Helmets - A Testimonial
- Thread starter El Loto
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Beanie hats are unforgivable.LindaNo1 said:No, it isn't. If HE worked here, I could forgive him ANYTHING. Yum, yum ...
Chinstrap beards are unforgivable.
Helmets are a matter of choice, like cycling itself. Some people say "You must be mad to cycle". Some cyclists say "You must be mad not to wear a helmet".
My choice is to cycle without a helmet.
Fall of 1999, I was going down a moderate hill on a city street about 25 MPH. I was following about 20 yards behind a truck, and watching a car trying to turn left from the opposite traffic lane. Sure enough, as soon as the truck passed, he turned left ignoring the bicycle that was me.
I managed to dodge that car, but I hit the curb at about 20 mph. My bicycle stayed at the curb, and I hit the building across the sidewalk. I broke a couple ribs and a shoulder blade.
My helmet had a grove in it that was the imprint of some of the decorative metal-work on the outside of the building. I most certaonly would have had that imprint on my skull if I hadn't been wearing that brain bucket.
I can be careful when I ride, but I'm not God. Therefore I can't control everything that happenings, and I have been known to make a mistake now and again. Wearing a helmet is a small thing that can make a huge difference.
If I never "Need" my helmet again, I'm fine with that. The one time I "Needed" it, it prevented me from getting a broken head.
I managed to dodge that car, but I hit the curb at about 20 mph. My bicycle stayed at the curb, and I hit the building across the sidewalk. I broke a couple ribs and a shoulder blade.
My helmet had a grove in it that was the imprint of some of the decorative metal-work on the outside of the building. I most certaonly would have had that imprint on my skull if I hadn't been wearing that brain bucket.
I can be careful when I ride, but I'm not God. Therefore I can't control everything that happenings, and I have been known to make a mistake now and again. Wearing a helmet is a small thing that can make a huge difference.
If I never "Need" my helmet again, I'm fine with that. The one time I "Needed" it, it prevented me from getting a broken head.
astroluc said:
I always wear my helmet - you never know! As for getting run over by a car - well I always walk on the pavement and cross the road only when safe to do so. I tend to look around me for traffic and other people at all times too - as people do some unxpected things - don't they!
I do no wish to find out if I have thin skull when it hit the ground either - and I had a near miss at a pinch point about 12 weeks ago ..... Was in correct position and the bus overtook me.
It shook me up a lot really. I was cycling along the road and had passed a bus at a bus stop. About 200 yards beyond the bus stop - the road narrowed with bollards and a chicane. There was a man-hole as well. I checked behind me and nothing was there - the bus was setting off from the stop after picking up the passengers. I checked again and moved to a position where I could be seen and to prevent a silly overtake just before the narrowing - as once through I would pull into the left to assist the overtakers. Only just before we reached the narrowing - the bus decided to overtake - which forced me to swerver quickly into the left to avoid a direct hit - he did clip my right leg - and bruised it as as I fell to the left I outstretched my left arm to attempt to steady myself to mitigate the fall.
Sustained some severe bruising to my arm and the helmet did get a dent when my head hit the pavement - might have been worse without this helmet - on account of the dent in the helmet.
I was in postion and can only conclude that for some reason I may have been obscured from the drivers' view because of a SMIDSY pillar on the the chassis of the bus blocking his view and a low sun as well.
However - when I drive my own car at such points - I wait and allow space for the cyclist to get by in safety and am on look-out for hazards and other road users all the time - hence in the car - don't have the problem and normally do not have incidents on the bike either - but accidents happen no matter how skilled we think we are.
I posted this account verbatim to a forum called "another cycling forum" - only I mentioned that I do not seem to have the same problem when I drive my car at these points where the road narrows.. I got a stroppy message from the web master about mentioning the word "car" and he banned me from posting
. Just mentioning for courtesy - if you wish to register with "another cycling forum" as it's called - don't mention a car - unless you intend to post that all drivers are out to kill you! (Think that what may have done it... poster replied that the driver had done this to me on purpose . I was there - the person he caused to wobble and fall - and I saw it as unfortunate accident - and replied as such.) I also made a post on there as a guest this evening - about Food Festivals on a food section of the site - thinking this would be ideal to combine a bike ride with a feast - and he deleted it. So be warned - post that car drivers are not all maniacs at your peril on there.
I am sure most of us on here drive as well as ride....and see ourselves as trying to be as safe, legal, responsible and competent at all times so how we travel - and do not see fellow drivers and motor bikers as "out to aim vehicles at you" as appears to be the case there.
Fine for you. If you have children, do you make them wear a helmet? Do you make them put a seatbelt on in the car? Do you buy cars because they have airbags/ABS etc? There are few things more dangerous than riding a bicycle in traffic, and wearing a helmet seems to be one way of gaining some protection.Don Shipp said:
Not wanting to start English/Australian war (after all, it seems likely you will win the Ashes in the *yawn* cricket), but is the aversion to wearing a helmet an English/British thing? A mate from work is English (and the b*astard is wearing his 2003 World Cup Rugby jersey today, just because of the cricket) and he tells me there was also strong resistance to riding with lights at night (and that intially the flashing lights were unlawful). Seems as daft as the US resistance to wearing seatbelts in cars.
I wear my helmet on or off road.
Like the saying goes,
Helmets are only for those with brains to protect...
But I also wear full finger gloves(not to be too off topic).
Long story short, Friend rides with us, his first time, sees me putting on gloves, asks what's that for? I says, just in case.
He calls me a pu$$y.....
So after he eats $hit and his hands are peeled and bleeding, I walked up to him and asked if he wanted to borrow my gloves!
