Glad I had a lid.

For all discussions about this "lively" subject. All topics that are substantially about helmet usage will be moved here.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Glad I had a lid.

Post by [XAP]Bob »

TonyR wrote:
Manc33 wrote:Along a canal path at -3c I tried to get up a kerb not realizing every atom of its surface was ice, the back wheel slid, I went off to the left and hit my face on a tree and got scratches on my face, I was about 3 feet from falling down a big drop. To this day I don't know if I got KO'd or not but I remember having to sit down on the floor for a few minutes. I carried on the bike ride with a face full of blood and went past numerous people that didn't point it out to me. I needed a mirror more than anything lol. Needless to say I got a helmet pretty sharpish after that and never haven't worn one since.


Do you wear your helmet on your face?

I worked with a keen mtb rider who was going home after a ride and clipped a parked car. He smashed his face - broke both cheekbones, multiple breaks to the jaw, lost all but 2 or 3 teeth...

Yes he was wearing a helmet - it never contacted anything.
He was back on his bike after a few months - but with a full face helmet mandated by his doctor (quite reasonably given this dangers involved in another facial collision)
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Vorpal
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Re: Glad I had a lid.

Post by Vorpal »

Manc33 wrote:Along a canal path at -3c I tried to get up a kerb not realizing every atom of its surface was ice, the back wheel slid, I went off to the left and hit my face on a tree and got scratches on my face, I was about 3 feet from falling down a big drop. To this day I don't know if I got KO'd or not but I remember having to sit down on the floor for a few minutes. I carried on the bike ride with a face full of blood and went past numerous people that didn't point it out to me. I needed a mirror more than anything lol. Needless to say I got a helmet pretty sharpish after that and never haven't worn one since.

I recommend studded tyres. :wink:
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irc
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Re: Glad I had a lid.

Post by irc »

[XAP]Bob wrote:I worked with a keen mtb rider who was going home after a ride and clipped a parked car. He smashed his face - broke both cheekbones, multiple breaks to the jaw, lost all but 2 or 3 teeth...


I find not riding in the doorzone avoids this type of crash as well as doorings.

I worked with a keen racing club cyclist. He once did a respectable time Doing Ben Nevis, Scaffell and Snowdon while cycling the bits inbetween. He ended his cycling and working career by cycling head down into the back of a parked bus. His helmet didn't prevent his spinal injuries.

There is a minority of riders that don't seem to think past helmets. As I've said before this blogpost gives a great example with headcam footage of an avoidable crash where the victims reaction instead of focusing on whether the crash was avoidable was to state

“Any cyclist who goes out without a helmet telling his wife and children he loves them is lying.”


http://beyondthekerb.org.uk/2014/12/12/ ... -happened/
TonyR
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Re: Glad I had a lid.

Post by TonyR »

[XAP]Bob wrote:I worked with a keen mtb rider who was going home after a ride and clipped a parked car. He smashed his face - broke both cheekbones, multiple breaks to the jaw, lost all but 2 or 3 teeth...

Yes he was wearing a helmet - it never contacted anything.


My daughter came off her bike when a pedestrian walked out in front of her. Broken nose, chipped teeth and road rash on her chin, All the medics in A&E berated her for not wearing a helmet :roll:
Steady rider
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Re: Glad I had a lid.

Post by Steady rider »

Figure 1 Percentage of injuries to child cyclists, page 4

http://www.cycle-helmets.com/au-assessment-2015.pdf

The 24% figure for face compared with 10% for upper head portion seems to check out from the replies.

Riding into parked vehicles I think is about 5%-7% of the more serious accidents but would need checking out.
Mattyfez
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Re: Glad I had a lid.

Post by Mattyfez »

That's the thing I really don't get.. Why don't helmet advocates wear proper motorbike helmets... The clearly offer far more protection than a cycle helmet.. And would prevent broken teeth and noses.
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Mick F
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Re: Glad I had a lid.

Post by Mick F »

Mattyfez wrote:That's the thing I really don't get.. Why don't helmet advocates wear proper motorbike helmets... The clearly offer far more protection than a cycle helmet.. And would prevent broken teeth and noses.
Yes, very true indeed.

The trouble with helmets, is that they are either heavy and effective, or light and less effective.
The cyclist needs to keep cool when riding, the motorcyclist needs to keep warm when riding.
BIG difference in the needs of the two.
One is complete and covers the head and face and is strong and tough, the other have vents and and is skimpy and ventilated.

Try riding a bike up a long long hill on a hot day, whilst wearing a good motorbike helmet. :shock:
Mick F. Cornwall
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Glad I had a lid.

