Remember kids... always wear a helmet. (The almighty bikeradar helmet thread)

You'll get the hang of them soon bagheera. it's compulsary to forget the spds in the beginning and fall off s l o w l y while clipped in. Wear ther knee scabs with pride;p)

You flatter me Sir, I don't think you appreciate quite what a muppet I am sometimes!

I suppose that's about as good as this kind of reasoning gets. Probably best if you don't go to Australia.

I'm in Australia now. What exactly is wrong with the reasoning? If a person doesn't like doing something, then they'll be happier if they don't do it.

Sue Abbott seems happy enough with her recent court decision. Why should that happiness be denied others?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00tgwz7/More_or_Less_27_08_2010/

The above is a piece from Radio 4 (12:42 onwards) and below is a print/web page reproduction

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11110665

To summarise:
Univ of Bath did a study with one cyclist & 2500 overtakes, vehicles passed closer when rider helemted, the proportion v close was higher - no evidence of risk compensation by rider (but only x1 rider in research! - when he wore a wig to appear as a women, cars passed with greater distance (but had he also screemed like a banshee, he could have had an entire street to himself).

Dept of Transport dismissed all behavioral research due to insufficient evidence
A Paedi Nurse who is behind a campaign to wear helmets whilst cycling was not particularly convincing, did give a good analogy, whereby you would put a laptop in a protective case, to avoid impact related loading issues & your brain encounters similar problems after an impact.

DOT reviewed 100 forensic reports on cycle fatalities and stated that 10-16 deaths could have been prevented by wearing a helmet, BUT based on an assumption as to how effective the protection provided would have been.

Bollox to it, from now on I'm wearing a blond wig over my helmet

[QUOTE=mr_tom;1621975]I'm in Australia now. What exactly is wrong with the reasoning? If a person doesn't like doing something, then they'll be happier if they don't do it.

QUOTE]

If you don't like the laws of a country and they make you sad then don't go to the country. Or just accept them and get over it. It is not as though you are not allowed to drink or anything important like that...

The 4th was due to me not replacing my worn cleats and having a foot fly out of the SPD at the A10/A406 roundabout (much fun - I can't recommend it enough).

If you've crashed A10/A406 then I'm assuming you live in or frequent the Enfield/Edmonton area, which is where I've had all my accidents. maybe the area is a cursed.

+1 million

helmet debates repeat over and over, with only slight variations, to the extent that even I can't really be bothered having them again and again

If you don't like the laws of a country and they make you sad then don't go to the country. Or just accept them and get over it. It is not as though you are not allowed to drink or anything important like that...

Err. Yes. My original point was that the legal system in Oz provides a mechanism for granting exceptions for helmet use, and that it is more contrived and complex than the mechanism that is provded for granting exemptions for seat-belt use.

Am I speaking in tongues, or did IQs just drop sharply when I was gone?

If you've crashed A10/A406 then I'm assuming you live in or frequent the Enfield/Edmonton area, which is where I've had all my accidents. maybe the area is a cursed.

Was on the way in to work from the other half's near Southgate and she now lives up near Turkey St so I pass through quite a bit.

Out of a sample size of 4 crashes however, half were in Mayfair with dozy folk opening doors into (an equally dozy, perhaps) me.

Err. Yes. My original point was that the legal system in Oz provides a mechanism for granting exceptions for helmet use, and that it is more contrived and complex than the mechanism that is provded for granting exemptions for seat-belt use.

Am I speaking in tongues, or did IQs just drop sharply when I was gone?

Okay, so I will reword for you. If you don't like the laws or the over complicated exception process of a country then don't go there.

And no, the IQ dropped when you came back because yours lowered the average.

Has this been resolved yet?

Yes it has been resolved. Only thing is there are 4 different resolutions available, just need to pick one.

pick one then argue about it for another 49 pages.

Has this been resolved yet?

all sorted and agreed

time to close the thread?

pick one then argue about it for another 49 pages.

Aaaaahhh, I just couldn't let the opportunity pass to start page 50. :)

Coming up King's Avenue towards Clapham North this morning I was overtaken in stationary traffic by a chap who was gesticulating wildly and shouting agitatedly about something. "How odd", I thought, "nobody's cut him up or anything and there's plenty of room, I wonder what he's so angry about". When he started banging on his helmet with his knuckles and almost crashing into the car in front I finally twigged that it was me he was giving a bollocking to, for riding around without a helmet on.

If I'd been travelling at more than 5mph I might have caught him up and explained that I was on a short leisurely ride at snail's pace so significantly less likely to have an accident than usual but he was gone almost as soon as he'd appeared, bless him. Hope he didn't end up injuring himself in the excitement :(

not really for him to give you a bollocking whatever speed or type of riding is it as it is not even a legal requirement!

I have so many people asking me why I'm not wearing a helmet at the Skyride yesterday due to wearing a marshall jacket.

pretty annoying.

not really for him to give you a bollocking whatever speed or type of riding is it as it is not even a legal requirement!

This is true. Still it is nice that people care. I mean if my dear old mum ever found out I'd left the house without it she'd have beaten my brains out of my head herself, so I will view cross fellow-cyclists as an extension of my mum and assume that they just want to take care of people. Urban philanthropists, every one. :)

I have so many people asking me why I'm not wearing a helmet at the Skyride yesterday due to wearing a marshall jacket.

The answer to this question is that your marshall jacket imbues you with Super Powers. Give the kids something to aspire to.

I have so many people asking me why I'm not wearing a helmet at the Skyride yesterday due to wearing a marshall jacket.

pretty annoying.

Personally I think kids should be encouraged to wear helmets and if you're in a position where you're being some kind of example to kids then you should probably wear one too.

I know all the arguments for and against wearing them (at the moment I choose not too), but the point is that we're adults and we get to make that choice because we understand the risks and make an educated (or not) decision. I think kids should be encouraged to wear them until they are in a position to make the same decision for themselves.

Does that make sense? It's like I'd never smoke around kids with whom I'm in a position of authority - it's not that there's anything wrong with it (well, like riding a without helmet, there's clearly something wrong with it–-on one level it's fucking stupid--but again it's about acceptable risk and being old enough to make that decision for yourself), I just don't think it needs to be encouraged.

^ Good point well made, in my view.

If we do that then all activities of a similar level of risk should involve helmet wearing. All kids climbing trees should have a helmet on e.t.c.

but then kids should wear helmets at all times until they are in a position to make the decision shouldn't they? Why just when on a bike?

It is not as though kids don't hit their heads when doing anything else? In fact as a kid it would have made more sense for me to have worn a helmet when not cycling as I had numerous head injuries when not cycling but none at all while cycling (and I cycled a lot). Circumstantial that may be.

I hit my head quite badly jumping down the stairs.

Personally I think blah blah blah blah everyone should behave like me

.

If you don't like the laws or the over complicated exception process of a country then don't go there.

If everyone believed that, no-one would go anywhere.