WIPEOUT!

Was with a group ride the other day and saw a guy take a really nasty spill. We were riding at about 55 kph down a hill that has a acute turn at the bottom. The guy hit some sand that had washed onto the road, and the bike slid out from under him and he commenced to tumble down the road. He would have hit his head at least four times that I saw but fortunately his helmet was what hit the road those times. Other than some road rash which we were able to wash he had no other injuries other than a fair bit of bruising that showed uop as time went by. He was able to get up and contine our ride but his helmet was a real mess.

Draw your own conclusions.

Cheers

On 2016-08-05 06:45, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
Was with a group ride the other day and saw a guy take a really
nasty spill. We were riding at about 55 kph down a hill that has a
acute turn at the bottom. The guy hit some sand that had washed onto
the road, and the bike slid out from under him and he commenced to
tumble down the road. He would have hit his head at least four times
that I saw but fortunately his helmet was what hit the road those
times. Other than some road rash which we were able to wash he had no
other injuries other than a fair bit of bruising that showed uop as
time went by. He was able to get up and contine our ride but his
helmet was a real mess.

Draw your own conclusions.


He'd likely still be alive if he had worn a helmet:

http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/cri...e93369152.html

It seems we now almost have one accident per month around Sacramento
that ends up fatal for the cyclist.

One of the MTB riders from our village took a nasty OTB spill recently.
It ended up with a painful concussion, probably from hitting rocks. If
he hadn't worn his helmet who knows.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFvkr6GBWLw

On Fri, 5 Aug 2016 06:45:09 -0700 (PDT), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:
Was with a group ride the other day and saw a guy take a really nasty
spill. We were riding at about 55 kph down a hill that has a acute
turn at the bottom. The guy hit some sand that had washed onto the
road, and the bike slid out from under him and he commenced to tumble
down the road. He would have hit his head at least four times that I
saw but fortunately his helmet was what hit the road those times.
Other than some road rash which we were able to wash he had no other
injuries other than a fair bit of bruising that showed uop as time
went by. He was able to get up and contine our ride but his helmet was
a real mess.

Draw your own conclusions.

Unfortunately it is almost impossible to draw any solid conclusions from
anecdotes like this. For one thing, we don't know what would have
happened without the helmet. He might not have hit his head at all (his
head being bigger with the helmet than without it). He might have hit
his head and gotten some road rash. He might have hit is head and
gotten bruised. He might have hit his head and gotten a mild
concussion. He might have hit his head and gotten a severe concussion.
He might have hit his head and gotten a traumatic brain injury causing
lifelong disability. He might have hit his head and died on the spot.

No way to know.

There is little reliable data to guide decision making. The protection
afforded by cycle helmets is low; in some cases it might be enough and
in some cases not. As we are finding from the research, the protection
afforded by much more substantial helmets with face masks, full hard
shells that are much thicker, and much more compliant padding that
styrofoam also provide little protection from brain injuries.

I've heard way too many "my helmet saved my life" stories when the
helmet in question was't significantly damaged or even marked, in some
cases. And I've heard of way too many cases when the cyclist died while
wearing a helmet. It's easy for an adult to exceed the design
parameters of a cycle helmet- our heads are at the maximum height for
which the helmet is tested and we frequently exceed the maximum speed
for which the helmet is tested. Some helmets might provide more
protection than others, but they are not tested for limits. It'd be
great if helmets really do significantly reduce the risk for brain
injury in a crash, but we haven't actually proven that yet. Little kids
are within the design parameters of helmets- low height for falls and
slow speeds.

I wear one as a sun hat to prevent sunburn on my scalp- it's light-ish,
it's ventilated and more comfortable on hot sunny days than a cycling
cap. But it's heavy enough to make the herniated disc in my neck
painful on long rides, so there is an immediate trade-off. On long cool
rides I wear a cap instead of a helmet.

The lack of solid data supporting helmet use makes the decision to wear
or not wear a helmet a decision of faith and emotion. Do you feel safer
with a helmet and that encourages you to ride? Then wear one. Does a
helmet annoy you from the weight, sweat dripping into your eyes, etc.,
and discourage you from riding? Then don't wear one. That's about what
conclusions can be drawn...

On Fri, 05 Aug 2016 08:06:36 -0700, Joerg
wrote:
On 2016-08-05 06:45, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
Was with a group ride the other day and saw a guy take a really nasty
spill. We were riding at about 55 kph down a hill that has a acute
turn at the bottom. The guy hit some sand that had washed onto the
road, and the bike slid out from under him and he commenced to tumble
down the road. He would have hit his head at least four times that I
saw but fortunately his helmet was what hit the road those times.
Other than some road rash which we were able to wash he had no other
injuries other than a fair bit of bruising that showed uop as time
went by. He was able to get up and contine our ride but his helmet
was a real mess.

Draw your own conclusions.


He'd likely still be alive if he had worn a helmet:

Ummm, what? He was wearing a helmet and he did survive- quite well, it
appears.

http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/cri...e93369152.html

It seems we now almost have one accident per month around Sacramento
that ends up fatal for the cyclist.

