The old argument of wearing a cycle helmet. For & against.

[krushavik]

Its a bit long but please try to read it all.For the past 3 months I have not been on the forum because I have been busy visitng my mate old Peter every night in hospital. This little story is a great FOR why you should wear a helmet. Pete is 72yrs old but not your average 72yr old, he has rode a bike since Long John Silver's parrot was an egg. His average speed after a ride is between 19mph and 23mph. I think it was early July he took part in a charity ride from Colwyn Bay to Warrington for one of the local rugby league players who had some sort of terminal illness. He can't remember what happened but what I've learnt that somewhere near Flint the first bunch of riders were going along about 25mph with Pete near to the front. The outrider on the motorcycle stuck his hand indicating for them to stop (nobody knows why) as it was clear open rode. One rider paniced and took out Pete's front wheel, how we don't know. Forks dug in the ground and Pete landed on his head. Big pile up two rider had badly broken wrist while others suffered the usaual gravel rash. Pete had two broken vertabrea and had his neck brace which was taken off today. He can only remember pedaling along the front at Prestatyn thinking "This is brill" he can't remember the first 10 days in hospital. He's been out a week now and phisios are trying to teach him how to walk. His Giro helmet looks a bit scratched on the outside, but the inside is smashed to bits. This could have been his skull. The moral of this tale is "Please wear your helmets." P.S. Nice to be back and thanks for reading it.

 

[Theseus]

1. All the best for a speedy recovery to Peter.

2. This thread needs to be moved to the correct forum.

3. Different riding modes have different risk profiles. A group ride is very different to a commute for example.

4. Without repeating the crash exactly but without the hat, you will not know what may have been.

 

[Smokin Joe]

*Yawn*

 

[Red Light]

Its a bit long but please try to read it all.For the past 3 months I have not been on the forum because I have been busy visitng my mate old Peter every night in hospital. This little story is a great FOR why you should wear a helmet. Pete is 72yrs old but not your average 72yr old, he has rode a bike since Long John Silver's parrot was an egg. His average speed after a ride is between 19mph and 23mph. I think it was early July he took part in a charity ride from Colwyn Bay to Warrington for one of the local rugby league players who had some sort of terminal illness. He can't remember what happened but what I've learnt that somewhere near Flint the first bunch of riders were going along about 25mph with Pete near to the front. The outrider on the motorcycle stuck his hand indicating for them to stop (nobody knows why) as it was clear open rode. One rider paniced and took out Pete's front wheel, how we don't know. Forks dug in the ground and Pete landed on his head. Big pile up two rider had badly broken wrist while others suffered the usaual gravel rash. Pete had two broken vertabrea and had his neck brace which was taken off today. He can only remember pedaling along the front at Prestatyn thinking "This is brill" he can't remember the first 10 days in hospital. He's been out a week now and phisios are trying to teach him how to walk. His Giro helmet looks a bit scratched on the outside, but the inside is smashed to bits. This could have been his skull. The moral of this tale is "Please wear your helmets." P.S. Nice to be back and thanks for reading it.

On the day that Peter had his accident, approx 30 pedestrians tripped over and suffred serious head injuries. The moral of this tale is "Please wear a helmet when walking"

 

[david k]

hope he recovers soon

 

[snorri]

The moral of this tale is

don't cycle amongst a bunch of cyclists doing 25mph without leaving an adequate safety zone around you.

 

[JonnyBlade]

On the day that Peter had his accident, approx 30 pedestrians tripped over and suffred serious head injuries. The moral of this tale is "Please wear a helmet when walking"

So to disprove his point you use ridicule? Very constructive!

 

[Smokin Joe]

So to disprove his point you use ridicule? Very constructive!

Probably because he feels that every helmet thread is exactly the same, nothing new is ever offered and the same old arguments go round and round in circles for umpteen pages. We're all adults, we've heard the opinions one way or the other over and over again and unless and until something new and conclusive is offered to change our minds we will carry on as we are.

 

[Little yellow Brompton]

Probably because he feels that every helmet thread is exactly the same, nothing new is ever offered and the same old arguments go round and round in circles for umpteen pages. We're all adults, we've heard the opinions one way or the other over and over again and unless and until something new and conclusive is offered to change our minds we will carry on as we are.

And yet there always seems to be a continuing new supply of handwringers, all of whom seem to think that they seem to have special insight! :-(

 

[JonnyBlade]

And yet there always seems to be a continuing new supply of handwringers, all of whom seem to think that they seem to have special insight! :-(

All views are welcome but some need to be a little more open minded

 

[Red Light]

So to disprove his point you use ridicule? Very constructive!

He based his advice on a single anecdote. I based mine on 30 anecdotes. Why is my conclusion less valid and considered by you to be ridiculous if his isn't

 

[JonnyBlade]

Probably because he feels that every helmet thread is exactly the same, nothing new is ever offered and the same old arguments go round and round in circles for umpteen pages. We're all adults, we've heard the opinions one way or the other over and over again and unless and until something new and conclusive is offered to change our minds we will carry on as we are.

Personally I think some have made their minds up and any alternate view becomes inconsequential or invalid whether it's right or wrong

 

[JonnyBlade]

He based his advice on a single anecdote. I based mine on 30 anecdotes. Why is my conclusion less valid and considered by you to be ridiculous if his isn't

It works in some cases, whether it's one or 50 makes no odds. Afterall, none of us are really going to know unless we try it are we?
Besides which you answered the question, none of your points are any less valid than the other. His case might not prove anything in the grand scheme but neither can you disprove

 

[Red Light]

It works in some cases, whether it's one or 50 makes no odds. Afterall, none of us are really going to know unless we try it are we?
Besides which you answered the question, none of your points are any less valid than the other. His case might not prove anything in the grand scheme but neither can you disprove

Oh but I can disprove. There is plenty of data about doing the experiment of what happens when you make everyone wear helmets and research on the UK accident databases. It shows that whatever happened to Anecdotal Philip, there is no evidence that helmets reduce cyclists head injuries overall. So either Philip's helmet actually made no difference or there is another anecdote somewhere of someone else having a more serious injury from wearing a helmet to keep the overall no effect balance. Either way its no evidence for the final exhortation of the OP.

It is interesting that he received serious neck injuries though. I wonder if his helmet played a role in those?

 

[david k]

Oh but I can disprove. There is plenty of data about doing the experiment of what happens when you make everyone wear helmets a

everyone being forced to wear helmets is not the same as everyone choosing to wear helmets. I suppose the data would be different if the later were the case.

As many here are pro helmet and not pro compulsion that is what you should be referring too.


Do you have data on that?