Pros and Helmets

[Wobblers]

Speaking of accidents, @mcshroom, sorry to hear about your broken arm (nice x-ray though!).

GWS!

 

[Mugshot]

It would be interesting to calculate the accident/km ratio for, say, TdF participants over the length of the event and compare to commuting/utility cycling rates. I would not be surprised if it were an order of magnitude higher

I suspect you'd be right, although my op was mildly tongue in cheek the carnage in the TDF was certainly in my thoughts.

 

[machew]

They wear helmets as it improves the Laminar flow of air over the bike
http://road.cc/content/news/99329-b...rel-club’-developing-new-aero-helmet-and-drag

 

[ufkacbln]

It was thrown at me last night by one of my pro-helmet chums;
"Well I bet Sky have done their research!"

It is absolutely unequivocal that SKY did their research on this matter

Kask offered more money than Giro/MET/ Specialized for the team to wear the helmets

End of research

 

[cyberknight]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrey_Kivilev

 

[AndyRM]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrey_Kivilev

A like for that link seems inappropriate, but thanks for the information, I hadn't known that.

 

[ufkacbln]

Interestingly it also points out the ridiculously low protection offered by the EN1078 standard that is used in Europe.

In the US EN1078 helmets are not allowed in competitive cycling and EN1078 is not listed as acceptable by some UK Organisations as well.

 

[petergc]

Friend of my brother in law fell from his bike after a diss-agreement with a car. He hit his head on the curb, split his helmet in 2. He was in a coma for 3 months and the only reason the docs say he survived was because of his helmet. I never go out without one since. Peace of mind IMO.

 

[ufkacbln]

Friend of my brother in law fell from his bike after a diss-agreement with a car. He hit his head on the curb, split his helmet in 2. He was in a coma for 3 months and the only reason the docs say he survived was because of his helmet. I never go out without one since. Peace of mind IMO.

I know someone who was in a similar position after tripping on a kerb

Had they been wearing a helmet, would this have happened?

Is this any sort of proof that we should wear pedestrian helmets?

 

[Hacienda71]

I know someone who was in a similar position after tripping on a kerb

Had they been wearing a helmet, would this have happened?

Is this any sort of proof that we should wear pedestrian helmets?

I am all for choice not compulsory helmet use, but have to ask, do you really know someone who ended up in coma after tripping off a kerb?

 

[MikeG]

Doctors and ambulance crew often say this sort of thing. Ask yourself how they could know.

Ask yourself if there is anyone more likely to know than them.

 

[petergc]

I know someone who was in a similar position after tripping on a kerb

Had they been wearing a helmet, would this have happened?

Is this any sort of proof that we should wear pedestrian helmets?

I don't think this is proof but we don't cycle as slow as we walk therefor impact would be less fierce and you have more time to react.

Doctors and ambulance crew often say this sort of thing. Ask yourself how they could know.

I would imagine they see a lot of cycle injuries even a cracked skull could be prevented from helmet wear.

I always roll my eyes at Motor cycle users who wear shorts and t-shirt instead of full leathers. I just imagine the the damage it would cause should an Accident occur and they fly down the road on their side or back
In my eyes It doesn't have to be rider or driver error. The roads are awful,
I choose to wear helmet for my own safety not fashion.

 

[MikeG]

Yes, people who study helmets and their impacts.

Sorry, but they deal with population-wide studies and the like. They would be in no position whatsoever to comment on whether an individual would have survived a specific accident without a helmet on.

 

[MikeG]

And without running the experiment with and without helmet a good number of times, something that can't really be done, the comment is no more than speculation.

Speculation that they, above all other people, are best placed to make.

 

[MikeG]

Every time a cyclist ends up at casualty they are either praised for having been wearing a helmet or chided for not wearing one. In either case it is without correlation to whether or not there was any impact to the head or any possible knowledge as to the possible efficacy of a helmet...........

And you know this exactly how?

Let me clarify. You make 2 claims here: 1/ that at every visit to A&E cyclists are praised/ chided for their helmet use/ non-use, and 2/ A&E professionals don't know of the efficacy of helmet use. These are two claims which I will be astonished if you can in any way substantiate.