JNR
New Member
Physics teacher. If the helmet breaks apart upon impact, it will act simirlarly to an air bag, or a crumple zone in a car. They are both good things to have in crashes.
Helmet or no helmet??
- Thread starter robbiep
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Physics teacher. If the helmet breaks apart upon impact, it will act simirlarly to an air bag, or a crumple zone in a car. They are both good things to have in crashes.
hotmetal
Senior Member
- Location
- Near Windsor
I was interested to read one of the earlier posts that talked about problems caused by crashing in traditional-shaped lids (twisting etc). I must admit that I'd never considered the idea that there might actually be hazards associated with wearing one. All the same, I always wear one on or off road. The off-road one is a bit uncomfortable (Met Parachute with detachable chin bar) but makes me feel safer. I've seen my riding buddy cock up a jump that we do pretty much every week, and he has - quite literally - SNAPPED three helmets. I think he may have a skater style one now. I wouldn't like to imagine what the consequences would have been if the first thing to hit the dirt were his skull. When I'm on the road I wear my other lid and I don't find it uncomfortable in the least, though I often wonder how much protection it really offers, I'd still rather have it on than not. There are one or two experienced riders in our road group who don't wear helmets - that's up to them and I wouldn't presume to say anything. However, a large majority of the riders prefer to wear them.
I wouldn't dream of riding my motorbike without a helmet and all the rest of the gear, even if I knew I wouldn't exceed 30 (yeah, right!). OK, if I did ride without a lid I'd get nicked for it, but I still do not wish for the government to tell me that it's illegal to ride a motorbike without the leathers, boots and gloves. But when I think that I sometimes exceed 40mph on the bicycle wearing just Lycra, a polystyrene lid and some fingerless gloves, it makes me cringe to think what would happen if I crashed. And I skied hard for years before someone persuaded me to wear a crash helmet.
The post that Cunobulin posted about that poor child is indeed tragic, but I'm not going to walk around in a crash helmet every time it snows. I suppose it's just about deciding what level of risk there is in what you are doing, and what measures you are prepared to take to mitigate that risk.
Then again, when I was a lot younger and used to hang in a skate park, there was a kid called Barry the Radish. He would do the most death-defying stunts on the concrete half-pipes and bowls, including jumping an enormous stack of piled-up bikes on his BMX, whilst doing a 360 tail whip. He would just keep trying, getting more and more bruised and bloody until he had succeeded. Amazing tenacity and bike skill, but you don't get a nickname like "Radish" for nothing. I'm not sure whether he actually needed a helmet to protect anything in there!
I wouldn't dream of riding my motorbike without a helmet and all the rest of the gear, even if I knew I wouldn't exceed 30 (yeah, right!). OK, if I did ride without a lid I'd get nicked for it, but I still do not wish for the government to tell me that it's illegal to ride a motorbike without the leathers, boots and gloves. But when I think that I sometimes exceed 40mph on the bicycle wearing just Lycra, a polystyrene lid and some fingerless gloves, it makes me cringe to think what would happen if I crashed. And I skied hard for years before someone persuaded me to wear a crash helmet.
The post that Cunobulin posted about that poor child is indeed tragic, but I'm not going to walk around in a crash helmet every time it snows. I suppose it's just about deciding what level of risk there is in what you are doing, and what measures you are prepared to take to mitigate that risk.
Then again, when I was a lot younger and used to hang in a skate park, there was a kid called Barry the Radish. He would do the most death-defying stunts on the concrete half-pipes and bowls, including jumping an enormous stack of piled-up bikes on his BMX, whilst doing a 360 tail whip. He would just keep trying, getting more and more bruised and bloody until he had succeeded. Amazing tenacity and bike skill, but you don't get a nickname like "Radish" for nothing. I'm not sure whether he actually needed a helmet to protect anything in there!
Lord Marbeaux
New Member
For what it's worth the most common injury from crashes in the T de F was a broken collar bone.
But yes, you should decide, because my opinion should not be taken into consideration hence I'm not willing to give you my opinion:
But yes, you should decide, because my opinion should not be taken into consideration hence I'm not willing to give you my opinion:
I was interested to read one of the earlier posts that talked about problems caused by crashing in traditional-shaped lids (twisting etc). I must admit that I'd never considered the idea that there might actually be hazards associated with wearing one. All the same, I always wear one on or off road. The off-road one is a bit uncomfortable (Met Parachute with detachable chin bar) but makes me feel safer. I've seen my riding buddy cock up a jump that we do pretty much every week, and he has - quite literally - SNAPPED three helmets. I think he may have a skater style one now. I wouldn't like to imagine what the consequences would have been if the first thing to hit the dirt were his skull. When I'm on the road I wear my other lid and I don't find it uncomfortable in the least, though I often wonder how much protection it really offers, I'd still rather have it on than not. There are one or two experienced riders in our road group who don't wear helmets - that's up to them and I wouldn't presume to say anything. However, a large majority of the riders prefer to wear them.
