Not wearing a helmet anymore

[I like Skol]

I’ve had 2 offs in my 7,000 odd miles. Both low speed, both mostly my fault.

Ah, no, I've had two issues with bus companies and one with a haulage company and all 3 had very +ve outcomes because of the footage. Police were involved with one of them.

The shocking part of this thread for me is the two statements above! In my opinion this is a clear pointer that you need further education on road use and need to alter your riding style. This high level of incident suggests a lack of awareness or an aggressiveness that is far more likely to get you into trouble than the lack of a helmet, although now you have lost the helmet perhaps your riding will improve and you will have less trouble?
In my 4+ years of regular urban cycle commuting I have clocked up around 14,000 miles and in that time distance have had 2 offs. One was exiting stage left on a slippy roundabout one morning and the other was a slow speed left hook that occurred when I let my guard down while filtering on the left approaching road works (Ironically both incidents happened within 12hrs of each other). I have never felt the need to contact a company or the police about anybody's driving and have only remonstrated with other road users a handful of times. With hindsight I feel that I could have done better and had fewer incidents.

I am not a hesitant rider.
I do not wear a helmet.
I do not own a helmet cam.
I enjoy my commute.





Life is good.

 

[Brandane]

Mods! A helmet thread has escaped!

Give it time.........

Told you so .

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Like Adrian I just stopped wearing mine. SWMBA noticed, and did ask, so I told her I'd made an informed choice on the evidence available. She accepts that, albeit with one of her looks.

What I noticed was that I took fewer risks, was much more attentive to my and others' road positioning, and learned to spot hazards even earlier than before. My commute isn't any slower, yet it feels somewhat safer.

I changed my camera mount to the handlebars although the clamp broke a year ago and I haven't got round to fixing it. I still use a headlight in the winter, one of these Energizer numbers from Argos's Ebay shop (£6.99)

It's plenty bright enough to be seen by drivers.

I hope you enjoy your new-found freedom!


GC

Edited to remove stupid emoticon.

 

[I like Skol]

I still use a headlight in the winter, one of these Energizer numbers from Argos's Ebay shop £6.99)
View attachment 59727
It's plenty bright enough to be seen by drivers.

I hope you enjoy your new-found freedom!


GC

I think that might interfere with my headphones....

 

[Markymark]

The shocking part of this thread for me is the two statements above! In my opinion this is a clear pointer that you need further education on road use and need to alter your riding style. This high level of incident suggests a lack of awareness or an aggressiveness that is far more likely to get you into trouble than the lack of a helmet, although now you have lost the helmet perhaps your riding will improve and you will have less trouble?
In my 4+ years of regular urban cycle commuting I have clocked up around 14,000 miles and in that time distance have had 2 offs. One was exiting stage left on a slippy roundabout one morning and the other was a slow speed left hook that occurred when I let my guard down while filtering on the left approaching road works (Ironically both incidents happened within 12hrs of each other). I have never felt the need to contact a company or the police about anybody's driving and have only remonstrated with other road users a handful of times. With hindsight I feel that I could have done better and had fewer incidents.

I am not a hesitant rider.
I do not wear a helmet.
I do not own a helmet cam.
I enjoy my commute.





Life is good.

Dangerously close pass when riding fair dustance from kerb, another was bus driving on wrong side of the road on a blind bend.

Thank yiu for filling in the gaps and assuming fault from no knowledge of the events.

 

[MontyVeda]

I was having a chat on Sunday night in the pub with three buddies, all cycle regularly, none wear a helmet... but then the chat turned to the times when we'd exceeded 40 mph on a good long downhill, and all three of them said "at that speed, you really need a helmet" ... stupidly, I said "At those speeds, you're well past the protective capabilities of a cycle helmet."

Even as non helmet wearers, they seem to believe in the magic properties of bicycle helmets, and I'm full of sh!t.

 

[Markymark]

This is no comment on whether you should or shouldn't.

But if it makes you feel more vunerable etc etc, what's made you decide to stop? Comfort? Feel it's unnecessary?

Just interested to know, that's all.

The various arguments and logic read on other threads...and a trip to Belgium.

 

[Milzy]

One of our workers was smashed off on a roundabout by a speeding van. Hit his head on the ground. Luckily all the bruising on his brain went away & left no serious damage. 6 weeks off work though. He now uses a helmet.

 

[Drago]

I've a business idea. How about staring production of beanie hats printed to look like cycle helmets with fake vents etc? You keep your head warm, and the great unwashed won't hassle you for not wearing a helmet.

 

[mjr]

Biggest issue is my wife, parents etc. and emotional grief! [...] How do people negotiate all this?

Well, my parents never worse helmets and I think others were just glad that I stopped whinging about how much my neck hurt ;-)

I nearly always wear a soft hat because the councils don't cut the hedges properly, I don't spot everything and stray branches sting when they tap me on the head!

 

[ufkacbln]

What sort of injuries will gloves prevent? I never wear them unless it's really cold, certainly not in todays temperatures (about 9 degrees). I guess they will stop cuts and stuff but I wouldn't call that "serious". Now if they helped stop bone or ligament damage then fair enough but I can't see a glove doing that.

But they do!

I have had a number of accidents where I would have suffered serious bony injury if I had not worn gloves

In each case the damage to the gloves proves that my injuries would have been far more serious without them

 

[Drago]

Read somewhere that the typical artificial leather mitt palm is equivalent to 30 layers of human skin.

 

[Fab Foodie]

And just imagine skinning both palms - how painful and difficult it would be to do almost anything for weeks afterwards.

.... And play havoc with my sex life ....

 

[Drago]

I think Adrian's offering!

 

[Ian H]

Re nearest and dearest: It might have been mentioned in the past. No one bothers me about it now.