Touring and Helmets

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slowmotion

Quite dreadful
Location
lost somewhere
I always wear one at home. Yes, I appreciate both arguments, but it gives me some kind of comfort, perhaps mistaken. I'm not an experienced tourer, but when I went for a pootle on the cycle paths in Holland, I left it at home because I had read that nobody there wears one. It was a wonderful feeling to be riding with the wind in my hair. Fantastic, and liberating. Also totally irrational, but I guess that is what holidays are for...
 

ComedyPilot

Secret Lemonade Drinker
Helmets.........?

[pulls soap box to speaker's corner...and steps up]

People ride bikes with helmets, and without.

I used to always ride to work with mine, then I fitted a mirror which has increased my (feeling of) safety immensely. I no longer ride to work with a helmet.

When out on my racer/roadie (call it what you will) I wear my helmet. The roads round these parts aren't the best, and the tyres pick up punctures like John Terry picks up other people's (ex) girlfriends. Also, the tyres are a lot slimmer, and as I ride on gritty lanes and back roads, as well as on damp roads, road traction in corners is reduced. The speeds attained on my racer are higher than my commuter/tourer too, and I am more likely to hurtle down a hill to keep up my 'average', whereas on my tourer/commuter I am more interested in looking around and enjoying the countryside.

Interestingly, my racer doesn't have a mirror.

Helmets are a choice item.

I choose when and when not to wear one, depending on the riding style. I think people (on both sides of the helmet debate) ought to be more truthful about why they do wear one, and people a little more inward looking as to why they don't.

I use a common sense approach that works for me.
 
dragon72 said:
Well, protection from injury aside, I find that they are quite good at keeping my head out of the sun with more ventilation than a hat provides...:B)

Until you reach "that age" and the male pattern baldness sets in.

Then you get the marke of the vents burnt into you receding pate!

Get a Buff!
 

steve52

I'm back! Yippeee
the impact to cause damage to your head is suprisigly low and can be cause by something hitting u and upending you so the back of your head conects with something hard, take a walk around some brain damage wards and then make your choice
 
After coming off my bike early in the winter at a really slow speed and putting a hefty dent in my helmet I will be wearing one for the shortest and slowest of journey's
 

Tony

New Member
Location
Surrey
steve52 said:
the impact to cause damage to your head is suprisigly low and can be cause by something hitting u and causing rotational brain injury exacerbated by the leverage from the helmet conecting with something hard, take a walk around some brain damage wards and then make your choice

FTFY
 

Danny

Legendary Member
Location
York
I always wear one as oddly I have had more crashes when touring than when I ride round the city...perhaps I spend too much time looking at the view :biggrin:

None of my crashes involved head injuries, but a companion of mine crashed going down a steep hill and landed on his head. Having seen the accident I am convinced his helmet helped to prevent a serious injury. However he did sustain a nasty cut as the force of the crash forced his helmet visor into his eyebrow, so ever since I've removed mine from my helmet.
 

Lone Rider

Well-Known Member
Location
Costa Daurada
Bandini said:
Don't want to start a row! Just want to ask people who ride tourers at a leisurely pace - do you wear a helmet or not?

I am not convinced, and prefer not too. What do you reckon?

I am asking only tourers, because I won't be going at great speed, and I won't be going off road/doing any crazy stuff!

Yes, always. Whether I am touring or just out for a ride. A helmet will always take the initial impact of a fall. A scratched helmet hurts less than a skinned scalp.
 
steve52 said:
the impact to cause damage to your head is suprisigly low and can be cause by something hitting u and upending you so the back of your head conects with something hard, take a walk around some brain damage wards and then make your choice

Where most patients will NOT be cyclists!

If one of these patients had suffered their injury after walking on ice would you have the same emotive blackmail for wearing helmets every time there was ice?
 
Ok - I have to agree:

It is a pleasure to support the "THESE HELMETS" in my capacity as President of the British Association for Accident and Emergency Medicine. Any device which helps to reduce the number of head injuries sustained by young children each year is most welcome
John Heyworth
President
British Association for Accident and Emergency Medicine
 

ComedyPilot

Secret Lemonade Drinker
Cunobelin said:
Where most patients will NOT be cyclists!

If one of these patients had suffered their injury after walking on ice would you have the same emotive blackmail for wearing helmets every time there was ice?

Imagine Torvill & Dean doing Bolero in helmets and hi-viz?
 

chris__P

Active Member
slowmotion said:
I'm not an experienced tourer, but when I went for a pootle on the cycle paths in Holland, I left it at home because I had read that nobody there wears one.

I usually wear mine. When I was in Holland I decided to take it off because it is true that absolutely no one wears them, there are cycle paths everywhere, and the drivers are very considerate of cyclists. Next thing I know, a SMIDSY car pulls out across the cycle lane in front of me and I crash into him. Didn't land on my head so it didn't make too much difference, but accidents can happen anywhere. I started wearing it again after that.
 
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