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Mattyfez wrote:That's the thing I really don't get.. Why don't helmet advocates wear proper motorbike helmets... The clearly offer far more protection than a cycle helmet.. And would prevent broken teeth and noses.

I considered getting one when I was thinking about a high speed descent of Mt Ventoux - but that's a rather edge case.... And would have had additional gear as well...
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Manc33
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Re: Glad I had a lid.

Post by Manc33 »

sry :oops:
Last edited by Manc33 on 4 Feb 2016, 5:39pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Manc33
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Re: Glad I had a lid.

Post by Manc33 »

I still don't know what "lid" means. I thought OP meant he got caught in the rain and he only had a tupperware lid to use as a rain hat, or something.

TonyR wrote:
Manc33 wrote:Along a canal path at -3c I tried to get up a kerb not realizing every atom of its surface was ice, the back wheel slid, I went off to the left and hit my face on a tree and got scratches on my face, I was about 3 feet from falling down a big drop. To this day I don't know if I got KO'd or not but I remember having to sit down on the floor for a few minutes. I carried on the bike ride with a face full of blood and went past numerous people that didn't point it out to me. I needed a mirror more than anything lol. Needless to say I got a helmet pretty sharpish after that and never haven't worn one since.


Do you wear your helmet on your face?


No but the fronts of bicycle helmets have a ridge on that would have stopped my face touching the tree.

Image

So, ner-ner-ne-ner-ner. :lol:

The condescending looking guy above has his on a lot higher than I do, I have it so the bottom of the ridge is just above my eyebrows.
We'll always be together, together on electric bikes.
kwackers
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Re: Glad I had a lid.

Post by kwackers »

Manc33 wrote:The condescending looking guy above has his on a lot higher than I do, I have it so the bottom of the ridge is just above my eyebrows.

All that means is the top of your head will stop (or slow) and the lower half helpfully propelled by your body weight will continue smashing your jaw into the unfortunate tree.
If all you got were scratches I suspect you didn't hit it that hard... :wink:
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Vantage
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Re: Glad I had a lid.

Post by Vantage »

The only accident I ever had which resulted in amnesia was when I wore a helmet.
I was in my late teens. Wore a helmet for many years afterwards in the belief that it saved my life despite constantly cracking my skull many more times in many more accidents.
Oddly enough, since losing the plastic hat, I've yet to bump my head.

A helmet, no one can disagree, will save you the cuts and grazes. But the actual damage to the brain or neck resulting in paralyses or deadification? I don't think so.
Bill


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BigFoz
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Re: Glad I had a lid.

Post by BigFoz »

I've had a number of head injuries from crashes while wearing helmets. The only one where I can categorically say the helmet saved me life threatening damage was when I slid down the road on my head in some kind of perverse 25mph headstand. The plastic shell and a chunk of the styrofoam was ground through - to a depth of about 1-1.5". had there been no helmet, I'd have likely worn through my skull.

I rode motorbikes for many years, always wore a helmet, scraped and banged many in various offs

I played in goal at hockey for many years, always wearing a helmet (and box) and occasionally stopped a 60+mph ball with my head / face, very occasionally with my box. Interestingly, I tended to be able to dodge much better when the box area was threatened than when my head was threatened, being more than happy to take a ball to the head, but not other places... That may reinforce the belief that wearing a helmet makes you more prepared to take risks. (But does it mean wearing a box makes you risk averse?)

I'm convinced that helmets, while they may not work in every circumstances, on balance work more than they don't work.
PhilWhitehurst
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Re: Glad I had a lid.

Post by PhilWhitehurst »

BigFoz wrote:I've had a number of head injuries from crashes while wearing helmets. The only one where I can categorically say the helmet saved me life threatening damage was when I slid down the road on my head in some kind of perverse 25mph headstand. The plastic shell and a chunk of the styrofoam was ground through - to a depth of about 1-1.5". had there been no helmet, I'd have likely worn through my skull.

I rode motorbikes for many years, always wore a helmet, scraped and banged many in various offs

I played in goal at hockey for many years, always wearing a helmet (and box) and occasionally stopped a 60+mph ball with my head / face, very occasionally with my box. Interestingly, I tended to be able to dodge much better when the box area was threatened than when my head was threatened, being more than happy to take a ball to the head, but not other places... That may reinforce the belief that wearing a helmet makes you more prepared to take risks. (But does it mean wearing a box makes you risk averse?)

I'm convinced that helmets, while they may not work in every circumstances, on balance work more than they don't work.


Sounds like you need to take less risks rather than think you can because you wear a helmet.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Glad I had a lid.

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Grinding through bone takes a lot more effort than grinding through polystyrene...

It would have been painful and nasty, no doubt - but the skull is quite tough.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
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