London to Brighton - when were helmets mandated?

[mattheus]

Anyone know?

[And - with a large nod to Douglas Adams - a big side-order of "Why?"]

[Jdsk]

The question was asked in 2013... but not answered!
viewtopic.php?p=681367#p681367

On Why:
I can't see anything in the FAQs:
https://www.londonbrightoncycle.co.uk/faqs/

Elsewhere on the site it says:
"A helmet is required to take part in the race, as large parts will be on open roads. ":
https://www.londonbrightoncycle.co.uk/w ... your-ride/

They ought to say. And obviously some people will disagree.

Jonathan

[deeferdonk]

I tried a google image for "london to brighton cycle ride 2009" and one of the top photos shows a couple of riders without helmets - although most riders seem to be wearing them. "london to brighton cycle ride 2010" search shows everyone wearing helmets to the first few photos that definitely seem to be attributed to the ride.

Not very scientific but could be then - but presumably helmets were recommended before they were mandated, and even if mandated may not have been enforced, so hard to tell exactly from this method.

[deeferdonk]

a bit more detective work using the wayback machine:

https://web.archive.org/web/20130320120 ... aspx#bring

From 2013

What kit do I need to bring?
Taking part in a charity bike ride that involves over 50 miles of cycling means that its not only you that has to be in good shape, the bicycle you ride does too! As well as your bike it is essential you have a helmet and a pair of gloves.

Not sure if that means helmets and gloves are mandated or just heavily recommended!

[Jdsk]

a bit more detective work using the wayback machine:

https://web.archive.org/web/20130320120 ... aspx#bring

Nice work.

Jonathan

[mattheus]

Thank you both. It was always going to be a big ask to find by inference!
EDIT: cross-post

<snip...>
Elsewhere on the site it says:
"A helmet is required to take part in the race, as large parts will be on open roads. ":
https://www.londonbrightoncycle.co.uk/w ... your-ride/
<snip...>

It's of no consequence to the world, but that really is the most pathetic excuse I've seen for such a mandate

[fatmac]

It is quoting the 'race'- where the first riders do race the course - so not necessarily for all participants...

[cycle tramp]

The question was asked in 2013... but not answered!
viewtopic.php?p=681367#p681367

On Why:
I can't see anything in the FAQs:
https://www.londonbrightoncycle.co.uk/faqs/

Elsewhere on the site it says:
"A helmet is required to take part in the race, as large parts will be on open roads. ":
https://www.londonbrightoncycle.co.uk/w ... your-ride/

They ought to say. And obviously some people will disagree.

Jonathan

..perhaps a better reason may have been...

Whilst you, yourself can stay up right in any reasonable road condition, and therefore not see any benefit of using a helmet... you will be riding in a large group which will have varying degrees of road craft, bicycle control, risk awareness and utter stupidity....

[awavey]

British Cycling mandated helmets for sportives registered with them in 2014. which was the year I first started doing sportives and I never saw anyone without a helmet take part after that. It was supposedly an event insurance think to avoid liabilities if a rider got injured as most of the policies recommended wearing a helmet, just copy/pasted from the highway code, and they so deemed it necessary to mandate it to be safe from ambulance chasing lawyers.

though iirc it was a topic that was raised throughout 2013, as some sportives didnt mandate it, some did, some made you sign a waiver etc etc.

[Tinpotflowers]

I saw tge end of L2B 2025 I saw few riders with no helmets.

[mjr]

..perhaps a better reason may have been...

Whilst you, yourself can stay up right in any reasonable road condition, and therefore not see any benefit of using a helmet... you will be riding in a large group which will have varying degrees of road craft, bicycle control, risk awareness and utter stupidity....

That doesn't seem like a better reason because cycle helmets are neither designed nor tested for collisions with other cyclists.

Even so, I suspect the drawback of increased risk taking by users will outweigh the benefit of impact protection on one small part of the head.