Cycling Without A Helmet Around a City...
Discussion
Yes, they are indeed f
king idiots.
going through a redlight without knowing where the cars are coming from and if they are coming is signing your own deathwish. Which is why I stop at major ones, as I simply don't know where things could come from, bus lanes, people turning right etc. The ones I tend to go through are fairly safe to do so (on a bike).
king idiots.going through a redlight without knowing where the cars are coming from and if they are coming is signing your own deathwish. Which is why I stop at major ones, as I simply don't know where things could come from, bus lanes, people turning right etc. The ones I tend to go through are fairly safe to do so (on a bike).
Marty Funkhouser said:
sjg said:
N Dentressangle said:
I'm not a cyclist so have no axe to grind - are helmets a UK fad?
A US "fad", which made its way to the UK along with everything else. No coincidence that most of the helmet manufacturers are US-based (or US-originated) and have a vested interest in portraying cycling as being more dangerous than it is.Helmet compulsion laws lead to lower cycling rates, and there have been dozens of studies that show cycling rates and cyclist injuries/deaths are inversely linked.
Personally - I wouldn't ride without a helmet off-road. If I'm going for a 4 hour road ride I'd wear one as a matter of course. If I'm racing I'm compelled to. If I'm nipping down to the shops I tend not to bother - and yes, that's in the big scary city that is London.
Edited by sjg on Thursday 13th May 11:46
TEKNOPUG said:
okgo said:
How so? If there are no cars coming from the direction that is on green what possible reason apart from a legal aspect (which again I am not interested in) would I stop for?
You drive in your car that way as well?Do I break the law when driving? Yes, frequently.
I don't bother with a lid on roads with my mountain bike, but I do always wear one off road (after nearly a week in hospital with BIG concussion in my teenage years 
).
However if I was to get a road bike I think I'd wear one as they can go so much faster than a mountain bike. Years ago when I did the LtoB I felt very aware of my own mortality travel down the other side of the Beacon in top gear with my pedals spinning as fast as feet could turn them.
I also hope they never mandate helmets.
).However if I was to get a road bike I think I'd wear one as they can go so much faster than a mountain bike. Years ago when I did the LtoB I felt very aware of my own mortality travel down the other side of the Beacon in top gear with my pedals spinning as fast as feet could turn them.
I also hope they never mandate helmets.
okgo said:
TEKNOPUG said:
okgo said:
How so? If there are no cars coming from the direction that is on green what possible reason apart from a legal aspect (which again I am not interested in) would I stop for?
You drive in your car that way as well?Do I break the law when driving? Yes, frequently.
Marty Funkhouser said:
sjg said:
N Dentressangle said:
I'm not a cyclist so have no axe to grind - are helmets a UK fad?
A US "fad", which made its way to the UK along with everything else. No coincidence that most of the helmet manufacturers are US-based (or US-originated) and have a vested interest in portraying cycling as being more dangerous than it is.I would do it without thinking twice and the opinion of some pathological worrier on PH doesn't even appear on my mind.
Make it illegal
You must be mad.TEKNOPUG said:
okgo said:
TEKNOPUG said:
okgo said:
How so? If there are no cars coming from the direction that is on green what possible reason apart from a legal aspect (which again I am not interested in) would I stop for?
You drive in your car that way as well?Do I break the law when driving? Yes, frequently.
You're forgetting my bike weighs 8kg, my cars weighs 1800kg.
TEKNOPUG said:
The vast majority of red lights in cities are for pedestrian crossings. Do you treat them as "Give way signs" when you are driving and go straight through them if they are red but no one is crossing? If not, why not? Seems exactly the same principle as you advocate for cycling....
I suspect not. Why not?License plate.
On the US question regarding motorcycle helmets it is state-dependent. California law says you must wear a helmet, Arizona doesn't. I tried both but shat myself in Arizona, plus shades really don't stop your eyes watering at triple-digit leptons.
The RLJ issue is a can of worms.
I firmly believe that any driver who regularly breaks the speed limit (i.e. all of us) has no leg to stand on when criticising cycling RLJers.
They are essentially the same thing; a victimless crime.
At a pedestrian crossing in the middle of nowhere with good visibility you are harming no one by jumping the light. Likewise doing 75mph on the motorway at 2am on Sunday or whatever.
PS I don't RLJ (ever) simply because it makes irrational drivers (i.e. all of them) totally mad. I would rather keep the moral high ground and not add to the already dangerous levels of road rage.
It's actually more unsafe if cyclists wear helmets. 
In countries with lower helmet use, there are more people cycling and less accidents for cyclists.
okgo is actually unselfishly encouraging making the country a safer environment for all cyclists.
http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1079.html
In countries with lower helmet use, there are more people cycling and less accidents for cyclists.
okgo is actually unselfishly encouraging making the country a safer environment for all cyclists.
http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1079.html
okgo said:
TEKNOPUG said:
okgo said:
TEKNOPUG said:
okgo said:
How so? If there are no cars coming from the direction that is on green what possible reason apart from a legal aspect (which again I am not interested in) would I stop for?
