Wear a helmet or not?

[Fatal Swan]

My father (65) stubbornly never wore a helmet all his life, on similar grounds. Last year he was picked up off the side of the road unconscious by a postman who nearly ran him over in his van coming round the corner. Clear road, good conditions, no obvious dangers, bike scraped but no obvious signs of an impact - he has no memory of what caused the crash. Very, very lucky not to have done some lasting damage to the head - the broken bones really take long enough to heal at that age without the brain having to do the same...

He now wears a Giro from Chain Reaction that was about £25-30 and actually likes it - doesn't notice it's on, visor helps with the sun, helped a lot to regain confidence cycling after the accident.

I would buy a new one, and a decent one - even the mid-range ones are so good nowadays, really secure fit, light, excellent ventilation. They all have slightly different fits though even for a size that says it will fit your head circumference. I've been after a replacement lately and what I've just done is order 6 I like from Chain Reaction (all under or around £40, reduced from about £90-£120), tried them all on at home and gone with the best one, sending all the others back (free returns at CRC). The best for me was a Giro Atmos, £35 reduced from £100.

 

[RubberLegs]

Mark,
I'd say get one and wear it.

I've been in a similar position as yourself having returned to cycling after 25 yrs. Up till now I've only worn a helmet if part of my ride was on busy B or A roads.
However, last Monday, crossing some common land without helmet, I managed to ride into a hidden ditch at about 12 mph, went straight over the bars landing heavily on my right shoulder, my head got slapped pretty hard against the turf. It didn't quite knock me out but I had spotty vision for 5 mins and reduced mental faculties for 20 mins. I realised later that if I'd come off on tarmac a just hard ground it would have been a lot worse.

So I've decided to always wear a helmet in future. I bought an older model Giro of the bay for 20 something quid.

BTW, the shoulder was diagnosed as a grade 3 AC separation (bloody painful) and a broken no.2 rib so I'll be off cycling for a month or two.

Simon

 

[The History Man]

LGF is a perfect example of how one can end up if one lets too much fresh air get to one's head when travelling on a bicycle.

 

[legrandefromage]

LGF is a perfect example of how one can end up if one lets too much fresh air get to one's head when travelling on a bicycle.

And I bet you moaned at those that voted for Brexit too.

Something missing here

And here

As before, if not out with a group or in some sort of competitive, I chose not to. Its a choice that we are still able to make on our own and should be able to without vilification.

 

[The History Man]

I was one.

Cyrus 1 incoming.

 

[Muddy paw]

Back in 1990 on my way to work after the august bank holiday i was side swiped by a car coming out of one of the juctions onto the roundabout i was on which left me seperated from my bike slidiing for about 5 yards but some how managed to hold my head up away from the tarmac and i wasn't wearing a helmet at the time as i'd never used one but i guess i was lucky as i only had severe bruising down my left side and halfway round my front and back and down my leg to just an inch or so above my knee and even though i escaped head or neck injuries i wouldn't get back on a bike without a helmet but i was laid up for 3 weeks on the soffa as i couldn't make it up the stairs after about 6 hours as i was that sore even the doctor told me he couldn't understand how i managed to avoid head or neck injuries and then added " you'd of been in less pain if you had broken your leg " but yes unfortunately helmets only help protect in certain accidents otherwise they are either useless or make matters worse but i still bought a new helmet last year from Aldi of all places only to discover afterwards that a decent second hand one would do :facepalm: ..

 

[The History Man]

Re:

and anyway, where else would i put my gopro?

 

[t47b]

LGF is a perfect example of how one can end up if one lets too much fresh air get to one's head when travelling on a bicycle.

And I bet you moaned at those that voted for Brexit too.

Something missing here

And here

What's missing? In the first pic he's gone out without his gloves and the guy on the far left in pic 2 has gone out without a bike

 

[Muddy paw]

Re: Re:

and anyway, where else would i put my gopro?

On your handlebars of course ..

 

[greencat]

In my early days of mountain biking two things convinced me to always wear one.

I came my bike and ripped the left side of my helmet to pieces on rocks. I managed to ride home with minor concussion. The second was a few years later. My mate went over the handlebars and the top of his head crashed into a huge tree. It was a pure comedy moment - a freakish accident. But his helmet cracked in two but he was completely fine if a little dazed.

Before this thread, I'd never come across anyone who'd had a better outcome from an accident through not wearing one.

Will they protect you from everything? - no, of course not. Will they prevent you from being hit by a car - I doubt it (but not wearing one won't either). Should it be law to wear a helmet? No, of course not.