Annoying things other cyclists do
Discussion
[quote=pablo]
dont the arguments centre around the speed of impact, on slow impacts, helmets have been found to protect the head, at high speed impacts they have been found to be pretty much useless... but like any study, you can write it to get the result that you want...
Thats pretty much my point, have come off at low speed, hitting trees ( usually on the mtb but the point remains ) and still got up dazed even though i was wearing a helmet. If that same slow speed accident was on the road and involved clouting a kerbside with my melon, then i know i would rather have a helmet than not. I realise that if i hit something on a descent at over 40mph then a helmet isn't likely to make much difference, but i'd rather have it than not as mad descents only make a smallish percentage of the overall ride. Like i said its each to their own.
dont the arguments centre around the speed of impact, on slow impacts, helmets have been found to protect the head, at high speed impacts they have been found to be pretty much useless... but like any study, you can write it to get the result that you want...
Thats pretty much my point, have come off at low speed, hitting trees ( usually on the mtb but the point remains ) and still got up dazed even though i was wearing a helmet. If that same slow speed accident was on the road and involved clouting a kerbside with my melon, then i know i would rather have a helmet than not. I realise that if i hit something on a descent at over 40mph then a helmet isn't likely to make much difference, but i'd rather have it than not as mad descents only make a smallish percentage of the overall ride. Like i said its each to their own.
XitUp said:
Raoul Duke said:
Another hater of those that discard gel wrappers in the hedges, you lazy b
ds put it back in your jersey pocket.
The other thing that i dont get is roadies who are clearly experienced, and often much quicker than myself that wont wear helmets. I know that there are arguments for and against helmets - you'd rather be finished quickly than paralysed from the waist down etc etc. But there are too many gormless car drivers out there, watching their sat nav rather than the road, who'd knock you off at a slow speed where you may otherwise dust yourself down and walk away from for me to want to take the risk. It seems that unless i'm missing something they think it also makes them more "hard core"?!
Ah well each to their own.
Find me a study that shows wearing a helmet reduces the chance of getting hit and injured. All the ones I've seen say otherwise.ds put it back in your jersey pocket.The other thing that i dont get is roadies who are clearly experienced, and often much quicker than myself that wont wear helmets. I know that there are arguments for and against helmets - you'd rather be finished quickly than paralysed from the waist down etc etc. But there are too many gormless car drivers out there, watching their sat nav rather than the road, who'd knock you off at a slow speed where you may otherwise dust yourself down and walk away from for me to want to take the risk. It seems that unless i'm missing something they think it also makes them more "hard core"?!
Ah well each to their own.oyster said:
XitUp said:
Raoul Duke said:
Another hater of those that discard gel wrappers in the hedges, you lazy bds put it back in your jersey pocket.
The other thing that i dont get is roadies who are clearly experienced, and often much quicker than myself that wont wear helmets. I know that there are arguments for and against helmets - you'd rather be finished quickly than paralysed from the waist down etc etc. But there are too many gormless car drivers out there, watching their sat nav rather than the road, who'd knock you off at a slow speed where you may otherwise dust yourself down and walk away from for me to want to take the risk. It seems that unless i'm missing something they think it also makes them more "hard core"?! Ah well each to their own.
Find me a study that shows wearing a helmet reduces the chance of getting hit and injured. All the ones I've seen say otherwise.ds put it back in your jersey pocket.The other thing that i dont get is roadies who are clearly experienced, and often much quicker than myself that wont wear helmets. I know that there are arguments for and against helmets - you'd rather be finished quickly than paralysed from the waist down etc etc. But there are too many gormless car drivers out there, watching their sat nav rather than the road, who'd knock you off at a slow speed where you may otherwise dust yourself down and walk away from for me to want to take the risk. It seems that unless i'm missing something they think it also makes them more "hard core"?!
Ah well each to their own.In races such as the TdF, the riders are going to take maximum risks whether they're wearing a helmet or not, and apart from official cars and motorbikes (which, we have seen twice this year are not guaranteed safe), there are no other road users.
As such, the fact of Tour riders wearing helmets or not isn't really relevant to the main overall argument.
i think its the law in france, one year when the tour started in luxembourg a good number took the helmet off and threw it on the road side as they entered france....
the proximity of other riders in a crash would be my key reason for wearing one were i a pro. hitting my head on the ground would be a minor issue compared to the fifty plus other bikes coming towards me at 50km/h....
the proximity of other riders in a crash would be my key reason for wearing one were i a pro. hitting my head on the ground would be a minor issue compared to the fifty plus other bikes coming towards me at 50km/h....
pablo said:
XitUp said:
Find me a study that shows wearing a helmet reduces the chance of getting hit and injured. All the ones I've seen say otherwise.
dont the arguments centre around the speed of impact, on slow impacts, helmets have been found to protect the head, at high speed impacts they have been found to be pretty much useless... but like any study, you can write it to get the result that you want...i have had a few crashes, one where i split the helmet from the back to the crown and i wear one for almost every ride. i still think its irresponsible not to wear one. the only thing that i find frustrating are parents who let children ride around with a helmet so loose or badly fitting that it will fall off in an accident.
have a look at the research from the NFL's "brain bank", they have done a lot of studies regarding impact of american football players and subsequent illnesses. i appreciate that is repetitive impacts but its interesting reading.
As for being able to write a study to fit your point of view, even the ones written by the people making bicycle helmets compulsory (in Australia, NYC, etc) have found they haven't reduced deaths.
