If it wasn't for a helmet, I wouldn't be here right now.

[Bromptonaut]

My cooker hood fell to bits last week, the heavy wooden door just missing my bonce.

Should I wear a helmet in the house?

I'd rather have full peripheral vision, unimpaired hearing (and the wind in what's left of my hair). I'll take my chances of the head injury accident I've missed so far in 35 years of utility and touring cycling.

 

[thomas]

I'd rather have full peripheral vision, unimpaired hearing (and the wind in what's left of my hair). I'll take my chances of the head injury accident I've missed so far in 35 years of utility and touring cycling.

The only peripheral vision my helmet affects is, possibly, the sky....and I've never been overtaken too closely by a helicopter....and as for hearing, unless you've got a full face motorcycle helmet you don't loose any hearing.

As for choosing not to wear one, that's fine..just you're reasons (other than wind in your hair) seem a little misguided.

 

[Joe24]

If you dont wear one, it just blows out the dandruff

 

[thomas]

If you dont wear one, it just blows out the dandruff

"Mummy...is it snowing?" "No Dear, the cyclist just has dandruff"

 

[Noodley]

Somebody PLEASE get this out of cafe!!

....or you'll regret it

 

[Joe24]

Somebody PLEASE get this out of cafe!!

....or you'll regret it

Can i start a thread:
"If my parents used protection...............................





I wouldnt be here"

 

[snorri]

Can i start a thread:
"If my parents used protection...............................

there would be a lot less ill informed comment on CycleChat.

 

[Mr Pig]

I'd rather have full peripheral vision, unimpaired hearing.

We're talking about wearing cycling helmets here, not plastic buckets!

 

[Wigsie]

there would be a lot less ill informed comment on CycleChat.

 

[asterix]

I mean, half the time when you fall off it's not even your fault.

It's always been my fault when I've fallen off. There's always something I could have done: concentrated more, slowed down at the right time, maintained the bike better, ridden a better bike, even..

And on cycling forums there is always going to be someone writing in to explain how a helmet saved their life.

My explanation is that because they knew they had a helmet, they used their head to absorb the impact. However, such an attitude is very dangerous since just the deceleration can bounce the contents of one's head around like a ping-pong ball. Much better to be helmetless if otherwise you are going to use your head as a buffer.

 

[Wigsie]

My explanation is that because they knew they had a helmet, they used their head to absorb the impact. However, such an attitude is very dangerous since just the deceleration can bounce the contents of one's head around like a ping-pong ball. Much better to be helmetless if otherwise you are going to use your head as a buffer.

Believe me I am 'pro choice' with helmet use and dont judge those that do or dont wear them but sometimes the reasoning for not wearing helmets scare me (whilst also amusing me). Do people seriously believe that in a crash situation you have time to alter the course your body is flying in to land head first just because you have a helmet on?

Genius!

 

[John the Monkey]

Do people seriously believe that in a crash situation you have time to alter the course your body is flying in to land head first just because you have a helmet on?

There might be something subconscious at work I suppose.

In the case of being hit by a bus, I remember trying not to go under the wheels consciously, but I'd already hit the ground by that point.

In the case of being hit by a car, I can't remember trying to alter my trajectory at all (or there being a point at which this would have been usefully possible).

My experience is that you'll have hit the ground before you have time to consciously do anything about how you land.

The better arguments against helmets and especially those around compulsion are made in terms of barriers to taking up cycling at all, and of risk compensation effects (largely those of other road users assuming that it's okay to increase your risk because of your "protection").

All imo, ime, of course.

 

[montage]

My explanation is that because they knew they had a helmet, they used their head to absorb the impact. However, such an attitude is very dangerous since just the deceleration can bounce the contents of one's head around like a ping-pong ball. Much better to be helmetless if otherwise you are going to use your head as a buffer.

I don't know how to put this politely, so I won't.

What a lode of crap. I respect some of the reasons people have put for not wearing a helmet (though I would of course encourage them to wear it) .... but if you are suggesting that people hit their heads on purpose....or even that I hit mine on purpose...then thanks for the compliment - as I obviously have the quickest reactions ever to take place on this planet.

 

[montage]

and I think this is nearly at room101 status?

 

[cyberpete]

"mass debate" (nice one!). OK - I had a similar situation on my bike - I was hardly moving and a guy in a BMW suddenly did an illegal U turn - In a 7 series BMW - into my left leg. Ok the leg was snapped in 2 (yes it f. hurt) but when I was thrown to the ground the helmet helped.