Are Helmets Completely Worthless as a Safety Device for a Bike Commuter?



J

Jay

Guest
Dear RBT Bike Experts:

The only reason I would even consider wearing a helmet...is to attach steer
horns, such as these:

http://store.hornandleather.com/hl16br.html

Come on guys...I have been in plenty of wrecks. My head has NEVER been
injured. Wrists, hips, knees, hands, etc, YES. But not my head - not even
close. I suggest, helmets for low speed bike commuters (< 15 mph), are
simply a fashion statement. And for bragging rights to ladies at the coffee
shop (...I can afford to blow $100 on this useless accoutrement - and I
don't even care!)

J.
 
On Feb 20, 6:37 pm, "Jay" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Dear RBT Bike Experts:
>
> The only reason I would even consider wearing a helmet...is to attach steer
> horns, such as these:
>
> http://store.hornandleather.com/hl16br.html
>
> Come on guys...I have been in plenty of wrecks. My head has NEVER been
> injured. Wrists, hips, knees, hands, etc, YES. But not my head - not even
> close. I suggest, helmets for low speed bike commuters (< 15 mph), are
> simply a fashion statement. And for bragging rights to ladies at the coffee
> shop (...I can afford to blow $100 on this useless accoutrement - and I
> don't even care!)
>
> J.

Go right ahead. The gene pool is probably better-off without you.
 
"Curt Wiederhoeft" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:9cf04250-75a6-4b64-980b-7d65dc2e3f7d@q78g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
> On Feb 20, 6:37 pm, "Jay" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Dear RBT Bike Experts:
>>
>> The only reason I would even consider wearing a helmet...is to attach
>> steer
>> horns, such as these:
>>
>> http://store.hornandleather.com/hl16br.html
>>
>> Come on guys...I have been in plenty of wrecks. My head has NEVER been
>> injured. Wrists, hips, knees, hands, etc, YES. But not my head - not even
>> close. I suggest, helmets for low speed bike commuters (< 15 mph), are
>> simply a fashion statement. And for bragging rights to ladies at the
>> coffee
>> shop (...I can afford to blow $100 on this useless accoutrement - and I
>> don't even care!)
>>
>> J.
>
> Go right ahead. The gene pool is probably better-off without you.
>
....still waiting for some semblance of an intelligent reply...

Or do you think, a quick reply equates to a smart reply?

Please try again...and, I suggest...PAUSE before pressing SEND.

TIA - J.
 
On Feb 21, 11:37 am, "Jay" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Dear RBT Bike Experts:
>
> The only reason I would even consider wearing a helmet...is to attach steer
> horns, such as these:
>
> http://store.hornandleather.com/hl16br.html
>
> Come on guys...I have been in plenty of wrecks. My head has NEVER been
> injured. Wrists, hips, knees, hands, etc, YES. But not my head - not even
> close. I suggest, helmets for low speed bike commuters (< 15 mph), are
> simply a fashion statement. And for bragging rights to ladies at the coffee
> shop (...I can afford to blow $100 on this useless accoutrement - and I
> don't even care!)
>
> J.

People have been killed falling over from a standstill
http://www.australiansonline.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/30/2106050.htm?section=justin
so your speed argument doesn't hold water. Having said that, personal
safety should (for the most part) be down to individual choice. Don't
judge people for wearing a helmet or not no matter what speed they
ride.
 
In article <[email protected]>,
"Jay" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Dear RBT Bike Experts:
>
> The only reason I would even consider wearing a helmet...is to attach steer
> horns, such as these:
>
> http://store.hornandleather.com/hl16br.html
>
> Come on guys...I have been in plenty of wrecks. My head has NEVER been
> injured. Wrists, hips, knees, hands, etc, YES. But not my head - not even
> close. I suggest, helmets for low speed bike commuters (< 15 mph), are
> simply a fashion statement. And for bragging rights to ladies at the coffee
> shop (...I can afford to blow $100 on this useless accoutrement - and I
> don't even care!)
>
> J.

Real world report on the safety and efficacy of helmets?

Well, my helmet, now in tattered bits hangin on the wall bears the
smears incurred sliding down the asphalt. The styrofoam liner, following
the lead of the hard-shell outer, is bust in three or four (depending on
how you count them) separate pieces.

