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Helmets are for sports. Ebikes have a ~50% market share in Belgium where approximately nobody wears a helmet ever. It's really not an issue.

nkingsy 7y ago
Sure with a 250w ebike and no cars go nuts. I have a 1500w motor and share a road with semi trucks
- retrovm 7y ago
  You're welcome to wear whatever you want while riding your illegal whatever-you-call-it. Don't scold the rest of us.
  - Japhy_Ryder 7y ago
    You seem very defensive in your position of advocating people be less safe on their bikes. Quite odd. Anyway, good day. "There is good evidence that bicycle helmets are effective in reducing head and facial injury in the event of a crash [...]" [0] 0. Ivers R. Systematic reviews of bicycle helmet research. Inj Prev. 2007;13(3):190. doi:10.1136/ip.2007.015966 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2598379/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2598379/
    - retrovm 7y ago
      The evidence in favor of wearing a helmet while in a car is just as strong, but nobody is up here advocating for that. By the way, helmets on bicyclists tend to make car drivers behave like even bigger jackholes than usual. https://psyarxiv.com/nxw2k https://psyarxiv.com/nxw2k "... public health research might be best served by shifting focus to risk elimination rather than harm mitigation."
      - blacksmith_tb 7y ago
        The argument could be just as strong, but since very few people wear helmets in cars (only Formula 1 etc.), I think it's unlikely "the evidence" is just as strong; however, by all means provide us a reference.
- Fricken 7y ago
  And that's why it's disingenuous to frame cycling safety as a binary that's contingent on whether or not a particular cyclist is wearing a helmet. The risk equation for you is vastly different from someone who hops on their cruiser bike to go 10 blocks on a protected bike trail to the grocery store. Once you factor in all the variables, the helmet is only a small part of the equation, and probably not going to do you much good should you find yourself under the wheels of a semi-truck. Yet having that piece of styrofoam strapped to your head has given you the (possibly misplaced) confidence to go fast with semi-trucks.
  - localhost 7y ago
    Not to mention that it dehumanizes you in the eyes of drivers.
- Symbiote 7y ago
  That's classified as an electric motorbike in the EU, if it's a legal, registered vehicle. You need the appropriate driving license and insurance to drive one. Alternatively, if it's a modified bicycle, it's simply illegal on public roads.
- CydeWeys 7y ago
  The helmet isn't going to protect you from semis, unfortunately. Here in NYC most cyclist deaths are caused by being run over by larger vehicles, which can easily be fatal even at slow speeds regardless of whether you're wearing a helmet or not. No helmet is going to support the weight of a truck. Now I do wear a bike helmet when biking for other reasons, but I give trucks wide leeway.
sp332 7y ago
Are Belgians really doing 28 MPH on a regular basis?
- wongarsu 7y ago
  I think ebikes are limited to 25km/h (15mph) across the EU. That's a speed a commuter might reach on a regular bike on flat terrain, the motor just helps making it effortless and terrain-independent. It's still advisable to wear a helmet since cars drive faster than that.
  - panzerboy 7y ago
    There are eBikes which can go up to 45km/h. For those wearing a helmet is mandatory. They also have number plates and you have to have a dedicated insurance.
    - Symbiote 7y ago
      In British English, that's called an (electric) moped. EU vehicle category L1e, if you want to look up the exact word in your own language.
  - bambax 7y ago
    Not exactly. Electric assist should stop above 25km/h for the ebike to still be considered a bicycle (and be allowed on bike lanes, etc.); but it's not hard to go above that speed when going downhill for example, and not against the law (provided you still respect the speed limit for the road you're on). I don't think there are specific speed limits for bike lanes, or bikes, anywhere in the EU (but of course I could be wrong).
  - magicalhippo 7y ago
    I commute to work with my regular, non-e bicycle, sharing the road with cars. I wouldn't dream of not wearing a helmet, even at "just" 25 km/h, though for most of my commute I keep speeds above that (up to 50km/h).
jdavis703 7y ago
Yes and there’s an analogy here between car commuters and car racers. We don’t expect “normal” car drivers to wear helmets. But professional racers absolutely wear helmets. Even in the case of commuters, a helmet could save your life in an accident. For any drivers who thinks bike commuters need helmets, I would encourage you to also get car helmets for you and your loved ones: https://www.amazon.com/RaceQuip-253116-X-Large-Helmet-SA-2015/dp/B017BE3EIW?ref_=Oct_mh_s9_apbd_orecs_b141pl_2&pf_rd_r=1TAF2G0S58YW8T0X95DA&pf_rd_p=39fe46c9-e4d3-566e-9b46-60d04a71bfbd&pf_rd_s=mobile-hybrid-11&pf_rd_t=BROWSE_ANYWHERE&pf_rd_i=15736701 https://www.amazon.com/RaceQuip-253116-X-Large-Helmet-SA-201...
- tentboy 7y ago
  This is a terrible argument it is not a one to one comparison. If you are shunted in the rear on the way to work in your car you might have a inconvenient morning and an insurance claim. If the same thing happens on your bike you could quite literally die from a head injury. I skated for a long time and didn't wear a helmet because of comfort/looks. I've become a bit more wise since and won't share the road with cars without my helmet when I'm cycling
  - jdavis703 7y ago
