gattm99

Hello,

I have decied to post here about my experiences with Helmets and cycling. I have been road riding for many years and have had my share of minor crashes and have never worn a helmet. I know how wise it is to ware one, I know how much safer I'll be if I do. Nonetheless I choose not to. Why? I thought about this some and here are my answeres

1. I don't have one

2. They are funny looking

3. I don't like things on my head.

4. No law says I have to.

5. If I did break down and get one I would feel like I was giving in to peer presure.

When I was 14 I was doig a 100K pay ride and some dude on an Italian race bike yelled at me for not wearing a helmet. Since then no one as yelled at me though several people have politlely mentioned it. But maybe there are some other non helmet wearing folks could confirm this for me. Seems like anytime I am around other riders they give me mean looks and I get weird vibes from them, is this just me or does that happen to you.

RacerX

Troll post. Where is that troll picture to christen this thread?

Joe Gardner

It's your head...

moabrider47

Sounds as though you are giving into peer pressure by not wearing one, and not the other way around. Don't worry about what other people think. You know any other cyclist out there will know what it is and what it is for. Plenty of people wear them - you won't look odd in one no-matter how wierd you think they look. I've worn one and don't ever plan on stopping. I've been hit by a car on the road and taken plenty of tough falls on the trail into hard objects. You couldn't convince me not to wear one if you tried.

The incident with the car (in which the helmet cracked right down the middle) was pretty violent. When the ER doctor (after I woke up) told me I would be dead without the helmet, I pretty much decided looking cool didn't matter.

Everyone can decide for themselves. This post wasn't meant to criticize you in any way. Just sharing my thoughts.-Moab

gonesh9

If you don't want to wear a helmet, don't. Just understand that people may give you "weird vibes" and sometimes even yell at you for it because they do not want to see another cyclist put into a coma or die when it could have been avoided by wearing a friggin helmet.

a2psyklnut

Hit 3 times, all 3 I was blindsided, didn't see it coming, all 3 not my fault, all 3 helmet was cracked, all 3 I walked away from!

I'll keep wearing mine!

To each his own.

Although I think everyone SHOULD wear one, I'm glad there currently isn't a Law saying you MUST!

L8R

montlake_mtbkr

There is a law in washington, or at least seattle that cyclists must wear helmets. It's the same principle as the national "click it or ticket" law. These laws are made because a few people refuse to do what's best for their safety. When someone doesn't wear a simple safety device their injuries end up costing tens of thousands of dollars instead of $50 for a check-up and $50 for a new helmet. gattm99: Wear a helmet. Because when you crash one day and your brains splatter over the road I won't be able to tell you "I told you so."

PaulH

I kinda agree with you. We don't, after all, wear them when walking, and I like having cycling be an ordinary part of my life.

On the other hand, while riding to class in Seattle almost exactly 27 years ago, some fly-brained cager in a white Caddy pulled out in front of me. I was going full speed down a steep hill, and the impact crumpled the bike and sent me flying over the car, tumbling in midair. I landed right on the top of my head, knocking me out for twenty minutes.

I've worn a helmet ever since.

Paul

closetbiker

Read the "helmet use" or "Culture of Fear" threads just below.

ngateguy

Montlake I am a helmet advocate but it is true that you are required to where a helmet in King County and other jurisdictions you do not have to wear on in the Seattle city limits and there is no state law requiring one.

VegasCyclist

indeed.... free country

likely because organized events often have rules that all riders must wear helmets (for insurance and safety reasons)

it's all your choice in the end though...

welcome to the forums

uciflylow

If I worried about the comments my WIFE and CHILDREN make about me in bike shorts I would just lay on the couch all day and never get on a bike.

I have never had a crash. My children have never had a crash.
I insist we wear them when we ride......The end. Cause I'm the DAD!

MediaCreations 

Neither did I until I bought one.

You will be too if you crack your head without one.

Like bandages after nasty accidents?

No law says you have to breathe but you're likely to die if you don't.

So instead you give in to the peer pressure of the anti-helmet tribe.

No - that doesn't happen to anyone else. You're just paranoid. Likely cause is a nasty knock on your head at some time. Maybe you should have been wearing a helmet.


I know that I've given some very flippant answers to your reasons for not wearing a helmet, but your reasons were pretty shallow.

There are many people who disagree with helmet use who can give much more informed reasons for not wearing helmets. While I don't agree with them, I can at least understand where they're coming from and see that they've thought their ideas through.

If you would rather not wear a helmet - fine - but don't try to pass off the ideas you've expressed as intelligent reasoning.

RareVos

You forgot the best reason for not wearing a helmet: Supplemental Health Coverage.

Since I signed up for that crap at work if I fall to the pavement and split my head open its a PAYDAY! I've been looking for a reason to cash in on some of that!! My wife and child will be so suprised when they see me drinking Dom and smoking hand rolled cubans in the ICU. Me hurt brain? Uh oh...

blwyn

I pedaled to work about an hour later than usual today, right during the time when all the kids were going to school. I had thought that most kids were pretty good about wearing helmets, but that changed today. Of the 20-25 kids (mostly early teens) I seen only 2 were wearing helmets. That surprised me.