Expensive Bike Helmets

[Drago]

There is some university in the USA testing them and giving scores. There are differences and I don't recall a strong correlation with price.

And theres not much of a correlation with actual injuries-in-use either.

What is happening on the lab dynomometer isnt being reproduced in the live environment, or if it is it is not demonstrably leading to injury reduction or mitigation.

The only proven means of protecting your head is to improve your riding and road skills, and thus take proactive measures to avoid parking your head on the tarmac. It was always thus, and remains so.

 

[Punkawallah]

And theres not much of a correlation with actual injuries-in-use either.

What is happening on the lab dynomometer isnt being reproduced in the live environment, or if it is it is not demonstrably leading to injury reduction or mitigation.

The only proven means of protecting your head is to improve your riding and road skills, and thus take proactive measures to avoid parking your head on the tarmac. It was always thus, and remains so.

While the helmet did protect the head of the chap where I’m from, who was crushed by a passing vehicle against a parked one, it made no difference to his survival. Nor did his level of skill. But then every time you get out of bed, it’s a coin-toss whether you make it back into bed again.
Wear a helmet, or don’t. But don’t delude yourself it will ‘keep you safe’. On average some 1% of the population die each year. With a population of 70 million, that is about 700,000, making it a 1 in 700 million chance of dying. 80 cyclists died on the road last year out of 600,000 total deaths, one death in every 10,000. Sacrificing to the Gods of Cycling is just as likely to ‘keep you safe’.

 

[simongt]

And theres not much of a correlation with actual injuries-in-use either.

Debatable.
When I was hit from behind by an errant driver, it was obviously impossible for me to have taken any evasive action.
I was knocked unconcious by my impacting the road surface during the fall off my bike for at leat twenty minute or half an hour.
When I did come round, a paramedic alrenady had several canulars in my arms, the police were there as was an ambulance. I have no recollection of hearing any sirens either.
I was wearing a bash hat and would rather not dwell on the possibilities if I hadn't been.

 

[Punkawallah]

Debatable.
When I was hit from behind by an errant driver, it was obviously impossible for me to have taken any evasive action.
I was knocked unconcious by my impacting the road surface during the fall off my bike for at leat twenty minute or half an hour.
When I did come round, a paramedic alrenady had several canulars in my arms, the police were there as was an ambulance. I have no recollection of hearing any sirens either.
I was wearing a bash hat and would rather not dwell on the possibilities if I hadn't been.

Indeed. The Nice Lady who knocked me for six on a roundabout was apparently blithely unaware of her passenger shouting ‘stop Mary stop! as she ploughed my bike into the road. Fortunately it was me in the gutter and the bike under the car, not the other way around. At least she stopped (or could not proceed). The Other Nice Lady took my back wheel from under me (on a roundabout) and left her number plate behind her as she drove off down the road, and was stopped by a gent in following vehicle at the next set of lights. One of them at least got a weekend in a hotel being told to watch where she was going. No helmets were injured in these incidents, thankfully.
On reflection, I should have accused them of a Hate Crime, then they’d have got 3 & a half years in jail.

 

[fossyant]

It was quite handy waving an intact helmet at medical staff when I broke my spine, as they were going to look for head injuries. Same when I broke my hip socket, but they missed the pelvic fractures. The times I've hit the floor with my head have been to save from gravel or tarmac rash, which I'd rather not have as the skin is rather thin. Also useful when gravel or MTB'ing due to the number of tree branches that bounce off the lid.

You don't need an expensive lid, but hey ho, if it keeps you happy.

 

[Sharky]

Actually that’s a very good point. As I often ride along the canal so very often all sorts of insects get through the vents, however in my case there’s isn’t enough hair in there for them to cling on to so usually with gentle persuasion they make their way out😂

Got a bee/wasp inside my giro helmet yesterday. Had to stop to get rid of the beast as I could sense it wriggling around.
Felt a bite or minor sting, but nothing serious.

 

[YMFB]

And theres not much of a correlation with actual injuries-in-use either.

What is happening on the lab dynomometer isnt being reproduced in the live environment, or if it is it is not demonstrably leading to injury reduction or mitigation.

The only proven means of protecting your head is to improve your riding and road skills, and thus take proactive measures to avoid parking your head on the tarmac. It was always thus, and remains so.

i don’t think your last paragraph is correct. It assumes that all accidents are caused by the rider and that maybe the majority of incidents occur as a result of cyclist error. There are many other causes that the cyclist did not create.

 

[Andy in Germany]

i don’t think your last paragraph is correct. It assumes that all accidents are caused by the rider and that maybe the majority of incidents occur as a result of cyclist error. There are many other causes that the cyclist did not create.

I think the point @Drago is making, is that seeing potential idiots i mean danger before they run into you, riding defensively, and signalling, is more effective than a plastic hat.

I'd go a step further and say the most effective solution is not to be on the road in the first place, but for that you need good quality cycleways and I appreciate the UK is still in the 1970's in that area.

 

[ivegotabike]

At the other end of the price scale, low cost helmets come with their own implications...

In a motorcycle shop, I saw a young man with his obviously quite recently acquired girlfriend.

He approached one of the staff and said "Scuse me mate, what's the cheapest helmet you've got that will fit her?"

The look she directed towards him made it clear that his prospects for enjoying boyfriend / girlfriend "relations" with her had diminished so far that they were unlikely to ever be recoverable!