My left eyebrow covers the 12 or 13 stitches. The shorter, exposed,
6-stitch bit is accompanied by the scar tissue generated by the friction
between road surface and my exposed body parts.

All this while 'just riding along.' Then previously undiagnosed medical
conditions decided to reveal themselves, resulting in a total, and
(almost) catastrophic loss of control.

And, just last night, I had to pick my bike from my LBS after service.
Without my helmet I feel worse than naked, I feel exposed.

Go ahead, ride without a helmet, but I'll savour the fact that in my
experience the helmet did exactly what it is intended to do; absorbing
energy otherwise absorbed by my flesh and bone.

And I never buy 'fashion accessory' helmets.

And then there are the motorcycle helmets...
 
In article
<9cf04250-75a6-4b64-980b-7d65dc2e3f7d@q78g2000hsh.googlegroups.com>,
Curt Wiederhoeft <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Feb 20, 6:37 pm, "Jay" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Dear RBT Bike Experts:
> >
> > The only reason I would even consider wearing a helmet...is to attach steer
> > horns, such as these:
> >
> > http://store.hornandleather.com/hl16br.html
> >
> > Come on guys...I have been in plenty of wrecks. My head has NEVER been
> > injured. Wrists, hips, knees, hands, etc, YES. But not my head - not even
> > close. I suggest, helmets for low speed bike commuters (< 15 mph), are
> > simply a fashion statement. And for bragging rights to ladies at the coffee
> > shop (...I can afford to blow $100 on this useless accoutrement - and I
> > don't even care!)
>
> Go right ahead. The gene pool is probably better-off without you.

We need a more active approach to eradicating the
"free-thinkers" who simply will not conform to good
sense. A lasting solution. They are not dying fast
enough. Waiting for them to be picked off one by one in
traffic is not working.

--
Michael Press
 
"Michael Press" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> We need a more active approach to eradicating the
> "free-thinkers" who simply will not conform to good
> sense. A lasting solution. They are not dying fast
> enough. Waiting for them to be picked off one by one in
> traffic is not working.
>
> --
> Michael Press
>
I am not a careful, law-abiding rider. I run red lights because I know, I
will NEVER get pulled over by a Chicago cop. I look both ways, several
times. I never endanger anyone. But I obviously know, if I am in a wreck, it
will be my fault. That is why I am 2x cautious, when I am breaking a traffic
law.

It seems, most Chicago bike riders ride just like I do. Especially when one
gets close to downtown. And not just bike messengers.

J.
 
On Feb 20, 8:21 pm, "Jay" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Michael Press" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:[email protected]...
>
> > We need a more active approach to eradicating the
> > "free-thinkers" who simply will not conform to good
> > sense. A lasting solution. They are not dying fast
> > enough. Waiting for them to be picked off one by one in
> > traffic is not working.
>
> > --
> > Michael Press
>
> I am not a careful, law-abiding rider. I run red lights because I know, I
> will NEVER get pulled over by a Chicago cop. I look both ways, several
> times. I never endanger anyone. But I obviously know, if I am in a wreck, it
> will be my fault. That is why I am 2x cautious, when I am breaking a traffic
> law.
>
> It seems, most Chicago bike riders ride just like I do. Especially when one
> gets close to downtown. And not just bike messengers.

That's par for the course for Chicago riders--I even knew cops that
rode, and the basic rules were: stay alive, but get there fast and
legally enough. So that means wrong way riding is a no no, but rolling
a light when you can get away with it is acceptable. I certainly don't
ride like that in Nashville.

Helmets are nice for girls that don't like scars. They're great
laceration preventers, for sure. I prefer looking like a pugilist.
 
ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......................................................................................................
 
On Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:37:09 -0600, "Jay" <[email protected]> wrote:
>The only reason I would even consider wearing a helmet...is to attach steer
>horns, such as these:
>
>http://store.hornandleather.com/hl16br.html
>
>Come on guys...I have been in plenty of wrecks. My head has NEVER been
>injured. Wrists, hips, knees, hands, etc, YES. But not my head - not even
>close. I suggest, helmets for low speed bike commuters (< 15 mph), are
>simply a fashion statement. And for bragging rights to ladies at the coffee
>shop (...I can afford to blow $100 on this useless accoutrement - and I
>don't even care!)

