Three go cycling...

And not a helmet between them! As a keen cyclist who has known too many others with brain injuries following ‘sans’ helmet crashes I am bewildered that people will strap on a face mask but won’t bother to protect their skull!
 
When me my brothers and sisters had bikes, we never had helmets. We went cycling everywhere, with no protection. Yes there was not as much traffic, as this was 50s and 60s. We did have some spectacular crashes on our bikes, grazed knees and knuckles, and possibly the odd gashed chin. But we got back up, a bit of Germolene. Probably a clout around the ear from your mother for crashing in the first place, and you were off out again. ;)
 
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I always wear a helmet, but my father in law died when he fell off his bike and hit his head. He was a long time club cyclist.
A lot of evidence does point to helmets actually making little difference, but I prefer to wear one.
Most of my cycling is on mtb trails.
 
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Bobsyeruncle said:
I always wear a helmet, but my father in law died when he fell off his bike and hit his head. He was a long time club cyclist.
A lot of evidence does point to helmets actually making little difference, but I prefer to wear one.
Most of my cycling is on mtb trails.
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I remember the days motorcyclist did not need to wear helmets, just trying to find the law on it. I think it was 1956, but I could be wrong. :thinking:

So cycling was pretty laxed back in the day, if motorcyclists did not need a helmet, till the late 50s I think.
 
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Al1944 said:
I wonder how many serious injuries/deaths were the result of not wearing helmets years ago?
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There’s a lot that has changed since then, far more traffic for one, cars that are capable of going a lot faster.

In the same way that car safety has improved with crash zones and seat belts,
 
There is always debate about the effectiveness of cycle helmets. I think is high speed accidents and especially with cheaper helmets the effectiveness could easily be minimal.

However, I think many accidents are probably fairly low speed - an unexpected irregular road surface, a vehicle passing too close causing the cyclist to topple - and in these scenarios helmets are going to help.

Interesting comments in this - https://www.rospa.com/rospaweb/docs/advice-services/road-safety/cyclists/cycle-helmets-factsheet.pdf

Dave
 
Some years ago I used to cycle home from work in London. Somebody stepped off a traffic island in front of me as I was overtaking a stationary bus. He was looking the other way. I rammed my bike up his bottom and somersaulted over the handlebars landing head first in the roadway. It was very fortunate that I was wearing a helmet. I walked away with a little bit of bruising from the eyewear which had been driven into my face.

Don’t cycle so much now that I’m old but I wouldn’t ever do it without a helmet.
 
If we are worried about head injuries then we need walking helmets, stair helmets and shower helmets. All these activities cause many head injuries, far more than cycling.

A key factor is usually overlooked when the issue of helmets comes up - and that is the benefit of cycling to the population's health, and to the environment.

If you just look at a cyclist on a bicycle in a crash (a very, very low chance event) then a helmet may help, in some circumstances. It won't stop catastrophic upper body injuries which is what cyclist deaths in London are caused by, for example.

However, majoring on helmets reduces the number of cyclists, and this worsens the health of the nation, resulting in more obesity, heart disease and diabetes and more premature death. It also means more pollution, and that too means more ill heath and death.

Plus wearing a helmet is not a legal requirement. Wearing a seatbelt is, but sadly it is not called out in photos, crash reports, forum shaming, etc.
 
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I think if I was cycling now, I would wear a helmet. Not just because of impact damage, but damage from the suns rays. I can't go out without head protection, as I had a little mole removed from my head a little while ago. Doctor said I should try and keep my head covered, as I do have one or two little moles, and sunlight might aggravate them.
 
Pound Coin said:
If we are worried about head injuries then we need walking helmets, stair helmets and shower helmets. All these activities cause many head injuries, far more than cycling.
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Of course they do, due to there being far more walkers/stair climbers/shower takers than cyclists.
 
ancient_mariner said:
I wore helmets for racing (1970s) and serious riding (2000s) but won't wear one for casual riding. A bicycle is about freedom, and a helmet is not.
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I started wearing helmets when they made them compulsory for racing - and, pretty much wore them for all my riding, because, well, at the time if i was riding, I was training, and if you're training for an event, it makes sense to wear the same kit you're gonna have to wear in the event - back at the early days of course, helmets were probably twice the weight and with bugger all ventilation compared to modern ones - I'll be honest, even since my medical issues and having definitely had my last racing licence long ago, the habit i got into has stuck. I don't necessarily think I'm any safer if I'm honest, but it's one less thing for the cyclist-haters to be able to complain to me about - same reason as why i've a bell on the 'cross bike for when i'm on shared use paths... Let's be honest, you can't exactly ride up behind one of the red-socks and give a discrete cough to alert them of your presence anymore...
 
