The CycleChat Helmet Debate Thread

[srw]

So, purely anecdotal, how many times have you hit your head whilst cycling? Answers from helmet wearers and non wearers please, I am not interested in the outcome and what may or may not have happened, just how often you have hit your head.

Interesting question. The answer is once, at about walking pace when we hit black ice on the tandem and I couldn't control the damn thing. And I've only had four or five other crashes, mostly injuring pride and clothes rather than me - my worst injury has been gravel embedded in my knee. During my life I have and haven't worn a helmet - I currently don't.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Three times.

Once, a glancing blow, when I came off at low speed when the noob in the group I was riding with fell off in front of me for no damn reason at all other than poor skillz
Once, another glancing blow, when I came off at low speed when the noob within me fell off having failed to disengage his spd for no damn reason other than poor skillz
Once, a rather more substantial knock, when, well...how can I put it, um... those ruddy poor skillz again.

Before, during, and after treatment at Stoke Mandeville A&E

NB Damage to nose was caused by the sunglasses I was wearing being driven, hard, into the bridge of my nose. Perhaps we should ban sunglasses?

 

[Profpointy]

ignoring clipless moments I've come off my bike 4 times in nearly 50 years. Never hit my head. Not wearing a helmet on any of those occasions. Wore a helmet regularly from age 20 to maybe 35 but no longer do so. The last 2 offs hurt quite a lot (dinner plate size bruse etc) - the first two (aged 6 and 35 respectivley) were trivial.

On one only of the offs I reckon I'd have hit my head quite hard if I'd been wearing a helmet as head missed.the road by, what, thickness of a helmet?

 

[Profpointy]

[QUOTE 3999287, member: 45"]Possibly. But bear in mind that you unconsciously account for the difference in size between your bike and your car when on the road, and this happens with quick reactions as well as general road use. So you might (or might not) have missed the floor with your helmeted head as well.[/QUOTE]

true enough - but it would have been close. Thing is, if I had been wearing it and hit the ground, would it have saved.my life?

:-)

 

[Mugshot]

[QUOTE 3999232, member: 45"]Do you know the difference?[/QUOTE]
I was hoping you would since you made the statement.

[QUOTE 3999232, member: 45"]
Yes.
No.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.[/QUOTE]
Any reason why you haven't challenged any of them?

 

[ianrauk]

So, purely anecdotal, how many times have you hit your head whilst cycling? Answers from helmet wearers and non wearers please, I am not interested in the outcome and what may or may not have happened, just how often you have hit your head.

In the last 10 years of cycle commuting I have come off the bike 6 times I can remember. 2 were due to ice and wet leaves, bike just went from under me. No head hit or damaged just broken ribs and sprained wrist.
1 time was due to errant pedestrian walking into the road without looking. Knocked to the ground. No head hit.
Other 3 times were car/bike interface.
1st one a side swipe due to smidsy left hook. Knocked to the ground, no head hit.
2nd one, lying bastard u-turning cop smacked into me. Knocking me to the ground. No bashed head but a cut cheek.
3rd one, Smidsy on a RAB. Went onto bonnet, into windscreen (smashed) and thrown off bonnet on to floor. Just a grazed noggin, probably grazed worse if I wan't wearing a buff and baseball cap at the time, so I guess I can say they saved my life.

 

[benb]

I would also rather set an example to my kids of making an attempt to protect themselves a little bit, just in case.

Well I'd rather set an example to my kids of properly assessing evidence, and critical thinking.

 

[benb]

So, purely anecdotal, how many times have you hit your head whilst cycling? Answers from helmet wearers and non wearers please, I am not interested in the outcome and what may or may not have happened, just how often you have hit your head.

I don't usually wear a helmet any more, but do wear one when mountain biking, as I think I'm more at risk of fairly low speed offs.

The only time I've hit my head when cycling is when I was mountain biking and wearing a helmet. I didn't duck enough under a low branch. The question I ask myself is would I have hit my head without the helmet on? Humans have evolved very good instincts for protecting their head, and, by extension, their brain. The branch only struck the very top surface of the helmet. I think probably I would have missed the branch completely if I had not worn the helmet.

