Helmets look stupid

[gavin11756]

As other have said, go ask Saul Rasin

Go ask a number of rugby players killed every year or who wind up in traction. More than cyclists. What about mountaineers ? Killed by the score!
Face it. Cycle racing isn't dangerous. Any killed is usually through drugs or plain ol' bad luck.

Speaking relatively to other sports cycle racing is tame! The helmet thing is a statistic used by insurance ccompanies. I bet that is what it all about! Insurance. Stats from street cycling not racing!

 

[karries]

I think helmets should always be worn,even in/during races.Let me give you an example as to why. I was involved in a race about two weeks ago.Closed roads thus no other traffic except for officials etc. I had an accident and came off my bike at 80 plus km/h (50 miles) hit the road with my head first. If I was not wearing my helmet I would not be around to tell the story.Now let us be serious what would the statistics be of deaths in pro or other races if it was not compulsory to wear helmets? Just my small contibution on the subject.

 

[gavin11756]

I think helmets should always be worn,even in/during races.Let me give you an example as to why. I was involved in a race about two weeks ago.Closed roads thus no other traffic except for officials etc. I had an accident and came off my bike at 80 plus km/h (50 miles) hit the road with my head first. If I was not wearing my helmet I would not be around to tell the story.Now let us be serious what would the statistics be of deaths in pro or other races if it was not compulsory to wear helmets? Just my small contibution on the subject.

The stats of deaths prior to compulsory wearing of helmets (ch is most of last century ) could be counted on one hand!

 

[jcjordan]

The stats of deaths prior to compulsory wearing of helmets (ch is most of last century ) could be counted on one hand!

bit hard to compare. speeds and numbers in the peleton have increased.

 

[keydates]

You are also looking at riders who are professional and thus a little less likely to fall, despite the higher speeds and closer proximity. I'm sure if you looked at a broader group of racing cyclists -or just people who bike- you would see that helmets have saved many lives, or at least people who have died in bicycling-related incidents were often enough not wearing helmets.

 

[TrekDedicated]

The stats of deaths prior to compulsory wearing of helmets (ch is most of last century ) could be counted on one hand!

So can the number of times the nuclear bomb has been used...

 

[*.exe]

Some time ago I received a bollicking from certain people that said I was wrong about wanted the helmets to be optional. I maintained then and now they look bloody stupid, ruin the tradition of the race and have little practical good.

i checked to see the death count on "Le Tour ". of about 5 deaths three were cyclists. No cyclist died on the friggin road. They were drug abusers except one poor ******* in 1936 or something that went off a ravine! one journalist and a motocyclist have died. My figures are open to correction.

So, I make no apology for wanting to make helmets optional. No one gets killed via head injuries during a race. I say get rid of helmets in races. Some bloke broke his teeth the other day. So his helmet did nothing. Some bloke brakes his arm, or does a ligament. What good a helmet ?

OK, I understand having Jan Ulrich riding over your head after you go down is unpleasant, but hardly life threatening.

They rode without helmets for the vast majority of the life of the race. there have been no deaths due to not wearing a helmet, unless they were in a drug induced state and bounced their head against the hotel wall without a helmet!

Helmets on a public street...sure. But in a safe envioronment like a race no!

Can I buy an arguement here. BTW In case you don't know, the race looks great in"google earth"

Excuse me, but this is one of the most stupid posts I have read. How old are you anyway? As posters have mentioned before, you think it's really cool to be dead or severely injured? A race is not a safe environment. And the head is our most valuable bodypart.
Have a look at Saul Raisin's homepage: http://www.saulraisin.com/sitemain/ - see for yourself what he says about it. After all, he's been there!

Besides, I think the riders look darn good with their helmets on. And so do I!

 

[jcjordan]

You are also looking at riders who are professional and thus a little less likely to fall, despite the higher speeds and closer proximity. I'm sure if you looked at a broader group of racing cyclists -or just people who bike- you would see that helmets have saved many lives, or at least people who have died in bicycling-related incidents were often enough not wearing helmets.

