What is your opinion about Pro's wearing helmets?



nicoliani

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Jun 14, 2006
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In the past I was enjoing viewing Tour De France when riders didn't wear helmets. It was more interesting and charismatic when you saw riders with different bandanas and caps or somebody had a nice hairstyle. I think this made the sport more interesting for the viewer as not much happens viewing cycling.

Now I find it really boring. To bad from my epinion riders are forced to wear helmets. I think they are adult enough to pick what's right for them.
And the orginisation instead of fighting doping or other more sirous issues they are forcing this opon the sport.

I think many viewers have dropped in following the sport because it's no more charismatic.

150 identical riders:(
 
Just what is so charismatic about watching your favorite rider crack his skull open when he crashes .. in spite of his radical hairstyle?

Is this a rhetorical question? Are you for real?
 
helmets are good for advertising space... more money in the rider's pockets... plus make a nice pillow for when a sudden urge to sleep on the curb occurs...
 
Yes, it is more important to watch the pros ride with nice coloured caps and fancy bandannas instead of helmets, yep, as long as someone sitting on their lounge can get excited about that young Basso's pretty bandanna - that is much more important than the actual life of a pro rider.

If you really don't want to watch cycling anymore becuase it is not as exciting because they wear helmets - I can't really understand what attracted you to the sport in the first place.

If you saw someone riding down a hill without a helmet on a motorbike at 100kms per hour you would probably call him/her an idiot - but it's ok to do it on a pushbike? mmmmm????
 
nicoliani said:
In the past I was enjoing viewing Tour De France when riders didn't wear helmets. It was more interesting and charismatic when you saw riders with different bandanas and caps or somebody had a nice hairstyle. I think this made the sport more interesting for the viewer as not much happens viewing cycling.(
Me personally I wish they would just ride naked, then you could see who has the lowest BF % and more importantly who has the biggest schlong :rolleyes:

I think wearing helmets has had a positive effect, when I started racing in college(10 years ago), I often would climb without a helmet, at least partially because I was trying to emulate my perceptual image of the "pros" (it made me feel like a skilled/experienced rider). I am much wiser now and would wear a helmet whether the pro peloton did or not, but seeing your own helmeted shadow on the road while suffering, you still fit the image of the big boys in your own mind.
 
janiejones said:
Yes, it is more important to watch the pros ride with nice coloured caps and fancy bandannas instead of helmets, yep, as long as someone sitting on their lounge can get excited about that young Basso's pretty bandanna - that is much more important than the actual life of a pro rider.

If you really don't want to watch cycling anymore becuase it is not as exciting because they wear helmets - I can't really understand what attracted you to the sport in the first place.

If you saw someone riding down a hill without a helmet on a motorbike at 100kms per hour you would probably call him/her an idiot - but it's ok to do it on a pushbike? mmmmm????
That I would call style. If I saw a guy wearing a helmet and riding 200 km/h that I would call idiot.

95% of lenght in the rides there is not even a big chance for riders to fall and not speaking of cracking the head. 5% is downhill. But falling in 90 km/h I don't think a helmet would do much.
What's next motorcycle clothing for downhill?
 
First, wearing helmets is good for the obvious reasons.

Secondly, I can compare your perception of cycling being boring to those that also say NASCAR is boring. People say that it's just a bunch of guys driving around in circles. But the true NASCAR fan knows what the driver under the helmet looks like, personality, etc. Also, a NASCAR race is full of strategy and drama. The race conditions are everchanging and teams have to adjust to maintain their positons.

Like NASCAR, so too is cycling full of drama and strategy. The conditions and the terrain the the Tour De France provide physical challenges that you seem to be dismissing. That alone is drama. Other exciting drama is like, how are the favorites holding up? Who is looking tired or strong? What equipment are they using, etc. Those are all very cool things. And last year, even though Lance was in control of the race the whole way, one of the most memorable moments for me was when Lanced looked back while climbing then looked over at Hincapie and they took off. Wow, talk about strategy! Who cares what bandana colors or hair style the rider is wearing. What about the suffering that's taking place? This is not a fashion show, it's a competition pushing human limits. I can't help but to wonder that if you're so focused on helmet, hairstyle and bandana's, you probably just can't wait to see what color tights the devil will be wearing. huh?

