Un-ban The Helmet Rule.

[Spare Tyre]

You are probably right. But I'm a confessed tight-wad. Do you work for a helmet manufacturer?

No. This is what I was advised when I replaced my helmet recently. I have no way of knowing whether this advice is simply a ploy to sell more helmets but I have decided that for the relatively small sum of money involved (and I am on a disability pension so definitely not rolling in cash) I'd prefer to err on the cautious side in case it is true that structural deterioration is more likely after the three year mark.

 

[ladyvader]

No. This is what I was advised when I replaced my helmet recently. I have no way of knowing whether this advice is simply a ploy to sell more helmets but I have decided that for the relatively small sum of money involved (and I am on a disability pension so definitely not rolling in cash) I'd prefer to err on the cautious side in case it is true that structural deterioration is more likely after the three year mark.

When I bought my helmet they told me five years then replace it. Three or five sound good. Especially the cheaper helmets probably need to be replaced more often.

 

[bobgod]

Just ask the last Amateur rider to have won an Olympic Road Race.
Oh --thats right--you cant- because he's DEAD.

 

[ultimobici]

Just ask the last Amateur rider to have won an Olympic Road Race.
Oh --thats right--you cant- because he's DEAD.

Poor taste & no cycling helmet on earth would have prevented Casartelli's death.

 

[oncehadhair]

Poor taste & no cycling helmet on earth would have prevented Casartelli's death.

Can you back up that claim. Most medical people at the time commented that a helmet probably would have saved him.

Its one of the reasons why helmets were made compulsory.

 

[oncehadhair]

As do you. So much worry about YOUR taxes.

Your taxes and insurance subsidize dangerous driving, much of which is legal, smoking, eating rubbish, sedentary lifestyles, stress, ect, ect. All of which are proportionally much bigger killers than helmets or lack of them.

You want YOUR taxes to ban all these things? (not a bad idea imo).

Or would you rather have intelligent, well educated people who can make effective decisions about their own safety while on the road in any form of transport?

I wear a helmet, its required by law and in racing its probably better than nothing. However helmets will never be a replacement for intelligent decision making and acceptable cycling infrastructure all of which has a far bigger impact on cyclist safety than a bit of foam.

Arguments such as "I had a crash and was wearing a helmet, now I'm ok" verge on the ridiculous.

My point was not about intelligent decisions (although wearing a helment is one). Its about you doing something that costs me money. Your right to not wear a helmet (if you so choose) impinges on my right not to pay for your brain damage when you crash.

 

[barn yard]

My point was not about intelligent decisions (although wearing a helment is one). Its about you doing something that costs me money. Your right to not wear a helmet (if you so choose) impinges on my right not to pay for your brain damage when you crash.

i have not read the whole thread so i am not sure if this has come up but there are 3 times more brain injuries per year from football games than from cycling

how do you think a helmet law for football would be received by the taxpayer? remembering you would have to wear a helmet in competition and while kicking the footy around with your mates at the local park.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

i have not read the whole thread so i am not sure if this has come up but there are 3 times more brain injuries per year from football games than from cycling

how do you think a helmet law for football would be received by the taxpayer? remembering you would have to wear a helmet in competition and while kicking the footy around with your mates at the local park.

Must be said, you can't play the ball with your head anymore with a helmet...

 

[For The World]

Sure, wearing a helmet while crashing at 60mph head first into a concrete block may not stop some serious damage, but surely common sense must say that if there is a layer of protection between your skull and a hard object, your skull will stand a much better chance of not cracking.

I can completely understand why people don't want to wear a helmet - it might mess with their hair, or ruin their cool factor, or because all the pros never used to wear one, then they shouldn't have to. Really, there's no justifiable reason that any of you naysayers can produce for NOT wearing a helmet. There's no benefit from not wearing it. Most decent helmets have enough ventilation, you can clip it to your backpack or just carry it when you ride to the corner store, you've got that extra layer of protection, and if for some reason you have a slow speed fall (i've seen more than one cyclist fall while track standing and they've ALL smacked their head on the ground), that protection will come in handy.

More power to those who don't wear a helmet though - i REALLY hope you never have a situation where it would help. That though, would only serve to provide evidence to your argument, because you would interpret your lack of crashes as reason to not wear a helmet.

 

[ultimobici]

Can you back up that claim. Most medical people at the time commented that a helmet probably would have saved him.

Its one of the reasons why helmets were made compulsory.

Gerard Porte, the TdF doctor, was there and he stated that the blow was to a part of the head unprotected by a helmet. that and the speed he likely crashed at while descending the Portet d'Aspet.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/4682485.stm

Debate has raged whether Casartelli would have survived had he been wearing a cycle helmet.
Porte insists a helmet would not have made any difference because it would not have protected the part of his head that struck the concrete block.

Having seen the actual bike he was riding that day I am pretty sure he wasn't going that slowly. The forks are pushed back far enough that the front wheel is touching the downtube.

 

[oncehadhair]

Gerard Porte, the TdF doctor, was there and he stated that the blow was to a part of the head unprotected by a helmet. that and the speed he likely crashed at while descending the Portet d'Aspet.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/4682485.stm


Having seen the actual bike he was riding that day I am pretty sure he wasn't going that slowly. The forks are pushed back far enough that the front wheel is touching the downtube.

http://www.bhsi.org/timesart.htm


"...Michel Disteldorf, the French doctor who examined Casartelli's body on behalf of the coroner in Tarbes, where the rider was flown by helicopter after he crashed while on a fast descent in the Pyrenees, told The Sunday Times that the point of impact was on the top of the skull..."

"...Contrary to several reports, there were no facial injuries..."

In most circles the comment that a helmet wouldn't have save him was to help save his family and friends from fretting about the 'what ifs'.