Less likely to fall???

Did you watch the first week of the TDF last year, there were about 3-4 crashes on every stage of the first week. Ok it was really wet and the peleton was as nervous as a cat hiding in a dog show compared to to this year may have had something to do with it, but even this year has seen some nasty falls. Take O'Grady (CSC) he has had a fall that cracked a lower vertebre, wonder what his head would have taken?

 

[gavin11756]

Less likely to fall???

Did you watch the first week of the TDF last year, there were about 3-4 crashes on every stage of the first week. Ok it was really wet and the peleton was as nervous as a cat hiding in a dog show compared to to this year may have had something to do with it, but even this year has seen some nasty falls. Take O'Grady (CSC) he has had a fall that cracked a lower vertebre, wonder what his head would have taken?

But a helmet would not help his vertibrae, or teeth, or face or whatever. Dying of headwounds in cycle racing is as rare as rocking horse ****!

 

[gavin11756]

Excuse me, but this is one of the most stupid posts I have read. How old are you anyway? As posters have mentioned before, you think it's really cool to be dead or severely injured? A race is not a safe environment. And the head is our most valuable bodypart.
Have a look at Saul Raisin's homepage: http://www.saulraisin.com/sitemain/ - see for yourself what he says about it. After all, he's been there!

Besides, I think the riders look darn good with their helmets on. And so do I!

A rare instance. Ask the riders what they would like and they would say make helmets optional!


I am not talking about the public street under usual circumstances, but racing only!

 

[gavin11756]

I think helmets should always be worn,even in/during races.Let me give you an example as to why. I was involved in a race about two weeks ago.Closed roads thus no other traffic except for officials etc. I had an accident and came off my bike at 80 plus km/h (50 miles) hit the road with my head first. If I was not wearing my helmet I would not be around to tell the story.Now let us be serious what would the statistics be of deaths in pro or other races if it was not compulsory to wear helmets? Just my small contibution on the subject.

The almost non existant death rate from head injuiries would no invrease!

 

[jcjordan]

But a helmet would not help his vertibrae, or teeth, or face or whatever. Dying of headwounds in cycle racing is as rare as rocking horse ****!

Funny thats not the view of Stuart O'Grady. He mentioned on a Cyclingnews interview that he was glad for the helmet rule. Having spoken to a number of riders at the Tour Down Under I was surprised to hear that they bring 3-4 helmets per rider to each race as its not unheard of destroying one or two in simple crashes at multi stage races.


I have tried to find a summary of injurys in relation to crashes but it does not look like the UCI keeps those sort of records. Which makes it hard to say whether they are useful or not, I dont think that doing a google seach in relation to historical incidents is a effective method of determining how effective helments are. But then again neither are my observations at club races here in Canberra, but the general opinion of members are that helmets are a essential piece of kit when racing and would wear one even if they did not have to. It might be interesting to note that if you look at pictures from Pro Tour team training camps the majority wear helmets, but not all. Guess they have made their choice as well

 

[Virenque]

It might be interesting to note that if you look at pictures from Pro Tour team training camps the majority wear helmets, but not all. Guess they have made their choice as well

No. Big majority don`t wear helmets. I was surprised when I saw 5 riders from CSC with helmets.

 

[Pb_Okole]

Exactly Doc, but remember times change, often for the worse becuase strong personalities make the change. All this helmet nonsense comes from insurance companies and not history.

In all the history of thetdF here is no death or serious injury from not wearing a helmet. Sure it's a matter of cuts and scratches and a sore head in a spill without a helmet sometimes but that's it. Helmets should be optional. They look like strange alien creatures with them on

Have you ever heard of Fabio Casartelli? HE was not a doper, he died of a head injury in the Tour. A helmet probably wouldn't have saved his life but we will never know for sure....

