I don't want to re-open the Helmet debate but I thought I would recount our recent experience when my mate came off his bike in France.

We were riding in heavy rain and crossed some disused rail lines cutting diagonally across the road surface. Struan riding at 15 - 20 kph crossed the lines when both wheels appeared to slip flinging him to the ground. It was sufficiently severe to seriously damage his shoulder and terminate our holiday. Struan was hospitalised.

Later that evening we looked at his kit and realised the side of his helmet was abraded and crushed. A crack in the surface and polystyrene was also apparent.

Yet Struan was unaware his head had hit anything. Judging by the damage to the helmet if he hadn't been wearing it he would have suffered some level of head injury.

I wish Struan a speedy recovery

If Struan was riding a recumbent and lost 2 wheels then would he have landed on his shoulder and bashed his helmet? On a diamond frame you are more likely to be launched head/shoulder/collarbone first whereas on a recumbent it's feetfirst and your hips and elbows are most vulnerable.

I've ridden (and fallen from) both and gave up helmets when I started riding recumbent trikes, and yes I have managed to roll a trike (I was a novice!) and it hurt but my injuries were remarkably slight given my flight and my head came nowhere near getting bashed. I'm riding a mix of everything at the moment and I've not reverted to a helmet. I'm very pleased that I have the choice.

I feel least vulnerable on my recumbent trike by some measure, then comes my recumbent bike and finally my Moulton APB.

Oddball

'I'm drinking wine and eating cheese, and catching some rays, you know.'



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 15/06/2012 10:39AM by oddball.

Aye, hope he recovers soon.

Unfortunately, as often with these cases, it's impossible to say one way or the other. He may have received an injury - equally, he may have had not a scratch, the helmet only got damaged because it sticks out further.

I've been falling off bikes for 30 years, and have never seriously hit my head ;-)

*****
[www.kinetics.org.uk]

I agree, BenKinetics, it is hard to be definitive and I would oppose any attempt at compulsion. Certainly the risk seems less on a recumbent and although I always wear my helmet on tour I wear a thin runners cap under it more for sun protection for my head and eyes as anything! (sun protection unnecessary in Scotland today I hasten to add!) I sometimes leave it off when using my bents at home. Often rode my trike without.