Trail Centre riders riding without a cycling helmet on !!

I wasn’t going to join in this one, but…

Recently saw a lad riding round the local trail centre sans helmet, on a very nicely build up carbon 456. Unless the bike wasn’t his, borrowed or otherwise, it would seem he wasn’t clueless but saw it wiser to invest all his money in the bike (and clothing) than a helmet.

that is all!

You see by mitigating against your perception of risk you’ve added weight and bulk to a part of your body held only by your neck muscles and you’ve added a big old lump projecting from your spine! You may actually be increasing the risk of neck or spinal injury.

I’ve banged my head a few times both with and without a helmet and on every occasion I was wearing the helmet it saved my life… 😈

Recently saw a lad riding round the local trail centre sans helmet, on a very nicely build up carbon 456

I saw it too, also a guy in a red jacket on a giant anthem/reindeer shouting strava strava strava, whilst his mate struggled to fix his bike!

having been unconscious for two weeks with a fractured skull, i still can’t prove a helmet would have prevented me waking up in hospital with my family all there thinking i might not survive.

i do know that i’ve never taken the chance since.

Andy-do you know a helmet wetld have stopped concussion?

Cannot prove a bullet proof vest prevented certain death either

Junk, I’m disappointed.

brucewee i dont have a car but i wear a helmet on my motorbike does that count 😉

My eldest son last Sunday. He was wearing a helmet but just a normal one (now a bit mashed)
No doubt if he had not been wearing one it would have hurt a bit more but if he had been wearing a full face then he might have got away with it.
As has been said, just everyones differing perceptions of risk.

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I once rode past a Asian girl cycling with no helmet on. I said ‘wear a helmet’. Her reply was foxtrot oscar. I agree with her- none of my business. Upto 7yrs ago I never wore a helmet.

Ive been lurking on this forum for a few months now and this thread has spurred me on to sign up so here’s my view.
Started mtb’ing through a mate who insisted I get a helmet before he would take me along, I insisted I didn,t need one but brought a cheap £14 one from Argos or somewhere to appease him.
Second time out got a very simple descent wrong off piste at Cannock, and got thrown off the bike backwards landing on my back bouncing my head off the ground.
Result? I got up and walked away from it but had one very sore back for about a month and one very dented helmet which would have been the base of my skull had I not been wearing one, best 14 quid I ever spent.
Wouldn’t dream of riding without one now. BTW I used to be a steel erector and would reguarly walk around the steel 30 to 40 foot up with no harness clipped on so not averse to taking the odd risk (couldn’t do it now though, too old and sensible)

Top trolling! 🙂

Helmet choice really depends on what activity you do. If I’m taking my GF out, who is a novice off roader, I might not wear a lid as the speeds are slow and my risk assessment says it doesn’t warrant one. I don’t have a death wish, I’m just not going to crash.

Has anyone ever suffered a head injury that isn’t a result a riding a bike?

Yup, fell out of a tree when I was 10. Well, I think I fell out of a tree – I headed out planning to play on a big rope swing, woke up on the ground.

I once rode past a Asian girl cycling with no helmet on

??

bencooper – Member

The SNELL test – the toughest helmet test, now phased out – tested at an impact speed of 12.5mph.

Why say the standard is phased out?
It still exists and there are still Snell approved helmets on general sale in the UK.

firestarter – Member

??

I think he means that the person was female and from Asia.

It still exists and there are still Snell approved helmets on general sale in the UK.

There are, but the EU has moved across to the CEN standard, which is not so strict. So there are helmets on sale which meet CEN and SNELL but they don’t have to pass SNELL to be sold in Europe, just CEN.

The problem is that everyone wants the lightest, most vented helmets, so manufacturers don’t really want to make a helmet that meets a tougher standard if they don’t have to.

i was curious tho sbob as to why the origin and gender of a person he interfered with on the trail was relevant 😉

In Sweden, skull injuries among children related to bicycling has decreased with 93% since the 1970’s – scientists believe it’s due to the equivalent increase in helmet usage. I can’t think of another explanation, nor can I find a good reason not to wear one.

Of course, studies aimed at Swedish children wouldn’t be accurate or relevant to anyone else so do carry on.

She looked Indian and sweet natured- …but potty mouthed

Stop digging

I hope your talking to someone else.

Helmets can certainly be good for small children – as here the most likely to fall over at low speed.

You can’t extend that directly to adults, though. Water wings and reins are also good for kids – doesn’t mean they’re right for adults.

90% of my falls are in low speed in technical flat/uphill sections, so to me personally I think it’s relevant enough.

I also have huge sympathy for anyone experiencing the same kind of restriction from a helmet when bicycling as from water wings when swimming.

Top trolling!

No trolling there every word is true, and I dont doubt that £14 helmet saved me from a fractured skull or worse

I have not crashed the road bike for 20 odd years but i still wear the helmet every time. Maybe it will come in handy one day.

On the mtb i have had any number of crashes, none of which has resulted in a proper head impact.

However, i have on numerous occasions, bashed my helmet off branches and such and thought “without a helmet on, that would have been really nippy”. So, for me, it seems to be sensible to have some head protection even if you never crash.

Users decision. I do tend to try and avoid being anywhere near riders without helmets when there are rocks around.

Never wore a helmet when I was a kid! Never did me any harm.

There have been times, when I’m flying through the air, thinking “I wish I had my helmet on” ~ got away with things a couple of times, but always wear a helmet now. It’s not just the life and death thing – a helmet can save you all kinds of abrasions and flesh wounds too , things which hurt and bleed and need stitching. Give the choice between smashing a helmet and spending the rest of the day in A&E, I know which I prefer. 😀

However, i have on numerous occasions, bashed my helmet off branches and such and thought “without a helmet on, that would have been really nippy”. So, for me, it seems to be sensible to have some head protection even if you never crash.

Not long back I was riding to work, taking a muddy descent very easy (2-3mph) as I was running slicks. Low branch hanging down…caught my helmet on it and it really jolted my head back pulling my neck. If I was doing any descent speed at all I would’ve likely done myself a nasty injury, BECAUSE I was wearing a helmet. It wouldn’t have happened otherwise. I simply misjudged the extra size of my head!

Nope that was because you were going too slow – a bit of speed would have snapped the branch before it hurt your neck.

Trust me, it wouldn’t have snapped.

LOL MOTO