CI Processor and Bicycling

@Syncros wow! I’m sorry to read about your accident. That had to be traumatic. I’m glad your implant is okay.

I wear a hearing aid in one ear and thankfully, can hear normally with my HA. I agree with riding with a helmet whether it is a bike or a trike. Good idea to just leave the sound processor at home.

Hoping you feel better and get back to being yourself very soon!

@freezerman404 Never drink and ride. You could cause your own accident and endanger others. Be safe!

I go out occasionally on my e-bike, hi-vis jacket, helmet, flashing lights, front and rear…. I take no chances, and never compromise on cycling safety, See and be Seen…. Like most folks, I have come off a bike, I recall one time on a single track road, (I live out in the country) doing around 30mph (downhill) I could see way ahead, there were no cars coming, unfortunately vehicles were not my problem, came round a corner and 6 sheep were occupying the whole road, no time to brake, and nowhere to go with drystone dykes either side of the road, I did a full somersault over the handlebars, fortunately for me, my large framed (fishing) rucksack saved my back, I was sore for a few weeks though! And yes, I have laughed on many occasions about that incident, but I was lucky…… Here in the UK, it is now the law, if you hit any cyclist, the driver of the vehicle must prove he wasn’t at fault, as the cyclist is now presumed innocent! Cheers Kev

@Deaf_piper: Thank you for bringing this helmet to everyone’s attention. I have a Bell helmet with the same adjustment mechanism, and it is effective and easy to use!

"My helmet doesn’t fit comfortably " is no longer a valid excuse.

They might hurt the cities, by reducing the numbers of cyclists on the roads. The bike share system hasn’t taken off in Melbourne, as most of the bikes land up all over the city. But how many lives do helmets save? Or how many traumatic brain injuries do they prevent each year?

I think a point they were trying to make is that bicyclists are safest when there are lots of bicycles on the road. It seems likely that a helmet would reduce your chances of an injury IF you’re in an accident, but requiring them MIGHT increase the odds of an accident IF it leads to less bicyclists on the road. I’m not anti helmet by any means. I just think we should carefully consider our laws. To answer the question you pose, it’s possible requiring them causes more injuries. We won’t know until somebody carefully analyzes data.

I never drink and drive.
I barely drink.
The guy on the bicycle was drunk when he hit my van.
I was stopped waiting for the light to turn green.
My personal belief is if you ride on public streets with cars you should be subject to the same laws as motorcyclist.
Helmet, lights, license and registration and insurance.

Apologies @MDB, I will correct that, twas a misreading by me, the article you posted up was in actual fact the overall 40k killed on American roads… Sorry!

@Deaf_piper Thanks. I have a Giro Verona with the adjustable dial in the back. That’s what I meant when I said should I loosen the helmet a bit to get the N7 under it. Putting it on first, then adjusting is another idea. Yes, this gives me options, thanks, Sheryl!

@Deaf_piper said:

Debbie another forum I’m on a man uses a Giro Chronicle MIPS MTB Helmet. Apparently you can adjust its fit via a dial on the back, so he just tightens it when it’s on his head. Hope this give you some help.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0759YK1FM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_hFMSEbFSYD3PV worktime

Hello!
Only one chin strap is adjustable, so if you have to shorten, the buckle will not rest squarely under your chin - not a show-stopper. Seems to offer great back-of-the-head protection. It’s well ventilated, so in the winter one would need a skull cap…
I got the extra large and there’s even a little wiggle room for my noggin!

He hit mainly the wheel.
Looked at me and rode off.
Wasn’t worth the time or effort.

Whoa, Sychros! I had just pm’d you with a “How are ya doing” … then saw this. Wow! Sorry to hear read this!!

About half a century ago, I used to bicycle a lot (like 4 mi each way back and forth to work everyday in Manhattan!). And I always wore a Bell helmet. And, yes, a helmet may not save your bacon. But I think a lot of folks after the fact, in instances where a helmet would have helped, might wish in hindsight that they were wearing a helmet if it would help them get some of their brains back. Just like Kev and the unexpected sheep, you never know what’s going to happen. Maybe an unexpected pothole. Maybe you’re riding along besides parked cars on a street and someone you didn’t see sitting in car throws up a driver’s side door and “clotheslines” you. I’ve skidded going downhill on a college campus asphalt walkway when I hit an unexpected gravel patch or when feeling too many oats, cornered too fast to turn tight enough to avoid hitting a sidewalk curb coming out of the turn and took bad tumbles both times. I was glad both times I had a helmet on (doesn’t save your literal skin, though!).

My oldest daughter’s partner is super-athletic (and also about 6’6" and 250 lbs). He was biking a few years ago in London, Ontario on a main street at night doing about 25 to 30 mph. He wore a yellow safety vest. Had flashing lights on himself and his bike and the street was well-lit. A car that didn’t see him pulled out of a side street unexpectedly (he saw the car and thought it was waiting for him to continue on by). When the front of the car hit his bike, he was thrown into the windshield, shattered the windshield on impact but in doing so, ricocheted off the car some distance into the street. He fractured an ankle in multiple places on flying down onto the roadway and somewhere (I forget whether by car or by street impact) had his helmet split in two but suffered no head injuries. His ankle required months of healing and rehab.

So maybe it’s like wearing a mask. Do I have to do it? Is it really going to protect me from the pandemic if it’s not an N-95 mask? etc. Who’s to tell me what I have to do and take away my liberties and my enjoyment of life?! A helmet is relatively cheap insurance compared to the possible (lifetime?) expense of injuries you might endure for not wearing one if the unexpected happens. It may very well not protect you. But if it does save your bacon, you’ll be a happy camper. And so will medical insurers or the government health service for not having to cover your medical expenses.

P.S. Both a Bing and a Google search turn up a number of hits looking for “helmet for cochlear implant” - here’s one for a heavy-duty female bicyclist: Biking with a cochlear implant came about in an unconventional way.17. Doesn’t say what brand of helmet but the post is “young” enough that maybe contacting the author could get anyone interested some more info.
Also, a mom who had a special football helmet designed for her son when she gave in to letting him play football (after she realized letting him play baseball with a 60 mph fastball whizzing his way wasn’t that much safer). “I learned there was a company that could design a specialized helmet with the pads situated, so Nicholas could still wear his processors with the helmet on.” https://hearandnow.cochlearamericas.com/hearing-loss/children/pediatric-sensorineural-hearing-loss/9

Debbie, I am an avid cyclist and triathlete; biking ~ 130 miles per week. I wear a Kanso 2 under my helmet. I actually took my helmet with me to my surgeon prior to implant surgery to be sure the processor would be above the helmet band. It has worked out very well and I stream music from my iphone during long bike rides. I had to use a dremel drill to hollow out a small section of the rigid foam of the helmet for the processor. This does not hurt the integrity of the helmet and would better distribute an impact in case of a fall. Otherwise, the brunt of the impact would be to the processor and consequently to that point of the skull. Not a good thing. I would not just loosen the helmet.