Here's a 'great' idea for a topic...

[jawj]

... let's start a helmet debate in this forum!  That'll make everyone friends. Yay!

[jags]

well im all for them,in the last 6 years i've broken two when i came off ,first time i cracked three ribs but the head survived ,next time was  my collarbone and rib's again but again the helmet saved me from bad head injurys.so im sticking with mine thank you very much.

[stutho]

This time of year they are great at keeping my head warm!  Rest of the year I am on the fence.

[bobs]

Depends on how thick your skull is.   

[freddered]

My only crash in the last decade or so was on my MTB.  I managed to do a flip, broke ribs AND collarbone.  I hit my head hard and was very dazed.  All my friends who witnessed the crash went and bought helmets the same week.

My helmet didn't break but it was dented and scuffed.

I don't think it saved my live but I know it saved a trip to outpatients to treat the scuffs and dents my head would have otherwise suffered.

If I get hit by a 40 ton truck then a helmet won't help (it may save the paintwork on the truck I suppose) .

If I topple off my bike and hit my head on a kerb then it may prevent a serious injury from an otherwise trivial accident.

Also, I ride a lot at night on dark country lanes.  My helmet and the peak have taken some pretty big impacts from low-hanging branches that I'm happy not to have taken full in the head/face.

Can't say it keeps me warm though, I wear a skull cap underneath for that.

[jawj]

Oh b@gger, I never actually wanted anyone to venture an opinion!

Ice got me this morning on the way to work. Didn't hit my head so presence or absence of helmet irrelevant, but I did put a hole in my right knee warmer to match the one in the left knee warmer thus allowing me to justify some new kneewarmers. Specialized's offerings have proven to be {admittedly on a single ride home...} very snug, cosy and comfy: highly recommended. Also, anyone else think there should be less emphasis on head protection and more on hip protection? Hips always take the worst of it for me and I know tonight's sleep will be disturbed several times when I roll on to, what became this morning, the wrong one. Finally: flipping back roads: I use them sometimes as a shortcut, but mainly to avoid London's irrational drivers, and then end up on my @rse as they're not gritted or thawed by traffic. Darned if you do, darned if you don't...)

[peter jenkins]

Here in Australia, helmets are compulsory and there's evidence available to demonstrate that the number of short bike trips has reduced significantly as a result. i.e. a round trip less than 3 kilometers to the shop/school/whatever is less likely to happen because the potential rider has to go to the trouble of locating and donning a helmet. ditto with spontaneous rides or city bike hire schemes. These potential cyclists take the car instead of riding. The trade off against the reduction of head injuries is fewer people experiencing the joys of cycling and participating in some form of exercise, reducing pollution at the same time. But... you've heard all this before.

Yes, I wear my helmet (almost) all of the time and would do so (nearly almost of the time) even if it weren't compulsory, but I can't help but think that the authorites here introduced helmet laws so they could claim to be improving safety without actually doing much. Better policing of general behaviour on the roads (by cyclists as well as motorists) would be more effective. e.g. educating drivers to realise that cyclists are legitimate road users and perhaps 'booking' unlit cyclists after dark.

Rant ends.

Merry Christmas fellow Thornites,

pj