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No Helmets Needed?
Just curious: why does the HP Velotechnik site show photos of
helmetless riders? Anyone actually fell of a 'bent? Seems like a harder thing to do, no? I mean, don't you just put your foot down -- the body's so close to the ground as it is.... I'm still not sure how styrofoam is supposed to protect the head...why not wear a real helmet? Surely someone manufactures a lightweight helmet that's stronger and lighter than styrofoam? |
#2
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No Helmets Needed?
NYC XYZ wrote:
Just curious: why does the HP Velotechnik site show photos of helmetless riders? Visit continental Europe and you'll see thousands upon thousands of riders not wearing helmets, especially in the NL, and that's on conventional bikes with further to fall and a much greater chance of headplanting over the bars. Helmets are very much the exception and usually only seen on people doing serious sports riding. Anyone actually fell of a 'bent? A few times, usually sliding out on gravel and a couple of comedy unclipping disasters. Seems like a harder thing to do, no? Sliding out it's just as easy. I'm still not sure how styrofoam is supposed to protect the head...why not wear a real helmet? Because they weigh a large amount and aren't ventilated very well and are consequently poorly suited to aerobic activity. There was a recent flame war thread here called "Advisor wanted" where helmet efficacy was discussed ad nauseum and then some. Google back to that, or for a less flamey repository of helmet information look at www.cyclehelmets.org People have been safely cycling without helemts for well over a century on a routine basis, it isn't the certain route to brain damage or death often painted. Wear one if you like, but I must say I've enjoyed my cycling a lot more since I found out how necessary they aren't and stopped wearing one. Pete. -- Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/ |
#3
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No Helmets Needed?
Peter Clinch wrote: Visit continental Europe and you'll see thousands upon thousands of riders not wearing helmets, especially in the NL, and that's on conventional bikes with further to fall and a much greater chance of headplanting over the bars. Helmets are very much the exception and usually only seen on people doing serious sports riding. Yeah, I get that impression. I hate how every goddamned tour and club forces you to wear helmets! Not only do they look dumb, and I have an oddly-shaped head besides that really defeats conventional helmet topologies (don't ask me what I had to do in the Army -- let's just say that I got headaches a lot), but...STYRO-FOAM?????? "Enjoy Delicious Chinese Food!" A few times, usually sliding out on gravel and a couple of comedy unclipping disasters. Sliding out it's just as easy. Hmm, I still can't really see it...is it maybe harder, at least, than compared to an upright? To fall out/off. Because they weigh a large amount and aren't ventilated very well and are consequently poorly suited to aerobic activity. No, that's what I'm driving at: surely in this 21st Century there are "boutique" makers who do, I dunno, light-weight fiber-glass (whatever -- I'm sure Materials Science is mature enough a field to be capable of something like this!!!) that's cut out here and there for air flow. I know I'd pay $200, $300 for such a helmet! It'll be just as light (or a few grams heavier, for Chrissake), or even lighter, and surely stronger than STYRO-FOAM!!!!!! "Enjoy Delicious Chinese Food!" There was a recent flame war thread here called "Advisor wanted" where helmet efficacy was discussed ad nauseum and then some. Google back to that, or for a less flamey repository of helmet information look at www.cyclehelmets.org Cool, thanks! People have been safely cycling without helemts for well over a century on a routine basis, it isn't the certain route to brain damage or death often painted. I totally agree. They should go after those annoying "cell-phone drivers" instead! Wear one if you like, but I must say I've enjoyed my cycling a lot more since I found out how necessary they aren't and stopped wearing one. I'd rather not, but would since clubs and tours require it -- only, like I said, I have an odd-shaped head and I can't see the protection in STYO-FOAM!!!!! "Enjoy Delicious Chinese Food!" Pete. -- Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/ |
#4
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No Helmets Needed?