You drive in your car that way as well?Do I break the law when driving? Yes, frequently.
You're forgetting my bike weighs 8kg, my cars weighs 1800kg.
Better than all the rest of the cycling mafia who just scream "IT'S JUST DIFFERENT, ALRIGHT!!!!" when posed with the same question
el stovey said:
It's actually more unsafe if cyclists wear helmets.
In countries with lower helmet use, there are more people cycling and less accidents for cyclists.
okgo is actually unselfishly encouraging making the country a safer environment for all cyclists.
http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1079.html
In countries with lower helmet use, there are more people cycling and less accidents for cyclists.
okgo is actually unselfishly encouraging making the country a safer environment for all cyclists.
http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1079.html
@Tekno, yes, I am not one of those, I respect peoples rights to cross a road without some clown on a Cervelo cutting them up. After all when I'm crossing a road and someone does it to me, I am not happy. But if its safe to continue without unclipping then thats what I'd rather do.
Edited by okgo on Thursday 13th May 12:27
One of the guys I used to work with suggested the cyclists LEAST likely to be knocked off are pretty blonde females in floaty summer dresses. They are seen as exposed and at risk by other road users, and avoided accordingly. (To be fair, if I tried it, people would run over me so they didn't have to see me in a floaty summer dress.)
My 2p:
We SHARE the roads with lots of other road users. When I drive, I keep an eye out for cyclists, and try to leave space accordingly. When cycling, I make use of the gaps, but never assume I've been seen.
When I go for a road bike session, I wear bright coloured lycra, helmet and gloves, and ride quickly and safely. When I pop to the pub, I wear pub clothes, leave the helmet and gloves at home, and ride slowly and defensively. (Usually because I don't want to arrive sweaty, and have to look after the missus who is not as confident as I am.)
My 2p:
We SHARE the roads with lots of other road users. When I drive, I keep an eye out for cyclists, and try to leave space accordingly. When cycling, I make use of the gaps, but never assume I've been seen.
When I go for a road bike session, I wear bright coloured lycra, helmet and gloves, and ride quickly and safely. When I pop to the pub, I wear pub clothes, leave the helmet and gloves at home, and ride slowly and defensively. (Usually because I don't want to arrive sweaty, and have to look after the missus who is not as confident as I am.)
TEKNOPUG said:
The vast majority of red lights in cities are for pedestrian crossings. Ddo you treat them as "Give way signs" when you are driving and go straight through them if they are red but no one is crossing? If not, why not? Seems exactly the same principle as you advocate for cycling....
Survey says no! Sorry but that's just not true. The vast majority of traffic lights in cities are at junctions. militantmandy said:
TEKNOPUG said:
The vast majority of red lights in cities are for pedestrian crossings. Ddo you treat them as "Give way signs" when you are driving and go straight through them if they are red but no one is crossing? If not, why not? Seems exactly the same principle as you advocate for cycling....
Survey says no! Sorry but that's just not true. The vast majority of traffic lights in cities are at junctions. okgo said:
el stovey said:
It's actually more unsafe if cyclists wear helmets.
In countries with lower helmet use, there are more people cycling and less accidents for cyclists.
okgo is actually unselfishly encouraging making the country a safer environment for all cyclists.
http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1079.html
In countries with lower helmet use, there are more people cycling and less accidents for cyclists.
okgo is actually unselfishly encouraging making the country a safer environment for all cyclists.
http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1079.html
@Tekno, yes, I am not one of those, I respect peoples rights to cross a road without some clown on a Cervelo cutting them up. After all when I'm crossing a road and someone does it to me, I am not happy. But if its safe to continue without unclipping then thats what I'd rather do.
On the helmet point, I spent a bit of time in Dordrecht, NL a few years ago - loads of people including kids cycle everywhere around the urban areas, very few wear helmets and they have right of way everywhere so cars drive slowly, especially during school ride times (not school run). Very few accidents as everyone is expecting loads of cyclists.
In my experience of cycling in UK cities, it's impatience and frustration from cyclists, pedestrians and drivers that cause the accidents. I've fallen/been knocked off many times on and off road and only had to replace my helmet once due to it sustaining an impact. Most of the time my head just doesn't hit the ground.
Want to improve cycle safety? Improve the standards of all road users.
Edited by ewenm on Thursday 13th May 14:04
TEKNOPUG said:
militantmandy said:
TEKNOPUG said:
The vast majority of red lights in cities are for pedestrian crossings. Ddo you treat them as "Give way signs" when you are driving and go straight through them if they are red but no one is crossing? If not, why not? Seems exactly the same principle as you advocate for cycling....
Survey says no! Sorry but that's just not true. The vast majority of traffic lights in cities are at junctions. I've just done a quick count from a model and Grimsby town centre has 18ish signalised junctions and about 17 signal controlled crossings. So maybe I should have just said the majority, rather than the "vast" majority!
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