Recreational & Family - Helmet - your opinion please

IMO Kids should be taught to make their own desicions for the right reasons. Teach them logic, teach them how to think.



This is a good point for older kids generally-speaking, but 4 year olds don't really follow logic and don't understand the consequences of something like crashing without a helmet. I'm not really sure at what age kids really do understand the consequences of a potential brain injury...I think a lot of adults turn a blind eye to that too. But I'm totally with you about teaching people to THINK not blinding follow rules. Like the boy who was lost on his scout trip for days a month or so back, and didn't call out to the rescue people b/c his parents had told him to NEVER talk to strangers.

My advice is that the best place to buy a good helmet is a bicycle shop where the people are able to help you find a quality, durable helmet that fits comfortably. Odds are that paying the extra cost is worth it in the end.

When dealing with Kids... WEAR THE HELMET ALWAYS!!!
I wear mine 100% of the time. I have 3 kids to be a role model to. Hell I even have to wear a Helmet when I ride my Hog... now thats dedication my friends!

I wear a helmet now if nothing else just to set a good example for the kids. Of course we didn't have helmets when I grew up, and nothing ever happened, OK a face plant on the concrete, but a helmet would not have helped, OK and that spill going down a little hill where I contact the curb with my head and and
Yea, both my dogs are mutts. But you got to love mutts. the big one is a golden/husky mix and just loves the pool. the little one, if you can call 40 pounds little, is is
So there we were, after curfew, walking back from the bars, the 4 of us, with me in the lead. Cutting through the rice patties, when all of a sudden this soldier pops up from a hole and levels a rifle at us. We hear the sound of a bolt being shoved forward. I mean to tell you, the four of us like to to to
So I just put a bird feeder out this spring. Got so many birds now don't know what to do with all of them. have to buy feed for them about every 5 days. man those birds birds birrrr
So anyway I never could figure out what the big deal with helmets was about, but i make my kids wear them if nothig else to keep the wife's noise level to a minimum.

Hey Fofa - do you remember Dori in the movie "Nemo"? - I think you went to school together.

my father used to say that he would by a million doller helmet, because that was what he felt his head was worth.

Lead by example, dad . . .
. . . and maybe you'll put a cigarette/joint in your mouth and ride one-handed (that's so biff!) with a beer in your other hand! Hey guys, look at our dad . . . zoned out and spread out on the pavement. He's s-o-o-o-o 'Cool'!!!

Whatever floats your boat and doesn't splash mine... Although some people believe that to not wear a helmet is a personal freedom, it does have strings. I as a taxpayer am irked to hear the 'freedom lovers' nay saying helmet laws. I am willing to bet that AFTER a harmful crash they will look to our government for help with medical bills, rehab and possible long term care. You are an adult and choose not to wear a helmet, fine. I just wish I didn't have to pay for YOUR mistake.

Whatever floats your boat and doesn't splash mine... Although some people believe that to not wear a helmet is a personal freedom, it does have strings. I as a taxpayer am irked to hear the 'freedom lovers' nay saying helmet laws. I am willing to bet that AFTER a harmful crash they will look to our government for help with medical bills, rehab and possible long term care. You are an adult and choose not to wear a helmet, fine. I just wish I didn't have to pay for YOUR mistake.

That's a specious argument that's been overly used. Use some common sense - who is more likely to suffer a fatal head injury, somebody who wears a helmet, or somebody who doesn't? Fatalities don't rack up medical bills, survivors do.

I do think people should wear helmets, but I don't think it's anybody's business if they choose not to.

"I as a taxpayer am irked to hear the 'freedom lovers' nay saying helmet laws. I just wish I didn't have to pay for YOUR mistake."

I am irked by this ubiquituous arguement. 40,000 people die annually in automobile accidents. Countless others injured. More people die of head injuries in the bathtub than bicycling. Booze/liver disease. Crackalleys. McSupersizes & obsesity. Insurance fraud. Insuring SUVs. Smoking.

Fix these problems and then we can argue about all that could be saved by makeing a few thousand american adult cyclists wear a cheap plastic helmet. deminimus.

...and be careful when you argue about paying for other people's risk; the average (american) driver thinks bicycling itself is an unnecessary risk and would just assume bicycles be banned from the roadways altogether.

I wear my helmet when I leave our neighborhood - always. When I ride with the family down to the park (0.5 miles - very friendly drivers) The kids all wear helmets - I some times wear mine.
Is this a mistake or not a big deal?
Big mistake. Kids learn what they have lived. You are conveying that it is ok to go without a helmet and in your case it's really not. In the .5 mile stretch you could have an accident where the helmet could mean the difference between life and death or your normal life vs. a totally changed life with you suddenly unable to do things for yourself. Would that be fair to your kids? Do you want them to grow up without you around? For the same reasons, I never drink and drive.