I think you need to do a couple of hard centuries back to back in the mountains and feel some pain to re-discover the excitement of the tour.



nicoliani said:
In the past I was enjoing viewing Tour De France when riders didn't wear helmets. It was more interesting and charismatic when you saw riders with different bandanas and caps or somebody had a nice hairstyle. I think this made the sport more interesting for the viewer as not much happens viewing cycling.

Now I find it really boring. To bad from my epinion riders are forced to wear helmets. I think they are adult enough to pick what's right for them.
And the orginisation instead of fighting doping or other more sirous issues they are forcing this opon the sport.

I think many viewers have dropped in following the sport because it's no more charismatic.

150 identical riders:(
 
capwater said:
I agree, pros should wear helmets ..... especially Ben Roethlisberger.


oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo snap! haha.


Wear a helmet. Save your life.

That.Is.All.
 
OscarC said:
First, wearing helmets is good for the obvious reasons.

Secondly, I can compare your perception of cycling being boring to those that also say NASCAR is boring. People say that it's just a bunch of guys driving around in circles. But the true NASCAR fan knows what the driver under the helmet looks like, personality, etc. Also, a NASCAR race is full of strategy and drama. The race conditions are everchanging and teams have to adjust to maintain their positons.

Like NASCAR, so too is cycling full of drama and strategy. The conditions and the terrain the the Tour De France provide physical challenges that you seem to be dismissing. That alone is drama. Other exciting drama is like, how are the favorites holding up? Who is looking tired or strong? What equipment are they using, etc. Those are all very cool things. And last year, even though Lance was in control of the race the whole way, one of the most memorable moments for me was when Lanced looked back while climbing then looked over at Hincapie and they took off. Wow, talk about strategy! Who cares what bandana colors or hair style the rider is wearing. What about the suffering that's taking place? This is not a fashion show, it's a competition pushing human limits. I can't help but to wonder that if you're so focused on helmet, hairstyle and bandana's, you probably just can't wait to see what color tights the devil will be wearing. huh?

I think you need to do a couple of hard centuries back to back in the mountains and feel some pain to re-discover the excitement of the tour.
You put it good, all this I love also but this would be even more charismatic if they weren't wearing helmets, then you would see the rider closer as a person and not hiding behind something like a helmet.
 
nicoliani said:
You put it good, all this I love also but this would be even more charismatic if they weren't wearing helmets, then you would see the rider closer as a person and not hiding behind something like a helmet.
Beat Zberg (Gerolsteiner), cracked his helmet in two pieces today in the Tour de Switzerland in a bad crash, then he got up and finished the race mid pack and is still top 40 O/A... Boring! I never even heard of this guy. It would have been better if no one wore helmets and he just died so that it would be easier to see my favorite riders; the ones with charisma. Thinning the herd if you will. Conversely if you did know who he was, it would be so much more emotionally enthralling, since if he didn't wear a helmet you would be so much closer to him and his death would have made a bigger personal impact, sealing the deal as a truly exciting sport.
 
I can see the point that the thread starter makes : yes, it was interesting to see Pantani/Indurain/Riis etc wearing cotton caps/bandanas etc.

But too many riders get injured or die because they have no helmet.
One thinks of Andre Kivilev in 2003 for example.

Although it is nice to see riders without headgear finishing mountain top stages.

But my feeling is it is better that they wear helmets.
 
Why don't you as Henk Vogel's about helmets:

A quote from cyclingnews.com 2003

The Fitchburg Longsjo Classic was overshadowed by a horrific crash involving Navigators rider Henk Vogels, who remains in traction at Massachusetts University Hospital. He hit the guard rail at 109 km/h and bounced off it three times, Doctors said Vogels' helmet saved his life in a crash so severe that other riders stopped racing, believing he had been killed.

Apparently Vogels' helmet took so much of the impact, it actually compressed into his head and cut his skull.

But, bandannas do look pretty.
 
limerickman said:
I can see the point that the thread starter makes : yes, it was interesting to see Pantani/Indurain/Riis etc wearing cotton caps/bandanas etc.

But too many riders get injured or die because they have no helmet.
One thinks of Andre Kivilev in 2003 for example.

Although it is nice to see riders without headgear finishing mountain top stages.

But my feeling is it is better that they wear helmets.
Speaking of Pantani he didn't seem to like to be forced to wear helmet as it was introduced on his last Tour De France. He even took it out and was riding without it in some kind of protest, when you saw other riders telling him to put it back again not to be disqualified.