Cycling UK Forum

I was curious on the actual percentages of helmet wearers. Dont forget to vote

Yes because my wife would only let me cycle if I did and its not worth the argument!

Depends on the vehicle.

MrsBob would far rather I did on the upright, so I tend to; on the 'bent trike I don't, even she can see the futility there.

I've only recently STOPPED wearing one. In my commuting days I always wore it. The evidence is out there to say it makes little difference and some say worse. This forum has given me confidence I'm not defying death. I am more comfortable with a sun hat, beanie, Buff doobree or nothing at all. I've got long hair so it's preferable.

That said both my daughters (5&12) wear them, because in a similar vein to a post above, the aggro from their anti-cycling mother just isn't worth it...HC

I see the NOs are ahead, ..........ok I'll get me coat

You have a bit of a problem in getting anything other than a very, very skewed sample here.

To be on a club forum is skewed enough but then as any question about helmets is sent to this dirty dark back alley of the forum which respectable people prefer not to enter, the sample is as skewed as that famous report which Headway base all their statistics on.

In this case I think it will be skewed in favour of the "no"s.

For me, it depends on where or why I'm cycling.
Same as a seatbelt in the car ............. but don't tell anyone coz it's illegal not to wear one.

I chose sometimes beacause I occasionally try on helmets in the shop and try on my old one at home. Then I put them back on the shelf and get on with enjoying myself. I don't force my kid to wear one (no point because at 9 months he knew how to operate pretty much all forms of quick release buckles and what point is a helmet in the canal?!!! So I don't feel the need for road or cycle path riding with one other than to set him a good example. That failed when I only just caught it flying off as my partner set off the first ride after getting his helmet. Lasted less than a minute onhis head!!!

I will wear one if I go off road. SO sometimes sums it up.

Off road riding = always
Commuting = in the winter
Club rides = in the winter
Touring = never, just another bloody thing to carry about.

beardy wrote:You have a bit of a problem in getting anything other than a very, very skewed sample here.

To be on a club forum is skewed enough but then as any question about helmets is sent to this dirty dark back alley of the forum which respectable people prefer not to enter, the sample is as skewed as that famous report which Headway base all their statistics on.

In this case I think it will be skewed in favour of the "no"s.

I agree with this sentiment most people who wear one just do not bother with this bit it is just not worth the agro.

To make it less skewed, you just have to go out in the street and look. But if you were to look at magazines or the TV, it's totally skewed as cyclists generally won't be shown without them. AFAIK the BBC forbids it. A quick glance through a recent copy of Cycling Active has everyone (AFAICS) wearing one. That either means they all do or Cycling Active deliberately censors its pics.

Tangled Metal wrote: I don't force my kid to wear one (no point because at 9 months he knew how to operate pretty much all forms of quick release buckles and what point is a helmet in the canal?!!!

My son ate his!

I didnæt realise he had even taken it off, but when we got home, I saw that he was gnawing on it. There were several large bites taken out of the polystyrene. It was funny, though I worried a little bit about how the polystyrene would go through. It didn't seem to do him any harm, and I learned my lesson!

Edwards wrote:

beardy wrote:In this case I think it will be skewed in favour of the "no"s.

I agree with this sentiment most people who wear one just do not bother with this bit it is just not worth the agro.

I thought it might be skewed in favour of the 'sometimes', but there do appear to be more 'nos'.

Vorpal wrote:

Tangled Metal wrote: I don't force my kid to wear one (no point because at 9 months he knew how to operate pretty much all forms of quick release buckles and what point is a helmet in the canal?!!!

My son ate his!

I didnæt realise he had even taken it off, but when we got home, I saw that he was gnawing on it. There were several large bites taken out of the polystyrene. It was funny, though I worried a little bit about how the polystyrene would go through. It didn't seem to do him any harm, and I learned my lesson!

Teething time it is a risk but our lad just found other things to bite. Besides the helmet ends up strapped to the back of the child seat in the first 10 minutes, we have got used to catching it early on now so we don't have that ride back looking for it now. Once off it stays on the back of the seat. His big thing now, after taking the helmet off that is, involves tapping the back of the parent riding the bike. I think he taps to go faster. Adrenaline junky I think. He has a pretty funky Giro helmet I think with those two red LEDs on the back as part of the strapping. That was the helmet that lasted the longest on the head but he takes it off to play with the LEDs now.

BTW plan to get a £30 helmet when I gert my new bike. Think I will start wearing one again. The newer helmets I have found are actually a lot nicer to wear, they are the ones more rounded that the oval shape I think they used to be. The one I will get is one size fits all but it fits me like a head glove. Seriously nice fit for any helmet let alone a £30. At that price and fit I will become a Yes in this poll shortly.

Vorpal wrote:

Tangled Metal wrote: I don't force my kid to wear one (no point because at 9 months he knew how to operate pretty much all forms of quick release buckles and what point is a helmet in the canal?!!!

My son ate his!

I didnæt realise he had even taken it off, but when we got home, I saw that he was gnawing on it. There were several large bites taken out of the polystyrene. It was funny, though I worried a little bit about how the polystyrene would go through. It didn't seem to do him any harm, and I learned my lesson!

Good work son of Vorpal!

Polystyrene has horticultural uses: recently to aid draining. How is your son's drainage now?

I took an organic approach with my daughters as they seemed to drain quite well.

How do I turn my thread drift button to 'Off'?