Cycling helmets...
- 17 May 2008 09:262221Does anyone else think cycling helmets are daft. We never bothered with such things in my young days and I really dont see the point now. They look stupid, plain stupid....
I though I was alone until today when I read an article in the Times on-line by Giles Coren.
Here is an extract:
""""""""""""""The cycle helmet is one of the great emblems of the failure of 21st-century manhood, like the seatbelt, and the gymnasium, and the low-fat diet, and the airbag, and the sunblock, and the one-aspirin-a-day.
It's just so vulgar to treasure one's mortal coil this brazenly. To wear so publicly one's trembling, pasty-faced fear of death.""""""""""""""
A very funny and witty artice having a dig at Boris for apologising for not wearing a cycling helmet. Nice to see I am not alone in this view. - 17 May 2008 10:172222The helmets are essential for safety, but we were only remarking the other day - after following a cyclist for a while before being able to overtake - we can do so much with our technology, why can't someone create an attractive cycling helmet??!!
- 17 May 2008 11:152226Yes that looks an amusing and witty article. I suppose the cycling helmet does in a way represent the failure of 21st Century manhood..you cant somehow envisage the legendary emblem of 20th century manhood, John Wayne himself, wearing one on either his horse or his bicycle!
Some of the other life saving measures such as seatbelts seem essential now though.
Just think, once upon a time I used to ride a motorcycle up and down the M1 at more than 100miles an hour with nothing between my bonce and the skull crunching tarmac but a mass of long hair streamlining in the 1970's wind..aaah those were the days. But dangerous...certainly. Almost everyone did that of course. They later made helmets compulsory and there were many demos against same, but the law went ahead and remains in force. I couldnt imagine riding without a helmet today.
We adjust to all things.email: dover7@msn.com - 17 May 2008 12:202227Yes they look daft, but I wouldn't be around to write this note had I not worn mine regularly.
Was cycling between work in Gresham Street in the City of London from my (then) home in Brixton, going along the inside of the traffic along near Kennington station when a van from DER (TV rentals) - this gives an idea of the year!! decided to just pull in without warning....I glaced off the side of it an went head-first into a steel lamp post..bike was a tangled mess and I was so diorientated that I tried to get back on to complete my journey (held back by the ambulance men) had to have prolonged physio to my knee (that also absorbed quite an impact).
The helmet was split almost in half, but it could easily have been my head! I went straight out and bought a new one with a new bike and still have the same helmet today - it looks just as daft, but I smile inside and hold my head proud wearing my life preserver.Oh Boy!, That'll be the day......... - 17 May 2008 13:192229I always wear mine,not cool but fine,good to hear Buddy's story to show it works.If you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble!
- 17 May 2008 18:172232I hate them and have never worn one purely on aesthetic priciple. My children wear helmets when on my cycle seat but that's a different matter! However if cycling around London I may change my mind, come to think about it I don't think I would cycle in central London!
I think it's a scale thing. People in anything other than an 'open-front' helmet look sill on scooters and on a bicycle the relative slenderness of the vehicle draws attention to the large lump of brightly coated polystyrene stuck on cyclist's heads, looking very much like mushrooms! - 18 May 2008 13:562272Thank God you were wearing your helmet Buddy, it would be a great shame if we had been deprived of your dulcet tones
. I too have always worn my cycling helmet and of course my daughters too, I don't care about aesthetics just safety. - 18 May 2008 14:362277The safety is clearly more important and we must wear them, but surely to goodness someone could come up with something a little sexier!!!!??
- 18 May 2008 16:322278I agree with you Bern, I wear mine as well but was thinking of super-glueing a mane or Mohican to it to add to it's 'sexual allure'
- 18 May 2008 21:132296baz
you ride a bicycle??
are you trying to emulate the dutch royal household?
most of us like you as you are, shooting god's creatures on the glorious twelth.