    In my personal experience the top dangers on a bike come from the side. These are the things that happen to me at least once a week: - Driver mergers in to me too soon - Passenger or driver opens door in to my path - Driver making turn cuts me off and I have to swerve or brake suddenly - Driver does a right-hand hook across bike lane to make a right turn. In almost all these cases I’m going to be crushed by a moving vehicle. A helmet won’t save me. As for being rear ended... I’ve personally never felt like I had a “rear end” close call on a bike.
    - asjw 7y ago
      Ironically these are the same dangers bike poses to pedestrians And with the boom of food delivery,mostly done by bike, the situation got a lot worse Just two hours ago a guy working for glovo merged on the sidewalk while I was trying to cross on the zebra walks and almost hit me. He was using one hand, wasn't looking, with the other hand was speaking at the phone and didn't stop at the red light No need to specify they are not allowed on sidewalks, but who's gonna fine them? It happens constantly, but bikers usually think that cars are to blame, when cars usually let me cross when the light is green, they usually stop at the red light and they usually don't ride on the sidewalk Give people bikes that can go at 30km/h and you have the recipe for a disaster We already have regular and e-mopeds but at least they are heavy regulated and need a mandatory insurance (at least in Italy)
alistairSH 7y ago
Cultural differences in traffic management. In the US, bicycle infrastructure is sparse outside of dense urban cores (and even then, it can be spotty). That leaves many cyclists sharing roads with higher speed auto traffic. Also, the style of bicycle is often different. Hybrid and town bikes are far less common the US than Europe. I suspect that an easy-step over, big tire, upright town bicycle is easier (and this safer) to use.
- ScottFree 7y ago
  By that logic, shouldn't all cyclists wear a DOT rated motorcycle helmet? I'm pretty sure those flimsy bicycle helmets most people wear aren't rated for vehicular strikes.
  - alistairSH 7y ago
    Probably? And leathers too. But, pedaling in August heat in a closed helmet and heavy armored suit isn't easy. Mostly, I'm suggesting better bicycle infrastructure is one reason people may be less likely to wear helmets in Europe vs the US. And not making any claims about how safe a helmet in the US actually is or is not.
- cortesoft 7y ago
  You don’t need cars in order for a helmet to be important. An acquaintance of mine was killed running into a slightly raised piece of ground that he didn’t see... wasn’t wearing a helmet and was thrown over his handlebars. Doctors say he would have walked away if he had been wearing a helmet.
  - alistairSH 7y ago
    Absolutely. But, there's a risk analysis - if there's good bike infrastructure, and I'm riding townie bike (slow and can put feet down vs a road racing bike), the risk is much lower. There's also evidence that requiring helmets reduces cycling among the general population. Partially because it's an extra thing to buy/maintain, but it also creates more work for commuters - they have to redo their hair at the office. Residents of Amsterdam don't seem to wear helmets at all, except for high-speed training rides/racing. And they seem to do ok like that.
ChuckNorris89 7y ago
Helmets are for any activity that has an impact risk to your head which includes cycling not just sports. I live in Austria where few cyclists wear helmets yet my girlfriend who works in the local hospital sees patients coming in with serious head injuries on a daily basis from biking accidents that could have easily been prevented by wearing a helmet. Since then we both wear our helmets religiously. You don't even have to get hit by a car. An unfortunate collision with a texting pedestrian, some dog on a leash jumping in front of you or another cyclist could be enough to smack your melon on the asphalt. Just because you hear Europeans aren't wearing helmets doesn't mean it's the model to follow. I see wearing a helmet the same as wearing a seatbelt. Sure I never needed it since I never had an accident and it feels slightly uncomfortable but I know it could save my life. It's up to you how much you value your head. I highly doubt ebikes have a 50% share in Belgium. Do you have any references on that claim? Last year I visited Belgium's 4 major cities and almost every cyclist I saw was on some old half broken bicycle.
- AJ007 7y ago
  Does anyone have head injury statistics? I know falls are a major cause of preventable death in the US, but I don’t even know how those break down between someone on a bike vs an old person falling over.
  - novok 7y ago
    It's not just about death, it's also about brain damage. A broken bone is NBD compared to a TBI with often permanent damage. You can lock helmets with bikes if you want. I used to lock my helmet with my u-lock on my bike, so if they cut off the helmet, then it isn't a very useful helmet. I now bring it with me in my bag mostly for hygenic reasons although.
    - Lio 7y ago
      Personally I would avoid locking a helmet up like that. Expanded foam helmets are fragile by design. They are design to be disposable with even small knocks. So even accidentally banging them against your frame, dlock or solid post is a bad idea even if you can’t visibly see any damage. You’re recommended to replace them at regular intervals also due to sweat damage.
The_Double 7y ago
As a dutchman who spend some time working and commuting in the SF bay area: Commuting on a bike without a bright yellow helmet and a combination of flashing lights that rival an emergency vehicle is basically suicidal behavior.

