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Helmets - the definitive thread.. Mod Note - Please read Opening Post

Felloffmebike

I'm sure this has been discussed before but I'm interested in a lot of recent comments about wearing or not wearing a helmet. It never occurred to me not to wear one but recently I'm picking up a lot of people who seem to have a different view. Why is that? Does wearing a helmet not make it safer if you fall, even a little bit? And those who advocate not wearing one, is it a safety thing or a style thing or a macho man thing or what? Or is there some evidence that a helmet doesnt actually give you any protection or even that wearing one could be dangerous in itself.

I'm not looking to start an argument, just interested in the different views.

Mod note

Title changed - this can hopefully be considered the definitive helmet thread that can be pointed to whenever anyone wants to start another discussion on the subject - I'll put a link from the FAQs to it also

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plodder

Eamonnator wrote: »

And do you wear one when you're cycling?

I guess they do. If they aren't seen out and about walking on the roads without a helmet (due to the non-zero risk of serious brain injury), then I presume they wear one cycling too, but one shouldn't presume ..

rubadub

plodder wrote: »

I presume they wear one cycling too,

And of course in the car, seeing as they have already invested in helmets it would be utter madness to not wear them in the car, where they are said to offer even more protection. Ask any coroner or doctor who has had to deal with head trauma victims in car crashes if a helmet would have helped, they will invariably say yes. Even with seatbelts & airbags there are still PLENTY of head injuries in cars.

The most bizarre thing is many people driving already own cycling helmets, the style of which is meant to be very beneficial in cars, you do not need a full on rally helmet. So there is no excuse about expense or worried about their hair or "looking cool".

It would be a like a guy buying and wearing safety goggles while sawing wood with a handsaw, and then taking them off and donning a heat proof welders jacket and thick gloves to use and angle grinder on steel, but point blank refusing to wear the goggles! saying "ah sure don't I have a jacket & gloves, sure I'm safe enough, I've made a decent effort, I'll just squint a bit, that's enough eye protection", and the googles just laying there in another room.

Hamsterchops

Eamonnator wrote: »

And do you wear one when you're cycling?

Wonderful contribution in reply to my 1st post, very smart if a bit lacking in deduction, yes that's exactly what I meant by out and about (while cycling), honestly :rolleyes:

And then you get five thanks!
What kind of a forum is this?

smacl

Hamsterchops wrote: »

Wonderful contribution in reply to my 1st post, very smart if a bit lacking in deduction, yes that's exactly what I meant by out and about (while cycling), honestly :rolleyes:

And then you get five thanks!
What kind of a forum is this?

One that has looked at every aspect of the helmet debate in all its minutiae over many years, yet still has randomers regularly dropping by with the notion that they're some kind of authority on the issue. Seriously, read the thread, this is not the obvious argument you seem to think it is.

CramCycle

Hamsterchops wrote: »

Wonderful contribution in reply to my 1st post, very smart if a bit lacking in deduction, yes that's exactly what I meant by out and about (while cycling), honestly :rolleyes:

And then you get five thanks!
What kind of a forum is this?

You posted a statement, made a claim without proof, clearly have not read the entire thread and then wonder why no one thanked your post?

Hamsterchops

OK then, so I've just dropped in and told you that myself and my family wear cycle helmets, what's wrong with that . . .

You're not the friendliest bunch

Hamsterchops

Over 2000 posts, I don't have time to read through, so I think I'll just leave as quickly as I appeared.

Happy cycling all.

CramCycle

Hamsterchops wrote: »

Over 2000 posts, I don't have time to read through, so I think I'll just leave as quickly as I appeared.

Happy cycling all.

The basic cut and gist, in my opinion, is that while lots of people have anecdotal evidence of their benefit, and one poster with a negative, studies overall don't find any benefit or negative at a population level for the atypical cyclist. There are many possible reasons but the bare bones of it is, whether you wear one or not, it's statistically fine to say your choice makes no difference.

magicbastarder

Hamsterchops wrote: »

OK then, so I've just dropped in and told you that myself and my family wear cycle helmets, what's wrong with that . . .

no one has any issue with that. most of us wear helmets.

however, you dropped in and told us helmets should be compulsory, which is what people were responding to. as mentioned, if you're not willing to familiarise yourself with the various shades of the argument, then we can't help you.

rubadub

Hamsterchops wrote: »

OK then, so I've just dropped in and told you that myself and my family wear cycle helmets, what's wrong with that . . .

I doubt anybody has an issue with that.

THIS is the big issue.

Hamsterchops wrote: »

Helmet wearing should be compulsory, 100%.

I do not wear a helmet commuting for my own safety, I feel safer without it, there are several reasons why this is the case.

There is this dangerous notion that anybody not wearing one is some sort of reckless lunatic and there is a fear this could come into court cases, or injury claims, health insurance etc. Even though I feel I am actively doing something for my own safety.

The irrational views about them are bizarre, people calling others idiots for not wearing them on bikes, but likely consider it an idiotic idea to wear one in a car.

These helmet marketers have pulled off an astonishing feat, yet failed miserably for other activities. I still wonder if they have decided not to rock the boat and spoil the amazingly good thing they have going, not daring to push their luck.

tomasrojo

Yeah, nobody here I'm aware of takes issue with anybody wearing them. It's the hectoring other people about them, especially if the other people are already well appraised of what the evidence is like and have made their own decision, as they are 100% allowed to do.

[Deleted User]

Hamsterchops wrote: »

OK then, so I've just dropped in and told you that myself and my family wear cycle helmets, what's wrong with that . . .

