The CycleChat Helmet Debate Thread

[CaadX]

In the club I helped found and run I'd say it's close to 100% for both men and women. We have no rules or advice about helmets. Neither are we a sporting club.
Oxfordshire I would say is relatively low in helmet wearing overall and that I think reflects the diverse cycling population and high utility usage. I also think there is a slight decline in helmet wearing overall as I think maybe the 'sportive' bubble is bursting and people are finding other kinds of cycling exist.

If I go on a 'Friday's' ride or a Yacf ride the percentage of helmet wearers drops significantly.

100 % do wear them or do not ?

Its a tough one to gauge Im up in Lancs at the mo' and it seems to be a bit of hotbed for wearers compared to where I live. I could be wrong it seem the nearer I move to centres of population the more the take up seems to be the one exception seems to be the SE.

 

[CaadX]

I don't really want to go into the politics of BC god knows I've had enough of it over the years. It is tough to run an event of any size without them as they hold all the aces.

Edit;
The exception being Mtb events, which is an interesting case. Few years ago a lot of events were held outside BC jurisdiction. To stamp them out the BC declared anybody found racing in non sanctioned events could not compete that season under BC rules. So everybody ran their events under BC rules, that is until nobody turned up to events. Being mostly commercial enterprises run mainly on private land BC were soon kicked into touch.

 

[CaadX]

A similar situation occurred with outriders which is why a lot of your charity events etc cannot go ahead without the BC they've got all the outriders.

 

[newfhouse]

Why do you think this debate is being carried out on a backwater on an obscure cycling forum by a handful of people? I will give you one indication of how coherent and interested they are. Ive been her for a few pages taken the insults had my knowledge of the subject questioned been asked how long I've been riding and the fools havn't even bothered to ask if I wear a helmet or not when I ride. A flaming Joke.

It's hardly the only place where it's discussed, but I can't think of a more suitable place for riders to chat about the topic. I guess the handful of people are an interested subset of forum posters.

Whether you or I wear a helmet has no bearing on whether they are a good thing or not. I don't, and I wish others didn't, feel the need to wear one for 'normal' riding but I don't try too hard to persuade anyone if they've already made a choice. It makes me a little sad that it's considered normal or necessary by most non-cyclists and far too many cyclists, but as I said earlier, I was in that camp for a while so I can empathise.

I still don't understand what you meant by this:

One assumes you would still like to have that choice in the future ? If so I would start distancing yourself from this rabble pretty pronto they are not doing you or the rest of us any favours.

Can you explain?

 

[CaadX]

As I have said its not about the helmet its all about choice.

How would you react if the deal on the table was to ban the helmet ?

 

[newfhouse]

As I have said its not about the helmet its all about choice.

If that was a response to my question then I'm still no wiser. Who are the rabble and how will they restrict my choices?

 

[CaadX]

If that was a response to my question then I'm still no wiser. Who are the rabble and how will they restrict my choices?

The rabble are the ones that go quite when there is serious discussion, usually indicating themselves with likes when another rabbler is taking the P*** or insulting somebody with a slightly different view to themselves.

To answer the second part it would be helpful if you first answered my question.

 

[Fab Foodie]

There will be people that will believe every word you say.

Sadly true ....

 

[Fab Foodie]

100 % do wear them or do not ?

Its a tough one to gauge Im up in Lancs at the mo' and it seems to be a bit of hotbed for wearers compared to where I live. I could be wrong it seem the nearer I move to centres of population the more the take up seems to be the one exception seems to be the SE.

Apols .... Was about to fly .... Again.
99% do wear helmets, that's their choice .... Or response to peer pressure of which there is much.

 

[newfhouse]

The rabble are the ones that go quite when there is serious discussion, usually indicating themselves with likes when another rabbler is taking the P*** or insulting somebody with a slightly different view to themselves.

Still no wiser. I don't see any abuse here other than from trolls or people that wish harm to non helmet wearers.

To answer the second part it would be helpful if you first answered my question.

I must have missed that question but now I've seen it I'm happy to respond.

How would you react if the deal on the table was to ban the helmet ?

What deal? Who is calling for a ban? If it helps you, I wouldn't be in favour of a ban for the same reason that I wouldn't ban the wearing of bow-ties.

 

[CaadX]

Wish harm to non helmet wearers really I think you maybe the troll.

...and you've never seen Adrian take the piss good grief you are new.

It was a hypothetical question but you knew that didn't you.

 

[Mugshot]

Wish harm to non helmet wearers really I think you maybe the troll.

...and you've never seen Adrian take the piss good grief you are new.

If you really haven't seen the all too frequent posts which have appeared on these threads which say (both veiled and openly) that non helmet wearers deserve everything that's coming to them and that they are nothing but organ donors etc etc then I'd suggest you are the newbie here.

 

[newfhouse]

Wish harm to non helmet wearers really I think you maybe the troll.

...and you've never seen Adrian take the piss good grief you are new.

It was a hypothetical question but you knew that didn't you.

Thanks for the edit, you've saved me the effort of quoting the posts I had in mind. Maybe you could consider the difference between abuse and taking the piss. A subtle difference sometimes...

 

[SavageHoutkop]

I'm not a sports cyclist and couldn't really care particularly about helmets in sporting events, they are so far removed from my experience of bike riding that they are almost completely irrelevant (barring of course the trickle down effect). In the same way as I don't view F1 racers as having much effect on my driving.

 

[CaadX]

I'm not a sports cyclist and couldn't really care particularly about helmets in sporting events, they are so far removed from my experience of bike riding that they are almost completely irrelevant (barring of course the trickle down effect). In the same way as I don't view F1 racers as having much effect on my driving.

It is the trickle down effect that may well be the problem whether from RR or strava and it is relevant.