The only other times I have hit my head:
4 years old, fell over in a paddling pool. Lots of blood and stitches required
7 or 8, fell out of a tree. Mild concussion
12ish, fell over in the shower after rugby at school. Serious concussion including memory loss of the hour or two either side of the impact.
20s, fell over when drunk. Broke my arm, but nothing worse than a bump on my head.
20s, slipped on some ice. Just a bruise.
39 (this year), stood on a football when playing with my son, fell over backwards, whacked my head hard on the ground. Saw stars, but no lingering effects.
A handful of low beam/cupboard incidents as an adult, some painful, some leaving bruises, no lasting effects

 

[MontyVeda]

... I would rather bang my head against the floor via a lump of polystyrene than without. I would also rather set an example to my kids of making an attempt to protect themselves a little bit, just in case.

I don't care if someone rides without one.
...

oh but you do!

 

[totallyfixed]

Thank you to those that answered, so far although the sample size is small there appears to be a common theme, well 2 actually if you take into account the only people answering are those who do not wear helmets. What we have in common is that we don't hit our heads very often riding a bike, when we do, any injury sustained is minor. Does this mean helmet wearers hit their heads often but do not wish to admit it? If the answer is they don't hit their heads is there any point in wearing a helmet?
I really think this deserves a poll of some kind, it would however require the complete honesty of those taking part.
I am not aware of any research that asks this simple question, I do not understand why when it ought to form the basis for other statistics. For instance, how many cyclists have been treated in hospital for injuries that did not involve a head injury [or only minor one] and the cyclist was not wearing a helmet? Fairly sure these are not recorded, which begs the question, why not?
I neglected to mention that in one particular year I won the coveted stabiliser trophy awarded by Cambridge CC, given to the rider with the most, and most spectacular involuntary dismounts from their bike. Even so, no head injuries.

 

[benb]

Oh dear, another helmet that cracked rather than compressed, but still held up as "saved my life". Note the quote "This would've happened 2my skull, hadn't I been wearing a helmet" - no nuance or possibility of error. I wonder if people like this expect an F1 helmet to split open on impact, revealing the driver's unharmed smiling face beneath?

 

[benb]

[QUOTE 3999585, member: 45"]Dassie's comment is the correct reply.[/QUOTE]
Yes, agreed.
Others have commented that point on Twitter, only for JB to reply along the lines of "Well I was wearing it and I'm OK, therefore it must have saved me"

 

[Mugshot]

[QUOTE 3999320, member: 45"]You didn't ask me to. I made the point that people ask questions based on inaccurate and deceptive statements. You listed a few statements and I understood you to be asking me whether each was deceptive. I answered that.[/QUOTE]
I shouldn't need to ask you to.
You pointed out, quite correctly in my opinion, that the risks involved in a skate park or indeed in certain types of cycling, walking, whatevering differ. It is a point which you have raised on a number of occasions in these discussions.You made this point to me following my post from Facebook and then asked me, when I explained the context, whether I had done anything about the fact that too often blanket statements are used in these debates rather than taking account of circumstances and scenarios. As you had asked me what I had done, I wondered why it was that you appeared to have done nothing despite the same person posting on 8 seperate occasions something which you appear to feel should be challenged.
If I have this completely arse about face I apologise.

 

[Mugshot]

[QUOTE 3999620, member: 45"]Oh ok. Thanks. I asked about whether you had commented on FB because that's where it's important.

I've raised and argued the importance of specific risk assessments in this forum many times, to mixed responses. But this is a forum full of passionate people with very fixed views. I'm not going to waste my time repeating myself again with these people, or boring the others who get it.

Let's be honest, the output in terms of benefit and progress from cycling threads on here is miniscule compared to the effort that goes in, so it's really not worth it.

The valuable discussions that could be had aren't in here. They're with those out there in the world.[/QUOTE]
Gotcha. No I didn't reply on Facebook, it appeared on my feed to due to a mutual friend being tagged, however the person doing the tagging is not on my friends list and I do think in that situation it's rather rude, it feels as though I'm intruding somewhat into someone elses conversation. I have been involved in similar discussions previously, they're about as exciting and productive as they are on here generally.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

This is the same Johan Bruyneel who fell into a ravine wearing a cap and climbed back out pretty much unscathed to finish the stage?

yebbut he was doped to the eyeballs innit?