 

[saganftw]

hats optional...in professional cycling as well as in church

 

[boardhanger]

The roads sre closed. Non public. Un-ban the helmet.

 

[woodie]

The roads sre closed. Non public. Un-ban the helmet.

You are a troll. You obviously haven't read any of the posts that have proven without a doubt why helmets are needed regardless of whether or not the road is closed. Obviously you are set in your ways and have no real interest in what other people think.

You haven't made any real sense from the OP. I have said all I have to and most people seem to agree with me but if you want to ride without a helmet go ahead, you better hope you don't land on your head.

 

[VeloFidelis]

You are a troll. You obviously haven't read any of the posts that have proven without a doubt why helmets are needed regardless of whether or not the road is closed. Obviously you are set in your ways and have no real interest in what other people think.

You haven't made any real sense from the OP. I have said all I have to and most people seem to agree with me but if you want to ride without a helmet go ahead, you better hope you don't land on your head.

Gee... Ya think?

 

[bobs nob]

I was recently watching some old races and I did prefer to see the riders without helmets for the pure aesthetics of the race. However, I realize that safety concerns will probably mean that this ban will never be overturned no matter how passionate some people feel about it. I also live in the U.S. and got a new helmet recently and it was for roughly the same price that I paid for my old helmet over five years ago, so I'm not sure about how the UCI-mandate dramatically increased the prices of helmets.

The helmet has really ruined much of the aesthetics of the sport. I collect cycling photos and very very few photos of helmeted riders are worth saving.

My views have zero to do with the safety aspect which is impossible to overlook, I am just commenting on my love for the aesthetics of cycling.

My .02.

 

[VeloFidelis]

From a grammatical perspective the use of double negatives in the OP's title for this thread actually means "don't not" enforce the helmet rule, or more correctly spoken; "enforce the rule". So either the OP is having great fun at your expense, or he is just really... kind of... you know... stupid!

 

[boardhanger]

You are a troll. You obviously haven't read any of the posts that have proven without a doubt why helmets are needed regardless of whether or not the road is closed. Obviously you are set in your ways and have no real interest in what other people think.

You haven't made any real sense from the OP. I have said all I have to and most people seem to agree with me but if you want to ride without a helmet go ahead, you better hope you don't land on your head.

It's persons like you who give goverments power. Troll??? I make a simple statement about helmets and 'your' generation 'cissyness' with wearing them and i'm an evildoer. I have won more races probably than you have seen. Helmet wearing person your a joke.

 

[ericthesportsman6]

It's persons like you who give goverments power. Troll??? I make a simple statement about helmets and 'your' generation 'cissyness' with wearing them and i'm an evildoer. I have won more races probably than you have seen. Helmet wearing person your a joke.

chuckled when I read this one. Calm down.

 

[PhiberAwptik]

It's persons like you who give goverments power. Troll??? I make a simple statement about helmets and 'your' generation 'cissyness' with wearing them and i'm an evildoer. I have won more races probably than you have seen. Helmet wearing person your a joke.

Not so much an evildoer as a blithering idiot. Funny that when I see someone without a helmet, all I can think is what a moron they are. It's not that this generation has thinner "cissy" skulls per se, it's just that people are a little smarter when it comes to self presevation. You aparentlly aren't that smart. Lucky maybe.

 

[Willy_Voet]

Lemon Sponge Pie

Ingredients:

* 2 eggs, separated
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup melted butter
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 1 cup milk
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1 9-inch pie crust, unbaked

Preparation:
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, milk, and egg yolks. Gently fold egg whites into mixture. Pour mixture into pastry-lined pie pan. Bake lemon sponge pie at 350° for 40 minutes, or until done.

 

[Wallace]

Ask a kid in Africa if he can afford a helmet. Why do you think there is little black pros from that continent??? I know for a fact that the UCI made laws regarding the expense of cycling because kids from Africa etc can't afford to even get into our sport. I understand cycling is number 2 sport in some African countries like Ethiopia etc..... I'm from Ireland but live in the USA. I remember cycling clothes pre Lance cost $20. Mostly made by Giordandra. Then Nike hit the market bought into leTour and the apparel is now $80-$100 dollars for same thing.

I just read this thread for the first time, and it's pretty hilarious. I think boardhanger's on-line persona of the grumpy old codger is very well-played. I particularly liked this insane bit of reasoning--that the reason there are no African professional bike racers is due to the price of helmets. For good old-fashioned craziness like momma used to make (until they locked her up) that can't be beat. Chapeau!

 

[woodie]

It's persons like you who give goverments power. Troll??? I make a simple statement about helmets and 'your' generation 'cissyness' with wearing them and i'm an evildoer. I have won more races probably than you have seen. Helmet wearing person your a joke.

Your unbelievable hahahaha how have you not been banned. How can you make a statement like that when you don't know me? You have just proven to me and everyone else what an idiotic moron you really are. Maybe you have landed on your head one to many times if you race as much as you claim.

hahahahahahahaha i can't take anything you say seriously anymore. I apologise to everyone for feeding the troll but this is something I take very seriously so I got carried away. Plus I can't stand idiots making idiotic comments. Thank you eveyone who has contributed logically and rationally and now please can this thread be closed as there is really nothing left to say.

 

[ozerulz]

This thread is kinda funny cuz it was something I thought about while out on a ride the other day. As a kid(70s) anyone who rode with a helmet was a dork. Today most see those riding without a helmet as a dork. Who knows, maybe in another 30 years we will all be riding without helmets again. hey the insurance companies and the "health care" system have to make money right?

 

[StyrbjornSterki]

At least if they wore helmets, then one aspect of that bunch of dopers lives could be a positive influence on our kids.