Pound Coin said:
Plus wearing a helmet is not a legal requirement. Wearing a seatbelt is, but sadly it is not called out in photos, crash reports, forum shaming, etc.
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I'm pretty sure that if the seatbelts were mandatory removed, and the airbag replaced with a 8" steel spike on the steering wheel, it'd improve driving quality immeasurably...
 
TheBigYin said:
I started wearing helmets when they made them compulsory for racing - and, pretty much wore them for all my riding, because, well, at the time if i was riding, I was training, and if you're training for an event, it makes sense to wear the same kit you're gonna have to wear in the event - back at the early days of course, helmets were probably twice the weight and with bugger all ventilation compared to modern ones - I'll be honest, even since my medical issues and having definitely had my last racing licence long ago, the habit i got into has stuck. I don't necessarily think I'm any safer if I'm honest, but it's one less thing for the cyclist-haters to be able to complain to me about - same reason as why i've a bell on the 'cross bike for when i'm on shared use paths... Let's be honest, you can't exactly ride up behind one of the red-socks and give a discrete cough to alert them of your presence anymore...
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I ruined many an old helmet through sweat, no ventilation. Oh and the silly old clunky gloves.

PS

Clunky gloves in fashion at the time.
 
the earliest cycle helmets I had were the Giro ones back around 1985 - they were just polystyrene foam and a lycra and mesh cover over them - think the first one lasted about 6 months - it was in the back of the van and I put the bike in on top of it - pedal went straight through the top and I remember thinking... "Hmmmm that's a little worrying". Back then they had stickers on them saying that sunlight would basically degrade the plastic after a couple of years, so it kind of became a seasonal thing - buy a new lid in october, ruin the old one with winter training and cyclocross, and start wearing new one around the time the spring classics were being raced over on the continent - march/april...
 
TheBigYin said:
I'm pretty sure that if the seatbelts were mandatory removed, and the airbag replaced with a 8" steel spike on the steering wheel, it'd improve driving quality immeasurably...
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©Ralph Nader!

For almost all my (motor)bike riding, I wear a helmet but on very rare occasions when there's bu99er all else on the road and I'm having a gentle pootle across the moor, it comes off.I can hear the world properly, I can see the world better and at around 20-30 MPH, I probably ride more safely. Yes, a helmet would reduce the risk of head injury should I be involved in an incident but they can also increase the severity of neck injuries - the extra couple of kilos flapping about above the fulcrum of the neck is a pain even in normal riding, as well as being uncomfortable and hot.
 
Bobsyeruncle said:
Of course they do, due to there being far more walkers/stair climbers/shower takers than cyclists.
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That's not what I said. I said "If we are worried about head injuries", if we are worried about head injuries then we should look at all causes of head injury and sort them out...

The thing is that climbing stairs, and having a shower are not activities that you may be marginalised and disliked for.
 
Never forget the time when I was a kid and we went for a cycle with a friend who hadn't cycled far before - he recently got a second hand bike, and we set off, only to discover he wasn't wearing a helmet. We turned back, picked up my spare one and set off again. Only about 2 miles from home we started picking up some speed going down a hill, and his front wheel buckled (likely a few weak spokes) and through him over his handle bars head first. I don't think he would have survived had he not been wearing the helmet!!
 
ancient_mariner said:
I wore helmets for racing (1970s) and serious riding (2000s) but won't wear one for casual riding. A bicycle is about freedom, and a helmet is not.
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Genuinely interested in how a helmet would impinge on your freedom in any meaningful way.
 
ukaskew said:
Genuinely interested in how a helmet would impinge on your freedom in any meaningful way.
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You have to buy one. It increases the barrier to cycling.
You have to replace it, after every knock, and also after every few years. A proper helmet is probably £40+
You have to find one that fits properly. If you have a non-standard head, that can be a trial.
You have to wear it. Oops, I've forgotten it, left it locked in the office, it's been stolen, broken, peed on, I'll just have to walk home.
You have to carry one around, or store it. Or leave it on the bike (see above)
You cannot hear as much when you are wearing one*

*accepting that being deaf is not an inhibitor to cycling.

