[Closed] Debate on cyclists being forced to wear helmets on Radio 2 now

Was that for concussion or a stitch-up

I'm pro-helmet but anti-compulsion. And this contributory negligence business is plain daft. If another driver hits me in my car, causing me injury, would a judge say "you should have been driving a volvo instead of a fiesta, it's your own fault"? I think not...

This is the main problem with it isn't it? The idea that a victim is responsible for the severity of his injuries quickly becomes ridiculous. It's hard to avoid the suspicion that in this case it's underpinned by some unspoken belief that cyclists shouldn't be on the roads, but if they want to try it, well, they'd better be prepared for the consequences of their foolish actions. As ransos says it's hard to imagine the same logic being applied to drivers.

It's hard to avoid the suspicion that in this case it's underpinned by some unspoken belief that cyclists shouldn't be on the roads

I would say that given how this was a Radio 2 debate, "unspoken" isn't the word you're looking for. 😉

I shave my head so I enjoy wearing a helmet in winter to keep warm but in summer the vents are ace but the sun can burn so a helmet is always good.

Too many vents and you can get zebra stripes in sunny weather!

Helmet saved my life back in 1993-94 when I wore when cycling during A'levels. Slipped around the bend and fell flat and my head bounced off the tarmac.

I was lucky-my nose and head wouldn't not have bounced-maybe squished or improved my face.

It was an old Bell thing worn in xc races-thank you Mum and thank god I ignored the people laughing at my bellend helmet.

God it was stuffy but as big as some of the werid ones that came out.

We don't realise helmet design now is so excellent for fit and comfort-abit more shock absorption would be great.

Helmet saved my life back in 1993-94 when I wore when cycling during A'levels. Slipped around the bend and fell flat and my head bounced off the tarmac.

I agree with you partially Aracer but helmets have saved me from serious injury.

If a lorry was driven by the Terminator to stop me saving mankind then no helmet is gonna help.

It will reduce injury to an extent but also everyone reacts differently to an impact and also if the brain gets side ways compared to front and back -the blood vessels receive more shock andhence why boxers hit you sideways.

I think people should have a choice-but in Australia they made it a law to wear helmets which data proves that cycling was reduced after this law-correlation or just crap helmets?

I'd like to know how many xc riders wear knee armor? is it worth it at slow speeds or descents?

Needs a study.

But for an insurance company to reduce payout?-depends on the wording of laws-no law on helmets but did the rider try to reduce or increase care during riding?-snag.

We need a change in law and attitudes.

This is worse than why should I wear a seatbelt from the 80's? -it'll will help to save you but not 100% -nothing is.

Its your head-protect it if you can.

I love my helmet and wish I could polish it daily... 😈

I wonder how many people argue against helmets on here and then pad up for trailcentres?

(I almost rode into a grey haired old biddy who cycled across my path randomly last week - she was wearing a sombrero, I'm not joking.)

[i]I wonder how many people argue against helmets on here and then pad up for trailcentres[/i]

Pad up? No way. Just no.

If I'm riding stuff I need to wear body armour for, I'm being a silly old man, and I should go and have a lie down.

lol

Helmet and gloves for MTBing. Helmet for long 'proper' rides on the road. Helmet for commuting on my MTB. No helmet for commuting on my girls' bike.

I don't really understand why this debate still goes on. I mean, I understand why some people are against the compulsory wearing of helmets, but I just don't get why you wouldn't. A few years ago, whilst riding back from the LBS, I got hit-and-run(ed) whilst I was the right of way at a roundabout; slightly wet road, clear viz, about 1100hrs in the morning. I crossed the roundabout with all the rights in the world. Right up until some woman pulled out, sent me across the back of her car, *****d off down the road and left me in the middle of the road where a mercedes E-class nearly finished me off. I ejected over the bars (inverted) and landed on the back of my head on the kerb stone. There was literally not a lot of helmet left (cheers to Giro for the crash replacement...), but I was all but in-tact. The police wanted photos of it etc, due to the damage sustained, but ultimately, nothing further was done. I would literally not be here if I'd not been wearing the lid and have not and will not ever set out on my bike without one again.

We've all got stories of crashes, usually caused by running out of talent if we're honest, but I have a slightly different take on it too. Whilst out riding with the wife (a doctor..) and a bunch of mates at Coed-y-Brenin some years ago, we stopped for a breather, away from the marked trail (but near a short-cut) as some lone rider, without a lid came by. As I said, we weren't on the actual trail or blocking his route. We said 'hi' and exchanged the usual MBer pleasantries (mum always said manners cost nothing...). Waiting for a return of the salutations, we instead got a load of abuse hurled at us as we were apparently blocking the trail. This guy was clearly going at it, presumably getting his fix of exercise etc etc (not really interested), but riding a trail centre, alone, in the p*ssing rain, without a lid? That's down-right irresponsible and selfish, because all of a sudden, your crash hasn't just ruined your day; it's ruined mine when I have to scrape you up off the floor, my wife has to deal with your cranial bleed and the forestry commission have to stretcher you off the hill. I'm fairly 'live and let live', but this really is one thing that ticks me off.
Out.

I can think of two crashes (one at about 4x the 12mph people seem to be fixated upon) which would have been lights out.

First was rlling down some big rock steps in the Lakes, didn quite get the weight in the right place adn was going a bit quick so the front wheel went under, I went over, and headbutted a rock, i actualy saw it coming and tucked my head in to aim my helmet at it rather than my face!

Second was bamford clogh, sily speed, flipped, again headfirst into the ground watching bits of helmet fly past.