I wouldn't dream of riding my motorbike without a helmet and all the rest of the gear, even if I knew I wouldn't exceed 30 (yeah, right!). OK, if I did ride without a lid I'd get nicked for it, but I still do not wish for the government to tell me that it's illegal to ride a motorbike without the leathers, boots and gloves. But when I think that I sometimes exceed 40mph on the bicycle wearing just Lycra, a polystyrene lid and some fingerless gloves, it makes me cringe to think what would happen if I crashed. And I skied hard for years before someone persuaded me to wear a crash helmet.
The post that Cunobulin posted about that poor child is indeed tragic, but I'm not going to walk around in a crash helmet every time it snows. I suppose it's just about deciding what level of risk there is in what you are doing, and what measures you are prepared to take to mitigate that risk.
Then again, when I was a lot younger and used to hang in a skate park, there was a kid called Barry the Radish. He would do the most death-defying stunts on the concrete half-pipes and bowls, including jumping an enormous stack of piled-up bikes on his BMX, whilst doing a 360 tail whip. He would just keep trying, getting more and more bruised and bloody until he had succeeded. Amazing tenacity and bike skill, but you don't get a nickname like "Radish" for nothing. I'm not sure whether he actually needed a helmet to protect anything in there!
I propose hotmetal receives an award for the best post just for knowing and bringing into the debate someone called "Barry the Radish"
Please close this thread.
The only sensible argument was about three in.
Your choice.
As usual this has turned into the same old pointless, going nowhere arguement. In fact it really just needs a "sticky" . With "your choice" as the answer.
Of course any protection is going to help , exceptional circumstances excluded but we all draw the line. Why not wear armour/
Of course its easy really. Stay at home.
The only sensible argument was about three in.
Your choice.
As usual this has turned into the same old pointless, going nowhere arguement. In fact it really just needs a "sticky" . With "your choice" as the answer.
Of course any protection is going to help , exceptional circumstances excluded but we all draw the line. Why not wear armour/
Of course its easy really. Stay at home.
snorri
Legendary Member
- Location
- East coast, up a bit.
Although the old hands on here have seen all the arguments before, there are always new entrants coming in to the forum who are discovering aspects of the helmet issue they had previously been unaware of., for example...
Would mattsccm prefer to place restrictions on the sharing of information with newcomers?
Would mattsccm prefer to place restrictions on the sharing of information with newcomers?
robbiep
Über Member
- Location
- Bournemouth
'Barry the radish' sounds like a top man!!! Great post!
Reminds me of the days when we used to climb 30 feet up trees without a worry in the world, all we hoped for were strong winds to rock the top!!!
Ahhhhhh happy days.........
Reminds me of the days when we used to climb 30 feet up trees without a worry in the world, all we hoped for were strong winds to rock the top!!!
Ahhhhhh happy days.........
JNR
New Member
I don't really want to get into this, but snapping polystyrene with your hands is very, very different from the forces it will experience during collision on someones head in a crash hat.
JNR
New Member
I've got an Engineering degree too, I'm sure we should be able to work something out. Especially considering I've got 6 weeks off. I suppose I'll have to go against the teacher tradition of doing NOTHING academically related during the summer holidays.
slowmotion
Quite dreadful
- Location
- lost somewhere
Why do other riders care if another wants to wear a helmet, or not? They may or may not contribute to danger or safety. We make a choice, and fun comes into that decision. That is all.
There is , however, a faintly alarming aspect that the insurance spivs seem to have slyly insinuated into the debate, and seems to have been taken up by the Courts. Any cyclist injured, to any part of his body, and not wearing a helmet, is regarded as a slightly reckless individual, and the sleazy insurance industry will "big it up" and duck and dive to weasel out of their responsibilities . T'was ever thus....
I feel a rant coming on.....LOL
There is , however, a faintly alarming aspect that the insurance spivs seem to have slyly insinuated into the debate, and seems to have been taken up by the Courts. Any cyclist injured, to any part of his body, and not wearing a helmet, is regarded as a slightly reckless individual, and the sleazy insurance industry will "big it up" and duck and dive to weasel out of their responsibilities . T'was ever thus....
I feel a rant coming on.....LOL
slowmotion
Quite dreadful
- Location
- lost somewhere
Welcome to CC, Peter. I am no expert on anything at all by the way.
You are obliged by law to wear a lid on a motorbike. Game over. On a bike, you are not, and have to make a choice about risk, comfort, thrills and the possible down-side in the courts. That is purely a personal decision, and one that is hotly debated hereabouts. There are numerous threads. Search "Helmet" and you will have your head spinning ( a possibly tasteless turn of phrase) for hours. Whatever choice you make, just be thankful that you still have the freedom to make it for yourself, rather than having Big Brother bossing you about.
Ride safely...
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