Cycle helmets - could anyone take up the cudgel?

[Quandon]

The subject of buying a cycle came up here:
http://www.thedvdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=480593

In passing I suggested that the person in question did not waste money
on a helmet.

Natuarally I've been jumped on but unfortunately I'm away for a few days
and can't continue to argue the point against the knee jerk responses
(someone has just posted a link to the BMA stuff).

So they're going to win by default unless someone feels like putting the
case that helmets aren't all they're cracked up to be.

Cheers

Quandon

 

[Rob Morley]

In article <[email protected]>, Quandon
[email protected] says...
> The subject of buying a cycle came up here:
> http://www.thedvdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=480593
>
> In passing I suggested that the person in question did not waste money
> on a helmet.
>
> Natuarally I've been jumped on but unfortunately I'm away for a few days
> and can't continue to argue the point against the knee jerk responses
> (someone has just posted a link to the BMA stuff).
>
> So they're going to win by default unless someone feels like putting the
> case that helmets aren't all they're cracked up to be.
>
Just post a link to http://www.cyclehelmets.org and let them get on with
it.

 

[Alex Butcher]

On Fri, 13 Jul 2007 11:18:02 +0000, Quandon wrote:

> The subject of buying a cycle came up here:
> http://www.thedvdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=480593
>
> In passing I suggested that the person in question did not waste money on
> a helmet.
>
> Natuarally I've been jumped on but unfortunately I'm away for a few days
> and can't continue to argue the point against the knee jerk responses
> (someone has just posted a link to the BMA stuff).
>
> So they're going to win by default unless someone feels like putting the
> case that helmets aren't all they're cracked up to be.

I've recently picked up a bike with the intention of using it to commute
to and from work at least a few days a week. Initially, as an uninformed
proto-cyclist, I was wholeheartedly in favour of helmets. Then, having
read up a bit more, I realised they'd be unlikely to help with RTAs,
though they may help with general spills (I don't remember having too many
when I last rode as a kid, and those that I did have were generally
provoked by doing Stupid Kid Stuff).

I've now taken what I regard as a moderate position; providing it doesn't
impair my concentration, hearing or vision, I'll wear one solely to defend
against claims of contributory negligence in the (hopefully) unlikely
event of an accident involving another vehicle. I don't expect it to make
a large amount of difference to the outcome of any such accident. If,
however, I am to wear a helmet, I might as well wear one that conforms to
the higher Snell standards, and, to this end, I have a Specialized Air
Force 3 on its way from Wiggle for just under 25GBP. I've also got a copy
of Cyclecraft and plan to rely on reflectives/hi-viz/lights, defensive
cycling and appropriate maintenance as my main safety mechanisms.

> Cheers
> Quandon

Best Regards,
Alex.
--
Alex Butcher, Bristol UK. PGP/GnuPG ID:0x5010dbff

"[T]he whole point about the reason why I think it is important we go for
identity cards and an identity database today is that identity fraud and
abuse is a major, major problem. Now the civil liberties aspect of it, look
it is a view, I don't personally think it matters very much."
- Tony Blair, 6 June 2006 <http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page9566.asp>

 

[Paul Boyd]

Alex Butcher said the following on 13/07/2007 13:29:

> I have a Specialized Air
> Force 3 on its way from Wiggle for just under 25GBP.

Helmets are really one of those things that you need to try on before
buying. In the same way as shoes, the size alone doesn't give you the
shape. Some people's heads are long, some are round. Some helmets fit
long heads better, some fit round heads better. I bought a helmet a
while ago that, on paper, would fit perfectly. In practise it was a bit
tight at the front and back, but had far too much room at each side. I
guess I'm a longhead

If you are going to wear a helmet (as I do off-road), to get the best
protection it does need to fit snugly so that it can't move in an
accident. So many people wear them too loose (or even back to front, as
I've seen!). The right helmet can be tightened really tightly so that
it can't move, but at the same time isn't uncomfortable. This is from
personal experience.

Well, hopefully nothing there was contentious ;-)

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

 

[Alex Butcher]

On Fri, 13 Jul 2007 13:40:59 +0100, Paul Boyd wrote:

> Alex Butcher said the following on 13/07/2007 13:29:
>
>> I have a Specialized Air
>> Force 3 on its way from Wiggle for just under 25GBP.
>
> Helmets are really one of those things that you need to try on before
> buying. In the same way as shoes, the size alone doesn't give you the
> shape.

That's one reason why I picked the AF3; it's supposedly single size for a
range of 'normal' head sizes. I'll see when it turns up. Worst case is I
end up paying the return postage to Wiggle, or putting it on eBay.

