growingvegetables
Guru
- Location
- Leeds
Yup, I am that other person.
I must remember to wear a helmet when riding roads equipped with straight and curved anvils. For all others - no helmet.
Helmet standards
- Thread starter Riding in Circles
- Start date
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Yup, I am that other person.
I must remember to wear a helmet when riding roads equipped with straight and curved anvils. For all others - no helmet.
mumbo jumbo
Senior Member
- Location
- Birmingham
I did a lot of research into helmets after an accident smashed my cheap Giro back in 2005. I concluded that Snell tested Spesh was the way to go. So I got one and wore it for several months but it never really fit properly. Eventually I concluded that a helmet that fits is going to be better than a "better" one that doesn't so I'm back in Giro now. That's my own conclusion based on my personal experience of cycling with various helmets. I can't point to any research which says this (mainly cos I can't be arsed to look for it!).
mj
mj
summerdays
Cycling in the sun
- Location
- Bristol
I went for a Specialized one on the basis of Snell and chose one with a rounded back too.
OP
OP
Riding in Circles
Veteran
- Location
- EDINBURGH
That is an important consideration, it has to fit correctly, Specialized seem to made for people with oval heads, I currently use a Petzl.
I have never needed a helmet that Is simultaneously certified for cycling, mountaineering and kayaking and I doubt one exists
If you do go for a helmet just remember what it is certified to protect against and for a EN1078 certified helmet that is a fall from a stationary bike from a head height of 1.5m hitting the top of the helmet on a flat surface (12.4mph impact speed) or from a head height of 1.1m hitting the top of the helmet on a kerb (10.4mph impact speed). If you get a Snell certified helmet you can increase those heights to 2.2m and 1.5m respectively.
So don't expect it to protect if you hit a kerb coming off a bike at 15mph (which is already 108% over its test limit) or if a car hits you (a 30mph impact is 730% over its test limit). Nor is it known what if any protection it might give if you hit the side or front of the helmet because that is never tested.
So be realistic about its properties. Whether you wear a helmet or not probably makes little difference in real life impacts but the biggest risk you face is believing you are protected and therefore taking risks you wouldn't if you weren't wearing one - the well documented risk compensation problem.
So don't expect it to protect if you hit a kerb coming off a bike at 15mph (which is already 108% over its test limit) or if a car hits you (a 30mph impact is 730% over its test limit). Nor is it known what if any protection it might give if you hit the side or front of the helmet because that is never tested.
So be realistic about its properties. Whether you wear a helmet or not probably makes little difference in real life impacts but the biggest risk you face is believing you are protected and therefore taking risks you wouldn't if you weren't wearing one - the well documented risk compensation problem.
OP
OP
Riding in Circles
Veteran
- Location
- EDINBURGH
FAIL!
OP
OP
Riding in Circles
Veteran
- Location
- EDINBURGH
I think that is a myth.
In what way?
On the basis of what evidence?
PpPete
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chandler's Ford
Yebbut, the g limits are different, so the standards are not directly comparable.
OP
OP
Riding in Circles
Veteran
- Location
- EDINBURGH
On the basis that these reports are invariably produced by people with an agenda against helmet use and on the basis that I ride exactly the same with or without a helmet.
OP
OP
Riding in Circles
Veteran
- Location
- EDINBURGH
I already said my helmet is certified to all three standards.
- ^ Grant and Smiley, "Driver response to antilock brakes: a demonstration on behavioural adaptation" from Proceedings, Canadian Multidisciplinary Road Safety Conference VIII, June 14–16, Saskatchewan 1993.
- ^ Sagberg, Fosser, and Saetermo, "An investigation of behavioural adaptation to airbags and antilock brakes among taxi drivers" Accident Analysis and Prevention #29 pp 293-302 1997.
- ^ Aschenbrenner and Biehl, "Improved safety through improved technical measures? empirical studies regarding risk compensation processes in relation to anti-lock braking systems". In Trimpop and Wilde, Challenges to Accident Prevention: The issue of risk compensation behaviour (Groningen, NL, Styx Publications, 1994).
I don't think they have any mention of cycling helmets, and I have never seen any mention of the authors' names in relation to helmet studies.
Risk compensation is an established theory in many areas other than cycle helmets.
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