I hit a goat coming down Mauna Kea, I woke up in Honolulu 2 weeks later, I had to spend three months in a prison called CNS clinic. Yes I was wearing a helmet, but if I did it again I would be wearing a full face motorcycle helmet. My doctor is 72 and still does the Ironman. ” there are two types of bicyclist, those that have crashed and those that are going to crash”
Where being part of the first group doesn’t mean you are not in the second group as well. And yet, preventing accidents is always better than focus on how to reduce the result of the accident ( been there, done that)
Wear a camera on your helmet, best prevention there is.
The Ironman requires helmets so people practice with them.
I am not going to endorse, them but, those high end LEDs people give me a wide berth!!
I stopped to help some old ladies change the Tire on their Mercedes, I put my helmet with the blinkers on the edge of the road . They didn’t have a flare but they bought me a nice dinner.
Your doctor is correct, but crashes involving head injuries are quite rare. I assume you were downhilling, or road-riding at high speed? Either way speed was the main reason you spent 2 weeks unconscious in the ICU. Even with a full-face motorcycle helmet, you could’ve easily damaged your spine and been stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of your life, so for god’s sake don’t think that a “better” helmet would’ve let you ride at dangerous speeds safely. Motorcycle helmets exist to protect motorcyclists from head injuries caused by *simple* falls at high speeds — nothing will save their life in a collision, and the same is true for bicyclists.
I have crashed (several times!) over my 40-plus year cycling career. I always wear a helmet, even to just take the bicycle out of the garage to test-ride it after a completing a repair or adjustment. My logic is that you never know when you’re going to need it, and when the time comes that you *DO* need it you don’t get to call a “time out” so you can go fetch it and put it on.
I too have crashed (several times!) over my 40-plus year cycling career. Just Two time touched something with my head, never seen a Doctor. From reading a lot of stuff about bike helmets my opinion now is:
– in case of an accident they can reduce or inhibit injurys under certain circumstances.
– in case of an accident they can cause or make worse injurys under certain circumstances.
– in case of use they will effekt my sight, my hearing, my speed of turning my head what may lead to extra accidents.
– in case of use they may mislead drivers to overtake more risky.
as far as I can see form published numbers, the result is more head injuries, not less.
apart from that:
– if good, they are expansive
– they need care
– they need a place to be kept, everywhere I go
– they need to be carried around, even if I have no other luggage (never again go somewhere without carring a bulky peace of gear with me?)
– they need to be replaced after a recent time
….
and all that for taking twice the risk of an head injury than just riding with care and without a helmet?
Do not get me wrong, in a race, training, off road, aso. I would wear one to, but not in daily use.
Second your remarks. For a difficult downhill or other difficult terraing riding, I would choose a helmet, ideally the “cross” version, integral and including face protection kind. For daily traffic, commuting etc. … rather not. Most of helmets offered by shops and propagated by various (mostly “outside” authorities, not actual everyday riders) “good meanings” parties, are at least insignificant, if not “more harm than use” stuff. May sound controversial or even illogical… however, I haven´t read my opinion anywhere, I gained it during years and years of riding (including some falls).
10 years of motorcycle riding and a number of crashes taught me that a good full-face helmet means good protection.
I have had a lot of bicycle crashes and been luck to never have had a head injury.
However the physics of the protection offered by a thin skin of polystyrene makes no sense to me – a good hard shell and face protection is needed in a head-trauma crash.
The fact is, I wear a bicycle helmet when out on the tandem with my wife.
Being on a Tandem Trike, people really notice us and seem to like us.
So we get a lot of respect as long as I ride sensibly and give the motors respect and space.
Better than any helmet is making sure that you are seen and give the motors time to respond to your presence. Make them aware of your intentions and route and give them plenty of time to respond – they will like the respect and will give you some in return.