Edited to add: If we are looking at reducing pollution, and to improving the state of public health, then we should be very careful about putting barriers up to a readily accessible solution.
 
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gilbouk said:
Never forget the time when I was a kid and we went for a cycle with a friend who hadn't cycled far before - he recently got a second hand bike, and we set off, only to discover he wasn't wearing a helmet. We turned back, picked up my spare one and set off again. Only about 2 miles from home we started picking up some speed going down a hill, and his front wheel buckled (likely a few weak spokes) and through him over his handle bars head first. I don't think he would have survived had he not been wearing the helmet!!
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Sounds like a check over condition of the bike is what was actually needed!

The suggestion that he would not have survived is a moot one - it can only be tested if you carry out a repeat fail of front wheel without a helmet.

Despite the perception, helmets make surprisingly little difference. And in one country where they were made compulsory the rate of head injuries for cyclists went up.*

*Yup, there's a lot of non-intuitive stuff about helmets.
 
Risk compensation is all too real and dangerous!
 
Pound Coin said:
You have to buy one. It increases the barrier to cycling.
You have to replace it, after every knock, and also after every few years. A proper helmet is probably £40+
You have to find one that fits properly. If you have a non-standard head, that can be a trial.
You have to wear it. Oops, I've forgotten it, left it locked in the office, it's been stolen, broken, peed on, I'll just have to walk home.
You have to carry one around, or store it. Or leave it on the bike (see above)
You cannot hear as much when you are wearing one*

*accepting that being deaf is not an inhibitor to cycling.

Edited to add: If we are looking at reducing pollution, and to improving the state of public health, then we should be very careful about putting barriers up to a readily accessible solution.
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I agree with your points re having to buy one, and making it compulsory would be a barrier to cycling etc, but I think the rest are rather weak as meaningful reasons for impinging your freedom. :)
 
Cycle helmets do save lives / help to avoid brain damage......I know from personal experience having being catapulted head on into a wall . An accident that would have seen me dead or severely handicapped had it not been for the helmet which quite litterally split into to halves straight down the middle due to impact.

That said, for most of my life I never wore one.
Racing as a youngster was obligatory but only in road races ( ie groups)
Time trails etc didn't impose the same ruling ….it was a choice.

The choice for "everyday" cycling remains a choice of the individual and I feel that we need to respect that .
I now, and have done for a number of years, wear a helmet ( most of the time) but should I choose not to, I do not expect to be dictated to by someone who feels that I should.
It is freedom of choice and unless that freedom is removed ( through law) , I shall continue to wear or not wear a helmet as and when I feel fit to do so.
 
https://road.cc/content/news/111258-chris-boardman-helmets-not-even-top-10-things-keep-cycling-safe

95% of cyclists in the Netherlands & Denmark don't wear helmets - their cyclist deaths per billion kilometres travelled are much lower than here - why is that?

One possibility is that they both have "presumed liability" - crudely, in a collision between two parties, the larger one is presumed to be at fault until proven otherwise. They also take road deaths seriously - not £100 & 3 points...
 
Brazo said:
And not a helmet between them! As a keen cyclist who has known too many others with brain injuries following ‘sans’ helmet crashes I am bewildered that people will strap on a face mask but won’t bother to protect their skull!
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And no life jackets :p
 
Asha said:
Cycle helmets do save lives / help to avoid brain damage......I know from personal experience having being catapulted head on into a wall . An accident that would have seen me dead or severely handicapped had it not been for the helmet which quite litterally split into to halves straight down the middle due to impact.

That said, for most of my life I never wore one.
Racing as a youngster was obligatory but only in road races ( ie groups)
Time trails etc didn't impose the same ruling ….it was a choice.

The choice for "everyday" cycling remains a choice of the individual and I feel that we need to respect that .
I now, and have done for a number of years, wear a helmet ( most of the time) but should I choose not to, I do not expect to be dictated to by someone who feels that I should.
It is freedom of choice and unless that freedom is removed ( through law) , I shall continue to wear or not wear a helmet as and when I feel fit to do so.
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pretty much exactly the same for me... though in my case it was losing it on a roundabout turn in the road on a rainy TT rather than hitting a brick wall. I remember the rear disc wheel jumping as I hit a rock or something with it, then the bike highsided me, I remember sliding towards the kerb. Next thing I remember the "turn marshall" coming over to me, and doing the "how many fingers" routine. I should have known something was wrong when I saw and said 7... that's at least one too many, even for someone from Streethouse...