That would seem to be a highly disproportionate death rate compared to
the rest of the US as a whole. Are there roving gangs of vigilantes
targeting cyclists in Sacramento? An automotive version of ISIS?

One of the MTB riders from our village took a nasty OTB spill
recently. It ended up with a painful concussion, probably from hitting
rocks. If he hadn't worn his helmet who knows.

Unfortunately "who knows" is correct, given the limitations of
protection provided by helmets. Although I'd bet on painful scalp
lacerations without a helmet, assuming he was protected from those. I
think a lack of road rash on one's head is one of the reasonable
benefits of helmets. And that's not nothing.

On 8/5/2016 9:45 AM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
Was with a group ride the other day and saw a guy take a really nasty spill. We were riding at about 55 kph down a hill that has a acute turn at the bottom. The guy hit some sand that had washed onto the road, and the bike slid out from under him and he commenced to tumble down the road. He would have hit his head at least four times that I saw but fortunately his helmet was what hit the road those times. Other than some road rash which we were able to wash he had no other injuries other than a fair bit of bruising that showed uop as time went by. He was able to get up and contine our ride but his helmet was a real mess.

Draw your own conclusions.

Cheers


Draw our own conclusions about a guy who posts pro-helmet stories here
hoping to generate an argument?

Internet discussion groups have a five-letter word for those guys.

--
- Frank Krygowski

On 2016-08-05 11:46, Tim McNamara wrote:
On Fri, 05 Aug 2016 08:06:36 -0700, Joerg
wrote:
On 2016-08-05 06:45, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
Was with a group ride the other day and saw a guy take a really nasty
spill. We were riding at about 55 kph down a hill that has a acute
turn at the bottom. The guy hit some sand that had washed onto the
road, and the bike slid out from under him and he commenced to tumble
down the road. He would have hit his head at least four times that I
saw but fortunately his helmet was what hit the road those times.
Other than some road rash which we were able to wash he had no other
injuries other than a fair bit of bruising that showed uop as time
went by. He was able to get up and contine our ride but his helmet
was a real mess.

Draw your own conclusions.


He'd likely still be alive if he had worn a helmet:

Ummm, what? He was wearing a helmet and he did survive- quite well, it
appears.


I meant the guy in my link below.


http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/cri...e93369152.html

It seems we now almost have one accident per month around Sacramento
that ends up fatal for the cyclist.

That would seem to be a highly disproportionate death rate compared to
the rest of the US as a whole. Are there roving gangs of vigilantes
targeting cyclists in Sacramento? An automotive version of ISIS?


I don't know what it is but this year I read about a killed cyclist in
our local paper just about monthly :-(

There is also an increase in very callous car driver behavior in that
they simply leave the scene and leave the cyclist to die in the road or
risk getting run over by another vehicle. There are a number of roads
out here I simply will not cycle but only travel by car.


One of the MTB riders from our village took a nasty OTB spill
recently. It ended up with a painful concussion, probably from hitting
rocks. If he hadn't worn his helmet who knows.

Unfortunately "who knows" is correct, given the limitations of
protection provided by helmets. Although I'd bet on painful scalp
lacerations without a helmet, assuming he was protected from those. I
think a lack of road rash on one's head is one of the reasonable
benefits of helmets. And that's not nothing.


Here is a typical bush road in our area:

http://www.analogconsultants.com/ng/bike/Chapparal1.JPG

I went OTB there a few weeks ago when a small loose tree branch got
sucked into the front spokes and blocked the wheel. I lucked out and saw
a larger rock "fly by" my head while rolling. However, if you hit your
noggin on some of those rocks sticking out the ground it could split the
skull. A helmet can really save the day.

Like he

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DfiNZJK96I

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On 8/5/2016 3:38 PM, Joerg wrote:
On 2016-08-05 11:46, Tim McNamara wrote:
On Fri, 05 Aug 2016 08:06:36 -0700, Joerg
wrote:
On 2016-08-05 06:45, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
Was with a group ride the other day and saw a guy take a really nasty
spill. We were riding at about 55 kph down a hill that has a acute
turn at the bottom. The guy hit some sand that had washed onto the
road, and the bike slid out from under him and he commenced to tumble
down the road. He would have hit his head at least four times that I
saw but fortunately his helmet was what hit the road those times.
Other than some road rash which we were able to wash he had no other
injuries other than a fair bit of bruising that showed uop as time
went by. He was able to get up and contine our ride but his helmet
was a real mess.

Draw your own conclusions.


He'd likely still be alive if he had worn a helmet:

Ummm, what? He was wearing a helmet and he did survive- quite well, it
appears.


I meant the guy in my link below.


http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/cri...e93369152.html

It seems we now almost have one accident per month around Sacramento
that ends up fatal for the cyclist.

That would seem to be a highly disproportionate death rate compared to
the rest of the US as a whole. Are there roving gangs of vigilantes
targeting cyclists in Sacramento? An automotive version of ISIS?


I don't know what it is but this year I read about a killed cyclist in
our local paper just about monthly :-(

There is also an increase in very callous car driver behavior in that
they simply leave the scene and leave the cyclist to die in the road or
risk getting run over by another vehicle. There are a number of roads
out here I simply will not cycle but only travel by car.