Well, since a helmet is required to reduce the acceleration in an
impact of 15 mph to below the injury threshold, one might reasonably
conclude low speed riders are the only one who might benefit from
wearing a helmet.

I wear one for SWMBO, and because I'm required to wear one to ride a
bike near work.

Pat

Email address works as is.
 
On Feb 20, 9:00 pm, "Pat" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Helmets are nice for girls that don't like scars. They're great
> > laceration preventers, for sure. I prefer looking like a pugilist.
>
> For some reason, Stephan Robidas's face came to my mind just now. Maybe you
> look like him--no structure to his nose at all.http://dallasstarscare.com/Default.aspx?tabid=808&EntryID=183
>
>
Heh, I'm more like a less ginger Adam Savage from mythbusters with a
good number of fine facial scars on the forehead, lip, and chin.
Helmet would probably have prevented half of them--but life's too
short. When Scott from the LBS and I stopped by the skate park on the
way home the other night--I pointed out to him--if I was doing
backflips in a swimming pool with a metal edge, I'd wear a helmet,
knee protectors, wrist guards, cup, and tailbone protector. It's all
about risk and statistics in the end. My personal tipping point is
riding single track. If I got another mtb, I'd get a lid, as the
chance of falling are far greater, and the types of crashes different
from what you get in the city.
 
On Feb 20, 9:17 pm, "Bill Sornson" <[email protected]> wrote:
> ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz­zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz­zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...............................................­.........................................................

"Quick, Henry, the Flit!"
 
On Feb 20, 4:37 pm, "Jay" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Dear RBT Bike Experts:
>
> The only reason I would even consider wearing a helmet...is to attach steer
> horns, such as these:
>
> http://store.hornandleather.com/hl16br.html
>
> Come on guys...I have been in plenty of wrecks. My head has NEVER been
> injured. Wrists, hips, knees, hands, etc, YES. But not my head - not even
> close. I suggest, helmets for low speed bike commuters (< 15 mph), are
> simply a fashion statement. And for bragging rights to ladies at the coffee
> shop (...I can afford to blow $100 on this useless accoutrement - and I
> don't even care!)
>
> J.

I was riding home from work one day, on a combination sidewalk / bike
lane (adjacent to a school). There was this car was coming out of the
school parking lot, stopped at the sidewalk / bike lane. He wanted to
turn right onto the road, looked up the road to his left, and saw no
traffic coming that way. I heard him drop the clutch just as I was
passing in front from the other direction. Fortunately my pedal was
at top of stroke when the car's bumper hit the crank on that side. As
the bike folded under the car, I went over the bars into the road
(must have scared the living daylights out of that poor guy in the
car).

My hard shell helmet picked up some tasty scuffs and gouges that day.

Of course, I was just a stupid, lucky punk at the time. I should have
made eye contact before riding out in front of him like that, so maybe
helmets are only good for saving people from themselves, but there it
is.
 
On Feb 20, 11:08 pm, Dan O <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> I was riding home from work one day, on a combination sidewalk / bike
> lane (adjacent to a school).

I think I'd count that as a serious mistake. No, come to think of it,
at least two mistakes. The first was the mistake made by whoever
built or designated the "combination sidewalk / bike lane," an
atrocious design. The second was your riding it.

In general, sidewalks are several times more dangerous than the road.
Sidewalks that are designated as bike lanes may be worse, because
they'd give cyclists the impression that all is fine. Just because
someone designed it, doesn't mean you have to ride it.

> There was this car was coming out of the
> school parking lot, stopped at the sidewalk / bike lane. He wanted to
> turn right onto the road, looked up the road to his left, and saw no
> traffic coming that way. I heard him drop the clutch just as I was
> passing in front from the other direction. Fortunately my pedal was
> at top of stroke when the car's bumper hit the crank on that side. As
> the bike folded under the car, I went over the bars into the road
> (must have scared the living daylights out of that poor guy in the
> car).
>
> My hard shell helmet picked up some tasty scuffs and gouges that day.

Yep. There are lots of "my helmet was damaged" stories. But never
enough drop in head injuries per rider to budge the hospital data.

Seems more people hit their helmets than ever hit their heads.

