Hulver's site || Comments || Life is like a dick, once it gets to hard fuck it!

Why helmets, then? by ambrosen (2.00 / 0) #9 Wed May 31, 2006 at 11:07:14 PM EST

I mean, it's not as if there's any less chance of fatal infections when you abrade your arms down to the bone than when you abrade your skull down to the bone.

I guess they stop the chance of brittle fracturing to the skull, but apart from that?

[ Parent ]

to keep my face pretty. by garlic (4.00 / 1) #10 Wed May 31, 2006 at 11:18:06 PM EST

same reason bicyclists wear 'em. It doesn't take that much of a knock to the head to cause issues that a helmet can prevent.

[ Parent ]

Or exacerbate. by ambrosen (2.00 / 0) #14 Thu Jun 01, 2006 at 07:21:29 AM EST

The evidence for motorbike helmets working is apparently there, though. I was being socratic, and anyway, given how little I know about [motor]biking (e.g. "but the blokes at the MotoGP always walk off looking rueful after coming off at 3 brazilian mph because of their leather"), it's far from my position to be commenting.

The only large scale results for cycle helmets show a deleterious effect, that I do know for a fact.

[ Parent ]

: The motogp guys do always look good, don't they? by garlic (2.00 / 0) #15 Thu Jun 01, 2006 at 08:43:29 AM EST

most of their accidents I've seen have been long skid type accidents into hay bails. unfortunately, other vehicles, and the roads in the US don't have hay bails on the sides. I know someone who lost his legs in a bike accident due to hitting a guardrail at speed.

[ Parent ]

Even small rocks hurt at 65 mph by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #16 Thu Jun 01, 2006 at 09:30:28 AM EST

ditto big bees. My helmets have a few scratches from road objects hitting them at speed. I don't remember that happening, but a rock in the face at 65 would really hurt.

[ Parent ]

Fair point. by ambrosen (2.00 / 0) #18 Thu Jun 01, 2006 at 10:50:21 AM EST

I don't know enough about jackets, boots and trousers, but I'd always heard that e.g. jackets help keep your organs inside your abdomen and your spine in a straight line in case of collision.

[ Parent ]

Anecdotally gear helps by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #20 Thu Jun 01, 2006 at 11:32:56 AM EST

I've read enough reports from people who went down, or got hit, or hit something while wearing gear, they all felt it helped.

It makes sense, my gear has stiff armor over my joints to spread the impact.

[ Parent ]

Makes sense to me. by ambrosen (2.00 / 0) #21 Thu Jun 01, 2006 at 11:47:02 AM EST

We've had a month long helmet flame with (some members of) rec.bicycles.tech over on uk.rec.cycling.

It's not been very pleasant, especially as uk.rec.cycling is full of exceptionally clever people, some of whom are getting dragged into this stuff and having to repeatedly persuade people who are calling them anti-helmet nazis that studies don't support all their assertions.

I was mainly calling garlic on (implicitly) saying "as long as you're wearing a helmet, nothing else matters".

I broke my wrist on a stupid fall off a stupid bike 2 years ago, and I was bracing myself for being told I should have been wearing a helmet many, many times. In actual fact, not that many people did. Probably because I got out less when I was in pain and bus-bound.

[ Parent ]

gear helps even if you don't crash by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #22 Thu Jun 01, 2006 at 11:59:04 AM EST

you can still have rocks, insects and lit cigarette butts hit you at 65, it helps against dehydration, or hypothermia, it keeps you more comfortable and protected from road crap. I'm sort of a gear nazi.

[ Parent ]

: No you're not by ambrosen (2.00 / 0) #23 Thu Jun 01, 2006 at 12:01:20 PM EST

You're justifying it sensibly.
If I were to ride, I'd use it.

[ Parent ]