[DVBC] Bike Helmets

[Drew.Knox at bentley.com]

I'm not surprised that we are all in agreement about the value of helmets. I question why half the Wiki entry is about "The Helmet Debate." Does this debate really exist? Do you know anyone who argues that helmets provide no additional safety? Whether helmets should be mandated by law is a secondary issue where, it seems to me, the pros and cons can really go at each other.

________________________________

From: dvbc-list-bounces at list.dvbc.org on behalf of Woody Kotch
Sent: Fri 7/7/2006 9:31 PM
To: dvbc-list at dvbc.org
Subject: Re: [DVBC] Bike Helmets



A helmet on a morons head is of little use. However, if you have the
intelligence to understand that hitting the pavement with a properly fitted
helmet decreases your chances of injury you might also conclude that wearing
a helmet is a good idea.

Percentages in any study whether pro or con helmet wear, become irrelevant
when it's your head that meets the road.

If you can read this your brain might be worth saving. On the other hand if
you think the down side of helmet wear, not being cool, is too much for you
to handle then maybe not.

Woody

----- Original Message -----
From: <jc at craftech.com>
To: <dvbc-list at dvbc.org>
Sent: Friday, July 07, 2006 11:53 AM
Subject: Re: [DVBC] Bike Helmets


My 2 cents:
as far as research goes, don't trust Wikipedia as the end all, ALWAYS
check their references and their research.  When I am conducting research
it can provide some basic general background, and provide some ideas on
where to start, but it CANNOT be trusted for a complete understanding on a
topic.  What you want to ask about the studies they are citing is:

--WHO was their sample of cyclists?
--How many riders did they sample?
--how did they do their study (have them answer questions after the fact,
or read hospital reports, or how???)
--What kind of riders were they? (yearly mileage, mountain, road,
recreational, professional, etc.?????)
--For how long did they follow them?  a few days, weeks, months, years?
--were they experienced riders to begin with?
--what was their age?
--was it city riding or country roads (or mountain paths)
--etc etc etc!!!!

that being said,
what I am hearing from what they say about helmet safety, is that stupid
cyclists think that they can do riskier things because they are wearing
helmets.  those of us who ride with DVBC KNOW that safe cycling habits
include FAR more than wearing a helmet.  remember "cycling is an
inherently dangerous sport" -- as our DVBC waiver says...   but anything
that can possibly protect me, I will use...

In what... maybe around 20,000 miles or so over a 10 year period, my
helmet has helped me 3 times:
--I came around a corner a little too fast one day and hit some sand... I
landed on my shoulder and my head snapped HARD on the pavement (I got up
and rode away with not even a bruise).
--A car made a sudden right hand turn in front of me and I supermanned
over his trunk landing hard on my helmet and cracking down the middle.
--a man exited a taxi in traffic (not parked) and doored me and I landed
on the side of my head (no crack in helmet--rode home and cleaned my
skinned knee)

in only 1 of these cases did I visit the hospital, and that was for an
x-ray to my elbow.  since there was no complaint of a head injury involved
in any of these, it would not make it into any kind of helmet study
report.  on the other hand, I do not doubt that I would have had AT
MINIMUM a significant headache from all three of these if I had not had a
helmet on.

and by the way, I heard Phil & Paul comment last night on a Discovery Team
rider crashing that it was a good thing he had a helmet on because he went
down hard!  and got up and finished the race.

My long 2 cents!!!!

Jan C.




> My 23 year old son recently took up fixed gear riding.  As you may or
> may not know there seems to be a subculture of young people who ride
> fixed gear bikes.  As in any subculture they have there own ways of
> doing things, their own way of dressing (no spandex), and most
> importantly they eschew wearing helmet.  My son was an exception.  He
> wore a helmet.  Last week he fell of of his bike and broke his collar
> bone and knocked himself out cold.  His helmet broke on impact so it did
> it's job.
>
> What I would like all of you esteemed and experienced riders to do is to
> read the  entry in Wikapedia.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_helmet
>
> It is a disturbing and I would like your opinion.  After my son's fall
> he was convinced of the value of helmets but after reading this article
> he is not so sure.
>
> Dave
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> DVBC mailing list
> DVBC at list.dvbc.org
> http://list.dvbc.org/mailman/listinfo/dvbc-list
>



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