Peter Clinch wrote: Visit continental Europe and you'll see thousands upon thousands of riders not wearing helmets, especially in the NL, and that's on conventional bikes with further to fall and a much greater chance of headplanting over the bars. Helmets are very much the exception and usually only seen on people doing serious sports riding. Yeah, I get that impression. I hate how every goddamned tour and club forces you to wear helmets! Not only do they look dumb, and I have an oddly-shaped head besides that really defeats conventional helmet topologies (don't ask me what I had to do in the Army -- let's just say that I got headaches a lot), but...STYRO-FOAM?????? "Enjoy Delicious Chinese Food!" A few times, usually sliding out on gravel and a couple of comedy unclipping disasters. Sliding out it's just as easy. Hmm, I still can't really see it...is it maybe harder, at least, than compared to an upright? To fall out/off. Because they weigh a large amount and aren't ventilated very well and are consequently poorly suited to aerobic activity. No, that's what I'm driving at: surely in this 21st Century there are "boutique" makers who do, I dunno, light-weight fiber-glass (whatever -- I'm sure Materials Science is mature enough a field to be capable of something like this!!!) that's cut out here and there for air flow. I know I'd pay $200, $300 for such a helmet! It'll be just as light (or a few grams heavier, for Chrissake), or even lighter, and surely stronger than STYRO-FOAM!!!!!! "Enjoy Delicious Chinese Food!" There was a recent flame war thread here called "Advisor wanted" where helmet efficacy was discussed ad nauseum and then some. Google back to that, or for a less flamey repository of helmet information look at www.cyclehelmets.org Cool, thanks! People have been safely cycling without helemts for well over a century on a routine basis, it isn't the certain route to brain damage or death often painted. I totally agree. They should go after those annoying "cell-phone drivers" instead! Wear one if you like, but I must say I've enjoyed my cycling a lot more since I found out how necessary they aren't and stopped wearing one. I'd rather not, but would since clubs and tours require it -- only, like I said, I have an odd-shaped head and I can't see the protection in STYRO-FOAM!!!!! "Enjoy Delicious Chinese Food!" Pete. -- Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/ |
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No Helmets Needed?
NYC XYZ wrote:
Yeah, I get that impression. I hate how every goddamned tour and club forces you to wear helmets! In my club in the U.S., we fought mandatory helmets on rides for a long time. What finally forced us to cave was our insurer, which at the time was the League of American Wheelmen (LAW). I suspect that the same issue of insurance is forcing the clubs and tours in your area to adopt the same policy. To obtain a policy without agreeing to require helmets would raise the premium significantly. Even before the mandatory helmet rule, I'd estimate that at least 80% of the cyclists on club rides were wearing helmets anyway. It was not so much the wearing of the helmet that we objected to, it was being forced to do so. This is why compulsion is a bad idea. OTOH the high voluntary compliance rate in my club was probably an anomaly due to its location in Silicon Valley, where most of the club members had high levels of education. |
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No Helmets Needed?
SMS wrote: NYC XYZ wrote: In my club in the U.S., we fought mandatory helmets on rides for a long time. What finally forced us to cave was our insurer, which at the time was the League of American Wheelmen (LAW). I suspect that the same issue of insurance is forcing the clubs and tours in your area to adopt the same policy. To obtain a policy without agreeing to require helmets would raise the premium significantly. Ah, great point! Why didn't I think of that! Yes, that's it for sure. Even before the mandatory helmet rule, I'd estimate that at least 80% of the cyclists on club rides were wearing helmets anyway. It was not so much the wearing of the helmet that we objected to, it was being forced to do so. This is why compulsion is a bad idea. OTOH the high voluntary compliance rate in my club was probably an anomaly due to its location in Silicon Valley, where most of the club members had high levels of education. Hmm...but Europeans are supposed better edjamacated than US-ians, and they're zipping around carefree. |
#7
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No Helmets Needed?
NYC XYZ wrote: SMS wrote: NYC XYZ wrote: In my club in the U.S., we fought mandatory helmets on rides for a long time. What finally forced us to cave was our insurer, which at the time was the League of American Wheelmen (LAW). I suspect that the same issue of insurance is forcing the clubs and tours in your area to adopt the same policy. To obtain a policy without agreeing to require helmets would raise the premium significantly. Ah, great point! Why didn't I think of that! Yes, that's it for sure. It's _possible_ that's it, but I'm not so sure. I ran a good-sized century ride for seven or eight years. We were LAB sanctioned and insured. (We even won a LAB award.) We did _not_ require helmets, and we were not told to do so. That was in the 1990s. To see if things changed, I poked around the LAB website. Here's the waiver form they want clubs to use for their organized rides: http://www.bikeleague.org/members/sample_waiver.pdf Search for "helmet." You'll find nothing. No requirements. I think the helmet requirements of most bike clubs are simply more of the same nonsense we see elsewhere. They're generated by true believers who have never looked into the issue beyond, say, "Safe Kids" promotional blurbs, and who smugly justify their odd costumes based on those blurbs. - Frank Krygowski |
#8
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No Helmets Needed?
SMS wrote: NYC XYZ wrote: ----------clip---- Even before the mandatory helmet rule, I'd estimate that at least 80% of the cyclists on club rides were wearing helmets anyway. It was not so much the wearing of the helmet that we objected to, it was being forced to do so. This is why compulsion is a bad idea. OTOH the high voluntary compliance rate in my club was probably an anomaly due to its location in Silicon Valley, where most of the club members had high levels of education. This does not really follow unless you are suggesting that a high level of education makes one more vunerable to propaganda - which if the propaganda is in written form may be true I actually thought that a helmet was useful until I read some of the key papers underlying that assertion. Unforunately some of them give new meaning to the term "junk science". John Kane, Kingston ON Canada |
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No Helmets Needed?
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#10
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No Helmets Needed?
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