My advice is that the best place to buy a good helmet is a bicycle shop where the people are able to help you find a quality, durable helmet that fits comfortably. Odds are that paying the extra cost is worth it in the end.

Agree 100%. For years, I dreaded wearing a helmet. Only did so to be a good role model for my kids. Thought they'd all pretty much feel the same. Recently, I went to a bike shop to test drive a bike. Used one of their helmets and was floored by how much more comfortable it was to the ones I'd previously used. Didn't buy the bike, but bought the helmet. I don't find my new helmet constricting at all, even though I've made all the adjustments for a secure fit. Just like seatbelts, I feel naked without it on.

Find a good one. Wear it!!!

I am considering buying a Bell, Metro or Citi, helmet. They are both commuter style. Anyone have any experience with these helmets? I am not a commuter, but like the style of these helmets for my local neighborhood and trail rides. I'm not the road racer type, so why pretend.

I use a Bell helmet. It is very comfortable.

me to, I never leave home without it. but it's not one of the Metro or Citi models.
I like the little visor thingie though, it helps with rain & sun, I don't own perscription sunglasses so I ride with my regular glasses, the visor is a nice addition

"I as a taxpayer am irked to hear the 'freedom lovers' nay saying helmet laws. I just wish I didn't have to pay for YOUR mistake."

I am irked by this ubiquituous arguement. 40,000 people die annually in automobile accidents. Countless others injured. More people die of head injuries in the bathtub than bicycling. Booze/liver disease. Crackalleys. McSupersizes & obsesity. Insurance fraud. Insuring SUVs. Smoking.

Fix these problems and then we can argue about all that could be saved by makeing a few thousand american adult cyclists wear a cheap plastic helmet. deminimus.

...and be careful when you argue about paying for other people's risk; the average (american) driver thinks bicycling itself is an unnecessary risk and would just assume bicycles be banned from the roadways altogether.

Stevo, sorry to hear that I have irked you, but I am one of the freedom lovers that doesn't feel that all of the fact and figures you throw around do not justify the US government getting involved in my day-to-day life. they manage, on a consistant basis, to ruin even the best of ideas. It is not our (or their) job to legislate morality, or common sense. I think that is the church's and the community's job, not a state or federal government.
It's a good desicion to wear a helmet, it's also a good idea to wash your hands after going potty. I do both and without being told to by the government

I am considering buying a Bell, Metro or Citi, helmet. They are both commuter style. Anyone have any experience with these helmets? I am not a commuter, but like the style of these helmets for my local neighborhood and trail rides. I'm not the road racer type, so why pretend.

I got a Bell too, but it is their Alchera. What I love is that it is just so comfortable and fits my large head just right. The large air vents really help on summer rides as well. Right now, it's down from $84.99 to $39.99 at the Performance online site, but I'd try it out for fit before buying.

"but I am one of the freedom lovers that doesn't feel that all of the fact and figures you throw around do not justify the US government getting involved in my day-to-day life."

my appologies pete, i think i misread your position, just as you misread mine. I believe we're on the same page.

I am considering buying a Bell, Metro or Citi, helmet. They are both commuter style. Anyone have any experience with these helmets? I am not a commuter, but like the style of these helmets for my local neighborhood and trail rides. I'm not the road racer type, so why pretend.

I wear a Bell Citi helmet that I bought last fall, and it is very comfortable and I like the way it looks, too. However, now that the temps here have been in the triple digits, I find myself wishing for a helmet with better ventilation, and may end up buying a second "summer" helmet just for that reason. If you live where it's very hot, you might want to consider that aspect. Otherwise, it's a great helmet.

What do you call a cyclist that doesn’t wear a helmet?
A potential organ donor.

I know this seems extreme but as a health care professional we tend to see the worst case scenario in our hospital ER. So I guess the bottom line: it’s like insurance “you don’t really need it….until you do!

Is Ginger Green even reading this thread anymore?

I would no sooner ride my bike without a helmet then I would drive my car without a seatbelt. They save lives! And as it's been said...dad sets the example. How horrible would it be for one of the kids to be riding around with their friends one day and think, well dad doesn't always wear a helmet, so I won't this time. Then end up with a concussion or worse.

Is Ginger Green even reading this thread anymore?

I'm still here...