nkingsy 7y ago

Sure with a 250w ebike and no cars go nuts. I have a 1500w motor and share a road with semi trucks

retrovm 7y ago
You're welcome to wear whatever you want while riding your illegal whatever-you-call-it. Don't scold the rest of us.
- Japhy_Ryder 7y ago
  You seem very defensive in your position of advocating people be less safe on their bikes. Quite odd. Anyway, good day. "There is good evidence that bicycle helmets are effective in reducing head and facial injury in the event of a crash [...]" [0] 0. Ivers R. Systematic reviews of bicycle helmet research. Inj Prev. 2007;13(3):190. doi:10.1136/ip.2007.015966 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2598379/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2598379/
  - retrovm 7y ago
    The evidence in favor of wearing a helmet while in a car is just as strong, but nobody is up here advocating for that. By the way, helmets on bicyclists tend to make car drivers behave like even bigger jackholes than usual. https://psyarxiv.com/nxw2k https://psyarxiv.com/nxw2k "... public health research might be best served by shifting focus to risk elimination rather than harm mitigation."
    - blacksmith_tb 7y ago
      The argument could be just as strong, but since very few people wear helmets in cars (only Formula 1 etc.), I think it's unlikely "the evidence" is just as strong; however, by all means provide us a reference.
Fricken 7y ago
And that's why it's disingenuous to frame cycling safety as a binary that's contingent on whether or not a particular cyclist is wearing a helmet. The risk equation for you is vastly different from someone who hops on their cruiser bike to go 10 blocks on a protected bike trail to the grocery store. Once you factor in all the variables, the helmet is only a small part of the equation, and probably not going to do you much good should you find yourself under the wheels of a semi-truck. Yet having that piece of styrofoam strapped to your head has given you the (possibly misplaced) confidence to go fast with semi-trucks.
- localhost 7y ago
  Not to mention that it dehumanizes you in the eyes of drivers.
Symbiote 7y ago
That's classified as an electric motorbike in the EU, if it's a legal, registered vehicle. You need the appropriate driving license and insurance to drive one. Alternatively, if it's a modified bicycle, it's simply illegal on public roads.
CydeWeys 7y ago
The helmet isn't going to protect you from semis, unfortunately. Here in NYC most cyclist deaths are caused by being run over by larger vehicles, which can easily be fatal even at slow speeds regardless of whether you're wearing a helmet or not. No helmet is going to support the weight of a truck. Now I do wear a bike helmet when biking for other reasons, but I give trucks wide leeway.

