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What if you land on a pointy surface ... gravel, sand or sharp stones? Sure it's good protection, but let's think this through first. (I am convinced that regu

What if you land on a pointy surface ... gravel, sand or sharp stones? Sure it's good protection, but let's think this through first. (I am convinced that regular bicycle helmets are crap, as there are no decent standards or crash tests being done with them. The least I would call an improvement is a downhill helmet, a motorcycle helmet would be preferred as speeds for severe crashes are quite similar.)

DanBC 13y ago
What is wrong with all the various standards? Are they just not rigorous enough? Or is there some other problem? Here's a quick list of different information I found http://www.bhsi.org/index.htm#standards http://www.bhsi.org/index.htm#standards
- brianwawok 13y ago
  See my link above. Normal helmets do nothing to prevent concussions, which is one of the major outcomes of a bike crash. Stop broken skulls, great. But concussions are still very possible, and current helmets do not do much for it.
  - patdennis 13y ago
    No helmet can stop concussions. If they could, the NFL would redesign football helmets and save themselves a lot of trouble. G-forces are G-forces, whether you're in a helmet or not. EDIT: There are a lot of very smart people working on this problem. But it's a hard problem. From the Associated Press: In a series of interviews with The Associated Press, representatives of the NFL, its players' union and the four equipment companies that make every helmet worn in the league all agreed there's no football helmet -- in production or on drawing boards -- that can eliminate concussions. And there might never be one. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5797046 http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5797046
    - SamReidHughes 13y ago
      Helmets could spread the impulse over a longer period of time, reducing G-forces.
      - pbhjpbhj 13y ago
        Doesn't a [more] deforming helmet like that in the OP do just that?
      - aryastark 13y ago
        helmet braking. I like your style, SamReidHughes.
  - skizm 13y ago
    to patdennis (apparently there is a max level of replies): I think you underestimate the amount of force an NFL player takes when they get hit. NFL helmets stop 99.9% of concussions. If a cyclist wore one they would not get a concussion falling off their bike at 20 km/h or even getting hit by a car. NFL players get concussions because big collisions between players are more similar to getting in a "severe car accident"[1] which is tougher to guard against. [1] http://www.inreview.com/archive/topic/14556.html http://www.inreview.com/archive/topic/14556.html
patdennis 13y ago
Here's a document outlining safety standards for bicycle helmets sold in the United States: http://www.cpsc.gov//PageFiles/86318/10mr98r.pdf http://www.cpsc.gov//PageFiles/86318/10mr98r.pdf As you can see, it's fairly rigorous. The main criticism is that by setting strict rules it discourages innovation. But that doesn't mean there are no decent standards or crash tests.

DanBC 13y ago

What is wrong with all the various standards? Are they just not rigorous enough? Or is there some other problem? Here's a quick list of different information I found http://www.bhsi.org/index.htm#standards http://www.bhsi.org/index.htm#standards

brianwawok 13y ago
See my link above. Normal helmets do nothing to prevent concussions, which is one of the major outcomes of a bike crash. Stop broken skulls, great. But concussions are still very possible, and current helmets do not do much for it.
- patdennis 13y ago
  No helmet can stop concussions. If they could, the NFL would redesign football helmets and save themselves a lot of trouble. G-forces are G-forces, whether you're in a helmet or not. EDIT: There are a lot of very smart people working on this problem. But it's a hard problem. From the Associated Press: In a series of interviews with The Associated Press, representatives of the NFL, its players' union and the four equipment companies that make every helmet worn in the league all agreed there's no football helmet -- in production or on drawing boards -- that can eliminate concussions. And there might never be one. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5797046 http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5797046
  - SamReidHughes 13y ago
    Helmets could spread the impulse over a longer period of time, reducing G-forces.
    - pbhjpbhj 13y ago
      Doesn't a [more] deforming helmet like that in the OP do just that?
    - aryastark 13y ago
      helmet braking. I like your style, SamReidHughes.
- skizm 13y ago
  to patdennis (apparently there is a max level of replies): I think you underestimate the amount of force an NFL player takes when they get hit. NFL helmets stop 99.9% of concussions. If a cyclist wore one they would not get a concussion falling off their bike at 20 km/h or even getting hit by a car. NFL players get concussions because big collisions between players are more similar to getting in a "severe car accident"[1] which is tougher to guard against. [1] http://www.inreview.com/archive/topic/14556.html http://www.inreview.com/archive/topic/14556.html

patdennis 13y ago

Here's a document outlining safety standards for bicycle helmets sold in the United States: http://www.cpsc.gov//PageFiles/86318/10mr98r.pdf http://www.cpsc.gov//PageFiles/86318/10mr98r.pdf As you can see, it's fairly rigorous. The main criticism is that by setting strict rules it discourages innovation. But that doesn't mean there are no decent standards or crash tests.