I get this all the time. Basically, they are saying ‘if I run you over, it will be your fault for not wearing a helmet’.
http://bikeretrogrouch.blogspot.de/2016/02/why-are-drivers-such-holes.html
I hit a goat coming down Mauna Kea, I woke up in Honolulu 2 weeks later, I had to spend three months in a prison called CNS clinic. Yes I was wearing a helmet, but if I did it again I would be wearing a full face motorcycle helmet. My doctor is 72 and still does the Ironman. ” there are two types of bicyclist, those that have crashed and those that are going to crash”
Where being part of the first group doesn’t mean you are not in the second group as well. And yet, preventing accidents is always better than focus on how to reduce the result of the accident ( been there, done that)
Wear a camera on your helmet, best prevention there is.
The Ironman requires helmets so people practice with them.
I am not going to endorse, them but, those high end LEDs people give me a wide berth!!
I stopped to help some old ladies change the Tire on their Mercedes, I put my helmet with the blinkers on the edge of the road . They didn’t have a flare but they bought me a nice dinner.
Like
Your doctor is correct, but crashes involving head injuries are quite rare. I assume you were downhilling, or road-riding at high speed? Either way speed was the main reason you spent 2 weeks unconscious in the ICU. Even with a full-face motorcycle helmet, you could’ve easily damaged your spine and been stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of your life, so for god’s sake don’t think that a “better” helmet would’ve let you ride at dangerous speeds safely. Motorcycle helmets exist to protect motorcyclists from head injuries caused by *simple* falls at high speeds — nothing will save their life in a collision, and the same is true for bicyclists.
I have crashed (several times!) over my 40-plus year cycling career. I always wear a helmet, even to just take the bicycle out of the garage to test-ride it after a completing a repair or adjustment. My logic is that you never know when you’re going to need it, and when the time comes that you *DO* need it you don’t get to call a “time out” so you can go fetch it and put it on.
I too have crashed (several times!) over my 40-plus year cycling career. Just Two time touched something with my head, never seen a Doctor. From reading a lot of stuff about bike helmets my opinion now is:
– in case of an accident they can reduce or inhibit injurys under certain circumstances.
– in case of an accident they can cause or make worse injurys under certain circumstances.
– in case of use they will effekt my sight, my hearing, my speed of turning my head what may lead to extra accidents.
– in case of use they may mislead drivers to overtake more risky.
as far as I can see form published numbers, the result is more head injuries, not less.
apart from that:
– if good, they are expansive
– they need care
– they need a place to be kept, everywhere I go
– they need to be carried around, even if I have no other luggage (never again go somewhere without carring a bulky peace of gear with me?)
– they need to be replaced after a recent time
….
and all that for taking twice the risk of an head injury than just riding with care and without a helmet?
Do not get me wrong, in a race, training, off road, aso. I would wear one to, but not in daily use.
–
Second your remarks. For a difficult downhill or other difficult terraing riding, I would choose a helmet, ideally the “cross” version, integral and including face protection kind. For daily traffic, commuting etc. … rather not. Most of helmets offered by shops and propagated by various (mostly “outside” authorities, not actual everyday riders) “good meanings” parties, are at least insignificant, if not “more harm than use” stuff. May sound controversial or even illogical… however, I haven´t read my opinion anywhere, I gained it during years and years of riding (including some falls).
You’re a fucking moron.
No, *you’re* a fucking moron. Don’t reply to a well-written post with a one-line insult and expect anyone to respect your opinion.
The ‘helmet’ strips always get lots of comments 🙂
10 years of motorcycle riding and a number of crashes taught me that a good full-face helmet means good protection.
I have had a lot of bicycle crashes and been luck to never have had a head injury.
However the physics of the protection offered by a thin skin of polystyrene makes no sense to me – a good hard shell and face protection is needed in a head-trauma crash.
The fact is, I wear a bicycle helmet when out on the tandem with my wife.
Being on a Tandem Trike, people really notice us and seem to like us.
So we get a lot of respect as long as I ride sensibly and give the motors respect and space.
Better than any helmet is making sure that you are seen and give the motors time to respond to your presence. Make them aware of your intentions and route and give them plenty of time to respond – they will like the respect and will give you some in return.
Tell me, oh all-wise sages of the net, does that mythical gap the helmetless orgasm over stay the same when a driver who’s texting is distracted?