sp332 7y ago

Are Belgians really doing 28 MPH on a regular basis?

wongarsu 7y ago
I think ebikes are limited to 25km/h (15mph) across the EU. That's a speed a commuter might reach on a regular bike on flat terrain, the motor just helps making it effortless and terrain-independent. It's still advisable to wear a helmet since cars drive faster than that.
- panzerboy 7y ago
  There are eBikes which can go up to 45km/h. For those wearing a helmet is mandatory. They also have number plates and you have to have a dedicated insurance.
  - Symbiote 7y ago
    In British English, that's called an (electric) moped. EU vehicle category L1e, if you want to look up the exact word in your own language.
- bambax 7y ago
  Not exactly. Electric assist should stop above 25km/h for the ebike to still be considered a bicycle (and be allowed on bike lanes, etc.); but it's not hard to go above that speed when going downhill for example, and not against the law (provided you still respect the speed limit for the road you're on). I don't think there are specific speed limits for bike lanes, or bikes, anywhere in the EU (but of course I could be wrong).
- magicalhippo 7y ago
  I commute to work with my regular, non-e bicycle, sharing the road with cars. I wouldn't dream of not wearing a helmet, even at "just" 25 km/h, though for most of my commute I keep speeds above that (up to 50km/h).

jdavis703 7y ago

Yes and there’s an analogy here between car commuters and car racers. We don’t expect “normal” car drivers to wear helmets. But professional racers absolutely wear helmets. Even in the case of commuters, a helmet could save your life in an accident. For any drivers who thinks bike commuters need helmets, I would encourage you to also get car helmets for you and your loved ones: https://www.amazon.com/RaceQuip-253116-X-Large-Helmet-SA-2015/dp/B017BE3EIW?ref_=Oct_mh_s9_apbd_orecs_b141pl_2&pf_rd_r=1TAF2G0S58YW8T0X95DA&pf_rd_p=39fe46c9-e4d3-566e-9b46-60d04a71bfbd&pf_rd_s=mobile-hybrid-11&pf_rd_t=BROWSE_ANYWHERE&pf_rd_i=15736701 https://www.amazon.com/RaceQuip-253116-X-Large-Helmet-SA-201...

tentboy 7y ago
This is a terrible argument it is not a one to one comparison. If you are shunted in the rear on the way to work in your car you might have a inconvenient morning and an insurance claim. If the same thing happens on your bike you could quite literally die from a head injury. I skated for a long time and didn't wear a helmet because of comfort/looks. I've become a bit more wise since and won't share the road with cars without my helmet when I'm cycling
- jdavis703 7y ago
  In my personal experience the top dangers on a bike come from the side. These are the things that happen to me at least once a week: - Driver mergers in to me too soon - Passenger or driver opens door in to my path - Driver making turn cuts me off and I have to swerve or brake suddenly - Driver does a right-hand hook across bike lane to make a right turn. In almost all these cases I’m going to be crushed by a moving vehicle. A helmet won’t save me. As for being rear ended... I’ve personally never felt like I had a “rear end” close call on a bike.
  - asjw 7y ago
    Ironically these are the same dangers bike poses to pedestrians And with the boom of food delivery,mostly done by bike, the situation got a lot worse Just two hours ago a guy working for glovo merged on the sidewalk while I was trying to cross on the zebra walks and almost hit me. He was using one hand, wasn't looking, with the other hand was speaking at the phone and didn't stop at the red light No need to specify they are not allowed on sidewalks, but who's gonna fine them? It happens constantly, but bikers usually think that cars are to blame, when cars usually let me cross when the light is green, they usually stop at the red light and they usually don't ride on the sidewalk Give people bikes that can go at 30km/h and you have the recipe for a disaster We already have regular and e-mopeds but at least they are heavy regulated and need a mandatory insurance (at least in Italy)

