I realise this is not a good way to start a Monday morning and will more than likely cause a massive argument and put everyone in a bad mood for the rest of the day. Or it might just get ignored as it’s too boring and predictable.

Anyhow. Had a great blast around the Dalby red on Saturday (and yes I did pay my £7…) I was really surprised to see so many people not wearing a lid. Ok I could understand it if folk are pootling around the blue fireroads. But no, lots of blokes in lycra, knee pads and full sus talent compensators costing a small fortune, and no lid! Obviously they’ve never seen a head injury before. Or are so supremely arrogant as to think they won’t come off, which is funny cos most of them couldn’t ride for toffee.

Is this getting more popular? A year ago I would never see people riding without a helmet at trail centres.

Oh noes!

I just checked and no bike deaths are being reported at Dalby. Phew!

Car deaths nearby, however…

*sigh*

You know what – I can’t be bothered

Did they have a helmet in their backpacks?

I must admit that I always have a silent “?” to myself whenever I see someone wearing body armour but no helmet.

Haha 😈

Did they have a helmet in their backpacks?

No. I did check that before (quietly, to myself) labelling them a misguided arrogant tosser.

What did they say when you asked them?

Of course, being so concerned for their welfare, you did tackle them about it, didn’t you?

Concerned for their welfare? No no no, concerned that when they knock themselves out, or worse, that the trail might get closed, or similar H+S beaurocracy might take hold, or that I might be the next rider round the bend and have to help clean it up, or some impressionable kid might think it’s ok and hurt themselves.

I’m concerned at the increased risk to all caused by people driving to trail centres.

Mowgli – Member

Concerned for their welfare? No no no, concerned that when they knock themselves out, or worse, that the trail might get closed, or similar H+S beaurocracy might take hold, or that I might be the next rider round the bend and have to help clean it up, or some impressionable kid might think it’s ok and hurt themselves.

Have you got any evidence any of this is true?

99% of folk I see at Dalby (and out cross country) wear helmets the other 1% are “a nasty head injury waiting to happen”. All trail centres should have a policy of no helmet no riding. I don’t give a flying @uck about the arguements on here as I have seen to many damaged,indented and broken helmets to know that they work.

TJ:
I have personally seen the result of serious head injury, so yes. It would not be appropriate to put the details on here but I can sent you a link to the coroners inquest if you are interested.

I don’t give a flying @uck about the arguements on here as I have seen to many damaged,indented and broken helmets to know that they work.

A damaged helmet tells you that they work? Interesting

How many broken heads have you seen – helmeted or not helmeted?

Quite often, when out for a ride with Mrs BigJohn I don’t wear a helmet and she does.

I find it stops me from going down some of the rocky rooty stuff (because I can’t bring myself to do that if I haven’t got it on) which she would find a bit too intimidating, and would stop her wanting to come out with me again.

mowgli does have a point : wasnt it Dalby afew weeks ago that there was a serious head injury (someone had to be airlifted out) Mowgli has a good point ! i for one dont go anywear with my helmet ! even a slow skid (into a tree with no lid can cause bad head injuries (and especially now we are into the wet season (tree routes are very slippery causing you to go ‘off camber’ every now and then…. be careful out there people…
NO dont have ago at me either…. “wear a lid …it could save your life” ! 😉

Mowgili – I have worked with people with head injuries. You have seen one. That proves what exactly?

I suggest you have a search on here for previous debate on this.

99% of folk I see at Dalby (and out cross country) wear helmets the other 1% are “a nasty head injury waiting to happen”.

The people I see riding helmetless are generally just pootling about.

Those with helmets are heading for more technical stuff and are travelling faster.

Who is at most risk of injury?

How big a leap is it from “MTBing is dangerous so everyone should be made to wear a helmet” to “MTBing is dangerous so it should be banned”?

yep here it is : serious head injury : Dalby

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Dalby-Forest-Pontefract-crash-cyclist.6548136.jp

even a slow skid (into a tree with no lid can cause bad head injuries

Probabilities?

Even walking to the shops can cause serious head injuries

Even one drink can cause serious head injuries

yep here it is : serious head injury : Dalby

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Dalby-Forest-Pontefract-crash-cyclist.6548136.jp

What about instances of pedestrians suffering head injury? At least one pedestrian was saved from death after being hit by a bus because he was wearing a bike helmet.

TJ… I know this is your big thing but I have witnessed the aftermath of 3 nasty head injurys, mainly in Dalby. I spend alot of time out on the trials and I always try and help if I see an accident(being ex army,first aid,scout leader etc etc).I am just concerned for people safety and a believe helmet wearing in most instances to be safer …..You are entitled to your opinion but you may just sometimes be wrong.

