October 6, 20187 yr The helmet, to wear or not to wear, is often visited and I am on the side of "to wear".. well today whilst stationary in some road works I lost my footing and fell over hard. I think I may have hit the kerb but surprisingly big knock to my head which left me momentarily stunned but apart from a headache I seemed ok so set off for the 10 mile ride home. An hour later i am surveying the damage over a coffee, a bit sore and bloodied, and thought I should check my helmet.. at the point of impact the padding thickness has been reduced by at least 30% and the outer shell has visibly rippled so it has done it's job. I am not sure whether the argument is over wearing or enforced wearing, but I won't go out without one.
October 6, 20187 yr I won’t cycle anywhere without out one You never know when or where a slipp up may happen My friend has just got back to work after 4 months after a skateboard accident to cool to wear a helmet but not so cool after a fractured skull and brain bleed nearly left him dead , he is very lucky as apart from being a bit short tempered now and completely losing his sense of smell he is back pretty good
October 6, 20187 yr My wife had bad crash doing 5-10kmh on flat cycle way. We think end up falling sideways with her temple (protected by helmet) and cheek being impact points. Still had massive black eye but not head injury. If the helmet hadn't been a good fit her head would 've taken hit. I've had 2 bad MTB crashes wear forehead of helmets were broken, excellent fit saved me in both cases. Always wear helmet no matter how easy ride is, make sure it is adjusted correctly and is good fit.
October 6, 20187 yr I've never worn a helmet in my many decades of cycling, no option at all for the earlier decades when half of Britain cycled since cycle helmets hadn't been invented. Same with my motorcyling, there were no consumer helmets when I started that and I had over 20 years of riding without one. My impression is that we probably took a lot more care back then, knowing how vulnerable we were. Certainly UK cycling was a lot slower in the 1940s, '50s and '60s, mostly around 12 mph. For those who need them I've no doubt helmets are great, but like the Dutch I've never needed one. .
October 6, 20187 yr If you have one of these helmets you might want to chuck it and get another: https://helmets.org/recalls.htm Yours is good for the bin Gubbins seeing the state it is in.
October 6, 20187 yr I've never worn a helmet in my many decades of cycling, no option at all for the earlier decades when half of Britain cycled since cycle helmets hadn't been invented. Same with my motorcyling, there were no consumer helmets when I started that and I had over 20 years of riding without one. My impression is that we probably took a lot more care back then, knowing how vulnerable we were. Certainly UK cycling was a lot slower in the 1940s, '50s and '60s, mostly around 12 mph. For those who need them I've no doubt helmets are great, but like the Dutch I've never needed one. . My mate said exactly the same
October 6, 20187 yr Author I've never worn a helmet in my many decades of cycling, no option at all for the earlier decades when half of Britain cycled since cycle helmets hadn't been invented. Same with my motorcyling, there were no consumer helmets when I started that and I had over 20 years of riding without one. My impression is that we probably took a lot more care back then, knowing how vulnerable we were. Certainly UK cycling was a lot slower in the 1940s, '50s and '60s, mostly around 12 mph. For those who need them I've no doubt helmets are great, but like the Dutch I've never needed one. .I have only ever needed one twice. Thats only 2 more than you.
October 6, 20187 yr My mate said exactly the same He had the option, I didn't for around 30 years since they didn't exist. So once used to that I just continued without which has proved to be a sound decision. Similar with motorcycling , not having the option for many years. Then from 1973 I had to use one by law, but since I never put a single mark on them, they too proved to be unnecessary. It is and always has been a matter for personal decision. .
October 6, 20187 yr I have only ever needed one twice. Thats only 2 more than you. The only time I ever needed one was at 12 years old when another kid threw a house brick high up into the air behind me. I was walking in another direction so didn't see it before it landed on my head. Cue spectacular bleeding, face and frontal clothing smothered. Still here though! But as it's been so often said, why don't cyclists who wear them do so when walking? Falls causing death still happen then, after all you were stationary when you had that accident, proving the point. .
October 6, 20187 yr Author The only time I ever needed one was at 12 years old when another kid threw a house brick high up into the air behind me. I was walking in another direction so didn't see it before it landed on my head. Cue spectacular bleeding, face and frontal clothing smothered. Still here though! But as it's been so often said, why don't cyclists who wear them do so when walking? Falls causing death still happen then, after all you were stationary when you had that accident, proving the point. .Ha! That explains everything! Brain damage![emoji1787][emoji1787]
October 6, 20187 yr Ha! That explains everything! Brain damage![emoji1787][emoji1787] That's right, the failings of evolution have left the whole population brain damaged. Fortunately that impact corrected my genetic error, explaining why I'm always right since. .
