards was it made to?
Have you considered that you've infinged his human rights, not to mention broken down the father son trust relationship?
Was the wood quite fresh and springy or old and gnarly?
What damage was done to the helmet, pictures please?
Do you believe this is a realistic tet of helmet protection or does he just cycle through a rough neighbourhood to get to school?

We need to know the answers to these question and more to make an accurate assesment of helmet protection

I think this one has the potential to run and run

 

[Landslide]

It's only anecdotal, and therefore cannot be accepted as evidence...

[/anti-helmet types who've never smacked their heads into a Range Rover whilst not wearing a helmet]

 

[swee'pea99]

Laugh? I nearly did.

Next!

 

[Cyberdad]

On a serious note, what are people's views on helmets? At the moment I am not wearing one as I have read quite a number of reports of them being more dangerous in some crashes than not wearing one at all.

In addition, when I was growing up, helmets were unheard of, and we certainly weren't strangers to falling off. I don't recal hearing of anyone who had suffered a fatal, or even disabling head injury through cycling, even though people were still falling off.

Having said that, my wife won't let our kids get their bikes out of the garage unless they have their helmets on.

 

[snorri]

On a serious note, what are people's views on helmets?

Serious?
Most of the people who have been posting on this site for more than a couple of months are seriously fed up of helmet threads.
Take a look at some archive helmet threads and come to your own conclusion, it is still your own choice, to wear or not to wear.

 

[Cyberdad]

Serious?
Most of the people who have been posting on this site for more than a couple of months are seriously fed up of helmet threads.
Take a look at some archive helmet threads and come to your own conclusion, it is still your own choice, to wear or not to wear.

Sorry, newbie 'n' all

 

[bonj2]

On a serious note, what are people's views on helmets? At the moment I am not wearing one as I have read quite a number of reports of them being more dangerous in some crashes than not wearing one at all.

In addition, when I was growing up, helmets were unheard of, and we certainly weren't strangers to falling off. I don't recal hearing of anyone who had suffered a fatal, or even disabling head injury through cycling, even though people were still falling off.

Having said that, my wife won't let our kids get their bikes out of the garage unless they have their helmets on.

my view is that they can't do any harm, but they obviously CAN do a lot of good. I don't think anyone doubts that they can't absorb ALL of an impact, but absorbing some of an impact is better than absorbing none of it.
The "if I crashed i'd be dead anyway" attitude is stupid as there might be an impact that's just of the right magnitude for a helmet to make a difference.

 

[domtyler]

I always wear a helmet if it is wet or icy.

 

[Crackle]

I always wear a helmet if it is wet or icy.

Does that not make your head cold?

Honestly, your sentence structure recently - sheesh!

 

[pabstblue]

Don't wear a helmet if you don't want to but I'll be pissed when the cost of my health insurance goes up because people keep smashing their heads in and I have to pay for them to get treated.

 

[snorri]

Sorry, newbie 'n' all

No need to apologise.

 

[Bollo]

I'm starting a pelmet thread. Which is better, a valence or a lambrequin?