alistairSH 7y ago

Cultural differences in traffic management. In the US, bicycle infrastructure is sparse outside of dense urban cores (and even then, it can be spotty). That leaves many cyclists sharing roads with higher speed auto traffic. Also, the style of bicycle is often different. Hybrid and town bikes are far less common the US than Europe. I suspect that an easy-step over, big tire, upright town bicycle is easier (and this safer) to use.

ScottFree 7y ago
By that logic, shouldn't all cyclists wear a DOT rated motorcycle helmet? I'm pretty sure those flimsy bicycle helmets most people wear aren't rated for vehicular strikes.
- alistairSH 7y ago
  Probably? And leathers too. But, pedaling in August heat in a closed helmet and heavy armored suit isn't easy. Mostly, I'm suggesting better bicycle infrastructure is one reason people may be less likely to wear helmets in Europe vs the US. And not making any claims about how safe a helmet in the US actually is or is not.
cortesoft 7y ago
You don’t need cars in order for a helmet to be important. An acquaintance of mine was killed running into a slightly raised piece of ground that he didn’t see... wasn’t wearing a helmet and was thrown over his handlebars. Doctors say he would have walked away if he had been wearing a helmet.
- alistairSH 7y ago
  Absolutely. But, there's a risk analysis - if there's good bike infrastructure, and I'm riding townie bike (slow and can put feet down vs a road racing bike), the risk is much lower. There's also evidence that requiring helmets reduces cycling among the general population. Partially because it's an extra thing to buy/maintain, but it also creates more work for commuters - they have to redo their hair at the office. Residents of Amsterdam don't seem to wear helmets at all, except for high-speed training rides/racing. And they seem to do ok like that.

ChuckNorris89 7y ago

Helmets are for any activity that has an impact risk to your head which includes cycling not just sports. I live in Austria where few cyclists wear helmets yet my girlfriend who works in the local hospital sees patients coming in with serious head injuries on a daily basis from biking accidents that could have easily been prevented by wearing a helmet. Since then we both wear our helmets religiously. You don't even have to get hit by a car. An unfortunate collision with a texting pedestrian, some dog on a leash jumping in front of you or another cyclist could be enough to smack your melon on the asphalt. Just because you hear Europeans aren't wearing helmets doesn't mean it's the model to follow. I see wearing a helmet the same as wearing a seatbelt. Sure I never needed it since I never had an accident and it feels slightly uncomfortable but I know it could save my life. It's up to you how much you value your head. I highly doubt ebikes have a 50% share in Belgium. Do you have any references on that claim? Last year I visited Belgium's 4 major cities and almost every cyclist I saw was on some old half broken bicycle.

AJ007 7y ago
Does anyone have head injury statistics? I know falls are a major cause of preventable death in the US, but I don’t even know how those break down between someone on a bike vs an old person falling over.
- novok 7y ago
  It's not just about death, it's also about brain damage. A broken bone is NBD compared to a TBI with often permanent damage. You can lock helmets with bikes if you want. I used to lock my helmet with my u-lock on my bike, so if they cut off the helmet, then it isn't a very useful helmet. I now bring it with me in my bag mostly for hygenic reasons although.
  - Lio 7y ago
    Personally I would avoid locking a helmet up like that. Expanded foam helmets are fragile by design. They are design to be disposable with even small knocks. So even accidentally banging them against your frame, dlock or solid post is a bad idea even if you can’t visibly see any damage. You’re recommended to replace them at regular intervals also due to sweat damage.

The_Double 7y ago

As a dutchman who spend some time working and commuting in the SF bay area: Commuting on a bike without a bright yellow helmet and a combination of flashing lights that rival an emergency vehicle is basically suicidal behavior.