October 6, 20187 yr The helmet, to wear or not to wear, is often visited and I am on the side of "to wear".. well today whilst stationary in some road works I lost my footing and fell over hard. I think I may have hit the kerb but surprisingly big knock to my head which left me momentarily stunned but apart from a headache I seemed ok so set off for the 10 mile ride home. An hour later i am surveying the damage over a coffee, a bit sore and bloodied, and thought I should check my helmet.. at the point of impact the padding thickness has been reduced by at least 30% and the outer shell has visibly rippled so it has done it's job. I am not sure whether the argument is over wearing or enforced wearing, but I won't go out without one. Never mind your helmet - what about your bike? Did you drop it or risk all to save it? Jim
October 6, 20187 yr Author Never mind your helmet - what about your bike? Did you drop it or risk all to save it? JimCuts and bruises heal don't they.. I was on the road bike which is mostly responsible with the narrower drop bars and having one foot clipped in and it's unmarked...
October 6, 20187 yr Cuts and bruises heal don't they.. I was on the road bike which is mostly responsible with the narrower drop bars and having one foot clipped in and it's unmarked... If you had been "cheating" it probably wouldn't have happened. Jim
October 6, 20187 yr Author If you had been "cheating" it probably wouldn't have happened. JimWasn't moving, at least not forwards, the road was a right mess with a contraflow for road works and my side road being blocked with a wire fence so in turning the bike around I think i got my free foot on a bit of the fence tubing and next thing I was on the ground.
October 6, 20187 yr He had the option, I didn't for around 30 years since they didn't exist. So once used to that I just continued without which has proved to be a sound decision. Similar with motorcycling , not having the option for many years. Then from 1973 I had to use one by law, but since I never put a single mark on them, they too proved to be unnecessary. It is and always has been a matter for personal decision. . Ah Your the it’s never going to happen to me type Me I’m the other way why risk it when it’s no effort to prevent it As you say it’s all personal choice thou
October 6, 20187 yr Author Ah Your the it’s never going to happen to me type Me I’m the other way why risk it when it’s no effort to prevent it As you say it’s all personal choice thou For now!! I reckon it won't be long before it's made compulsory, at least for electric bikes, which won't bother me of course and I don't think it should be compulsery either but it will. I wonder if I have brain damage....
October 6, 20187 yr why risk it when it’s no effort to prevent it That's simply not true. I have to buy the thing, carry it with me everywhere, it's often a nuisance having nowhere to put it, in general a thorough inconvenience. That's a major reason why the Dutch never wear them, they cycle everywhere for every reason and a helmet would often be a great inconvenience. Just look at the difference, they just step outside in street clothes, onto the bike and ride. Here we get many cyclists spending ages getting changed into cycling gear and strapping on a helmet. The Dutch would never get anything done if they went through that rigmarole each time they rode. But despite riding far, far more than we do daily and hugely more mileage, they only have a third of our cycling deaths. . Edited October 6, 20187 yr by flecc
October 6, 20187 yr Author That's simply not true. I have to buy the thing, carry it with me everywhere, it's often a nuisance having nowhere to put it, in general a thorough inconvenience. That's a major reason why the Dutch never wear them, they cycle everywhere for every reason and a helmet would often be a great inconvenience. Just look at the difference, they just step outside in street clothes, onto the bike and ride. Here we get many cylists spending ages getting changed into cycling gear and strapping on a helmet. The Dutch would never get anything done if they went through that rigmarole each time they rode. But despite riding far, far more than we do daily and hugely more mileage, they only have a third of our cycling deaths. .But we dont live in the netherlands...
October 6, 20187 yr But we dont live in the netherlands... Irrelevant. Cycle sensibly and it doesn't matter where one lives. In 40% of the deaths they do have there's no other vehicle or person involved, so despite their cycling facilities, when they are not being sensible costs their lives. Over 70 years after first stepping onto a bike and with 54 years of motorcycling as well I've never needed a helmet for either. That's all that counts, that I know sufficiently well how to avoid two wheel accidents. What others do is their business and their experience clearly hasn't applied to me. .
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