Your views on ‘bump caps’?

[slowmotion]

It wouldn't fit over my flat cap.

Besides, the whippet wouldn't recognise you.

 

[classic33]

Not really higher. Just different. Cycle helmets are not tested for penetration at all any more, only flat road and kerb strikes and only to the top. Bump caps are tested against penetration and at 60 degree tilt, but only with a 5kg weight, not an adult falling.

A bump cap should protect against low branches better than a helmet, but a baseball cap or a wooly beanie has been good enough for me so far.

Ventilation renders this testing meaningless.
Should an object pass through a vent, and damage the skull, the fact that the helmet was vented would be pointed as the failure.

 

[midlife]

sort of reminded me of this...

 

[mjr]

Ventilation renders this testing meaningless.
Should an object pass through a vent, and damage the skull, the fact that the helmet was vented would be pointed as the failure.

Even skater-style unvented ones aren't tested for penetration any more. The Snell standard at least dropped them on an idealised rock, but the EN doesn't.

 

[Juliansou]

View attachment 603273 sort of reminded me of this...

Yep - that’s the one for me! Do you get a free moustache with every one??😀

 

[Oldhippy]

No.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Be much more sweaty than a cap I’d imagine. Just look where you are going.

 

[sheddy]

Motorists are only likely to notice what you are wearing when shouting at you about road tax or summat.

 

[fossyant]

Probably about as much use as another cloth cap against a tree branch.

 

[Oldhippy]

My cycling and everything else hat.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Personally wouldn't consider it a replacement for a helmet however as a cycling hat replacement would do the same job I would imagine with some added protection.

yep - that was my line of thinking.
[/QUOTE]
Have often thought the same. It certainly far less bulky than a helmet, I don't know about weight, it looks better - like a regular cap. A chin strap would be useful.

 

[rogerzilla]

With respect you're crediting drivers with some phenomenal observational skills and a (rather weird) judgement and thought process that they simply don't do.
If you ever get hit, it's certainly not going to be because a motorist (a) noticed you're wearing a helmet, but then (b) decided to drive into you anyway.

Wear a bump cap, helmet or cycle cap based on your own preference and risk assessment by all means, but not based on this odd idea you have of how drivers see you. Most won't notice or remember if a cyclist is wearing a helmet. None of them carry out an assessment and change their behaviour instantly because of it.

Sorry, but the research shows otherwise.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/5334208.stm

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Sorry, but the research shows otherwise.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/5334208.stm

Ah, that "research". Research carried out by, and on, exactly one rider, and his big findings appear to be that (1) he got hit twice while wearing a helmet (which proves nothing necessarily), and (2) when he wore a large wig he got on average 14cm more space. Hardly all that scientific whichever way you look at it. Actually laughably unscientific in fact, proper crackpot stuff.

I'd still rather not credit your average driver with these amazing observational skills, and ability to perform split second "is that a bump cap or a helmet" risk assessments thanks. Drivers aren't that good and it was a flawed, cod experiment.

 

[rogerzilla]

There was a bit more to it than that, but he's only an academic researcher while you're a bloke on a cycling forum

 

[byegad]

With respect you're crediting drivers with some phenomenal observational skills and a (rather weird) judgement and thought process that they simply don't do.
If you ever get hit, it's certainly not going to be because a motorist (a) noticed you're wearing a helmet, but then (b) decided to drive into you anyway.

Wear a bump cap, helmet or cycle cap based on your own preference and risk assessment by all means, but not based on this odd idea you have of how drivers see you. Most won't notice or remember if a cyclist is wearing a helmet. None of them carry out an assessment and change their behaviour instantly because of it.

A body of research exists that says a lycra clad helmet wearing cyclists is, on average overtaken with less space allowed than a non-helmet wearing casually dressed cyclist. For greatest space wear a long blonde wig.
Drivers do change their behaviour towards us based on appearance.