Best Regards,
Alex.
--
Alex Butcher, Bristol UK. PGP/GnuPG ID:0x5010dbff

"[T]he whole point about the reason why I think it is important we go for
identity cards and an identity database today is that identity fraud and
abuse is a major, major problem. Now the civil liberties aspect of it, look
it is a view, I don't personally think it matters very much."
- Tony Blair, 6 June 2006 <http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page9566.asp>

 

[Rob Morley]

In article <[email protected]>, Paul
Boyd
usenet.dont.work@plusnet says...
> Alex Butcher said the following on 13/07/2007 13:29:
>
> > I have a Specialized Air
> > Force 3 on its way from Wiggle for just under 25GBP.
>
> Helmets are really one of those things that you need to try on before
> buying. In the same way as shoes, the size alone doesn't give you the
> shape. Some people's heads are long, some are round.

Some are square. A few are conical. I wonder if there'd be any money
to be made from a bespoke helmet service.

 

[Mark]

> That's one reason why I picked the AF3; it's supposedly single size for a
> range of 'normal' head sizes. I'll see when it turns up. Worst case is I
> end up paying the return postage to Wiggle, or putting it on eBay.

It'll fit well enough. A helmet that fitted better would provide greater
protection, but cycling is so safe it's not worth worrying about an
insignificant amount of extra protection from an event that unlikely to
happen.

You'll be happy to note that every cyclist who has questioned a reduction
in damages etc because of contributory negligence has one. In the
exceedingly unlikely event it happened to you, the Cyclists Defence Fund is
likely to step in and knock the opposition out of the ring in the first
round. What I'm trying to say is that your reason for wearing a helmet
happily doesn't exist, so you can carry on wearing one or not without fear
of pesky lawyers.

 

[_]

On 13 Jul 2007 19:54:05 GMT, Mark wrote:

>> That's one reason why I picked the AF3; it's supposedly single size for a
>> range of 'normal' head sizes. I'll see when it turns up. Worst case is I
>> end up paying the return postage to Wiggle, or putting it on eBay.
>
> It'll fit well enough. A helmet that fitted better would provide greater
> protection, but cycling is so safe it's not worth worrying about an
> insignificant amount of extra protection from an event that unlikely to
> happen.
>
> You'll be happy to note that every cyclist who has questioned a reduction
> in damages etc because of contributory negligence has one. In the
> exceedingly unlikely event it happened to you, the Cyclists Defence Fund is
> likely to step in and knock the opposition out of the ring in the first
> round. What I'm trying to say is that your reason for wearing a helmet
> happily doesn't exist, so you can carry on wearing one or not without fear
> of pesky lawyers.

Well, no.

Pesky lawyers will always be so, but we have the further danger of
politicians' stated position that once an (undeclared) percentage of
cyclists are wearing helmets, they will introduce measures to require that
the rest of the populace (the ones who did not fail maths, it seems) also
wear magic foam hats.

In the words of Dr. Vecht, "every helmet worn is a silent vote for
compulsion".

 

[Marc Brett]

On Fri, 13 Jul 2007 11:18:02 GMT, [email protected] (Quandon) wrote:

>The subject of buying a cycle came up here:
>http://www.thedvdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=480593
>
>In passing I suggested that the person in question did not waste money
>on a helmet.
>
>Natuarally I've been jumped on but unfortunately I'm away for a few days
>and can't continue to argue the point against the knee jerk responses
>(someone has just posted a link to the BMA stuff).
>
>So they're going to win by default unless someone feels like putting the
>case that helmets aren't all they're cracked up to be.

By any chance, is he an Imperial Storm Trooper? He'll need one of
these:

http://www.lep.co.uk/weird-world?articleid=3014531

 

[Jeremy Parker]

"Paul Boyd" <usenet.dont.work@plusnet> wrote

[snip]

So many people wear them too loose (or even back to front, as
> I've seen!).

[snip]

As a non helmet wearer this is just a curiosity question for me, but
why does it matter if you wear a helmet back to front?

Jeremy Parker

 

[David Damerell]

Quoting Jeremy Parker <[email protected]>:
>As a non helmet wearer this is just a curiosity question for me, but
>why does it matter if you wear a helmet back to front?

If you suppose they have protective properties, you might well suppose
they are diminished by a poor fit, and they're not fore-aft symmetrical.
--
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[Paul Boyd]

Jeremy Parker said the following on 16/07/2007 14:43:

> As a non helmet wearer this is just a curiosity question for me, but
> why does it matter if you wear a helmet back to front?

I'm not quite sure if you're trolling or not, but on the assumption that
you're not then they are designed to fit one way round. The part that
goes down over the back of your head behind the ears looks a little
silly perched on your forehead, and the straps look a little silly
crossing your forehead.

Whether or not they are any less effective depends on how you define
effectiveness

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/