Monday 16th June 2003

Boys need Helmets

Teenage cyclists think it isn't cool to wear a hat

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[danmangt40]

I consider anyone I see on a bicycle without a helmet frequently a bit like the turkey timer in the oven before the turkey's ready. Both are about to undergo an irreversible pop.

[Graham.J]

You CAN look cool wearing a lid, you just have to find the right one, TSG do a good range of BMX style "potty's" which have decent designs on.

I have one with blue flames on it, looks pretty cool, they're also lightweight so you sometimes don't notice you're wearing one.



If company's like TSG were more well known amongst bikers/youngsters I think you'd see more wearing helmets.

>> Edited by Graham.J on Monday 16th June 14:06

[thanuk]

Actually research shows that there's very little benefit to wearing a cycle helmet

[Graham.J]

I don't know about that, I've come off hard when riding (dirt jumping I have to admit) and my head has taken a bit of punishment, without a helmet I wouldn't like to think about what I'd be like.

[Gerry Cooper]

Wearing a helmet for leisure cycling is a pain in the arse, especially in good weather, except possibly in competition.

The benefits of helmet use are more imagined than real, and are promoted by Authorities keen to deflect criticism of inaction. If a Car or Lorry hits you at anything over 30 mph, you're pretty much dead, helmet or not.

[DrSeuss]

What gets me are cyclists who don't bother using lights at night. I'd say it's easily the majority of them round this part of London. Out of interest, last time I was in Halfords, I had a shufty at the bike lights, and they start from under £15 a pair. Seems some people place a very low price on their life.

[adrianmugridge]

What is the point of wearing a helmet on a push bike ? None that I can see. If a car or lorry hits you, what good do you think a helmet will do ?

I mean, people get ran over all the time, so should we all were helmets when you are crossing the road ? Ermm, what a stupid idea !!

Also, when I was a teenage boy and when I fell off my bike ( i.e. all the time ) I always :

a) Took the skin of my knees
b) Smacked my nadgers on the cross bar.

I reckon a cricket box would have been a better bet !!

Adrian
www.adrianmugridge.co.uk

[omega]

I'm sorry but i don't think teenagers are going to start wearing helmets by this campaign.The thought of wearing one remains uncool and i think that this will just reinforce some peoples ideas that cycling is too dangerous for them to try.A campaign aimed at re-educating the motorist towards toleration of the cyclist and its many benefits would go a long way to making journeys more enjoyable for everyone.

[cortinaman]

omega said:The thought of wearing one remains uncool and i think that this will just reinforce some peoples ideas that cycling is too dangerous for them to try.A campaign aimed at re-educating the motorist towards toleration of the cyclist and its many benefits would go a long way to making journeys more enjoyable for everyone.

how about re-educating cyclists about what give way signs,red lights and pulling off a footpath infront of a car/lorry/bus will do to them? cyclists seem totally and blissfully unaware that if they get hit by these big lumps of metal they will probably die,not just bounce off.what also makes me laugh about cyclists is they cant decide if they are meant to be on the pavement or the road,i would like to see them take proper tests to show they are fully compitant in riding a bike and have a good working knowledge of the highway code,be insured for at least 3rd party cover,have to pay tax at just under the rate for mopeds and have number plates issued to them before they are allowed on the road so that they have to obey traffic law too.

if you want to use the roads with us you should start to pay and get stuck with the same rules as the rest of us road users,its only fair.

[ADL]

what a load of Sh*t not wearing a helmet is totally dangerous. Like in australia the wearing should be made mandatory, like it has been in cricket in this country uptil the age of 18. I believe that a tour de france rider crashed at 60kmh into a crash barrier in a mountain descent with a lid on and lived! What a surprise.
Children and teenagers need to be told to wear these things until they are educated enough to make an informed choice.Preferably after they have seen their friends brains all over the tarmac!

[Mark Benson]

adrianmugridge said:

What is the point of wearing a helmet on a push bike ? None that I can see. If a car or lorry hits you, what good do you think a helmet will do ?

What utter bilge! If a car or lorry hits you, it all depends on what speed the vehicle is travelling as to your injuries, but if your head connects with any part of said lorry or car, you have a better chance of survival if you have a helmet on, same as on a motorbike. or do you think that motorcycle helment laws are stupid too?

Considering that, in a collision between car and teenage cyclist, the driver is likely to be under suspicion whatever the circumstances, I would rather that the oik on the bike had head protection and remained alive and no more brain damaged than they already were.

[CVP]

Gerry Cooper said:

Wearing a helmet for leisure cycling is a pain in the arse, especially in good weather, except possibly in competition. The benefits of helmet use are more imagined than real, and are promoted by Authorities keen to deflect criticism of inaction. If a Car or Lorry hits you at anything over 30 mph, you're pretty much dead, helmet or not.

Amazing the number of more "serious" riders you see using them then isn't it

I always ride with mine. A well desgined Giro, nice lightweight not too warm and may help in a crash.

Everyone will admit if you get a head on collision with a car or lorry then you're a goner, but it's an easy bit of protection to take against dragging your head along at 30-50mph if you come off on your own.

Just look at the sprinters in the TdF they always put a helmet on about 10-20kms before the finish in case of accidents.

Chris

[Graham.J]

adrianmugridge said:

What is the point of wearing a helmet on a push bike ? None that I can see. If a car or lorry hits you, what good do you think a helmet will do ?

I've been hit by a lorry before, I admit it was from the side (didn't check his mirrors), bike went under rear wheels and I bailed out, landed head first onto the pavement, I was wearing a helmet, which was mullered, a severe headache and concussion but that was much preffered to not being here now.

>> Edited by Graham.J on Thursday 19th June 23:49

[andytk]

adrianmugridge said:

What is the point of wearing a helmet on a push bike ? None that I can see. If a car or lorry hits you, what good do you think a helmet will do

Its not the initial impact thats the problem. Its when you bounce off the bonnet and proceed to bounce along the pavement. This is when a helmet works wonders. Concrete is hard. Trust me on this one.

As for pedestrians having to wear helmets bear in mind they do not spend anywhere near the amount of time on the roads dodging 2 ton metal boxes flying about.

Although one of my more injury prone mates reckons it would be a good idea to wear protective gear (knee pads helmet etc..) when he goes out on the razz cos of all the minor injuries he seems to pick up.

Andy (biker and ardent helmet wearer, I wouldn't be here without one)

[paul]

Blind f@king stereotyping really gets my goat - yes there are sh*te cyclists out there who seem blissfully unaware of traffic/pedestrians etc. but there are equally as many sh*te drivers who don't notice the guy on the bike riding along to their side and proceed to smack him into the side of a bus/car/hedge/phone booth/whatever. As someone who rides about 3500 miles a year and has 2 broken helmets from significant collisions with cars I take exception to anyone who can blithely suggest that a helmet is pointless. Trust me, the damage you can do by being an idiot in a car far outweighs the damage that can be achieved by being an idiot on a bike.