Blik desperately seeking...

[SwissVan]

Perhaps' date=' like millions around the world, he simply chooses not to wear a helmet.  Or perhaps he knows that his chance of falling are extremely low, his chances of hitting his head are a fraction of that (and even lower because he is not wearing a helmet) and should all these eventualities come to pass, the chances of his helmet providing adequate protection is a fraction of that fraction.[/quote']

 

Aaah... Linnega the helmetless one

Those odds give a false sense of security, In +/- 20 years of cycling I have only had 1 road accident and I?m glad I wore my helmet that day, if not the back of my head would be ingrained in the tar at the intersection of Rivonia and Sandton drive. <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

IMO it makes all those other times where it was ?not needed? seem insignificant.....

 

 

[Joe Low]

Perhaps' date=' like millions around the world, he simply chooses not to wear a helmet.  Or perhaps he knows that his chance of falling are extremely low, his chances of hitting his head are a fraction of that (and even lower because he is not wearing a helmet) and should all these eventualities come to pass, the chances of his helmet providing adequate protection is a fraction of that fraction.[/quote']

 

This is not a "cleaver" thing to say, your a moderator, you must set a standard and the answer to this topic should always be : because you just wear a helmet! full stop

 

Just saying - there should not be a option about this. Like wearing a seatbelt on the N1 - you just do it for that 0.000001% chance

 

Being a moderator has nothing to do with expressing a view on helmets.  It seemed to me Linnega wasn't even doing that, he was speculating on someone else's thought pattern.

 

It's a very unpleasant world where we are all told to think and do the same thing.

 

"you must set a standard " - what a completely ridiculous thing to say.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SwissVan]

 

The helmet debate was once # 3 on the hub debating list (3rd to Lance and Doping). Interestingly a number of studies have revealed that wearing a bicycle helmet has its dangers and could increase the likelihood of being involved in an accident and even increasing your risk of head injury.

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[Willehond]

 

The helmet debate was once # 3 on the hub debating list (3rd to Lance and Doping). Interestingly a number of studies have revealed that wearing a bicycle helmet has its dangers and could increase the likelihood of being involved in an accident and even increasing your risk of head injury.

<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

SwissVan, even though I think the helmet thing is overdone, those dodgy UK studies you are quoting were seriously flawed in their analysis if you ask me.  saying things like""a helmet makes your head size bigger and therefor more likely to be hit when you fall" and "you feel invincible when you wear a helmet" is in the loonybin territory!

[Spud]

Maybe he just forgot his helmet and decided to take a chance today?

 

So... if you forget your shoes... Do you still go ride in your flip flops or trainers that you drove in?

I think not.

Eeeeeeeeeerm! Saw a guy in the Herald this year rding with a pair of CROCS! He told us they were lying on the lounge floor in East London..................

[Joe Low]

I wear a helmet here because the place is so dangerous.

 

In Europe, esp. Uk, helmets are not legislated for because they are seen as a disincentive for folk to take up cycling (see condom ref. earlier).

 

The health benefits of more people exercsing were seen to outweigh the health cost of a few broken bonces.

 

The accountability of motorists and the general attitude towards cyclists there makes this possible.

 

 

[SwissVan]

 

The helmet debate was once # 3 on the hub debating list (3rd to Lance and Doping). Interestingly a number of studies have revealed that wearing a bicycle helmet has its dangers and could increase the likelihood of being involved in an accident and even increasing your risk of head injury.

<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

SwissVan' date=' even though I think the helmet thing is overdone, those dodgy UK studies you are quoting were seriously flawed in their analysis if you ask me.  saying things like""a helmet makes your head size bigger and therefor more likely to be hit when you fall" and "you feel invincible when you wear a helmet" is in the loonybin territory!

[/quote']

 

The studies went further than the examples you quote, I'm not going to search for them again (I'll leave that to Linegga if he still has the energy to continue the argument) but some of the observations were that motorists tended to ride closer to cyclists who wore helmets and that helmets did not increase protection against brain damage, both of which are valid arguments.

 

HOWEVER IMO helmets definetly do provide extra protection against external head injuries which are far more likely and common than internal (brain) injury, thererein lies the major benifet of wearing a helmet.

 

I definetly feel LESS invincible if I forget to wear my helmet...

 

 

 

 

[Willehond]

I wear a helmet here because the place is so dangerous.

 

In Europe' date=' esp. Uk, helmets are not legislated for because they are seen as a disincentive for folk to take up cycling (see condom ref. earlier).

 

The health benefits of more people exercsing were seen to outweigh the health cost of a few broken bonces.

 

The accountability of motorists and the general attitude towards cyclists there makes this possible.

 

 

[/quote']

Having lived in SA, the UK and Europe (technically, yes the UK is in Europe, I now), I can tell you that the UK motorist and the SA one are quite similar.  The Brits just don't like anyone telling them what to do!  Cycling on a little countrylane with hedges is not fun with Fords and MG's screaming past you.

 

Here in bike tolerant Holland, people are not forced to wear a helmet and not a single commuter wears one!  They also do not wear lycra, gloves or cycling shoes because they are cruising at 10k's an hour on their way to school/work/the shops.

 

Recreational cyclists (people like us who wear lycra) almost ALL wear helmets because they make sense when you come off the bike.  Yes, some guys (especially the older ones), don't wear helmets and you know what?  Nobody complains about it or  shouts obscenities at them, they just ride their bikes!  So just relax about other people's habits and make sure YOU wear one.