 

[wiredued]

Preventable head injuries are stupid also. But it is amusing to ride my bike in Maine on vacation and see some motorcyclist with no helmet doing 3 times my speed something is wrong there. Either I should take my helmet off or they should put one on.

 

[Brothrmark]

They rode without helmets for the vast majority of the life of the race. there have been no deaths due to not wearing a helmet, unless they were in a drug induced state and bounced their head against the hotel wall without a helmet!

Before Columbia, foam insulation shedding off the space shuttle's external tank wasn't seen as a problem. They knew it happened and up to that point it hadn't caused any catastrophic problems- so why worry?

 

[keydates]

Did you watch the first week of the TDF last year, there were about 3-4 crashes on every stage of the first week. Ok it was really wet and the peleton was as nervous as a cat hiding in a dog show compared to to this year may have had something to do with it, but even this year has seen some nasty falls.

Imagine if, instead of a bunch of 170some top of the line professionals, you had 170some Cat 5 racers riding together on these roads. If only 3-4 crashes occurred each stage it would be a miracle. My point remains that pros have better handling skills, so they are less likely to crash, and thus less likely to sustain head injuries. When you look especially at the lower levels of bicycle riding/racing, helmets are very helpful.

 

[slowdave]

Mate what are u thinking? I came off about 2 months ago closed circut cri hit the deck at about 50kph not to bad i thought on the first bounce, then i saw the gutter. I cracked a perfectally good helmet, took some skin off my ear elbows knees and hips but i can still walk talk and toliet myself, without a helmet i would be in a nursing home with lots of old people. Yeah i am not racing in euro nor will i ever, but there were no cars on the course it was well marshelled, the guy i crashed into was a paramedic/EMT so i was in great hands. If you like no helmets watch only uphill finishes on the tour and you will be happy. My last point have you ever been affected by a head injury, i see them every month years of recovery, pain etc. They are mainly kids with out helmets who dont hit cars but just fall off or do dumb stuff. If helmets didnt work they would not make us wear them. off my soap box now.

 

[gavin11756]

Mate what are u thinking? I came off about 2 months ago closed circut cri hit the deck at about 50kph not to bad i thought on the first bounce, then i saw the gutter. I cracked a perfectally good helmet, took some skin off my ear elbows knees and hips but i can still walk talk and toliet myself, without a helmet i would be in a nursing home with lots of old people. Yeah i am not racing in euro nor will i ever, but there were no cars on the course it was well marshelled, the guy i crashed into was a paramedic/EMT so i was in great hands. If you like no helmets watch only uphill finishes on the tour and you will be happy. My last point have you ever been affected by a head injury, i see them every month years of recovery, pain etc. They are mainly kids with out helmets who dont hit cars but just fall off or do dumb stuff. If helmets didnt work they would not make us wear them. off my soap box now.

Yes Dave I see what your saying. My pooint however is to leave the rider in charge of his own destiny. Give them choice about helmet wearing. I was watching a doco on SBS last night about the tdf and not too many instances of head injuires except the usual stuff. No mention of wheelchairs bound types after prangs, although I'm sure they exist.

Basically I'm trying to say if racers were given a choice they would take the risk as they deem the risk minimal given the stats, which are way on side with the riders

 

[slowdave]

Yes Dave I see what your saying. My pooint however is to leave the rider in charge of his own destiny. Give them choice about helmet wearing. I was watching a doco on SBS last night about the tdf and not too many instances of head injuires except the usual stuff. No mention of wheelchairs bound types after prangs, although I'm sure they exist.

Basically I'm trying to say if racers were given a choice they would take the risk as they deem the risk minimal given the stats, which are way on side with the riders

I also see that you feel that the wearing of helemts should be left to the individual, i agree in most instances big brother is too big. However sometimes legislation is for the best. Maybe your post should read Racers choice-Helmets, rather than Helmets look stupid which they do esp TT helmets.