I love my ROAD helmet.

That's my ROAD helmet for all you h8ers! 8)

The sponsorship (on the road) argument does have some relevance.
When the helmet compulsion came in, the riders were allowed to take off their helmets at the end of mountain finishes,
The sponsors were livid at the sight of riders universally ripping off their helmets and chucking them down at the side of the road, at the earliest opportunity.
FWIW, I think roadracing is less visually interesting, now that all you see are a field of nodding plastic-covered heids, less individual, and you dont really see the sweat and suffering faces you used to.

Independent research shows that all helmets can create and exacerbate rotation forces which cause serious injury and cycle helmets are worse for this than other designs of sports helmet.

What was effectively gleaned from that research, IIRC, is that heads offer lower frictional coefficient to hard plastic over a foam base. I really really struggle to see that being the case, though I suppose the skin does move fractionally on the bone. Still, one paper on it hardly constitutes accepted scientific research. I'd actually really like to repeat this testing myself, I have the kit to do it if I can set up a rig and find a human head to drop 😆

FWIW, I think roadracing is less visually interesting, now that all you see are a field of nodding plastic-covered heids, less individual, and you dont really see the sweat and suffering faces you used to.

I like DH racing for the opposite reason – you don't have to look at a bunch of gurning blokes with faces like rucksacks full of dented bells. 🙂

I had a friend fall of her bike doing 6mph, hit her head on the kerb, lost her memory for 2 years, she had to learn who all her friends were along with lots of other life skills, Kinda puts it into perspective,Doctor said at the time a helmet would have saved all the heartache.
I never ride without a helmet, you can fix most part of your body but the brain is not so easy.

cant stand watching sports anyway, rather get out and do it – watching it is just frustrating.

This thread has been a credit to all concerned on this subject, with everyone displaying restraint, maturity and a lack of hysterical guilt-tripping…
…then jd_boy shows up with that anecdote

I had a friend fall of her bike doing 6mph, hit her head on the kerb, lost her memory for 2 years, she had to learn who all her friends were along with lots of other life skills, Kinda puts it into perspective,Doctor said at the time a helmet would have saved all the heartache.
I never ride without a helmet, you can fix most part of your body but the brain is not so easy.

Lots of people have the same experience in the shower. That's why I always wear a helmet while showering.

I had a serious concussion while in the kitchen, the doctor said I 'almost certainly' would have been fine, had I been wearing a helmet.
(no, he didn't)

5mph 30+mph muppet

Because everyone comes off! And if you’re using your XC bike to commute you’ve got pot holes the size of bomb craters and drivers that think you’re a hood ornament.

That said what true rider would get far without his helmet?

That said what true rider would get far without his helmet?

Well, I seem to be living proof that non-wearing of polystyrene hat = not necessarily dead, despite being a 350 mile+ a week rider at one point.

RSF boys? Some of them don't wear helmets. True riders I guess

That photo illustrates a good point, that is, the number of pro road cyclists that died from head injuries, before the helmet-mania, is really almost surprisingly small, despite non wearing being almost total.

That's not the kind of riding I was talking about! and it sure is not XC.

Aye, its not likely that road cyclists ever go fast, take risks or encounter obstacles.
(see;Savoldelli, Cancellara, and above all Abdujaparov! for a rebuff of THAT statement)

Agreed on the helmet design. Something like these would be better: http://www.urgebike.com/accueil_gb.html (look the Endur-o-matic)

You're kidding right. They are poo poo poo uber poo. You can't adjust the size, they don't come with different padding to compensate for the fact that there is only 2 shell (one too big and one too small) and lets face it they are a massive rip off (I know that because my LBS have received the 2008 prévisionnel).

As for TJ old same argument dating from the early 90's. New am helmet are much rounder, peak is design to remove under the impact and they cover much more of the head without being an oven (yes I know that is not the main consideration in the UK) ;).

Juan the rotational thing is still there with modern helmets – its partly materials and partly design.

I find it very interesting how so many sports use different helmets for what is a similar risk. ski helmets for example compared to cycle ones? Very similar task bar the cycle helmet needs more ventilation but the ski helmet is a lot closer to the head and comes down lower and covers the ears

I guess if you only ride as fast as you run there is indeed no need for a helmet. 🙂

Saying that, we rode bikes in the woods as kids long before MTB, if someone had suggested we wore a helmet we'd have thought they were mad. 😕

colande – Member

nosemineb – Member
I want to reply, but cant be bothered. Sorry

haha my favourite reply to the thread,
i'd say that's an oxymoron

Oi – I wear a helmet 😆

I wear one all the time on the bike as I don't trust myself not to get tired over a long day and do something stupid, the couple of big crashes I've had have been simple rider error and the lids have taken the brunt in both cases as they have been classic over the bars into something.

