The CycleChat Helmet Debate Thread

[Cycling_Samurai]

Just a point to note. Winnats is one of those 'up only' hills. I've seen a cyclist coming down it once, but they were tourists and someone explained the error of their ways and they agreed not to do it again.

Very good point. But the point was the danger it could present.

 

[classic33]

I am against their use on the public highway. You don't see ordinary drivers in F1 hats, suits and restraints and arguably it would be careless driving due to restricted vision and I think the same could be argued for cycling. If you ain't racing, don't take risks.

But I suppose even that is not a total opposition because it is entirely up to closed road race organisers what "It's a Knockout" fancy dress impediments they demand and no one has to enter a race. I suspect they are a no-change move for racing, with no apparent reduction in head injuries since Kivilev.

Thing is, it's not up to you where they should be worn.

Demonstrate how something that sits atop your head, restrict's your vision. They'll restrict your vision a lot less than aa cheap pair of builders goggles where the forward field of vision is about 60 degrees.

 

[mjr]

Thing is, it's not up to you where they should be worn.

I know that but it wasn't the point being discussed.

Demonstrate how something that sits atop your head, restrict's your vision. They'll restrict your vision a lot less than aa cheap pair of builders goggles where the forward field of vision is about 60 degrees.

1. Some cycle helmets are full face.

2. You can see it. That means it is restricting your vision, albeit maybe only a little.

 

[MontyVeda]

Very good point. But the point was the danger it could present.

With regards to this statement of yours...

"In the great debate of whether or not to wear a bike helmet whilst cycling, it should be painfully obvious that some protection is better than none at all."

...you used an extreme sport to demonstrate why PPE should be used for general 'cycling', which as I'm sure you know, isn't an extreme sport.

For the most part, cycling is a normal everyday activity, like walking, or driving... yet no one seems to be calling for PPE to be adopted for pedestrians or drivers. Why do you think that is?

 

[Profpointy]

With sincere honesty, without legislation to force companies to do the right thing bike will not make safety improvements. They will make aesthetic improvements and functional additions but are not inclined to R&D the design. They make money just fine as is. So should cyclists rebel and not wear helmets? Sure go right a head if it suits you. Until that in which you get a head injury and finally realize some protection is better than none. You could be lucky fool who never wears a helmet as you do your "tour de France" through life and never hits your head. Good luck.

Surely you must concede a helmet makes your head a lot bigger; somewhere between 50 and 100% bigger. That increases the chance od hitting your head in an accident, and by quite a lot.

The other inconvenient fact is whenever there's a comparison of head injury rates before and after compulsion where helmet wearing has increased from low % to 90%+ the head injury rates have not improved, and maybe even got worse. You argue, seemingly relying on "it's obvious", and yet if you look at the numbers the result doesn't agree with "common sense"

I used to think like you. I looked into it and no longer wear a helmet cycling

 

[Ming the Merciless]

 

[Tripster]

Surely you must concede a helmet makes your head a lot bigger; somewhere between 50 and 100% bigger. That increases the chance od hitting your head in an accident, and by quite a lot.

The other inconvenient fact is whenever there's a comparison of head injury rates before and after compulsion where helmet wearing has increased from low % to 90%+ the head injury rates have not improved, and maybe even got worse. You argue, seemingly relying on "it's obvious", and yet if you look at the numbers the result doesn't agree with "common sense"

I used to think like you. I looked into it and no longer wear a helmet cycling

I measured my head and my helmet and no equation could I get a 50% or 100% increase. Are you wearing a dustbin ?
Just a question from my interest only, but the accidents or statistics, are they involving other vehicles mainly cars or buses or do they include falling off of ones own doing ? I think if a car hits a cyclist at some speed then regardless of what he has on his nogging it’s not going to help him same as the £850 Shoei motorcycle helmet won’t help me if I get hit by a car
Does the increase in head size from wearing a motorcycle helmet also increase the chances of cracking your bonce ?

 

[classic33]

I know that but it wasn't the point being discussed.


1. Some cycle helmets are full face.

2. You can see it. That means it is restricting your vision, albeit maybe only a little.

You said if a driver were to wear one, it'd be careless driving due to restricted visibility, then carried the same argument across to cycling.

Why would you need to see directly above your head, whilst moving forward on a bike, on a road?

Before the last reply, I took the opportunity to check the restriction of vision on the full-face helmets. It's just shy of 5°, either side, compared to not wearing it when the field of vision is 119° either side.

How often do you see a full-face helmet being used, by a pedal cyclist, on the road?

 

[Milzy]

Helmets over the years have left permanent indentations into my head.

 

[MontyVeda]

Helmets over the years have left permanent indentations into my head.

probably a result of doing this every time this thread rears its head

 

[Profpointy]

I measured my head and my helmet and no equation could I get a 50% or 100% increase. Are you wearing a dustbin ?
Just a question from my interest only, but the accidents or statistics, are they involving other vehicles mainly cars or buses or do they include falling off of ones own doing ? I think if a car hits a cyclist at some speed then regardless of what he has on his nogging it’s not going to help him same as the £850 Shoei motorcycle helmet won’t help me if I get hit by a car
Does the increase in head size from wearing a motorcycle helmet also increase the chances of cracking your bonce ?

You need to square the dimension - lets say a head is 6 inches and the helmet is an inch wider all round : 6x6 = 36 whilst 8x8 = 64. Unless someone can convince me differently chances of a target being hit is proportional to cross sectional area

 

[Cycling_Samurai]

probably a result of doing this every time this thread rears its head

My Gawd man! He should wear a helmet!

 

[oldwheels]

Seems a pity that the new thread last night on the topic of wearing/not wearing a helmet when working under a ladder was locked before the advice to NOT work under a ladder could be offered.

i have seen lots of things dropped by people working on ladders. Even paint can be a health hazard apart from the staining aspect and is probably one of the most common.

 

[Cycling_Samurai]

You need to square the dimension - lets say a head is 6 inches and the helmet is an inch wider all round : 6x6 = 36 whilst 8x8 = 64. Unless someone can convince me differently chances of a target being hit is proportional to cross sectional area

So what you are saying is that there are square headed chaps walking around London? Who is targeting these people? Not wearing a helmet would make one less of target if someone were targeting you. But wearing a helmet would provide some protection if being targeted.

 

[Tripster]

You need to square the dimension - lets say a head is 6 inches and the helmet is an inch wider all round : 6x6 = 36 whilst 8x8 = 64. Unless someone can convince me differently chances of a target being hit is proportional to cross sectional area

So you are saying the head is a target ? For what ? A car ? Bigger area to aim at ? You increase the size of your head with a helmet on a motorcycle so question still stands.