Following on from Keltic's 'Riding without a hat in hot weather' ...

[Eaglestone]

Now I am not a keen cyclist and am very impressed to see lots and lots of them out adourning their hats

However if I were to suddenly decide that cycling was my 'thing' then I doubt I would wear a hat

My theory being that drivers definately give cyclists more room than Horse riders and that you don't usually get clonked by trees and it is less of a distance to fall .... I suppose it's a bit like riding a 6 hand minature pony

What to you think

 

[Irishcobs]

I never wore a hat when cycling but after seeing a cyclist hit a stone and fall in front of a car (luckily the car stopped in time) hitting her head (she was wearing a hat) I think I would wear one the next time I get on a bike, which will probably be never.

 

[Cop-Pop]

I wear a hat when cycling because car drivers don't give you more room than a horse and they pass you a heck of a lot faster

 

[Keltic]

I dont wear a hat cycling, but tbh havent cycled in years, last time i fell off my bag got stuck in front wheel and stopped me dead and I went straight over the top!! Had a wee bit of concussion ouch!!

 

[RachelB]

I would never ride a horse without a hat, but I regularly ride a bike without one. I live in a rural area (would wear a hat on the main road though) and, TBH, my bike is far less likely to decide all on its own to buck me off and p*** off back home without me! I probably should wear a hat

 

[nijinsky]

Just my opinion and speaking from experience....

My husband had a very bad accident 2 years ago driving a quad bike (no hat), was in intensive care for quite some time, whilst visiting him I saw many other patients in intensive care & you get chatting to other wives/husbands etc. There were at least 5 other patients in there from cycling accidents. One guy was a fairly young guy, in his 30s, 2 young children, he will never walk again. The father of one lady I saw a lot had to make the decision to turn his machine off as he was technically "brain dead".

I don't believe it matters from what height you fall, head/brain injuries come from the way your head hits the the ground (or whatever the surface). You may be lucky enough not to die but have some thought for those that may end up having to care for you when you can no longer do anything for yourself. Protect yourself, keep safe, it really is no big deal to put a hat on.

Haven't meant that to sound like I'm dictating

 

[Eaglestone]

[ QUOTE ]
Haven't meant that to sound like I'm dictating

[/ QUOTE ]

That does not sound like dictating to me, but letting us know what has happened to many out there .... just goes to show, doesn't it

 

[amandaco2]

ive worked on ITU
i always wear a hat on horse or bike now.

 

[Ziggy_]

I don't wear a hat cycling because it affects my field of vision and makes me likely to crash into things! For the same reason I never wear a hat around horses unless I am actually on their back.

I used to have an asymetric fringe and I was always hitting doorways etc with one shoulder where I couldn't see properly too! I probably shouldn't be on the road at all, whether its in a car, on a horse or on a bike....

 

[chillidragon]

As a teenager I came off my bicycle coasting down a very long hill when I couldn't make the corner and lost control. Helmet, knees and elbows helped with the braking, however, and I got to spend some hours having my limbs cleaned with iodine and stitched back together. The doctor was kind enough to point out whilst she was doing this that if I hadn't been wearing a helmet, I probably wouldn't have needed any iodine/stitches at all. A horse may do something unexpected and it's further to fall downwards, but a bike can go a sight faster on roads, and without a helmet, your skull may end up doubling as a crumple zone.