The CycleChat Helmet Debate Thread

[Justinslow]

Post removed.

No I think you're wrong, I think we are now getting somewhere, as we have seen from @MontyVeda and @GrumpyGregry both saying that they either do or would wear a cycle helmet in certain situations.

 

[Justinslow]

And even @Cunobelin.

 

[User33236]

Like most people I have 'fallen' whilst walking (damn that ice!), running and cycling. On only two occassions in over 4 and a half decades of life can I recall these 'falls' causing my head to contact a hard surface.

In both instances the circumstances were remarkable similar in that I was traveling at approx 20mph on a bike when I was ejected from it and landed flat on my back on the road some way in front of the bike. Again in both instances there was compression damage to the helmet along with a few small hairline cracks.

I get the arguement that life is dangerous and that it's possible that, given the larger diameter, wearing a helmet makes impact more likely. However I, personally, choose to wear a helmet for cycling and not walking or running as, in my experiences, a) could have done nothing to predict and prevent the bike 'falls' I had and b) have no doubt that, at the rate I fell onto the road, could not have prevented my head contacting the tarmac. I have no similar walking / running experiences where wearing a helmet would have been of benefit is preventing an injury of some sort.

I am probably just an unlucky (or is that lucky?!) sod though

 

[MontyVeda]

No I think you're wrong, I think we are now getting somewhere, as we have seen from @MontyVeda and @GrumpyGregry both saying that they either do or would wear a cycle helmet in certain situations.

However i think we'll have to agree to disagree on what those situations might be. I used downhill MTB as a hypothetical example of when my basic risk assessment might compel me to don a lid. I often ride in heavy traffic. I often go over 30 on a good downhill. I don't think these situations require me to don a lid.. but as i say, we all have our own way of looking at things.

I can agree with the idea that increased use of cycle helmets can make cycling seem more dangerous than it is... I know because it's mostly non-cyclists that suggest I really should wear a helmet, cyclists tend to be a bit more 'each to their own'. If mandatory helmet use is ever seriously discussed in Parliament, it won't be cyclists discussing it... it'll be people with a perceived/presumed idea of the dangers that cyclists face every moment they're on their bikes. It'll be MPs reading emotive letters from concerned parents or doctors and nurses spouting 'the helmet saved a life', when they're probably not qualified to say either way.

I also feel that the current standard of cycle helmets won't offer me much protection if i went over the bars on that 30mph downhill run... it'll crack, split and probably won't be anywhere near my head the third time my skull bashes against the tarmac. If i want that sort of protection, then we are talking motorcycle style helmets... a bit of PPE that the manufacturers take a lot more seriously than cycle helmet manufacturers do. As i said earlier, i think it'd stop me from needing stitches, but won't stop me from literally splitting my skull open. However I am not calling for higher standards of protection from cycling helmets... that one debate in these threads that i have no time for... i believe that my skull offers me adequate protection.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Simple risk assessment innit...

I would wear a helmet for white water kayaking, but not when canoeing on a lake.
I would wear helmet for downhill MTB, but not for pootling along the disused railway.
I would wear safety goggles when using my router, but not my drill.
I would wear a helmet when climbing in the lakes, but not walking in the lakes (and I've been at the foot of a crag with kids at the top lobbing rocks off!).

...the full list would be endless and often contradictory, but we all do it.

^This.

Thank you @MontyVeda

 

[GrumpyGregry]

No I think you're wrong, I think we are now getting somewhere, as we have seen from @MontyVeda and @GrumpyGregry both saying that they either do or would wear a cycle helmet in certain situations.

Once upon a time I was a binge drinker. I can confidently assert that I have fallen over whilst walking after drinking beer more often than I have fallen off my road bike.

No one has ever suggested I wear a helmet to walk back from the pub.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

You are accusing me of trolling?
I can assure you I'm not.
I don't want compulsory helmet wearing either as I've said many times.
I am just puzzled that so many contributors to this thread seem so anti bike helmet but then say "oh but I always use one off road" or "I use one when I'm group riding" hey @GrumpyGregry. Did you not refer to a bike helmet as a "ceiling tile"?
Surely with the song and dance you have made you wouldn't wear one in any situation? Is this not called hypercritical? Taking your logic what's the difference falling off on the road or falling off on a rock or a tree?

I use a helmet off road because hitting low branches at speed chuffin' hurts. Same reason I wear eye protection. I tried a cap but it kept blowing off.

 

[Justinslow]

But no answer to this?

A bit of balance.

