To helmet or not to helmet

[steve brock]

Ok been thinking about head gear for when I finish the trike what is most commonly worn? Or most practical?

To helmet or not to helmet

[digger06]

wooly hat when warm, and my old helmet when raining

[Olds]

Trundling around locally, nowt. Fast roads or rain, open or full face bike helmet.

[BikerGran]

Local I don't wear anything cos I'd only ride in good weather.  Anything else I wear a full face helmet - partly cos I'm paranoid about insects in my face, partly cos it keeps the rain off my head and aouta my face, and I reckon if I did have an accident I'd be likely to come off onto my head - and I quite like my head the way it is!

[triker_Chewie]

last time my grandad saw a bloke wearing a Cherman helmet, he shot him

[ROD]

I wont ride the trike without a helmet and I always insist on the pillion wearing one too.We have arai and shoei full face ones. Short journeys dont make you less vulnerable .Ive had bugs hit the visor at all speeds. Had to 'squeegee' a large something that splattered on the visor ,by using my glove . Yeuck!  SWMBO also decided we should have leather trousers (oo er hmmm!) so we got those recently .

[Manky Monkey]

They say you're statistically more likely to have an accident at sub 30mph speeds a few miles from home than at high speed on a motorway or whatever. Must admit though, I didn't wear a helmet for local journeys on my trikes. Open face as much as possible, full face for long journeys or bad weather. I've got a black Arai full face, plus another, cheap full face in grey/black plus a metallic green Roof Daytona full face, which I bought cos it matched my Speed Triple's paint. My open face is a metalflake green Biltwell, which isn't DOT approved, though that doesn't matter on a trike. Even if I'm riding without a lid I have to wear goggles cos my eyes start watering at exactly 40mph, (strange).

[BikerGran]

They say you're statistically more likely to have an accident at sub 30mph speeds a few miles from home

Yes but at sub 30 you're a lot less likely to come off onto your head - I've had a couple of what would statistically be recorded as RTCs near home in the car.  One involved me breaking someone's numberplate and the other left a mark on my rear bumper.

  I have to wear goggles cos my eyes start watering at exactly 40mph, (strange).

Must be some technical thing about eyeballs - I can't go over 40 without goggles either.  Not that I'd want to, one time when I did I had not one but 5 tiny flies get in my right eye!

[ROD]

When I was originally investigating helmets (does that sound right? lol) A mate said " I always wear a good quality lid,but its your head ,do what you like"

[Manky Monkey]

Yeah, I remember being told If you've got a 5 quid head, wear a 5 quid helmet.
"They" also say even the best helmets are only effective up to about 30mph & above that they only protect you from scrubbing your face off on the tarmac, rather than protecting your brain against impact.
Your head, your choice.

[BikerGran]

I came off a bike many years ago, about 50 years ago in fact (well I say a bike, it was a BSA Dandy) in the days of helmets that were made of a sort of cardboard stuff, with a visor that was some sort of soft perspex and was an addition that fitted down over the peak of the helmet.  I was only doing a maximum of 30mph (cos that was the dandy's toip speed!) and I scraped my face on the tarmac.  Probably broke my cheekbone cos for years after it hurt if I pressed a certain spot.  I still think if I hadn't been wearing it there would have been a lot more damage!

[Manky Monkey]

I shall wear a paper hat made from newspaper. The Telegraph. Obviously.

[ROD]

Use some old paper from the chippy,it will mould to your head better if you gently warm it first!

[fifer]

Have any of you seen bits of a mates scalp and bits of bone /brain left on the tarmac after they were killed when wearing no helmet .
Something I will remember till I die .
That was in the mid sixties before it became law to wear a helmet .
I have worn a helmet and gloves at ALL times since then .

Just picture yourself in the following scenario .

The fastest human sprinter can run at about 27mph .

The average person , running as fast as they can go , might achieve between 15 and 20 mph .

Picture yourself running as fast as you can with your head down and run straight into a wall with the top of your head .

Now picture yourself running as fast as you can and rubbing your face / hands along the wall .

Finally , picture yourself running as fast as you can and dive face first with your hands spread out onto the road .
.
.

[morrag]

Glad I don't go to the "Pictures" with you, I'd have nightmares!!!! ........Morrag