Concussed, few bruises and a large DNA sample left on the road from my hip, but that was it. Helmet had a large v-shaped depression in it from the edge of the kerb.

I still occasionally jump on the bike without a lid - usually on my old Raleigh from circa 1989, and generally when I'm riding something like 3-4 miles tops, usually to a not-so-local local pub if I'm honest... I wouldn't want to be compelled by law to wear a lid for something like that, and i'd probably end up walking instead rather than have the lid to keep an eye on while I enjoy my glass of mineral water at the hostelry.
 
TheBigYin said:
pretty much exactly the same for me... though in my case it was losing it on a roundabout turn in the road on a rainy TT rather than hitting a brick wall. I remember the rear disc wheel jumping as I hit a rock or something with it, then the bike highsided me, I remember sliding towards the kerb. Next thing I remember the "turn marshall" coming over to me, and doing the "how many fingers" routine. I should have known something was wrong when I saw and said 7... that's at least one too many, even for someone from Streethouse...

Concussed, few bruises and a large DNA sample left on the road from my hip, but that was it. Helmet had a large v-shaped depression in it from the edge of the kerb.

I still occasionally jump on the bike without a lid - usually on my old Raleigh from circa 1989, and generally when I'm riding something like 3-4 miles tops, usually to a not-so-local local pub if I'm honest... I wouldn't want to be compelled by law to wear a lid for something like that, and i'd probably end up walking instead rather than have the lid to keep an eye on while I enjoy my glass of mineral water at the hostelry.
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You saw seven fingers.
I briefly saw stars, quite literally like what cartoon characters have lol

That was prior to going unconscious.
Bounced back alright, although if the knock to my head affected my mind, I av no idea cos I’ve always been wappy! Pmsl
 
Asha said:
Cycle helmets do save lives / help to avoid brain damage......I know from personal experience having being catapulted head on into a wall . An accident that would have seen me dead or severely handicapped had it not been for the helmet which quite litterally split into to halves straight down the middle due to impact.

That said, for most of my life I never wore one.
Racing as a youngster was obligatory but only in road races ( ie groups)
Time trails etc didn't impose the same ruling ….it was a choice.

The choice for "everyday" cycling remains a choice of the individual and I feel that we need to respect that .
I now, and have done for a number of years, wear a helmet ( most of the time) but should I choose not to, I do not expect to be dictated to by someone who feels that I should.
It is freedom of choice and unless that freedom is removed ( through law) , I shall continue to wear or not wear a helmet as and when I feel fit to do so.
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Again, without a control crash with no helmet it isn’t possible to say that it would have made a difference. It may well have done, but it may just have stopped some grazes. They are supposed to deform, split etc. so a helmet splitting isn’t an indicator of anything in particular.

They work best at about 12mph or less. (I did once work out that if you crashed at 42mph and were wearing a helmet, the energy absorption of it would mean the crash would be the equivalent of one at 40mph)
 
ukaskew said:
Genuinely interested in how a helmet would impinge on your freedom in any meaningful way.
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A requirement to wear a helmet prevents cycling being spontaneous - I can't hop on a bike and ride - PPE has to be located and worn*.
Wearing a helmet feels different, removing the sense of travelling through the air, diminishing the awareness of what's around me.
Requiring that I wear a helmet with a punishment of some kind if I do not, takes away the personal freedom to choose that I presently enjoy.

*Motorcycling has a legal requirement for PPE, plus additonal items are needed for comfort and safety. It can never be a spontaneous activity - there is always a search for clobber, and the clobber isn't even comfy to wear around town off the bike these days. I have a leather jacket with built-in armour, and it's not pleasant.

TheBigYin said:
I started wearing helmets when they made them compulsory for racing
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What seem to be referred to as 'hairnet' helmets (we called them something else, but I can't remember what now) were compulsory when I started racing in '76. Their effectiveness was roughly zero on first impact, but they might stop you losing your ears completely if you slid a long way on your head. I used to sometimes ride at Herne Hill track in the school holidays and they supplied and required wearing on hard plastic pi55-pot type helmets if you didn't have your own approved helmet.
 
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