AAFP:

helmet use among school children appears to be greatest in regions of the county that have implemented helmet use laws.
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20010515/2007.html

"but I am one of the freedom lovers that doesn't feel that all of the fact and figures you throw around do not justify the US government getting involved in my day-to-day life."

my appologies pete, i think i misread your position, just as you misread mine. I believe we're on the same page.

cool,
bygones, I just reread my post and I sound a bit like a guy writing a declaration, and mabye living in a cabin in montana. Little freaky, sorry.
I'm not that crazy, I swear.

I wear a Bell Citi helmet that I bought last fall, and it is very comfortable and I like the way it looks, too. However, now that the temps here have been in the triple digits, I find myself wishing for a helmet with better ventilation, and may end up buying a second "summer" helmet just for that reason. If you live where it's very hot, you might want to consider that aspect. Otherwise, it's a great helmet.

I bought a Bell Citi helmet yesterday. Does anyone have any experience with the available accessory mirror for the Citi and Metro helmets?

I'll bring it back to being about helmets.



If he'd had a helmet on, he'd still have been scraped up, but he would have gotten back on the bike and ridden home, or to his friend's house, instead of taking a ride in an ambulance and spending six hours in the ER.


Fall from bike, land on head. That's all it takes. It only takes once.

This is faulty thinking medically. Next time you're at the Doctor's Office, ask him/her if someone should get back on the bike and ride home after that.

I would no sooner ride my bike without a helmet then I would drive my car without a seatbelt. They save lives! And as it's been said...dad sets the example. How horrible would it be for one of the kids to be riding around with their friends one day and think, well dad doesn't always wear a helmet, so I won't this time. Then end up with a concussion or worse.

I'm wondering where all the anti helmet law folks are today. They usually bring in some interesting stats. Wearing a seatbelt when you drive a car? That's good, but since the single biggest demographic percentage of fatal and long term debilitating auto accidents involve head injuries, then why aren't you wearing a helmet when you drive?

I'm wondering where all the anti helmet law folks are today. They usually bring in some interesting stats. Wearing a seatbelt when you drive a car? That's good, but since the single biggest demographic percentage of fatal and long term debilitating auto accidents involve head injuries, then why aren't you wearing a helmet when you drive?

I'm nearly always amused when I read this line of arguement- "You don't need to take this safety measure (Helmets while riding, in this case) because you don't take this other measure (Helmets in cars)". One does not make the other OK. I take the measures I need to take to protect my health, and the health of my familiy members. I drive moderately to reduce the risk of a rollover, or collision, and I wear a helmet in case I fall off my bike.

In my car I'm closely surrounded by a cage, designed largely to protect me and mine in case of a collision. The thing left to be injured in an automotive accident is my head, when struck on the inside of said cage. When I'm on my bike I've got lots of room and opportunity to find things to run into at a fairly high velocity. My head is the most fragile of many body parts that can be injured, and protecting it is the simplest measure I can take to improve my chances should I run into something.

Always wear a helmet for reasons stated, but occasionally not wearing it gives the kids the idea that sometimes it's ok not to wear it. Plenty of accidents happen in the neighborhood, why take a chance. Thinking you are smart enough or fast enough to avoid an accident is foolish. They are called accidents for a reason, since you seem to recognize the benefit of helmets, easiest to just wear it.

John

I wear my helmet when I leave our neighborhood - always. When I ride with the family down to the park (0.5 miles - very friendly drivers) The kids all wear helmets - I some times wear mine.


Is this a mistake or not a big deal?


I dont see the big deal. Personally I think the protection from helmets is grossly overstated.

If you want to wear it because it makes you feel safer (and it will protect you in certain circumstances from a host of what amount to minor possible injuries) then go ahead. However there has been research to suggest that helmets can worsen the effects of a severe head blow in a crash, depending on how its hit.

Most helmets are thin, light and amount to little more than a cover for the head. What I find most interesting is that in countries where cycling is done every day by a large percentage of the population (just to get around town) in Europe and Asia, very very few wear helmets. Does that make them smarter? No. But in the paternalistic governing of many countries in Europe its surprising they have not enacted helmet laws or that most dont wear them if they really offer good protection.

There are many calculated risks in life, cycling is an activity that is NOT dangerous, there can be danger but good judgement and actually obeying traffic laws will protect you far more than any 1/2 inch of foam and plastic.

An interesting read:

http://www.imt.ie/displayarticle.asp?AID=5724&NS=1&SID=1

Wearing a helmet is like wearing a seatbelt. If you force your kids to wear it but you sometimes do not, then what message are you really telling them. They tend to follow what you do more then what you say. To teach them its important, you must model it every time. Just an opinion from a parent of a six year old.

