Speed vs. need for helmet?

I mostly average 10 mph , do I still need to wear a helmet ? I can
understand if you average 15+mph, but are helmets neccessary at slower
speeds? Energy is proportional to the square of the velocity so the
slower you travel the far less you should need one, no?

Duke of Hazard wrote:
I mostly average 10 mph , do I still need to wear a helmet ? I can
understand if you average 15+mph, but are helmets neccessary at slower
speeds? Energy is proportional to the square of the velocity so the
slower you travel the far less you should need one, no?

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! HELMET THREAD!!!

Foam bicycle hats really only offer "bump and scrape" protection in low
speed falls, so they are not really necessary during riding. The main
place where they would be useful is off-road, where they do help spread
out the impact from point loads such as rocks. Do not expect the foam
bicycle hat to reduce the risk of serious head injury or death by any
significant extent.

The primary benefit of wearing a foam bicycle hat would be to prevent
jury prejudice if you are injured by another party and are suing for
damages, since the average juror will have likely swallowed the helmet
propaganda whole without question.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
"Localized intense suction such as tornadoes is created when temperature
differences are high enough between meeting air masses, and can impart
excessive energy onto a cyclist." - Randy Schlitter

In article
,
Duke of Hazard wrote:

I mostly average 10 mph , do I still need to wear a helmet ? I can
understand if you average 15+mph, but are helmets neccessary at slower
speeds? Energy is proportional to the square of the velocity so the
slower you travel the far less you should need one, no?

Further research is indicated; have a friend poke a stick through your
spokes and let us know what happens.

--
The part of betatron @ earthlink . net was played by a garden gnome

On Nov 27, 8:46 pm, Duke of Hazard wrote:
I mostly average 10 mph , do I still need to wear a helmet ?
Hazardous Duke,
Don't listen to these guys, amusing though they may be, you should
wear a helmet because bike helmets look cool, just think, does Levi
Leipheimer
look more cool with or without a bike helmet? How about Chris Horner?
I rest my case.
ABS

On Tue, 27 Nov 2007 20:46:39 -0800 (PST) in rec.bicycles.misc,
Duke of Hazard wrote:

I mostly average 10 mph , do I still need to wear a helmet ?

you'll be glad you have one when the drunk hits you going 35 mph
and your head hits the asphalt at 20.

anything you can do to reduce impact will help to reduce
concussion problems. imho folks that don't wear helmets don't
have much to protect.

"Duke of Hazard"

I mostly average 10 mph , do I still need to wear a helmet ? I can
understand if you average 15+mph, but are helmets neccessary at slower
speeds? Energy is proportional to the square of the velocity so the
slower you travel the far less you should need one, no?

It depends on if you bang your head on the pavement when you fall off your
bike.

"Tom Sherman" wrote in message
...
Duke of Hazard wrote:
I mostly average 10 mph , do I still need to wear a helmet ? I can
understand if you average 15+mph, but are helmets neccessary at slower
speeds? Energy is proportional to the square of the velocity so the
slower you travel the far less you should need one, no?

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! HELMET THREAD!!!

Foam bicycle hats really only offer "bump and scrape" protection in low
speed falls, so they are not really necessary during riding. The main
place where they would be useful is off-road, where they do help spread
out the impact from point loads such as rocks. Do not expect the foam
bicycle hat to reduce the risk of serious head injury or death by any
significant extent.

The primary benefit of wearing a foam bicycle hat would be to prevent jury
prejudice if you are injured by another party and are suing for damages,
since the average juror will have likely swallowed the helmet propaganda
whole without question.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
"Localized intense suction such as tornadoes is created when temperature
differences are high enough between meeting air masses, and can impart
excessive energy onto a cyclist." - Randy Schlitter

Only "bump and scrape" protection? You can crack your skull open by
falling standing still if you hit it right, or wrong. Helmets are not total
protection by any means but valuable insurance any time you ride. Of
course, helmets in cars would most likely save lives as well but who does
that other than race car drivers?

Tim McTeague

Tim McTeague wrote:
"Tom Sherman" wrote in message
...
Duke of Hazard wrote:
I mostly average 10 mph , do I still need to wear a helmet ? I can
understand if you average 15+mph, but are helmets neccessary at slower
speeds? Energy is proportional to the square of the velocity so the
slower you travel the far less you should need one, no?

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! HELMET THREAD!!!

Foam bicycle hats really only offer "bump and scrape" protection in low
speed falls, so they are not really necessary during riding. The main
place where they would be useful is off-road, where they do help spread
out the impact from point loads such as rocks. Do not expect the foam
bicycle hat to reduce the risk of serious head injury or death by any
significant extent.

The primary benefit of wearing a foam bicycle hat would be to prevent jury
prejudice if you are injured by another party and are suing for damages,
since the average juror will have likely swallowed the helmet propaganda
whole without question.

Only "bump and scrape" protection? You can crack your skull open by
falling standing still if you hit it right, or wrong. Helmets are not total
protection by any means but valuable insurance any time you ride.

Really? All the credible population studies show no reduction in serious
head injuries or deaths when bicycle helmet use increases.

Of
course, helmets in cars would most likely save lives as well but who does
that other than race car drivers?

What does that have to do with bicycle foam hats?

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
"Localized intense suction such as tornadoes is created when temperature
differences are high enough between meeting air masses, and can impart
excessive energy onto a cyclist." - Randy Schlitter

Dennis P. Harris wrote:
On Tue, 27 Nov 2007 20:46:39 -0800 (PST) in rec.bicycles.misc,
Duke of Hazard wrote:

I mostly average 10 mph , do I still need to wear a helmet ?

you'll be glad you have one when the drunk hits you going 35 mph
and your head hits the asphalt at 20.

anything you can do to reduce impact will help to reduce
concussion problems. imho folks that don't wear helmets don't
have much to protect.

The people who believe that bicycle foam hats offer some mystical
protection that is not backed up by either engineering mechanics (the
relatively small amount of energy a light foam hat can absorb) or
statistics (credible population studies show no statistically
significant benefit from foam bicycle hat use) would seem to be the ones
who do not have much to protect.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
"Localized intense suction such as tornadoes is created when temperature
differences are high enough between meeting air masses, and can impart
excessive energy onto a cyclist." - Randy Schlitter

Roger Zoul wrote:
"Duke of Hazard"

I mostly average 10 mph , do I still need to wear a helmet ? I can
understand if you average 15+mph, but are helmets neccessary at slower
speeds? Energy is proportional to the square of the velocity so the
slower you travel the far less you should need one, no?

It depends on if you bang your head on the pavement when you fall off your
bike.

The more laid back one is, the less likely the head will be at the point
of impact.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
"Localized intense suction such as tornadoes is created when temperature
differences are high enough between meeting air masses, and can impart
excessive energy onto a cyclist." - Randy Schlitter