[NotSoBigBen]

As already stated this matter has been debated ad nauseam on the hub and most agreed that those people (adults) more than likely won't change their minds about helmets and probably have as also stated 1$ heads.

 

Were it children then it fell on us cyclist to educate them and whomever allowed them out without a helmet .....

 

Whether you take the person on or not would be guided by whether you were sure it may not happen to be the legendary 'oubee' who's legend seems to have grown to Chuck/Schwarzenegger/Vern proportions ..... in fact if there is no bar tape keep away seemingly!

[Willehond]

 

The studies went further than the examples you quote' date=' I'm not going to search for them again (I'll leave that to Linegga if he still has the energy to continue the argument) but some of the observations were that motorists tended to ride closer to cyclists who wore helmets and that helmets did not increase protection against brain damage, both of which are valid arguments.

 

HOWEVER IMO helmets definetly do provide extra protection against external head injuries which are far more likely and common than internal (brain) injury, thererein lies the major benifet of wearing a helmet.

 

I definetly feel LESS invincible if I forget to wear my helmet...

 

 

[/quote']

 

I just thought the "authorities" who did those studies were going to proove it unsafe because they wnted to proove it.  I still think their 'proof' was more opinion than pure scientific fact.

 

[BMCfan]

back to post 1 -

 

was it on bottelary, i have a good idea who the person in question might be!!

[TheLegend]

 

Having lived in SA' date=' the UK and Europe (technically, yes the UK is in Europe, I now), I can tell you that the UK motorist and the SA one are quite similar.  The Brits just don't like anyone telling them what to do!  Cycling on a little countrylane with hedges is not fun with Fords and MG's screaming past you.

[/quote']

 

when I was about to move over to the UK I sold my road bike cause there was no was I'd ride on those narrow country roads with hedges that you described!

 

 

Here in bike tolerant Holland' date=' people are not forced to wear a helmet and not a single commuter wears one!  They also do not wear lycra, gloves or cycling shoes because they are cruising at 10k's an hour on their way to school/work/the shops.

 

Recreational cyclists (people like us who wear lycra) almost ALL wear helmets because they make sense when you come off the bike.  Yes, some guys (especially the older ones), don't wear helmets and you know what?  Nobody complains about it or  shouts obscenities at them, they just ride their bikes!  So just relax about other people's habits and make sure YOU wear one.

[/quote']

yes

 

[L'Bie]

Perhaps' date=' like millions around the world, he simply chooses not to wear a helmet.  Or perhaps he knows that his chance of falling are extremely low, his chances of hitting his head are a fraction of that (and even lower because he is not wearing a helmet) and should all these eventualities come to pass, the chances of his helmet providing adequate protection is a fraction of that fraction.[/quote']

I guess you havn't heard of a bloke with the name Murphey. He said that the unlikely will happen. So your mathematical process actually boost the need to have that lid!!

[Joe Low]

Having lived in SA, the UK and Europe (technically, yes the UK is in Europe, I now), I can tell you that the UK motorist and the SA one are quite similar.  The Brits just don't like anyone telling them what to do!  Cycling on a little countrylane with hedges is not fun with Fords and MG's screaming past you.

 

That's true, & quite different to here where a lot of people, often strangers, feel their opinion on what you should do counts.

 

The motorists are not similar though. Despite some personal anecdotal observations of scary driving in the UK,  the injuries and fatalities on the roads are about 15 times higher in SA than there. 

 

 

Joe Low2008-10-14 02:47:09

[linnega]

Having lived in SA' date=' the UK and Europe (technically, yes the UK is in Europe, I now), I can tell you that the UK motorist and the SA one are quite similar.  The Brits just don't like anyone telling them what to do!  Cycling on a little countrylane with hedges is not fun with Fords and MG's screaming past you.

 

That's true, & quite different to here where a lot of people, often strangers, feel their opinion on what you should do counts.

 

The motorists are not similar though. Despite some personal anecdotal observations of scary driving in the UK,  the injuries and fatalities on the roads are about 15 times higher in SA than there. 

 

 

[/quote']

I suppose that is what I find irksome - in much the same way that JB gets irritated by those that believe the marketing they have been fed and present it as fact in the Tech Q&A forum.

 

The fact is I wouldn't own a helmet for riding on the road if I wasn't required to wear one at races. 

[SwissVan]

Having lived in SA' date=' the UK and Europe (technically, yes the UK is in Europe, I now), I can tell you that the UK motorist and the SA one are quite similar.  The Brits just don't like anyone telling them what to do!  Cycling on a little countrylane with hedges is not fun with Fords and MG's screaming past you.
[/quote']

when I was about to move over to the UK I sold my road bike cause there was no was I'd ride on those narrow country roads with hedges that you described!

 

Here in bike tolerant Holland' date=' people are not forced to wear a helmet and not a single commuter wears one!  They also do not wear lycra, gloves or cycling shoes because they are cruising at 10k's an hour on their way to school/work/the shops.

 

Recreational cyclists (people like us who wear lycra) almost ALL wear helmets because they make sense when you come off the bike.  Yes, some guys (especially the older ones), don't wear helmets and you know what?  Nobody complains about it or  shouts obscenities at them, they just ride their bikes!  So just relax about other people's habits and make sure YOU wear one.

[/quote']
yes

 

I think some helmet laws originate from financial costs to the economy (increased medical claims, days off work etcetra...) more than for the general well being of joe public, jan vandemoer or heinz keiser...

 

Strangely enough the locals here will often wear helmets even when commuting to the shop, work, school... then again it is cuckoo clock land...