No, that's not what happened. You dropped in and said they should be compulsory. Experience in other countries is that mandatory helmet laws result in less people cycling - so more people have heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and lots of other medical issues instead of a tiny number of people having head injuries.

But if you are a big fan of helmets to reduce head injuries, presumably you wear one at all times in the car, as that's where most head injuries happen, right?

Seth Brundle

What are people's views about buying a helmet online given that I can't really visit a few stores and try various ones on?
Not sure on what to get (I've never really liked my old Bell lid) but was looking at a Mavic Cosmic Pro Road Helmet or maybe an ABUS Aventor.
Would I be mad to buy without trying it on first?

Deano12345

Seth Brundle wrote: »

What are people's views about buying a helmet online given that I can't really visit a few stores and try various ones on?
Not sure on what to get (I've never really liked my old Bell lid) but was looking at a Mavic Cosmic Pro Road Helmet or maybe an ABUS Aventor.
Would I be mad to buy without trying it on first?

I’ve bought both my current helmets online, the sizing tends to be broadly similar between brands, so once you know your size you’ll be good to go! Most helmets have a pretty wide range of adjustment in any given size too.

Only thing you wouldn’t be able to tell is exactly how a particular helmet fits, some are taller etc.

I’ve a POC and a Kask helmet, both fit me equally well, the kask has less of a mushroom head effect

[Deleted User]

+1 for Kask Mojito I've mushroom head in pretty much everything else I've tried.

I'm 5'8 and take the biggest size helmet ffs

Mc Love

Have a Giro helmet I bought online, never had any issues with it. See the Kask range mentioned a lot though

CramCycle

Deleted User wrote: »

+1 for Kask Mojito I've mushroom head in pretty much everything else I've tried.

I'm 5'8 and take the biggest size helmet ffs

Same here, KASK is the only one where I don't look like Toad from Mario Kart.

Grassey

Full face aero helmet with visor is the only way to go so that you can't see yourself looking like a mushroom head

MojoMaker

Giro, Carnac, and Specialised lids generally size nice and small on the head - plenty of room on the band but less volume up top - just the way we like it.

dahat

Kask Mojito & a recent purchase of a Giro Savant which is very slightly bigger looking than the Kask. The colour scheme however outweighs this!

I'd never buy one online especially if I've no idea size wise.

fat bloke

I bought the wife an ABUS Game changer in the movistar colours and it's the neatest helmet I've ever seen. Looks fantastic. It's hard to get an impression of helmet-on-head aesthetics with an online purchase but delighted with this one. Probably helps that it was a small size.

Seth Brundle

dahat wrote: »

Kask Mojito & a recent purchase of a Giro Savant which is very slightly bigger looking than the Kask. The colour scheme however outweighs this!

I'd never buy one online especially if I've no idea size wise.

I'm looking at the blank & red Mojito now and may opt for it.
Size wise, a large should be fine (based on my current helmet size) and it's cheap enough to return should I need to.

fat bloke wrote: »

It's hard to get an impression of helmet-on-head aesthetics with an online purchase

I always feel like I look like a pillock if I have any kind of hat l on so no doubt I'll feel like a pillock regardless of the helmet I get.

Thargor

Ill be moving to a way longer commute after lockdown so I will have to start wearing a helmet but they just look too ridiculous on me, everything sits on top of my head mushroom style not around my head like it should, Ive tried entire walls of helmets in bike shops and made threads about this before and nothing works so I just dont wear one.

A guy cycled past me on Bray Head the other day with a dirtbike helmet and visor on him and I was thinking maybe for Winter I might grab one, it would be nice when cycling into the freezing wind at 6am and I only really feel like I need a helmet when its dark, would that be completely mad on a roadbike do you think?

magicbastarder

anyone know of anywhere on the northside with a decent stock of helmets?
i've a large head for the size of me, and the size L mavics derek in humphries had in stock are too small (57-61cm i think); the other decent helmets he has are the wrong shape (too round) and the only helmet which seemed to be a good fit was a cheaper BBB one with not enough ventilation for me. that was a 58-63cm one IIRC.

[Deleted User]

Can't help with shops but can tell you the sizing on my ones.

A L in a Kask Mojito / Mojito X is 59-62 and fits nicely. I believe they also do an XL in those. Giro sizing adds .5cm so L is 59-62.5 and they also do one size up again.

The Kask is perfect on my head and the Giro nice and better than most but still looks a bit mushroomy on my head.

magicbastarder

weirdly, my dad also bought a bike helmet today (in cyclezone in blanch) and they told him there that the irish have larger than usual heads.

youtheman

magicbastarder wrote: »

anyone know of anywhere on the northside with a decent stock of helmets?
i've a large head for the size of me, and the size L mavics derek in humphries had in stock are too small (57-61cm i think); the other decent helmets he has are the wrong shape (too round) and the only helmet which seemed to be a good fit was a cheaper BBB one with not enough ventilation for me. that was a 58-63cm one IIRC.

I, too, have a massive 'noggin'. But I have been quite successful in getting helmets that go up to 63 cm. Current one is Giro Savant. Before that I had a Specialized Max. Both fitted well (with room to spare).

CramCycle

For the amount going on in many of them I imagine it is unexpectedly large in many cases.

MojoMaker

magicbastarder wrote: »

weirdly, my dad also bought a bike helmet today (in cyclezone in blanch) and they told him there that the irish have larger than usual heads.

Bike shop owners during COVID-19 I assume he meant :pac:

Good auld Justin

Seth Brundle

Just following up on my recent query: I've purchased a Giro Atmos 2 Helmet 2019 - bright red/black from bike24.
Thanks for the help.