And a few other minor ones where I've just tombled over and glanced my head against a rock.

Anyone not wearng one is earing their right to a darwin award.

I was all but in-tact

I would literally not be here if I'd not been wearing the lid and have not and will not ever set out on my bike without one again.

If you had hit your head hard enough to have died, you would have had some head injuries even though wearing a helmet. Concussion, at least.

thisisnotaspoon - whether to wear a helmet while MTBing and whether to wear one for all cycling are two rather different issues. Clearly, while riding off-road over rocks, there's a good chance that you'll have exactly the type of accident against which a helmet is of some use. Get hit by a bus and the internal injuries will mean that a helmet probably wouldn't be much use.

The thing which would make the biggest difference to safety on the roads is getting more people cycling. The thing which is a big factor in people not cycling is the perceived danger, which is increased through increased helmet-wearing.

Remind me - what are the accident statistics for bikes in, say, Amsterdam?

And what proportion of riders wear helmets?

Remind me - what are the accident statistics for bikes in, say, Amsterdam?

And what proportion of riders wear helmets?

Yep, there's no link between numbers wearing helmets and numbers of head injuries.

(one at about 4x the 12mph people seem to be fixated upon)

If I read this correctly, you were doing 48mph, on a mtb?

Fair play to you - I've only slightly more than that on a road bike down Ventoux.

I bet there's a link between numbers of cyclists and numbers or accidents involving cyclists - inverse of course.

thisisnotaspoon - whether to wear a helmet while MTBing and whether to wear one for all cycling are two rather different issues. Clearly, while riding off-road over rocks, there's a good chance that you'll have exactly the type of accident against which a helmet is of some use. [b]Get hit by a bus and the internal injuries will mean that a helmet probably wouldn't be much use.[/b]

Although fracturing your skull against the road because you've just been knocked off in a slow speed collision by someone pulling out on you can't be much fun.

Never owned a helmet and never will.

Yup i wear a seatbelt, always have, nothing to do with the laws, there is no downside to wearing one.

Helmets, well it's a constant reminder that i might fall off and land on my head. too bloody hot, and here's the real reason, I've never found one that doesn't sit roughly 30 degrees across my bonce, yeh yeh, spaz head boy. No amount of foam padding makes any difference, i'd need one made to fit. and still probably wouldn't wear one.

I wear gloves when i ride, and shin-knee pads when downhilling... What's that you say, you downhill without a helmet? '****ing A' I do and have done for 20+ years. Sure I know i can't take the risk of running bar breaking drops, naturally i'd rip my head clean off if i impacted my bars, but that doesn't stop hurtling down anything vaguely human without my helmet.

Race down Stanage path anyone?

one of the guys i know from cov was out on his road bike and hit a rather large hole in the road and went over the bars, he was not weaing a helmet, he spent 4 years in and out of hospital having his eye socket, jaw and the rest of his face rebuilt as well as a long stint in a coma after the accident, the doctors said if he had been wearing a helmet he would be dead due to the way his brain swelled up etc, another guy who was wearing a helmet got tagged by a car and went head first into a curb, coma for a few weeks, severe memory loss, nothing broken tho......... moral of the stories, if its a big one and you land on your head your f****D. if its a small one it might just save your life or it might kill you, thats the truth, the debate will always go on,

i wear a lid to keep the g/f happy, if i have a big crash im aware that im goin to be in pain if its my fault or not. each to your own till brown decides,

I wear gloves when i ride, and shin-knee pads when downhilling... What's that you say, you downhill without a helmet? '**** A' I do and have done for 20+ years. Sure I know i can't take the risk of running bar breaking drops, naturally i'd rip my head clean off if i impacted my bars, but that doesn't stop hurtling down anything vaguely human without my helmet.

Another potential nominee for the Darwin Awards?

gohan - Member
one of the guys i know from cov was out on his road bike and hit a rather large hole in the road and went over the bars, he was not weaing a helmet...

but riding a trail centre, alone, in the p*ssing rain, without a lid? That's down-right irresponsible and selfish, because all of a sudden, your crash hasn't just ruined your day; it's ruined mine when I have to scrape you up off the floor, my wife has to deal with your cranial bleed and the forestry commission have to stretcher you off the hill.

Idlejohn, you're either on control or your not, some people don't seem to be able to understand that, it's all about riding within the conditions and your skill level, protection worn.

IdleJon - Member

(I almost rode into a grey haired old biddy who cycled across my path randomly last week - she was wearing a sombrero, I'm not joking.)

was this in leicestershire and was she on a trike? Sounds like mrs julian's grandma, who was even been sighted on one occasion in the village wearing one sombrero on top of another sombrero.

Idlejohn, you're either on control or your not, some people don't seem to be able to understand that, it's all about riding within the conditions and your skill level, protection worn.

It just takes one slip for the bike to go away from you, and your head to hit a hard thing. You can't tell me that you are always 100% control of your mtb? You are obviously not riding a mountain bike in a way that I understand then. The fact that you wear other protection means that you put yourself at risk, or think you do. Your choice, just very puzzling.

was this in leicestershire and was she on a trike? Sounds like mrs julian's grandma, who was even been sighted on one occasion in the village wearing one sombrero on top of another sombrero.

No, near Mumbles, South Wales.

I must let grandma Betty know she has a kindred spirit in the pursuit of unusual cycling headwear. If you see a second/different sombrero'd old biddy making an epic pilgrimage to Wales (on a pashley trike no less, nichemeisters!) then say hi.