Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Cycle Helmets - How do you wear yours

I am increasingly astonished at how people wear their cycle helmets. Surely the most common way of falling off a bicycle is over the handlebars? If that is the case, surely it doesn't take a genius to realise it is the forehead that is going to come into contact with the tarmac first?

Apparently it does - there is an alarming number of people who wear their cycle helmet tipped back leaving the forehead exposed. Is this in order to maintain hat wearing etiquette at high speed, where one ought to have a permanent 'doff' in the event of being spotted by a chum?

Really - safety first please chaps. The cycle helmet should aways cover your forehead! Wear it level and NOT tilted.

I am sure any passer by will forgive you not doffing your hat if you are at least alive long enough for them to complain. You can always wear a hat on top of your cycle helmet should you need to.

5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

An observation from a cycle coach: generally people dont fall over the bars but off sideways, and roll onto their side or backs. which means the back and side of a helmet is most used. ( most common injuries are spained or broken wrists and collar bones, as well as bruised hips and pelvis. You can test if a helmet fits easily, by pushing it up from the back and forwards. if it slides off your bonce its not on right.
I quite like the jaunty look myself, i have been known to have my hat angled so as to facilitate doffing.

I also avoid wearing a cycle helmet whenever I can. Simply to remind myself I still have the freedom to choose and not be dictated to by a nanny state.

5:23 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am not at all sure a lady needs to doff: females are surely doffees rather than doffers, even cyclists. I don't know how the lady's correct equipage, the side-saddle bicycle, affects the accident statistics.

10:02 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

A cycle helmet is designed, as is a motorcycle helmet, to give protection for all circumstances.

If the person using it, in a way that it was not designed for, will not be given the best protection.

8:44 AM  
Blogger JT said...

I read somewhere that it may well be safer to avoid wearing a helmet, due to the attitudes of some motorists that those that do are "lycra louts" and don't deserve to be given much room or consideration on the road!

Death is a pretty harsh penalty for this prejudice and the attitudes of those driving what is a potentially deadly weapon is far more significant than a piece of polystyrene on your head!

12:59 PM  
Blogger BigJohn said...

When I was a boy, I did fall of my bike by going over the handlebars. The mirror on the front forks went through the front wheel spokes, straightening them somewhat. I landed on my back! Think about it.

(helmets weren't invented then.)

8:40 PM  

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