New to cycling - helmet advice please

[Treysanatomy]

I've bought myself a bike and plan to cycle to work 3 days a week. It's about 8 miles but flat cycle path all the way.

I guess I will still need a helmet even though I won't be on the road? Is there any particular style / make which won't completely devestate my hair do or is helmet hair inevitable?

[VioletBam]

Your hair will look bad and your face will sweat meaning your makeup will too. Have you had a trial run? 8 miles is quite a lot for a newbie, flat or not.

[BikeRunSki]

Try a few helmets in a see which one feels most comfortable. The lighter, and more air vents you have, the more comfortable to wear in use. You'll get helmet hair regardless.

[BikeRunSki]

8 flat mikes is fine, but have a trial run. I reckon it'll take you about an hour as a pnewbie.

[InsufficientlyCaffeinated]

You don't need a helmet, just assess the risks of your particular route & decide what works for you.

If you choose to use one, go for lightweight. Helmet hair is unavoidable. Dry shampoo can help as can a portable wireless hair styler

[peggyundercrackers]

As your on a cycle path I wouldn't bother with a helmet.

[readyforno2]

Seriously?! You wouldn't bother with a helmet?
I'm gobsmacked. My friend worked for a year or so in a brain trauma unit. 90% of the people she worked with were young (late 20's- early 30's) who have come off a bike.

Helmet hair is probably unavoidable but as pp have said, try a couple and choose the lightest.

[VioletBam]

You do need a helmet....

[InsufficientlyCaffeinated]

The chances of an accident are very small. Most head injuries occur in cars. Those worried about lack of helmets, do you wear one in cars? If not you should if you're genuinely worried about risk of head injury

[VioletBam]

What? Why would I wear a helmet in a car? There is a roof and ceilings! On a bike, you're totally out in the open....if you hit a rock and fell off, you could smash your head on the pavement or road doing real damage.

Who cares how small the risk is? Helmets protect you.

[InsufficientlyCaffeinated]

Who cares how small the risk is? Helmets protect you.

That's why you should wear a helmet in a car, because that's where most head injuries happen. Doesn't matter that there's a wall & roof, you're still at risk and by your very own reasoning...it doesn't matter how small the risk is.

Alternatively let people assess the risk of their own journeys

[VioletBam]

What shite. The two issues are separate. You honestly think that because people don't wear helmets in a car they shouldn't bother on a bike?

Crock of crap.

[peggyundercrackers]

Violet pram no I don't think you need a helmet, they actually only provide very little protection - focus sing on your riding style and a well maintained bike are shown to be more effective in making you safe. several studies have showed to over estimate the benefits of wearing a helmet. Studies also show riders take more risk when wearing a helmet. its also been proven that drivers tend to give cyclists who wear helmets less space when passing.

[Iflyaway]

Check out Youtube for cyclists in the Netherlands and see how many wear a helmet (= none)....

[Iflyaway]

[InsufficientlyCaffeinated]

No I'm not saying that because people don't wear a helmet in a car they don't need to on a bike, what I'm doing is turning your own logic back at your statement.

Far more people have head injuries in a car than on a bike. If you believe that even a small risk is worth protecting against, then you should also be in favour of wearing helmets in cars. People over-estimate the danger of cycling and under-estimate the danger of driving.

My point is that it is up to every individual to assess their risk based on their riding style and the conditions in which they cycle.

For most people who cycle commute, it is safe to ride helmetless. Here's a brain surgeon saying helmets are pointless

www.cnet.com/news/brain-surgeon-theres-no-point-wearing-cycle-helmets/

aseasyasridingabike.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/helmets-expectation-and-inconsistency/

[MyFriendsCallMeOh]

This is USA data, there's lots of it and nearly all conclusive in the case for wearing a helmet. 3 cyclist deaths within a 10 block radius of my residential area home in the last 6 months, none of them wearing a helmet, all died from head injuries.

against bike helmets which set the precedent for anti-helmet ideas (he's from Copenhagen where drivers are hugely aware of cyclists on their roads). This response shows how far off the mark he was.

I'm pretty risk averse. I wear sunscreen in the summer, lock my doors, look both ways before crossing the road. I understand however that not everyone prioritises minimal risk.

[CMOTDibbler]

I'd wear a helmet - just use some dry shampoo when you arrive.

