Please Pray for me: this could be my last post
 

I'm going to ride today without a helmet. I'm so nervous. I could easily die.

Not.

(brought all my stuff with me today, it's very nice out, but forgot the helmet!).

As an associated question: how many of you would actually forgo a ride for lack of a helmet?

Although some of you may recognize me as one who writes pretty strongly about the *relative* unimportance of bicycle helmets in the area of personal safety, I usually ride with one just because it's a habit. I dont' fool myself into believing it's necessary for reasonable safety though and I have never and will never forgo a ride for lack of a helmet.

Sheesh, I was expecting a bad accident report or something equally gruesome.

Me. Well not me personally, but my parents.

I rode without one on Saturday. Explored some smaller streets and went up and down the MUP. Was fun. Riding today, though, I had it back on.

No condom, no sex. No helmet, no ride.

I never wore one until Junior came along, but now when I forget it, I feel more vulnerable than ever. It's like I know the planets are going to align to make me fall on my head the one day every six months I ride without it.

Just stay on the sidewalk :thumb:







Helmet....no big deal.
No mirror ? I walk :)

I think it's a good idea for even the most die-hard helmet Nazi to go for the occasional bare-headed ride. That "vulnerable feeling" might just help you remember not to do foolish things while riding your bicycle.

I'll bet you're the life of every party. :thumb:

The condom-helmet comparison doesn't work.

Why?
Because unless you're fluid-bonded, there's no way to have safe sex without a condom. And there are very few ways to reduce risk even a little. If your partner has an STD, there's no way other than a condom to mitigate your risk of infection. So if there's no condom, you'd better believe you shouldn't be having sex.

When you go without a helmet, though, there are plenty of other ways to mitigate risk. Wear high-vis clothing. Ride lower-traffic roads. use a bike with an upright position that affords better sightlines. Don't attempt to do stunts or ride aggressively in traffic. Get off and walk (!) if you don't feel comfortable.

I wear a helmet most of the time, and think it's a generally good idea, but acting as if helmetless riding is akin to condomless ******** shows a serious lack of understanding of risk management.

I know someone that had a wreck without a helmet and has been really missed up since. So that being said everytime I go for a ride I wear mine. If I forgot it and was to far from home to return and get it, I would hit a local wally world for one to wear that day, not like there is not one in almost every town in the country.:thumb:

Almost every helmet thread on BF shows that numerous individuals don't have a ******** clue about risk analysis or risk management as it applies to bicycle helmets.

I did a century yesterday, sans helmet. I wore a warm cap in the morning, then stashed it in my jersey when it got warm. Today I rode with a helmet. I suppose I should worry more about it, but I can't say I have a big agenda either way.

IMO you'd have to be brain dead to shop at WalMart, so buying a helmet there seems pointless.

This thread is getting "better" with every post! :roflmao2:

I bought all my helmets at GoodWill.

I bought my tire changing kit at WalMart; they had three levers in a patch kit for something like $4.

...not like there is not one in almost every town in the country...

Costs the same at your LBS and at least some of that money goes to your local economy...

What LBS do you work for?

I don't, but I shop there.

LOL. My LBS sold individual bottle cages for $9. At WalMart, they cost $8 and included a free bottle! Enjoy your LBS if it has box store prices. Mine certainly doesn't.

Looks like you are working for them in the promotion department for free.

By that reasoning, uke is doing free promotions for Walmart. You could also say he's a full time employee at Target (Forge CTS) and Dealextreme (P7 flashlight), given the number of promotions he's given.

Just an update to ease your minds. I had a very nice ride and wore a polar fleece beenie instead of a helmet and balaclava (it's pretty cool here still). I never even gave it a thought when I was riding! It did not affect my route, speed, attention to intersections, worry about overtaking cars, etc. Not one thought, not a single bit of anxiety or sense of danger. Amazing.

I rode to work last fall without a helmet. Too lazy to go back for it
I used to ride without a helmet if I wasn't going to be going fast. Then I fell and got 28 stitches on the back of my head and a night under observation. That means they wake you up every 2 hours and make you tell them your social security number backwards. I've pretty much worn the helmet every ride since.