Comments on: Close Encounters of the Pavement (and Not-Perpendicularly-Crossed-Enough Railroad Tracks) Kind http://whereswalden.com/2010/03/25/close-encounters-of-the-pavement-and-not-perpendicularly-crossed-enough-railroad-tracks-kind/ Mozilla, politics, economics, law, backpacking, cycling, and other random desiderata Fri, 27 Apr 2012 03:03:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: BlueMM http://whereswalden.com/2010/03/25/close-encounters-of-the-pavement-and-not-perpendicularly-crossed-enough-railroad-tracks-kind/comment-page-1/#comment-140734 BlueMM Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:14:06 +0000 http://whereswalden.com/?p=1566#comment-140734 Yeah, I did the same thing a few years ago & cracked the helmet, the on-road tram tracks here in Melbourne are perfect for the front wheel to drop into & instantly stop, allowing a short period of flying... BTW, helmets are compulsory here since the 80's, I think it dropped the rate of cycling by about 75%, only now starting to recover. Yeah, I did the same thing a few years ago & cracked the helmet, the on-road tram tracks here in Melbourne are perfect for the front wheel to drop into & instantly stop, allowing a short period of flying… BTW, helmets are compulsory here since the 80′s, I think it dropped the rate of cycling by about 75%, only now starting to recover.

]]> By: Jeff http://whereswalden.com/2010/03/25/close-encounters-of-the-pavement-and-not-perpendicularly-crossed-enough-railroad-tracks-kind/comment-page-1/#comment-140729 Jeff Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:59:35 +0000 http://whereswalden.com/?p=1566#comment-140729 Also, the helmet has some definite abrasion on the part just near the crack, so it's not just an ineffective helmet failure. Also, the helmet has some definite abrasion on the part just near the crack, so it’s not just an ineffective helmet failure.

]]> By: Jeff http://whereswalden.com/2010/03/25/close-encounters-of-the-pavement-and-not-perpendicularly-crossed-enough-railroad-tracks-kind/comment-page-1/#comment-140728 Jeff Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:57:15 +0000 http://whereswalden.com/?p=1566#comment-140728 I know how to wear a bike helmet, thank you very much. And yes, bike helmets (at least the ones that aren't BMX-style helmets, not sure what's true of those) are use-once. Once it's been hit once (even just from dropping off handlebars) its compressiveness is gone and it's time to replace it. Sounds fine to me — it's like insurance where you pay a one-time fee and then you're covered until you actually need to use it. I know how to wear a bike helmet, thank you very much.

And yes, bike helmets (at least the ones that aren’t BMX-style helmets, not sure what’s true of those) are use-once. Once it’s been hit once (even just from dropping off handlebars) its compressiveness is gone and it’s time to replace it. Sounds fine to me — it’s like insurance where you pay a one-time fee and then you’re covered until you actually need to use it.

]]> By: dave http://whereswalden.com/2010/03/25/close-encounters-of-the-pavement-and-not-perpendicularly-crossed-enough-railroad-tracks-kind/comment-page-1/#comment-140721 dave Thu, 25 Mar 2010 12:39:10 +0000 http://whereswalden.com/?p=1566#comment-140721 You can Google for more information if you're interested but there's plenty of good evidence that bike helmets are either ineffective or an actual liability. I was particularly struck by a comment by a bicycle helmet test engineer who said that he had *never* seen a bike helmet worn properly outside his lab. And if you're not wearing it properly it really is just an ugly hat. Regarding your crack, it's difficult to judge from the photo but: "Helmets work by absorbing impact energy through the crushing of an expanded polystyrene liner. Once compressed the liner stays compressed. It does not bounce back to its original form like reusable helmets for some other activities. If a helmet splits before the liner has partially or fully compressed - and this is often the case - then it has simply failed. It will not have provided the designed protection and may in fact have absorbed very little energy at all." http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1019.html You can Google for more information if you’re interested but there’s plenty of good evidence that bike helmets are either ineffective or an actual liability. I was particularly struck by a comment by a bicycle helmet test engineer who said that he had *never* seen a bike helmet worn properly outside his lab. And if you’re not wearing it properly it really is just an ugly hat.

Regarding your crack, it’s difficult to judge from the photo but:

“Helmets work by absorbing impact energy through the crushing of an expanded polystyrene liner. Once compressed the liner stays compressed. It does not bounce back to its original form like reusable helmets for some other activities. If a helmet splits before the liner has partially or fully compressed – and this is often the case – then it has simply failed. It will not have provided the designed protection and may in fact have absorbed very little energy at all.”

http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1019.html

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