[andyt]

Riding a bike is dangerous, especially because you're putting your life in other people's hands. Wearing a helmet gives a little protection and I'll take all I can get. It also seems to make drivers take you more seriously, maybe because they know you're a serious biker and not some ratbag that rides the wrong way etc. Law or no law, I've worn a helmet all my adult life and will continue to do so.

[bootlegga]

PublicAnimalNo9 PublicAnimalNo9:

andyt andyt:

Brenda Brenda:

I grew up without them, no one wears them there still, it's not like they help that much because of the material, and going 10 kms/hr...
Methinks next thing will be we are going to have to wear patted clothing and helmets to only walk on the sidewalk, let alone when we go hiking.

Take a watermelon and throw it at 10 kph at a wall, see what happens. And who only goes 10 kph on their bike?

Put a bike helmet on that watermelon, throw it at 10 kph at the wall, see what happens.

SNAP!

Take that logic!

[BartSimpson]

I see no problem with people choosing not to wear helmets. Especially motorcycle riders.

There's no end of people awaiting organ transplants depending upon the selfless sacrifices of motorcycle and bicycle riders for new organs.

[andyt]

Under US standards bike helmets are tested in 2 meter drops that achieve about 14 miles per hour (22.5 kph) on the flat anvil. In Europe the drop height is only 1.5 meters. Why so low, when bicyclists frequently exceed 14 mph in forward speed?

The typical bike crash involves a drop to the pavement. The important energy in that crash is supplied by gravity, not by forward speed. Although forward speed can contribute some additional energy, the main force is the attraction of gravity, and the impact severity is determined by the height of your head above the pavement when the fall begins. It is gravity that determines how fast your helmet closes with the pavement. Some of the crash energy is often "scrubbed off" by hitting first with other body parts. The typical bicycle crash impact occurs at a force level equating to about 1 meter (3 feet) of drop, or a falling speed of 10 MPH. The rider's forward speed before the crash may be considerably higher than that, but the speed of the head closing with the ground, plus a component of the forward speed, less any energy "scrubbed off" in other ways, normally average out at about 10 MPH.

So bike helmets are tested with a 2 meter (6.56 feet) drop. Motorcycle helmets are tested at 3 meters, about 17 mph. A really good bicycle helmet can handle that.

As a famous study showed years ago, helmets prevent about 85 percent of head injuries and 88 percent of brain injuries. Those are good odds. But that means that helmets did not prevent all brain injury for 12 percent of the study population. And they are designed to prevent catastrophic brain injury, not the milder forms of concussion. If they are softened to prevent mild concussions they will compress too fast and bottom out in the more severe impacts. Today's helmets may or may not be perfect in striking the balance, but we know they work well. Still, every bike helmet sold in the US has a sticker inside warning you that "no helmet can protect the wearer from all foreseeable impacts." That sticker is required by law.

[martin14]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

I see no problem with people choosing not to wear helmets. Especially motorcycle riders.

Why, thank you Bart


And you of course will agree with socialized medical care the innocent who don't
ride bicycles naturally have to pay for all these helmetless people
not taking care of themselves.

[Brenda]

andyt andyt:

Riding a bike is dangerous, especially because you're putting your life in other people's hands. Wearing a helmet gives a little protection and I'll take all I can get. It also seems to make drivers take you more seriously, maybe because they know you're a serious biker and not some ratbag that rides the wrong way etc. Law or no law, I've worn a helmet all my adult life and will continue to do so.

You wear leather against the road rash too?

[Brenda]

andyt andyt:

Think about the hills that lead to your little burg that I would have already done that on. Hills are part of the fun. Cars are OK as long as they have enough sense to give you room, and mostly they do.

Btw, there is one way into this town, and one way out. Highway. So if you "did" all the hills that lead to my little burg, you were on gravel road, deep into the woods, on roads that lead to nowhere. Just sayin

I call that mountain biking

[andyt]

Brenda Brenda:

andyt andyt:

Think about the hills that lead to your little burg that I would have already done that on. Hills are part of the fun. Cars are OK as long as they have enough sense to give you room, and mostly they do.