Mowgili – I have worked with people with head injuries. You have seen one. That proves what exactly?

I suggest you have a search on here for previous debate on this.

You asked if I had evidence to back up the claims I made in my earlier post. I do, and offered to send said evidence to you. This is not a competition about ‘who has dealt with the most head injuries’. One is enough.

I asked if yo had any evidence for

Mowgli – Member

Concerned for their welfare? No no no, concerned that when they knock themselves out, or worse, that the trail might get closed, or similar H+S beaurocracy might take hold, or that I might be the next rider round the bend and have to help clean it up, or some impressionable kid might think it’s ok and hurt themselves.

Teh fact that someone has had a head injury is no evidence for your claims here. All it is is anecdote not evidence and only then to the fact that someone has head a head injury

Wearing a helmet? It’s a no brainer, excuse the pun. I went over the bars earlier this summer, due the the long dry weather the ground was like concrete, I managed to knock myself out and suffer a severely displaced fractured clavicle. The helmet definitely saved me a serious if not fatal head injury, foolishly I was also alone in a fairly remote forest, I managed to cycle home in a concussed state, god knows how.

stumpynya12 – Member

TJ… I know this is your big thing but I have witnessed the aftermath of 3 nasty head injurys, mainly in Dalby. I spend alot of time out on the trials and I always try and help if I see an accident(being ex army,first aid,scout leader etc etc).I am just concerned for people safety and a believe helmet wearing in most instances to be safer …..You are entitled to your opinion but you may just sometimes be wrong.

Perfectly reasonable position. I have no issue with that at all.

My issue is with the hysterical way many folk approach this issue.”wear a helmet or the sky will fall in”

I always ( these days) wear a helmet at a trail ctre.

TJ Thank you for your honest reply.

I wonder if you are this much of a t0sser in real life, or you just behave like this to entertain yourself on the internet.

When I were a lad….
In the 1960’s helmets were not required in any form of cycling competition except track racing (velodrome).
As a consequence of this, only the tough guys wore them in roadraces, indicating to the other competitors that they didn’t mind a bit of handlebar-banging on the run-in to the finish.
At Dalby, sometimes I wear one (if it’s greasy for instance), most of the time I don’t.
Let the individual decide.
Like the man said, you are far more likely to sustain a serious injury on the drive to Dalby than you are riding round those most excellent trails.

Stumpy – And I don’t want someone telling me what I should and shouldn’t do. I am an adult and capable of making up my own mind

I really dislike the “someone got a head injury – you must wear a helmet”
“wear a helmet of you will die” “A helmet saved my life”

there is so much hysterical nonsense talked about cycle helmets that has no basis in any evidence.

edit – Crossed posts

TJ has the right to his opinions, this is a forum for debate is it not. I may not agree with everybody all of the time but this can be a good place and can we just remember we all have a common interest and stop kicking off ….. it must be a monday morning thing 🙁

Mowgli – you know someone who has had a head injury. That has no bearing on the things you claimed in your post.

Logic – one thing does not follow another

TandemJeremy – Member

You know what – I can’t be bothered

😆

TJ …I fully understand your concerns freedom of choice and stuff I assume. I for one would like to apologise for others on here as you have some good stuff to share. God we will get some stick now for being forum buddies must be the Yorkshire and Scotsmen being equally stubborn issue.

And while we are on the subject, Dixons Hollow needs a radical re-design.
The builders have done their best I suppose, but that’s where the majority of Dalby accidents happen. Mostly because of the acceleration you get off the first jump. Catapults you into the second jump, then you flat-land in the middle of the next dip….next stop, hospital. Happens weekly.

Ta stumpy.

I am not against helmets. I am against the hyterical way some people aproach the subject

I do believe theyb are not nearly as protective as people seem to think and also that cycling is a safe pursuit so helmets are not needed for low risk cycling

TJ I know you’re very passionate about not wearing a lid, I too never used to wear a lid until the day I head-butted a tree trunk, very hard, on my own, in the middle of nowhere. My vague memory is of something sounding like a wooden mallet whacking a coconut (no jokes please!). It hurt, I was dazed and rode around in circles bleeding. I now wear a lid, and on Saturday a low hanging branch whacked my helmet. Glad I cleared up up for you 😉

I read somewhere that head injuries can change your accent and even your political leanings, are you 100% certain you’ve never hit your head? 😮

enfit – I am passionate about informed choice and not wanted to be berated by hysterical people. I wear a helmet some of the time – when the risks are high. I don’t when the risks are low. My choice

I read somewhere that head injuries can change your accent and even your political leanings, are you 100% certain you’ve never hit your head?

I was dropped on my head when I was a kid.

TJ – the choice is not yours, risk is always high.

Another pointless debate.