Cycling helmets.Opinions please

[Pikey]

I read somewhere that even motorcycle helmets are really only rated for low ish speed offs to protect when your head hits the tar mac. Think in a collision with a vehicle we would need some sort of auto deploying airbag to have any real effect, not a couple of hundred grams of polystyrene and plastic.

That said, I always wear one because: - it is white, says cannondale on it and matches my bike, and I am a tart like that. - I would rather have that "if you weren't wearing a helmet it would have be x- times worse" talk with the doctor than have the doc apologising in hushed tones to my wife.

Not a scientific example, but see that top gear episode where James may gets pushed over by the tow rope, falls backwards from standing height an clouts his head and got pretty severe concussion. Basic physics, helmet would have spread the impact area and potentially lessened the injury. I figure I am a foot higher than normal on the bike and clipped in, so might wanna protect my head.

 

[Theseus]

I read somewhere that even motorcycle helmets are really only rated for low ish speed offs to protect when your head hits the tar mac.

It depends ...

Back in the day, my dad used to work for a motorcycle helmet maker (Centurion) and before he got famous enough to demand cash from sponsors they sponsored Ron Haslam by giving him a hat.

I remember seeing a picture of one after he had taken a spill at speed. One side had been completely worn away down to the polystyrene.

 

[ufkacbln]

It depends ...

Back in the day, my dad used to work for a motorcycle helmet maker (Centurion) and before he got famous enough to demand cash from sponsors they sponsored Ron Haslam by giving him a hat.

I remember seeing a picture of one after he had taken a spill at speed. One side had been completely worn away down to the polystyrene.

One of the reasons I advocated a smooth round design.

There is some evidence that the vents and sharp points of some helmets can snag arresting motion and causing injury, especially rotational injury

 

[ufkacbln]

Sunset to sunrise have replaced lighting up time as far as I am aware.

And apparently poor visibility if you have lights with you.

Friend of mine bought off road lights a few years ago, and there was only just enough battery life for her commute. So she used to switch them off at the first opportunity

One morning coming off the Hayling Island Ferry she was stopped for not having lights.

She pointed out that there was nor requirement due to the time.

Police Officer stated that visibility was poor ticketed her, she refused to pay, and appealed.

Outcome was that if in the Officer's opinion lighting was required due to poor visibility then she should have lights.

No way to prove that his opinion was wrong.

 

[RedFeend]

No way to prove that his opinion was wrong.

Bit off track, but coppers can lie too. We got a ticket for doing a U-turn in Maidstone high street. Police man said we had driven through no entry signs. We went back to double check and there were NO signs at the gap we turned through so went to court. Copper lied under oath and said we U-turned further up the road. Different to what he wrote in his report. Luckily the magistrates believed us and we 'got off'. I think we were lucky. If it is your word against an official with no material proof, usually you are stuffed.

 

[Boris Bajic]

I read somewhere that even motorcycle helmets are really only rated for low ish speed offs to protect when your head hits the tar mac.

I've never hit my head in any of my many and various falls from a bicycle... And I usually ride in a casquette or a woolly hat.

However, I had a highish-speed fliiiiyang on a motorcycle many years ago (also one of many) where I lost the front end and callopsicoed hard and fast onto the side of my bonce (joy of clip-ons). The side of my fibreglass FM helmet was ground away very deeply. I have no idea whether there was much impact, but I took a while coming to a reast on the tarmac. Even allowing for the greatly increased diameter of my helmetted bonce, I would not have wanted to take that trip sans casque.

I still rarely (never?) wear a helmet on a bicycle, but I am grateful I had one on that day on my motorcycle.

 

[Teuchter]

...callopsicoed...

I have no idea what that means but it is now my word of the week.

Incidentally, I've done similar while wearing a motorbike lid. Over enthusiasm caused by a blend of a sunny July morning, silly commuter racing with another sportsbike through heavy rush hour traffic and youthful stupidity. I made good use of the forehead of my Shoei helmet for "tarmac braking" to bring me to a halt. I walked away from that one with a ruined helmet and scuffed leathers. My motorbike was a different story...