Kermit power said:
Getting back to the original question, I find myself highly annoyed by female cyclists. Cute female cyclists with cute, pert arses and legs all covered in lycra.
They just never, ever ride at the right speed for me to sit pedalling behind them enjoying the view.
^^^ This, it's bordering on impolite. Speed up a bit lasses...They just never, ever ride at the right speed for me to sit pedalling behind them enjoying the view.
Kermit power said:
BliarOut said:
^^^ This, it's bordering on impolite. Speed up a bit lasses...
Sadly, all too many of the ones with the really cute arses drop me! They clearly put quite a few miles into getting those arses to look the way they do! 
XitUp said:
Have a look at how much brain and spinal injuries have gone up in American football since padding/helmets became mandatory.
As for being able to write a study to fit your point of view, even the ones written by the people making bicycle helmets compulsory (in Australia, NYC, etc) have found they haven't reduced deaths.
I'm guessing that's more down to the angle of hits, plus the size and speed of the playersAs for being able to write a study to fit your point of view, even the ones written by the people making bicycle helmets compulsory (in Australia, NYC, etc) have found they haven't reduced deaths.
The game is a lot faster and harder now than 20 years ago.
Plus as of the season just gone, the NFL is heavily penalising hard hits to the head
madbadger said:
No. I hate roadies who want 'multi skilled cyclists' to buy two sets of gear just to conform to some daft image.
I bet you don't like me wearing baggy MTB shorts and SPDs on the road bike either?
Back on topic, the most annoying thing other cyclists do (to fellow cyclists) must be unloading their sinuses just as you past them! I was hit with a face-full of snot earlier this year passing a couple of guy's out for a Sunday morning bumble - nice.
On the 'should one wear a helmet' debate, speaking from personal experience there is one answer (for me) - and that is yes! I am a roadie and an MTB-er and always wear a skid lid - which paid off 8 weeks ago. While riding off road I took a tumble from about 7 ft in the air at a mere 15.2 mph (had Garmin on the bike when I crashed), god knows how but I landed square on my head, knocked myself out for 10 mins, and did some serious damage! Just to put things into perspective I am quite experienced on and off road, and knew the route that I was riding so the 'not much experience' or 'riding in unfamiliar surroundings' arguments don't stand here!
I badly fractured my skull in 2 places, fractured my eye socket, fractured my upper and lower jaw, impacted 4 teeth, fractured my shoulder and shoulder socket, broke 3 ribs and fractured quite a few more, as well as a whole host of muscle damage and torn ligaments. The paramedic that peeled me off the forest floor was in absolutely no doubt whatsoever that I would have died without the skid lid, as all of the impact was on my head. The helmet was smashed to bits internally (although the outer shell was intact), so, a fair proportion of the energy was absorbed by the thick polystyrene internal lining - without it my fairly thin skull would have been in contact with the forest floor.
It was sobering to know that I could have died but for a £30 Giro helmet. And before anyone does the 'yeah but you were ttting around off road' argument, tarmac is a hell of a lot less forgiving than a forest floor.
This is what can happen with a helmet on;
On the 'should one wear a helmet' debate, speaking from personal experience there is one answer (for me) - and that is yes! I am a roadie and an MTB-er and always wear a skid lid - which paid off 8 weeks ago. While riding off road I took a tumble from about 7 ft in the air at a mere 15.2 mph (had Garmin on the bike when I crashed), god knows how but I landed square on my head, knocked myself out for 10 mins, and did some serious damage! Just to put things into perspective I am quite experienced on and off road, and knew the route that I was riding so the 'not much experience' or 'riding in unfamiliar surroundings' arguments don't stand here!
I badly fractured my skull in 2 places, fractured my eye socket, fractured my upper and lower jaw, impacted 4 teeth, fractured my shoulder and shoulder socket, broke 3 ribs and fractured quite a few more, as well as a whole host of muscle damage and torn ligaments. The paramedic that peeled me off the forest floor was in absolutely no doubt whatsoever that I would have died without the skid lid, as all of the impact was on my head. The helmet was smashed to bits internally (although the outer shell was intact), so, a fair proportion of the energy was absorbed by the thick polystyrene internal lining - without it my fairly thin skull would have been in contact with the forest floor.
It was sobering to know that I could have died but for a £30 Giro helmet. And before anyone does the 'yeah but you were t
tting around off road' argument, tarmac is a hell of a lot less forgiving than a forest floor.This is what can happen with a helmet on;
Good write up Maddad.
I too have, for the second time in my life, purchased a helmet, although there's probably been a 15 year gap. My last helmet broke when I was crushed between two cars (I was overtaking parked cars, someone tried to overtake me with an oncomming car heading towards them they simply crushed me onto the parked cars)
My son mentioned that I don't wear a helmet, so I went out and bought one. You'd have thought i'd have done it sooner!
I witnessed for the first time this week someone riding straight through a red whilst I was sat there waiting, you can't believe it, gives us cyclists a bad name.
I too have, for the second time in my life, purchased a helmet, although there's probably been a 15 year gap. My last helmet broke when I was crushed between two cars (I was overtaking parked cars, someone tried to overtake me with an oncomming car heading towards them they simply crushed me onto the parked cars)
My son mentioned that I don't wear a helmet, so I went out and bought one. You'd have thought i'd have done it sooner!
I witnessed for the first time this week someone riding straight through a red whilst I was sat there waiting, you can't believe it, gives us cyclists a bad name.
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