It is basically just a styrofoam hat.

this thread is ancient but nonetheless pertinent -- at least to me.

recently i was showing my new bike off to a good friend who competes in triathlons and does a fair share of biking in between. she glanced at my bike, glanced at me, and then she observed that i didn't have a helmet.

as she started to comment on my lack of protective headgear she immediately caught herself and said, "oh, that's right -- the only people who wear helmets are the one's who have something to protect."

ouch! that really hurt -- prolly leave a mark!

i went out and bought a brain-bucket the very next day. although, i do confess, i don't wear it everytime i get on my bike -- i certainly wear it when i'm riding any distance or in heavy traffic.

logged in about 20 miles today, which included a flat tired, and actually felt like quite the fashionplate with my shiny silver trek helmet affixed firmly atop the ol' noggin.

it's a choice, ya know.

*sdr*

I have to second (or third) you ginger. Every time i inwardly groan about the helmet all I have to do is think about how I'd like my sons to wear theirs. What I do is infinitely more potent than what I say.

I'm nearly always amused when I read this line of arguement- "You don't need to take this safety measure (Helmets while riding, in this case) because you don't take this other measure (Helmets in cars)". One does not make the other OK. I take the measures I need to take to protect my health, and the health of my familiy members. I drive moderately to reduce the risk of a rollover, or collision, and I wear a helmet in case I fall off my bike.

In my car I'm closely surrounded by a cage, designed largely to protect me and mine in case of a collision. The thing left to be injured in an automotive accident is my head, when struck on the inside of said cage. When I'm on my bike I've got lots of room and opportunity to find things to run into at a fairly high velocity. My head is the most fragile of many body parts that can be injured, and protecting it is the simplest measure I can take to improve my chances should I run into something.

I just never understood why folks are so afraid of riding bicycles, but it is what it is. Guess riding has always been as natural as walking to me, and yes, I have taken a few spills over the years and know full well the risk of head injury in any sport, not just cycling. (do you always wear a helmet playing sandlot baseball or football?) Never felt the need to wear a helmet, though I wear one when an event requires it...and don't when they don't. Most days I just wear my ball cap.

Speaking of cages, did you know what causes most head injuries when involved in an accident? I believe you will find that it is those parts of the cage that you feel protect you that you boink your noggin on, steering wheel being the most common I suspect.

Point is, I respect your right to wear a helmet if that makes you feel safe, and I have no inclination to lobby for mandatory helmetless laws, so please respect my right not to wear a helmet and don't attempt to change the laws to inflict your preferences upon the rest of us. Funny how some people like to talk the talk about freedom and liberty, then in the next breath they are cooking up ways to limit both.

..... What I find most interesting is that in countries where cycling is done every day by a large percentage of the population (just to get around town) in Europe and Asia, very very few wear helmets. Does that make them smarter? No. But in the paternalistic governing of many countries in Europe its surprising they have not enacted helmet laws or that most dont wear them if they really offer good protection.
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I've had people make this argument before when discusing brain bucket safty, but comparing America to other countries is not an equal comparision, Very few countries have the transportation infrastructure designed the way we do, practicly disregarding anyone not in a car. Also many other societies are more intuned to the bike and it's culture, drivers are more aware.. pedestrians are more forgiving. A good example is The Tour de France and Giro de Italia are international phenominons, but very few have heard of the Tour of America. Even the cars are different, how many giant SUV's and mini vans are flying down the streets of Madrid?
Don't misunderstand, I don't want anyone legislate what I wear on my melon, I wear a helmet 98% of the time. Not because I have no faith in my ability to ride, but because I have very little faith in the numscull on the phone stuffing his/her fat maw with mickie d's to see me and realize that I actually have rights.
I have no argument with folks who feel they don't need cranial protection.
Mabye I'm just a wuss. My kids always wear their helmets, and they give me crap when I forget to put mine on.
It's true that some neck injuries are made worse by the added weight of a helmet, and I've heard stories of people decapitated during certain situations(during motercycle accidents, more speed & velocity). but people get stuck in cars during emergency cituations occasionaly by seat belts. but the certainly save way more lives then they take.

This Thread is still alive?

Iffin you have Kids..... WEAR A HELMET!

If you don't have kids, do what ever the hell ya want... don't come crying the Blues when you crack your head open.

I wear mine 100% of the time. Even if its only a 1/2 block to go get the kids.
They see us "Adults" wearin them, they will too.

END OF STORY

Holy Heck BigMark (21 Jun reply #6).

You and I must have parallel lives. I too had the following incidents in Bremerton, WA. I had a lady look to go across the road from my left (I had right of way). She looked right at me and then went. I was doing about 25 and skidded into her right rear quarter panel. I was too pissed to say anything, but I had my helmet on. Later, I was riding in that dreary foggy spit. We had to wear construction helmets and safety glasses in the yards. Of course the glasses fogged up and in the pre-dawn I could not make out the tracks, down I went and I had my knee swell up to 3 times normal.

