Helmets

[ufkacbln]

I have always fancied "extracting the urine" at a BC event by turning up in a "Helmet"

Given that it passes the feeble EN1078 then they could do nothing about it!

Which raises the question as to why you are allowed to race in a helmet that would see yu banned in the US as they consider the standard inadequate!!

 

[benb]

I will now make the only necessary post for any helmet debate:

1. There is no good evidence that helmets protect you from serious head injuries.
   The reason for that should be obvious by now - in a collision at the sort of speed where you are likely to suffer a serious head injury, the energy involved will outstrip the modest protective effect of a helmet. They may protect you at low impacts, but such an incident is very unlikely for even modestly experienced cyclists, and is unlikely to result in a serious head injury anyway.
2. There is no good evidence that helmets make injuries significantly worse.
   It's possible that helmets may make "rotational" head injuries worse, but the evidence for this is inconclusive at best.
3. Given 1 and 2, the decision of whether to wear a helmet should be down to the individual.
4. No-one is ever going to remove or infringe the right of people who choose to wear a helmet to do so.
5. There is a fairly constant underlying threat of helmet compulsion.
   The majority of sportives now require helmets to be worn, and there have been some cases where bikability or other training (which does have well documented safety benefits) has been refused to children without helmets.
   This, especially the latter, should be challenged and resisted.
6. The risk of head injury is similar as a pedestrian, and significantly greater as a pubgoer, but no-one ever suggests making pedestrian helmets or pub helmets mandatory, nor criticises people for not wearing one.
   This is astonishing double standards.
7. Widespread helmet use can give the impression that cycling is more dangerous than it is, which may put some people off cycling, and all the health benefits it brings. Cycling is pretty safe.

So, if you (or anyone) wants to wear one, do so. I will never try and persuade you that you shouldn't. I will, however, challenge the shoddy arguments that pro-helmeters often deploy. Please grant those of us who choose not to wear one the same freedom of choice as we extend to people who choose to wear one.

Thankyou.

 

[ianrauk]

^^ and so endeth todays lesson.
Well said Ben.

 

[400bhp]

Lets close this subsection of the forum with Ben's statement appearing when you click on the helmet debate section.

 

[Dan B]

I can think of no other cycling subject, (possibly no other any subject) that gets some people as emotive as helmets.

Riding with headphones. RLJ (as already said). Lance Armstrong/doping

 

[Dave Martin]

Before your tumble you didn't wear one? You then took a tumble not wearing a helmet. Did you suffer a major or a minor head injury?

No Adrian just a wrist injury....just made me think that's all.
I looked like a real melon when I fell off ( did the standard quick look to see if anyone had seen me)...........thought I may as well look like a REAL melon and buy a lid

by the way I would never try to convince anyone else to wear one it's my choice....my son rides his mountain bike regularly and wouldn't be seen dead in one.....again his choice.

My original question was just a personal interest in what percentage did and did'nt not a debate on fors and againsts......I understand now reading the posts that it can be a sensative subject for serious cyclists. I also do target shooting with air rifles on a national level, the rifles operate at very high air pressures in access of 200 bar and the subject of should these rifles be licenced or not is an equally touchy subject in the shooting world so I can now see where you guys are coming from.

Dave