One of the MTB riders from our village took a nasty OTB spill
recently. It ended up with a painful concussion, probably from hitting
rocks. If he hadn't worn his helmet who knows.

Unfortunately "who knows" is correct, given the limitations of
protection provided by helmets. Although I'd bet on painful scalp
lacerations without a helmet, assuming he was protected from those. I
think a lack of road rash on one's head is one of the reasonable
benefits of helmets. And that's not nothing.


Here is a typical bush road in our area:

http://www.analogconsultants.com/ng/bike/Chapparal1.JPG

I went OTB there a few weeks ago when a small loose tree branch got
sucked into the front spokes and blocked the wheel. I lucked out and saw
a larger rock "fly by" my head while rolling. However, if you hit your
noggin on some of those rocks sticking out the ground it could split the
skull. A helmet can really save the day.

Like he

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DfiNZJK96I

That's why bicyclist fatalities have NOT fallen as fast as those of
pedestrians since helmets became popular?

That's why bicyclist concussions are UP something like 67% since helmets
became popular?

I don't doubt that a helmet "can" save the day. It's just that it seems
to be a rather small value of "can" - that is, small enough to be
undetectable in national data.

--
- Frank Krygowski

On Friday, August 5, 2016 at 3:38:43 PM UTC-4, Joerg wrote:
Snipped A helmet can really save the day.

Like he

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DfiNZJK96I

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

A helmet is like insurance; you hope you never need it but when you do need it you're really glad it's there.

I'm surprised at how many believe that if a person who takes a nasty fall off a bicycle at speed, hits there helmet against the road a number of times believe that had the person not been wearing a helmet that the head would not have hit the pavement at all. Almost inconceivable that such a belief exists. I remember watching Steve Bauer on TV during a race when iirc correctly his front tire blew or rolled off the rim and Steve went down very hard and rolled a few times before attempting to get back on his feet. His momentum was so great that he rolled again and you could actually hear his helmeted head strike the pavement again. He was able to continue riding. Helmets may or may not help in every crash but to say that had one not been wearing a helmet would have resulted in the head not hitting the pavement at all? Some are so anti-helmet they'll ignore all the laws of physics.

Cheers

On 2016-08-05 12:55, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 8/5/2016 3:38 PM, Joerg wrote:
On 2016-08-05 11:46, Tim McNamara wrote:
On Fri, 05 Aug 2016 08:06:36 -0700, Joerg
wrote:
On 2016-08-05 06:45, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
Was with a group ride the other day and saw a guy take a really nasty
spill. We were riding at about 55 kph down a hill that has a acute
turn at the bottom. The guy hit some sand that had washed onto the
road, and the bike slid out from under him and he commenced to tumble
down the road. He would have hit his head at least four times that I
saw but fortunately his helmet was what hit the road those times.
Other than some road rash which we were able to wash he had no other
injuries other than a fair bit of bruising that showed uop as time
went by. He was able to get up and contine our ride but his helmet
was a real mess.

Draw your own conclusions.


He'd likely still be alive if he had worn a helmet:

Ummm, what? He was wearing a helmet and he did survive- quite well, it
appears.


I meant the guy in my link below.


http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/cri...e93369152.html

It seems we now almost have one accident per month around Sacramento
that ends up fatal for the cyclist.

That would seem to be a highly disproportionate death rate compared to
the rest of the US as a whole. Are there roving gangs of vigilantes
targeting cyclists in Sacramento? An automotive version of ISIS?


I don't know what it is but this year I read about a killed cyclist in
our local paper just about monthly :-(

There is also an increase in very callous car driver behavior in that
they simply leave the scene and leave the cyclist to die in the road or
risk getting run over by another vehicle. There are a number of roads
out here I simply will not cycle but only travel by car.


One of the MTB riders from our village took a nasty OTB spill
recently. It ended up with a painful concussion, probably from hitting
rocks. If he hadn't worn his helmet who knows.

Unfortunately "who knows" is correct, given the limitations of
protection provided by helmets. Although I'd bet on painful scalp
lacerations without a helmet, assuming he was protected from those. I
think a lack of road rash on one's head is one of the reasonable
benefits of helmets. And that's not nothing.


Here is a typical bush road in our area:

http://www.analogconsultants.com/ng/bike/Chapparal1.JPG

I went OTB there a few weeks ago when a small loose tree branch got
sucked into the front spokes and blocked the wheel. I lucked out and saw
a larger rock "fly by" my head while rolling. However, if you hit your
noggin on some of those rocks sticking out the ground it could split the
skull. A helmet can really save the day.

Like he

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DfiNZJK96I

That's why bicyclist fatalities have NOT fallen as fast as those of
pedestrians since helmets became popular?

That's why bicyclist concussions are UP something like 67% since helmets
became popular?

I don't doubt that a helmet "can" save the day. It's just that it seems
to be a rather small value of "can" - that is, small enough to be
undetectable in national data.


And now we shall look at some real data:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3755017/

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/