CTC Members: Helmet usage

[Mike Sales]

I have never worn one, and never will. If the absurd things are made compulsory I shall have to take whatever punishment is decreed.

[hubgearfreak]

to answer the OP's original Q, 5 out of 8 wore helmets today.

[manonbike]

I've got to say having had on road and off road motorcyles I feel undressed without a helmet, have been known to turn around at end of road if I've forgotton my cycle helmet, I just feel safer with it on. Whether they do work or not depends on what kind of debuncking you get, I guess foreveryone who hasn't sustained a bumped head or worse, there will be someone who has. There was an article in the Daily Telegraph yesterday about James Cracknel, apparently he was knocked off his bike by a lorry 10 weeks ago while filming in the States, he sustained head injuries and some other stuff, he may have been thankfull of his helmet But for me I prefere to wear one.

Martyn.

[Gearoidmuar]

There were 20 on the July CTC Lejog this year and 17 wore helmets at all times, one wore one intermittently and 2 never wore them. Most were CTC members. I've worn one, almost always for about 22 years. When I first started cycling in France, almost no-one wore them, but now, almost everyone does. In Ireland most leisure cyclists do.

[Si]

I find that it's the older, more experienced members of the the club that tend to go lid-less. The younger, or more recently taken up cycling, are more likely to wear one. But, of course, there are some in both camps that do the opposite.

I guess it's just a reflection that those that have ridden for many years have come to the conclusion that they've never needed one before (even if they have been involved in a few crashes) so why suddenly start now? Whereas those new to cycling, have been introduced to it in a world where most photos in popular cycling mags are of helmeted riders, all the racers wear helmets, and where there is a general consensus amongst those that haven't looked beyond the "common sense" view that cycling is dangerous and that helmets mitigate this.

[millimole]

For the 'stats' - I don't wear a helmet, although I have occasionally in the past. I am a rider of about 40 years, and have had around 5 'notable offs' and on only one of them hit my head (and then the ambulance crew said that a helmet may well have snagged on the undergrowth and strangled me, or snapped my neck, as I slid - so who knows?)

[Gearoidmuar]

those that haven't looked beyond the "common sense" view that cycling is dangerous and that helmets mitigate this.

Whatever about helmets and risk compensation (no doubt a real phenomenon) I could only regard cycling as being at least somewhat dangerous. I've been struck by a car, as was one of my best friends. A former training friend of mine died after a fall from a bike (no car involved). Another friend of mine died after a snapped seatpin. I knew four other cyclists in my time who were killed by cars. Maybe I'm not your average guy statistically, but cycling is not breathtakingly safe.

[Si]

those that haven't looked beyond the "common sense" view that cycling is dangerous and that helmets mitigate this.

Whatever about helmets and risk compensation (no doubt a real phenomenon) I could only regard cycling as being at least somewhat dangerous. I've been struck by a car, as was one of my best friends. A former training friend of mine died after a fall from a bike (no car involved). Another friend of mine died after a snapped seatpin. I knew four other cyclists in my time who were killed by cars. Maybe I'm not your average guy statistically, but cycling is not breathtakingly safe.

I think that you've missed my point a little. I don't deny that there are dangers involved - certainly I've ended up in hospital due to cycling injuries. But, the points that I was raising were:
1, you can look at many activities and find similar accounts of people being killed or seriously injured - but they don't have knee-jerk calls for helmets every time something bad happens
2, just because there are dangers associated with cycling, it does not mean that helmets automatically mitigate against them
3, thus, rather than just either using or not using a helmet because of "common knowledge" assumptions, it might be worth looking beyond these and trying to get a better idea of what the real dangers are and how much a helmet would help or hinder you in staying safe.

I'm not telling anyone that they should or should not wear a helmet, rather I am suggesting that they should take time to look at the body of knowledge concerning the risks involved and the effectiveness of helmets before making their decision. Others, apparently, disagree with this view!