Then again I am pretty jey-core and wear knee pads on 'normal' XC as i've got an iffy right knee.

When I first started offroad riding I hit a tree, cracked some ribs and smashed a big lump out of my crash helmet, I always wear one now, I don't care what TJ says 🙄

Dammit, I said I wasn't going to reply to this stupid thread.

Dammit, I said I wasn't going to reply to this stupid thread.

AND you used an annecdote, not peer reviewed papers. Get your coat! 😉

Has no-one found me a human head to do my tests with yet? I've got the 3 axis accelerometer and drop system sorted, just need a treadmill and a head now.

I think your much more likely to hit your head falling off a bike than you are just slipping over even if you are running down a mountain. There's always a huge risk of being catapulted head first towards the ground/big rock/tree/wall when you fall of a bike + your more likely to be travelling much faster. Have you seen some of the stuff XC riders do? Silly post sorry.

Coffeeking – there seem to be quite a few folk on STW not using theirs – perhaps you could get one of them to donate?

2 xc riders with the new magic " emperors new clothes" helmets

I was taken out by a ped(estrian) last week.
Crash!
Down I went on the side of my lid.

In the summer months if I wasn't wearing, my scalp would look a bloodied mess with the number of braches, twigs and trail-side growth that somewhow manages to batter my lid, especially down by the local tow path where I ride.

If I'm riding, I'm wearing.

I wonder if I'd still have all my teeth if I'd been wearing a lid?
We wore hairnet lids for racing, but never ever for training or riding.
Been wearing them ever since the early Bell Tomacs. Had lots of knocks and falls, but only once 'really' needed one, and it did it's job. Shame it didn't save the rest of my body or my bike.

I think helmets are great. Once they're on you don't really notice them and once you've split a few helmets open on trees and rocks you really see that they can make a difference a lot of the time. My head is certainly a lot less scarred than it would be otherwise so I'm happy.

But what the hell, live and let live. If your head is worth nothing to you, spend nothing on protecting it.

I've smashed enough helmets after crashing to ensure I never ride without one.

Mind you I've not crashed (badly) since I've started wearing prescription glasses, so that probably doesn't really help the argument apart from, don't ride a bike if you can't see where you're going

I have helmets – just some days I prefer not to wear one depending on the ride. I mean look at that gnarly trail in the picture! Loads of rocks and trees to hit there – so dangerous.

Its just nice when going for an amble not to wear one.

I think the thing about this thread is, we're talking about XC helmets, not anything that offers any real protection against serious injury (I always think that 'Dumbo's magic feather' is a choice metaphor) and the fact that there are still some old school cyclists like me who aren't dead or maimed offers a countering anecdote.

I'll concede that they may help against scratchy vegetation and low whippy branches, but thats about it kids.

My heids fairly well scarred already, every one of 'em done in non-cycling incidents (tip; you should ALWAYS wear a helmet before getting glassed in a pub, before walking along the street etc, LOOK-JUST-WEAR-ONE EVERYWHERE-OK-YOU'RE-MAD-NOT-TO!)

To go back to the OP

Spamf – Member

I've religiously worn a helmet since starting riding off road seven years ago, but on big, slow multi-day tours, whats the difference between riding and walking /running?

Do others not wear helmets for straight forward riding?

Not a wind up!! I'm genuinely interested in your views.

I did a multiday offroad tour and we didn't take helmets. it was all on easy tracks but right out into the mountains. for the ten minutes in 5 days that one might have been warrented we just slowed downa bit – kep teh safety margins high

It is interesting that the only times I have hit my head I have been wearing a helmet. None of those crashes ( 3 IIRC) were with any great impact so the hlemet probably saved me from a headache.

I have hit my head far harder pissed. So from a statistical sample of me and West Kipper there is no need to wear a helmet for pootling about on bikes, but you should wear one after you third pint

To clear up an earlier point on sports;

Cricket and American Football – heads are a legitimate target
Baseball and Rugby – they're not

If I'm riding, I'm wearing.

Personal experience of coming off the sub at sub-10mph hitting a large pot hole in the dark, turned round and whiplashed the back of my head against the ground. In doing so, felt the rear of the helmet I was wearing split and crush. I knew instantly it had done its job, and since then, I normally wear the helmet when heading out.

The only few times I dont wear it are bimbles along the prom with the wife or to the local shop … but even then, it feels odd to not be wearing one.

Whilst its never going to 100% block an injury to you head, I'd much rather have a bit of a helping hand from the padding of a helmet, so I'll be sticking to wearing it.

TJezza….
your talking crap on the helmet issue – as normal..
;o)

see you next ride..