retro bike ... non-retro helmet

[unkleGsif]

Nothing really.... did you have life insurance when they were growing up?

OK, so I'm not being obtuse, even tho it sounds it... I too never wore a helmet when I was a kid, also did my share of London riding in the 90s and never saw the point or need, and that I could navigate my way out of danger.
Then I started bmx and umping and it was just socially "the done thing", so I conformed with an obligatory piss pot. Only "needed" it once thankfully, when I head planted the deck after going over the bars and knocked myself clean out for 30mins, but it wasn't until we had our daughter 3years ago that my mindset to lids changed

G

 

[The History Man]

Which sort is the easiest to line with tinfoil?

 

[2manyoranges]

Hmmm History Man I think you might on the right track.

Gosh this is a bit of a zombie thread.

Over in the world of Snowheads (snowboarding and skiing) the mention of the word 'helmets' also induces a debate hotter than the Brexit arguments, the question of the existence of elves on Iceland, and the internal logic of the Flat Earth Society.

By Law, you need to wear a helmet when you ride a motorbike.
In England there is no law which says you must when you cycle.
But we choose to, and so do all the folk at Darkfest. UCI has a line on it: no approved helmet, no entry.

On Friday night and Saturday morning, we easily achieved the speeds of UCI competitors as we went down the hill to St Mary's farm - the Grom as usual being out front and covering me with literal and metaphorical dust. The ruts were ready to eat us, the flints were ready to break a lot of our bones should we have gone down. It's a long, point and shoot downhill, where the speeds are around 50-60 kph. The Grom was wearing his DH rated Bell, without his chin bar. I was wearing my Bell Super3, with a chin bar. Ant was in his rather nice Carnac. We didn't fall. So in one sense we didn't 'need' a helmet. But if we'd gone down without a lid on, I wouldn't rate our chances of escaping without nasty concussion.

Concussion is now getting the attention which it deserves....eg:

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/nina-...-struggles-following-concussion-symptoms.html
History Man …. Ah … I suddenly realised. The reason we wear contemporary helmets on new bikes and not on older bikes is that we should be thinking 'retro'. And as we know, gravity was far less back then. I guess with climate change, gravity has just gone up and up. Jump on a retro bike, and you jump right back into the past. So no need for a helmet...

 

[grey-beard]

I'm glad that the flat earth society has been mentioned, I'm pretty sure they don't wear helmets, unless foil lined, because we're told to we need them by the helmets manufacturers. They're all out to get you...

 

[The History Man]

I always wear a helmet.


mail coif, short sword……….

 

[jim haseltine]

I didn't wear a helmet for years, mainly because I grew up in the non-helmet era - then I was involved in a serious RTA which left me in hospital for a week with a hole in the back of my head. After that I bought a helmet which I unthinkingly wore for years without incident until I had another accident last year which wrote it off. It was then I discovered that it had a recommended replacement date - some 15 years previous.
I bought a new one, top range with MIPS which will be replaced close to the expiry date - could have gone for something cheaper but I've been here for 63 years and I'd prefer to stick around in a condition to keep riding my bikes for a good while longer. I know it's personal choice but it amazes me when I see people riding high-spec bikes on which cost many thousands of pounds yet they haven't bothered spending a few quid on a helmet.

 

[mk one]

I'm glad that the flat earth society has been mentioned, I'm pretty sure they don't wear helmets, unless foil lined, because we're told to we need them by the helmets manufacturers. They're all out to get you...

 

[bjellys]

I always think of Michael Schumacher one knock and your drinking your dinner through a straw for the rest of your and thats if your lucky.
Why not wear a helmet there's no good reason not to.

 

[pazaudi]

I've read plenty of these threads and I always come across the same comments such as "Lucky you were wearing a helmet" or "that helmet saved your life" or "Could have been a lot worse" etc.

I've never heard anyone say "good job you weren't wearing a helmet..."

 

[grey-beard]

I can't think of a reason not to wear one? Other than it messes up your hair, but then so does cracking your skull open. Is it vanity? Is that a reason? Personally, I think they look cool.