Btw, there is one way into this town, and one way out. Highway. So if you "did" all the hills that lead to my little burg, you were on gravel road, deep into the woods, on roads that lead to nowhere. Just sayin

I call that mountain biking

No, I would have taken the highway. I doubt if the hill in your town is more difficult than the climb from Hope to Alison Pass, or that wicked hill out of Osoyoos.

But read that quote I provided about how effective bike helmets are, and surprise to me, not that much less effective than a motorcycle helmet.

Motorcyclists have a higher injury rate than drivers. They still get brain injuries even with the helmets they wear. Are you against laws that mandate motorcycle helmets as well?

[Tricks]

I just don't ride bikes.

However when I see clowns on motorcycles on the 401 in shorts and a t-shirt that drives me nuts. When I have a bike, full gear + helmet, I'm not gonna fuck around with that.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

Tricks Tricks:

I just don't ride bikes.

However when I see clowns on motorcycles on the 401 in shorts and a t-shirt that drives me nuts. When I have a bike, full gear + helmet, I'm not gonna fuck around with that.

Honest to God, I saw some shmuck on a cafe racer wearing nothing but a helmet, shorts and sandals. Mind you, that was on Highway 2 but still....

[Brenda]

andyt andyt:

Brenda Brenda:

andyt andyt:

Think about the hills that lead to your little burg that I would have already done that on. Hills are part of the fun. Cars are OK as long as they have enough sense to give you room, and mostly they do.

Btw, there is one way into this town, and one way out. Highway. So if you "did" all the hills that lead to my little burg, you were on gravel road, deep into the woods, on roads that lead to nowhere. Just sayin

I call that mountain biking

No, I would have taken the highway. I doubt if the hill in your town is more difficult than the climb from Hope to Alison Pass, or that wicked hill out of Osoyoos.

But read that quote I provided about how effective bike helmets are, and surprise to me, not that much less effective than a motorcycle helmet.

Motorcyclists have a higher injury rate than drivers. They still get brain injuries even with the helmets they wear. Are you against laws that mandate motorcycle helmets as well?

No, just as I am not against wearing seat belts. The difference is the speed and the breaks tho. With a bicycle, you have 2 very thin wheels, that when you break, will have you stopped within 2 or 3 meters. (btw, Tour de France racers are imho completely nuts for going the speeds they do, with NO protection at all.) Mind you, I am talking about recreational cyclists, not mountain bikers going downhill in the mountains with trees and roots and shit every where, but just city cyclists. Mountain biking is a sport. My kids used to race BMX's, and yes, they wore helmets.

[fifeboy]

andyt andyt:

fifeboy fifeboy:

I wear one, but on really hot days it's a pain.

Get a good one with lots of ventilation. I see lots of people now with these weird helmets that look like kyaking helmets or something - solid plastic with a couple of air holes drilled in them. Don't see how they can wear those. But a good Giro with more open space than material won't make you too hot.

Good advice. I am in need of a new one.

[andyt]

Try stopping a loaded touring bike in 2 or 3 meters from 30 kph. Or a road bike actually, since you'll just lose traction and slide. (Note that it's spelled brake) To stop in 3m you would have to be riding very slowly, But I'm not sure what your point is here. You want to do your chuggle around type of riding, great. Just don't spoil it for everyone else.

[Brenda]

$1:

Try stopping a loaded touring bike in 2 or 3 meters from 30 kph.

2 kids, groceries. Daily basis. No helmet. We all survived. Busy roads. Really, it IS doable without stupid laws.

Wear a helmet all you want, just don't bother me with that bullshit. Does that explain my opinion on this one? Don't make it law. Nanny state - milk cow. Clear enough?

[andyt]

Brenda Brenda:

Wear a helmet all you want, just don't bother me with that bullshit. Does that explain my opinion on this one? Don't make it law. Nanny state - milk cow. Clear enough?

If you support motorcycle and seatbelt laws, you can't now be whining about nanny state in regard to bike helmets. Well you could, but you would be wrong.