Like the saying goes,
Helmets are only for those with brains to protect...
But I also wear full finger gloves(not to be too off topic).
Long story short, Friend rides with us, his first time, sees me putting on gloves, asks what's that for? I says, just in case.
He calls me a pu$$y.....
So after he eats $hit and his hands are peeled and bleeding, I walked up to him and asked if he wanted to borrow my gloves!
I had a good little lesson taught to me one afternoon. I was about 8 or so, and was pedalling around my street, along driveways and paths and whatnot. Turning off a driveway and onto the path, there were little seed, gumnut thingos, which are about the size of a marble and roll. Whilst turning, i lost the front wheel, and simply fell off to the side straight on to the side of my head - i don't remember hitting anywhere else.
I wore a helmet, it hit the helmet - i hardly felt it, i got up, dusted myself off, and kept riding.
Why on earth wouldn't you wear one? I think they look cool anyway - especially if you look at them about 10 years ago.
I wore a helmet, it hit the helmet - i hardly felt it, i got up, dusted myself off, and kept riding.
Why on earth wouldn't you wear one? I think they look cool anyway - especially if you look at them about 10 years ago.
It's all about risk analysis and threat models. The question is, is the safety/security provided by something worth the added cost, inconvience, whatever.
I am almost 22. I figure I'll work (hopefully) till I'm at least 65. Thats about 43 years left of work for me. People in my field are not wealthy (we don't do it for the money) so we will assume an average salary of $75,000 a year. This puts me at making about $3,225,000 over the course of my life (assume $75,000 after tax, to make things easier). Sorry, my brain is worth too much to me. I'm going to try and protect it as best I can.
I just bought the Giro Atmos at my LBS for $140. We can round down to about $100, since the Atmos is of course, not required. So, the cost of a helmet is about 0.00310078% my net worth.
I guess it comes down to, is it worth it to spend $100 now, and hope I never need it, or risk $3,225,000. In all reality, It's probably a bigger risk than that, since I'll have medical bills. I'll invested too much money in my education, and have too many plans, to not wear one. How many of you that said you wear no helmet would play these odds in other areas of life?
The Atmos weighs 9oz. I don't feel it on my head. The argument it's uncomfortable is unfounded.
-Matt
I am almost 22. I figure I'll work (hopefully) till I'm at least 65. Thats about 43 years left of work for me. People in my field are not wealthy (we don't do it for the money) so we will assume an average salary of $75,000 a year. This puts me at making about $3,225,000 over the course of my life (assume $75,000 after tax, to make things easier). Sorry, my brain is worth too much to me. I'm going to try and protect it as best I can.
I just bought the Giro Atmos at my LBS for $140. We can round down to about $100, since the Atmos is of course, not required. So, the cost of a helmet is about 0.00310078% my net worth.
I guess it comes down to, is it worth it to spend $100 now, and hope I never need it, or risk $3,225,000. In all reality, It's probably a bigger risk than that, since I'll have medical bills. I'll invested too much money in my education, and have too many plans, to not wear one. How many of you that said you wear no helmet would play these odds in other areas of life?
The Atmos weighs 9oz. I don't feel it on my head. The argument it's uncomfortable is unfounded.
-Matt
I have children who do not have much interest in cycling. If they do ever develop an enthusiasm for it, I will make sure that they are competent to ride in traffic, and let them decide whether they want to wear a helmet or not.Balderick said:
Riding a bike is obviously much more hazardous in Oz and in parts of America than I find it to be in London.
Don Shipp said:
Following your logic, do us a favor will you? Take up skydiving, but don't use a backup 'chute because it's just extra weight you don't need.
I doubt riding in London is more or less risky than riding a bike in other major cities, including those in Australia or parts of the US. I suspect riding a bike where I live is considerably less risky than riding in the London CBD.Don Shipp said:
I have no doubt I am competent riding a bike in traffic, but like all people I can make mistakes, have errors in judgement or can suffer unexpected mechanical failure. I have no doubt wearing a helmet increases my safety if I am unfortunate enough to be in an accident, which may be the result of someone else. Defensive riding only protects you to a point. But good luck to you - you may well need it.
One final question 0 are you a member of the CTC?
The postings by some Aussies make cycling down under sound very hazardous indeed. Ditto some Yanks.Balderick said:
I do not believe that my daily commute to work is such a dangerous activity compared with everything else that I do that it requires special protective headgear. Some of you are obviously much less confident, or perhaps less competent.
I am a member of the CTC and I agree with their policy of keeping helmets as a matter of personal choice.
No Darwin award for me, I have already passed on my genes. My dad never wore a helmet either, and he's still alive.Geoff2010 said:I believe there is only one tool here. All I have to say is "natural selection"... and if you keep up that attitude, you will definitely not be "selected". It truly is the way life tries to keep the gene pool clean
Donny ... some of us have to commute among monstous vehicles with the most idiotic people at the wheel, who happen to be paying attention to many tasks other than driving while on the road.
I dont know how is traffic in England, but the cars are like 1/3 of the size. Yeah, I can smash up a Ford Ka pretty good if it hits me - still need a helmet - but try against a Chevy Suburban!!
I agree that is a personal choice ... but gravel on the left, gravel on the right, going downhil 40 mph, AND the idiotic drivers makes me want to go riding in a motocross outfit!!!
I dont know how is traffic in England, but the cars are like 1/3 of the size. Yeah, I can smash up a Ford Ka pretty good if it hits me - still need a helmet - but try against a Chevy Suburban!!
I agree that is a personal choice ... but gravel on the left, gravel on the right, going downhil 40 mph, AND the idiotic drivers makes me want to go riding in a motocross outfit!!!
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