 

[smutchin]

I don't usually wear a helmet unless I'm required to do so, eg by race regulations.

I find the best way to deal with the constant nagging from people who say I should be wearing one is just to turn up the volume on my headphones...

<insert "lights blue touch paper and retires to safe distance" emoticon here>

 

[Dan B]

The requirements are laid out in the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 (as amended).

The requirements for lights on vehicles are as you say. The context of the question was requirements for lights which are attached to the vehicle rider's head, though ;-)

I'm entirely sure I don' t know of any, and reasonably sure there are none.

 

[Boris Bajic]

I have no idea what that means but it is now my word of the week.

Incidentally, I've done similar while wearing a motorbike lid. Over enthusiasm caused by a blend of a sunny July morning, silly commuter racing with another sportsbike through heavy rush hour traffic and youthful stupidity. I made good use of the forehead of my Shoei helmet for "tarmac braking" to bring me to a halt. I walked away from that one with a ruined helmet and scuffed leathers. My motorbike was a different story...

Thank you. I feel honoured.

It means nothing but it sounds like what it feels like to have a flighty little V-twin on a 90/90 18" front tyre and clip-ons lose its front end and just sort of fold you onto the road at speed, head down and hands uselessly hanging onto the bars.

If you can find a single other use for it during its week of celebration, I will.... be very happy for you.

 

[ufkacbln]

The requirements for lights on vehicles are as you say. The context of the question was requirements for lights which are attached to the vehicle rider's head, though ;-)

I'm entirely sure I don' t know of any, and reasonably sure there are none.

For those of us who are of a "certain age" there is the memory of the original Vistalite

They were illegal in those days as flashing lights were not covered by lighting regulations, in fact the LED itself was outside the regulations.

Combined withteh green of the very early fornt LEDs and there were real issues

We were always advised to wear them as opposed to have them on the bike for that reason.

 

[Davidc]

Thank you very much. I assume that the rules on when lights should be used are the same as for cars. I.E. poor visibility and within lighting up hours. Or maybe lighting up time went out with my youth.
Maybe the Highway Code holds the key. Perhaps I had better get off by BFB and look!

The HC as you say holds the key. As far as I remember it's half hour after sunset to half hour before sunrise plus poor visibility and spray.

Self preservation surely means you put them on whenever they'll make you show up better. I usually have them on all the time. Using rechargeables the cost is only marginally above nothing.

Technically, if you cycle with lights on your bike and on your helmet, you could also be prosecuted for breaching the regulations as it is likely the level of the light on your helmet would exceed the height requirement. It's unlikely - but legally possible. Certainly, in the past motorist have been prosecuted for having lights that didn't met the requirements (in addition to having lighting that did).

I know it's a technicality, but presumably if you have additional lights attached to the bike which don't conform you'd be prosecutable? (e.g. a front light to the left of the centre line of the bike).

Also, what would be the likely effect in the case of an accident on both liability and any issues of contributory negligence, if a rider only had non-legal lights on their bike/ helmet?

 

[Toeclip]

I bought a helmet in Aldi a few weeks ago but not worn it yet and not really sure why I bought it either! As I`ve been a cyclist for 36 years and never worn a helmet, but perhaps I will one day. At the moment the helmet is still in its box on top of my wardrobe.

 

[Fnaar]

Occasionally when descending a hill at 40+ mph I think I ought to be wearing one I have at home, and I've worn it for sportives that have made it mandatory, but the three times I've fallen off at speed, I've hurt my legs, hands, arm and hip, not my head.

 

[ufkacbln]

I bought a helmet in Aldi a few weeks ago but not worn it yet and not really sure why I bought it either! As I`ve been a cyclist for 36 years and never worn a helmet, but perhaps I will one day. At the moment the helmet is still in its box on top of my wardrobe.

Probably just as effective there as on your head?