[Gearoidmuar]

I didn't talk about wearing helmets. I said "whatever about..."

[ferrit worrier]

Put me down as a "Yes" and definitely after last winter, came off on some ice and head smacked the deck it put a nice crease in the side of the helmet, that could have been me on a trip to A+E. instead I got up and walked the bike off the ice. I was lucky as this was a track through a local park and not many people about.

I found studded tyres much more of a safety bonus than a helmet last winter. Not that I'm arguing using a helmet as well - but the the studded tyres can revolutionise your winter riding.

I was taking a short cut, all the local roads had been clear for a few days but this track through the park was under some trees and I didn't see it until I was on it, weird really as I knew I was coming off, just didn't know when bike went left and I skated down the track on my back like an upturned wood lice, arms and legs in the air

[Jonty]

4 out of 4 wearing helmets yesterday.
jonty

[CJ]

those that haven't looked beyond the "common sense" view that cycling is dangerous and that helmets mitigate this.

Whatever about helmets and risk compensation (no doubt a real phenomenon) I could only regard cycling as being at least somewhat dangerous. I've been struck by a car, as was one of my best friends. A former training friend of mine died after a fall from a bike (no car involved). Another friend of mine died after a snapped seatpin. I knew four other cyclists in my time who were killed by cars. Maybe I'm not your average guy statistically, but cycling is not breathtakingly safe.

I'd take a bet that most if not all of those collisions ocurred on out-of-town A roads, which are much used by racers like yourself for training etc. DfT statistics show that these roads are waaaay more dangerous to cycle on than other roads. On those you get 240 deaths per billion rider km, compared to only 5 for urban non-A roads where most cycling is done.

So for racers and their racer friends, who do a lot of mileage on the fast, open and smooth roads that racers delight in using, cycling really is a danger sport. Even simple falls are more likely to be fatal the faster you hit the deck. Likewise mountain-biking, with its emphasis on thrills and spills. But for the rest of us it actually is a pretty safe means of transport: provided we find a route that avoids fast A-roads, which mostly we can and do.

In a country like Britain however, that has lost its normal cycling culture, new cyclists of all persuasions tend to assume that racers (road or off-road) are the experts and pick up all sorts of inappropriate ideas from their example, of which helmet wearing is but one.

[Jonty]

Interesting. Perhaps "cycling" should not be so readily viewed as one "standard" activity which is relatively safe; it very much depends on where you do it and how you do it.
In other words some types of cyling are relatively safe and some aren't.
Serious accidents on urban roads involving lorries is also obviously a matter of concern.
I see families with children cycling in places I would avoid like the plague and would only use if there were no alternative. They often seem to be relatively inexperienced.
"Safety awareness" is I suspect not as widely appreciated as it should be. I suppose it comes with experience, at least I hope so.
I've seen what looks like experienced cyclists flying past me with earphones plugged in their ears. I find that extraordinary - I'm fairly deaf but I can still hear cars coming up behind me.
jonty

[[XAP]Bob]

I do for "long" journeys, not for quick jaunts.

The last poster suggested (quite rightly) that different bits of cycling incur different dangers.

Peleton riding is clearly a reasonably high risk of a nice low energy collision (in which a helmet could well do you good)
Time trialling (officially or as a commute )is somewhere in the middle
Cruising along a cycle path across a park is as low a risk as anything

[kwackers]

I've seen what looks like experienced cyclists flying past me with earphones plugged in their ears. I find that extraordinary - I'm fairly deaf but I can still hear cars coming up behind me.
jonty

Helmets reduce that ability. They increase wind noise, particularly into a head wind.
With a tail wind (and helmet) I can hear a car doing around 40mph half a mile back from it's tyre noise, with a head wind I won't hear the car until it's actually overtaking.
Things improve somewhat without the helmet. (Although I'm of the opinion people put more emphasis on the importance of hearing than it merits)