 

[doog]

I wear one in London. I'm off to Holland on Tuesday night for a few days. Nobody wears one over there, I won't either. I'm not sure why I do over here in London. It isn't a big deal. A St Christopher medallion might be as much good. Just don't preach to me.

Ive recently cycled through Holland..., down the Rhine to Switzerland and back up through France .

You are wrong...there were hundreds /probably thousands of road cyclists wearing helmets and they are just the ones that passed me. Everyone on a road bike was wearing a helmet. Around town - no helmets..however loads of weekend tourers with panniers,kids etc up on the main cycling routes... all wearing helmets

If you do some serious distance through the low countries then you will find most long distance lists were wearing lids...over 1500 miles 99% of cyclists were wearing lids ..In Germany and France....NEARLY everyone wore a lid.

I actually didnt wear a lid for this tour....just to add some balance...however my average speed was 9.5 mph and someone stole my cap in Germany,,,:-)....the replacement was pretty retro...but bloody hell I was getting some looks for non lid wearing

 

[slowmotion]

Ive recently cycled through Holland..., down the Rhine to Switzerland and back up through France .

You are wrong...there were hundreds /probably thousands of road cyclists wearing helmets. Actually everyone on a road bike was wearing a helmet.

As a percentage of all those who cycle, "road bike users" are very much in a minority in Holland. From personal observation on trips to Holland over the last few years, the sight of a helmet is a very rare occurrence in urban areas, and that includes babies on the back (and front) of their mothers' bikes. Team kit lycra types could be an exception, but they are not well represented in cities or busy areas. Here's what I saw a month ago...
..utterly shocking...
[media]
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I86G5jDDeaw
[/media]

 

[doog]

saw a mix of everything

to say no one wears a helmet (to which I responded to) was plain wrong

 

[slowmotion]

Get out of the cities and you have some serious cycling numbers ....perhaps try it

It was all road bikes and lids

I did, a few years in a row. Even on the long distance cycle paths, helmet wearers in Holland are very much a rarity. I can't speak for your experiences in other countries, and I can't provide "helmet cam" evidence to back up my claims either, for obvious reasons.

 

[doog]

I did, a few years in a row. Even on the long distance cycle paths, helmet wearers in Holland are very much a rarity. I can't speak for your experiences in other countries, and I can't provide "helmet cam" evidence to back up my claims either, for obvious reasons.

Well let me then

Im not picking a fight, you said on page one that no one wore a helmet in holland..Im saying I saw hundreds /probably several thousand road cyclists wearing helmets as I cycled through Holland and also hundreds of tourers wearing lids. Most British / German and French touring folk (and plenty of dutch) were wearing them....You simply cant pretend it doesnt exist

http://[URL=http://s854.photobucket.com/user/red_house1/media/P1050075_zpsmdvalg90.jpg.html][ATTACH=full]302669[/ATTACH]

This was near Dreumel, one of several events I encountered...however on the road id been cycling (for 100's of miles ) most wore lids....likewise in Nijmegan where helmet wearers massively outnumbered non helmet wearers, on MTB's and road bikes..

I accept in the towns its not the case..no issue but your post on page one was incorrect..

 

[slowmotion]

Well let me then

Im not picking a fight, you said on page one that no one wore a helmet in holland..Im saying I saw hundreds /probably several thousand road cyclists wearing helmets as I cycled through Holland and also hundreds of tourers wearing lids. You simply cant pretend it doesnt exist

http://[url=http://s854.photobucket.com/user/red_house1/media/P1050075_zpsmdvalg90.jpg.html][ATTACH=full]302670[/ATTACH]

[IMG]http://[url=http://s854.photobucket.com/user/red_house1/media/P1050075_zpsmdvalg90.jpg.html][ATTACH=full]302670[/ATTACH] This was near Dreumel, one of several events I encountered...however on the road id been cycling many wore lids....likewise in Nijmegan where helmet wearers massively outnumbered non helmet wearers, on MTB's and road bikes..[/QUOTE]
Let's not fight over this. It doesn't matter anyway. I don't wear a helmet in Holland. The friends I stay with don't, and neither do their friends either. I suppose I'm just trying to fit in to the local culture as a foreign visitor. They wouldn't mind at all if I wore one either, BTW, but I'm perfectly happy to have the wind in my hair over there.

BTW, the b#stards never gave me a motorcycle escort as I laboured against a headwind towards Amsterdam.

 

[Shaun]

Just a reminder - please don't accuse other members of trolling or otherwise try to moderate the discussion - just use the report feature and let the mod team review it.

Thanks,
Shaun