Anecdote doesn't equal evidence, but one of my colleagues was out for a nice Sunday ride. A bird ran out onto the track, he swerved, front wheel hit a small rock and he went straight over the handlebars, landing on his head. 2 weeks in a coma, 6 months in rehab learning to walk, swallow etc again. His helmet was crushed and the neurosurgeons said that he would have died for sure without it.

[emummy]

Agree with CMOT, looked after a man in similar accident, he hit a speed bump too fast and flew over handlebars. Unfortunately not wearing a helmet, worst head injury I have ever seen. We saved him, but he died months later after never recovering consciousness.
As to head injuries in cars, after 20 years in A&E I must say the worst head injuries I have seen have not been from car accidents, usually pedestrians, cyclists, people falling off things.
Helmet hair is unavoidable though, agree with dry shampoo! Good luck, hope you enjoy it.

[knottedwood]

I don't wear a helmet.
HOWEVER
I think I probably should start again.
I didn't, for years, because the evidence for them IS pretty dicey, and there's strong population-level evidence that making helmet use compulsory is a bad idea.
Also, if you're in a bad collision with a car/lorry/bus, a helmet is highly unlikely to make an difference. Helmets don't stop you getting squashed.
What they DO do is make a difference in no-other-person type accidents; if you hit a patch of oil and fall off suddenly; the speed bump example up-thread; potholes etc.
On choosing one - go to a really big cycle shop and keep trying them on until you find a couple that fit well. And make sure they DO fit well. You need to have them on tightly enough that if you push them hard from any angle, they stay put: chin strap needs to be tight, and your ears need to be in the triangle bit. Absolutely no point at all in a loose helmet...

[lljkk]

@TREYSANAT: wear the helmet that is comfortable & you feel least like a dork in. :) You'll only wear it if you think you don't look like an eejit.

Ideally it should stay on your head even if the straps aren't done up under your chin, so will have adjustable parts around the back.

Happy cycling :)

[Treysanatomy]

Thanks for all the replies.

I've done some investigating and apparently the cycle route is less than 6 miles, is 8 miles by car.

I was also pleased to hear the shower rooms at work have power sockets for straighteners and great lighting ting for make up

The bike arrives today so off to try on some helmets this afternoon. Will try a few short rides this week then test run at the weekend.

[glassgarden]

the worst head injuries I have seen have not been from car accidents, usually pedestrians, cyclists, people falling off things
I'm not suggesting that cyclists ought not to wear helmets, but if they should then the argument that we should all wear helmets all the time is probably equally strong?

[Thistledew]

The risks of head injury whilst cycling are quite different from those when walking or in a car.

Firstly, we all spend far more time walking than on a bike, and the incidence of head injury per hour is very low. Other types of injury rather than head injury are far more common from trips and falls etc as we are going at slower speeds and able to break our fall. Pretty much all of us spend far more time travelling in cars than on bikes. Again, the incidence of head injury per hour is much lower than when cycling. There are other safety measures in a car, such as seat belts, roll cages and air bags. You are likely to either be injured in another way or to receive such a catastrophic head injury due to the forces involved that a helmet would make little difference.

Cycling, on the other hand, is inherently more risky in terms of injury per hour. You are balancing on 6-12 square cm of rubber and travelling up to 20 mph (or faster). It is very hard to fall off your bike and not have your head make contact with the ground. There are no other bits of safety equipment that work to protect your head. A cycle helmet may have limited effectiveness if you are hit by a car, but it does really help when your head hits the ground.

Yes, wearing a helmet 24/7 as we go about our daily lives would prevent some head injuries, but the factor by which it would create this reduction is so statistically small to be negligible, as the risk is not high to start with. The reduction in risk is significantly bigger when it comes to preventing head injuries whilst cycling.

[glassgarden]

I know youre right thistle and thanks for typing all that out
I'm glad you're ok after your accident☺

[MyFriendsCallMeOh]

Glad you're ok. My dh cycles in 2 day 150 mile events. Ironically he cycled round a puddle on a rural cycle track 2 miles from home earlier this year, hit a slippery patch, came off his bike, scraped all up his leg, tore his shorts, massive scrape on shoulder, smashed watch and headache for a day after smacking his helmet on the concrete. Thank God he was wearing a helmet.