Have YOU ever

[donnoirf]

Yes fallen off 4 times in 20 years

No injuries

Helmets were not about in the early 80s... But the fear of falling off or being knocked off on today's roads has prompted me to cover my nut!

 

[Genesis750]

fallen off

yes - i have fallen and been knocked off
yes - including three head injuries (one cycle two motorbike)
No - I dont want to. the fags and booze or tree surgery or diy electrics will probably do me more harm. having said that on longer runs on busier roads do wear one. am not convinced that cycle helmet design is as effective as it could be - eg why is it sooo different from motorcycle helmet design (casco excepted)? one must surely be wrong?

 

[stevebills]

You can easily guess what prompted me to start this thread

Just three questions (the deceased need not answer):

1. Have you ever fallen off or been knocked off a bicycle?
2. Did you sustain any injuries, minor or serious?
3. Did it make you consider wearing a helmet?

no
no
I always wear one on the optibike

 

[stevebills]

yes - i have fallen and been knocked off
yes - including three head injuries (one cycle two motorbike)
No - I dont want to. the fags and booze or tree surgery or diy electrics will probably do me more harm. having said that on longer runs on busier roads do wear one. am not convinced that cycle helmet design is as effective as it could be - eg why is it sooo different from motorcycle helmet design (casco excepted)? one must surely be wrong?

motorcycles travel at much higher speeds and therefore the inpact will be
bigger! My mates R1 does 190 mph!

 

[donnoirf]

actually its called a Nutcase helmet dotty
Think it might tempt me to wear one from now on.......
Lynda

Yes I was quite tempted to have one of these quirky helemts, till a saw one in real. the helmets are very neatly made & look quite small on the head. However the 'NUTCASE' logo on the front is 'QUITE LARGE'
& as i often leave my helemt on if im just popping into a shop for something quick. I wasnt too keen on approaching a checkout the with words NUTCASE stamped so large on my head'

Donna

 

[Hugh]

You can easily guess what prompted me to start this thread

Just three questions (the deceased need not answer):

1. Have you ever fallen off or been knocked off a bicycle?
2. Did you sustain any injuries, minor or serious?
3. Did it make you consider wearing a helmet?

1. Yes - 4 times in 50 years.
2. Yes - life-changing smash 7 years ago (the last one!)
3. Yes - wife won't let me commute to work by ebike unless I use a helmet. Fair enough really. They do make your head hot though, never mind the din from the wind rushing through the straps.....

 

[jasono]

Yes
Yes
No, but only because I already wear one

Like a few others I've ridden motorcycles for years and it's interesting that the few times I have come off I can vividly remember the scraping sound of my helmet on the tarmac

On my push bikes I do occasionally forget to wear my helmet and it feels strange

 

[eTim]

Yes
Yes - minor
Yes - but I choose not to most of the time.

Just out of interest - why are these threads only concentrating on head injuries and wearing a helmet. Surely there are plenty of other injuries sustained in bike crashes where the head is untouched, but still has an effect on daily life, broken limbs, smashed elbows and knees, loss of skin. What are the injury statistics (those that are reported)?

Should we not be talking about body armour for these areas and can we start another debate ...

For example, why is most motorcycle clothing sold with integrated body armour and Lycra not??

 

[HarryB]

Yes - twice and both times a car turned left into a side road while along side me. Never happens now I have a faster electric bike with a mirror and loud horn.
No
No

I do wear a helmet but am quite realistic about the protection it offers and mainly worn through family pressure (as I have a long commute). I don't wear one when out and about cycling locally with the Kids and they don't wear one either.

 

[eddieo]

Last June I was side swipped by a cab(people carrier) who got fed up waiting in traffic and decided to enter bus lane and hit me...I did not come of completely but was shaken up

 

[HarryB]

Last June I was side swipped by a cab(people carrier) who got fed up waiting in traffic and decided to enter bus lane and hit me...I did not come of completely but was shaken up

You forgot to say whether your helmet saved your life or not A helmet saved my life!

 

[eddieo]

You forgot to say whether your helmet saved your life or not A helmet saved my life!

course it did silly!

 

[flecc]

Just out of interest - why are these threads only concentrating on head injuries and wearing a helmet. Surely there are plenty of other injuries sustained in bike crashes where the head is untouched, but still has an effect on daily life, broken limbs, smashed elbows and knees, loss of skin. What are the injury statistics (those that are reported)?

They are the great majority of cycle accidents, the shoulders and arms do a good job of protecting the head. Of the 13 cyclists killed in London year before last, most were knocked off, run over and crushed by left turning trucks. All of those killed that way were females, mostly being too obedient to the traffic laws by waiting at the red lights out of the lorry driver's sight.

The blokes either crossing on red or waiting well ahead of the stop line were unhurt of course. Being good, law abiding and wearing a helmet doesn't necessarily pay off. Using one's own mind to think out the best personal solutions obviously does.

Your best protection is you!
.

 

[Abs_N]

Yes,Yes,NO

Yes I have fallen off my bike when I was younger but not since then

As I remember I was still learning to ride a bike and my friend had a bmx bike and I just couldn't ride it and kept falling off, and one time went over the handlebars.

Eventually I sussed how to ride the bike and when my brother bought his racer we used to ride it up and down our road. The racer was huge and my feet would just about reach the pedals, to get on I would tilt the bike to one side, put my leg over and push the pedal down to move off and then ride the bike. It was good fun until you had to stop, I would have to fall to one side.

Luckily I did have nay major injuries just scrapes and cuts.

I have been cycling to work for about 18 months and always wear a helmet.
I was reading about T E Lawrence on wikipedia and read that he died in a motorcycle accident and the doctor who treated researched that head injuries were the major of cause of motorcycle accidents, this led me to make a decision that I should wear a helmet.
Also I think lights and high viz jackets should be born as drivers just can't see us cyclists, I know because sometimes when I'm driving I don't see cyclists, now I make sure that I'm mor3e aware of them.

 

[Xcytronex]

Black is just as visable as hi- vis. Use decent lights at night.

 

[HarryB]

I always use a flashing front light during the day as well as night. Every little bit helps.