- Frank Krygowski
 
Jay Bollyn wrote:
> Dear RBT Bike Experts:
>
> The only reason I would even consider wearing a helmet...is to attach steer
> horns, such as these:
>
> http://store.hornandleather.com/hl16br.html
>
> Come on guys...I have been in plenty of wrecks. My head has NEVER been
> injured. Wrists, hips, knees, hands, etc, YES. But not my head - not even
> close. I suggest, helmets for low speed bike commuters (< 15 mph), are
> simply a fashion statement. And for bragging rights to ladies at the coffee
> shop (...I can afford to blow $100 on this useless accoutrement - and I
> don't even care!)
>
Helmets appear to be fairly effective as "bump and scratch" protectors,
but population studies show no benefit in reducing serious brain
injuries and/or deaths.

I know my bicycle foam hat saved me from a minor scalp wound when I was
hit on the head by a minivan hatch (failing lift struts were to blame).

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful
 
In article
<cbcc7a10-4b09-4023-b274-bf20a5e3c2fb@c33g2000hsd.googlegroups.com>,
Dan O <[email protected]> wrote:

> I also hit my head on a gravel lot one day coming home from school
> (this in the days before kids got helmets with their bikes). It was
> my first concussion. It was the day after the Evel Kneivel movie
> aired on TV, and the incident involved a four-foot concrete retaining
> wall and a long board that happened to be laying around...

What is the point of this anecdote?

Wear a helmet because you never know when you might
do something mortally stupid?

--
Michael Press
 
Michael Press wrote:
> In article
> <cbcc7a10-4b09-4023-b274-bf20a5e3c2fb@c33g2000hsd.googlegroups.com>,
> Dan O <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I also hit my head on a gravel lot one day coming home from school
>> (this in the days before kids got helmets with their bikes). It was
>> my first concussion. It was the day after the Evel Kneivel movie
>> aired on TV, and the incident involved a four-foot concrete retaining
>> wall and a long board that happened to be laying around...

> What is the point of this anecdote?

You deleted the context and then ask the point. Classic.
 
On Feb 20, 5:37 pm, "Jay" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Dear RBT Bike Experts:
>
> The only reason I would even consider wearing a helmet...is to attach steer
> horns, such as these:
>
> http://store.hornandleather.com/hl16br.html
>
> Come on guys...I have been in plenty of wrecks. My head has NEVER been
> injured. Wrists, hips, knees, hands, etc, YES. But not my head - not even
> close. I suggest, helmets for low speed bike commuters (< 15 mph), are
> simply a fashion statement. And for bragging rights to ladies at the coffee
> shop (...I can afford to blow $100 on this useless accoutrement - and I
> don't even care!)
>
> J.

Actually, I am a truly ugly dude and I need an excuse to cover my
ugliness. Fortunately, in cycling where a helmet is mandatory most of
the time, I can cover part of my ugliness. As soon as I get off the
bike, I go scuba diving. Then I go play football and then I go
motorbiking, after that, car racing and finally ice hokey. By the time
I go home its already dark, so I quickly turn off the light and go to
sleep.
 
On Feb 20, 10:48 pm, Tom Sherman <[email protected]>
wrote:
> Jay Bollyn wrote:
> > Dear RBT Bike Experts:
>
> > The only reason I would even consider wearing a helmet...is to attach steer
> > horns, such as these:
>
> >http://store.hornandleather.com/hl16br.html
>
> > Come on guys...I have been in plenty of wrecks. My head has NEVER been
> > injured. Wrists, hips, knees, hands, etc, YES. But not my head - not even
> > close. I suggest, helmets for low speed bike commuters (< 15 mph), are
> > simply a fashion statement. And for bragging rights to ladies at the coffee
> > shop (...I can afford to blow $100 on this useless accoutrement - and I
> > don't even care!)
>
> Helmets appear to be fairly effective as "bump and scratch" protectors,
> but population studies show no benefit in reducing serious brain
> injuries and/or deaths.
>
> I know my bicycle foam hat saved me from a minor scalp wound when I was
> hit on the head by a minivan hatch (failing lift struts were to blame).
>
> --
> Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
> The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

dude, you pretty much ride a car with pedals, sort of like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSwig1tgUtY

So you don't need a helmet. BTW, I've been meaning to ask you, what is
with your milk cow sig?
 
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