I only wear helmets on the longer rides too. The kids always wear them because I make them. As another poster said, when I get the "Why doesn't daddy wear it", I am sure I will be wearing it a little more frequently.

When someone gives me grief I ask them "how did we ever survive growing up".

I fell off my bike in a parking lot early this year... my foot slipped off the pedal
Speed was about zero
Cracked my helmet, and I STILL got a concussion

If I hadn't had a helmet on... I'd be dead, or my wife would be changing my diapers, and maybe looking for a divorce attorney, too.

I always wear a helmet, have since 1977, nothing will ever make me stop wearing one. It's insane to me that people ride without one. It's like driving w/o a seatbelt on.

Another reason why I wear a helmet... IF YOU ARE A PARENT, YOU MUST WALK THE TALK. Kids can detect bullsh** and hypocrisy a mile away. If you don't wear a helmet and tell them to, expect compliance problems, especially during the teen years.

I have zero problems getting my kids to wear helmets. Mom and Dad wear helmets, kids wear helmets. End of story. Parents make the rules.

My son is in 8th grade, he has survived the severe anti-helmet hazing from the rabble at school. He now has a "F**K YOU, YOU LITTLE DUMB SH**S" attitude toward these little haters who prey on anyone who does anything different from them.

He rides my vintage steel road bike all over town, he rides vehicularly in the streets with helmet, lights at dawn & dusk, obeys traffic laws. I am so proud of him it's hard to express. He's a real cyclist now!

The fact that people in Europe and Asia don't wear helmets is not scientific proof for people to conclude that helmet wearing is not important.

People in Europe and Asia also SMOKE CIGARETTES more than Americans do... in no way does it imply that Americans are also over-cautious regarding tobacco use.

Unfortunately, the dead people in Europe and Asia who might've been saved by helmet use... are not able to post their opinions to this Forum !




I dont see the big deal. Personally I think the protection from helmets is grossly overstated.

If you want to wear it because it makes you feel safer (and it will protect you in certain circumstances from a host of what amount to minor possible injuries) then go ahead. However there has been research to suggest that helmets can worsen the effects of a severe head blow in a crash, depending on how its hit.

Most helmets are thin, light and amount to little more than a cover for the head. What I find most interesting is that in countries where cycling is done every day by a large percentage of the population (just to get around town) in Europe and Asia, very very few wear helmets. Does that make them smarter? No. But in the paternalistic governing of many countries in Europe its surprising they have not enacted helmet laws or that most dont wear them if they really offer good protection.

There are many calculated risks in life, cycling is an activity that is NOT dangerous, there can be danger but good judgement and actually obeying traffic laws will protect you far more than any 1/2 inch of foam and plastic.

An interesting read:

http://www.imt.ie/displayarticle.asp?AID=5724&NS=1&SID=1

However, helmets are not a panacea. I would rather have a rear-view mirror and strong bike lights than a helmet, those devices allow one to avoid crashes entirely. Fortunately, lights, mirrors, and helmets are all easy-to-use and inexpensive, so it's easy to use all three.

I am not going to read through all the posts. So this might have been said already.

I look at it this way, when I had no children to think I would occasionaly ride with no helmet because if I was in a serious accendent my insurance would pick up the bill and I had no one who depended on me. Now that I have kids I still take chances on my bike and with other sports but I do everything I can to try and minimize the chances of a serious injury or death which means I always were a helmet when I ride now.

Another reason I wear a helmet is to show my kids that it is the right thing to do and because I always wear my helmet they do as well. If I did not wear my helmet and my kids saw me ride like that and they decide not to wear one because "daddy does not" (they like to try and copy everything I do) and happen to fall and crack their skull on a curb or some other object I would feel as if it was my fault because I would have shown them that it is not always neccessary to have a helmet on.

Do not get me wrong, I still allow them to take chances and they do get hurt but as with my self I am teaching them to try and minimize the risk.

DBD:beer:

It seems like everybody wants to argue about helmets until they finally crash and hit their head on something hard enough to do damage, at which point they become converts.


They become converts or they hire lawyers to file big giant lawsuits...

You as parents are the most influential role models your kids will ever have. If you don't want your kids to wear helmets that's your business. Mine do...and they don't ever get the chance to say "what about dad" because mine's always on when I ride.

You know what hospital staffs call motorcyclists without helmets? Organ donors. Some medical people told me, jokingly maybe, that they wished people wouldn't wear helmets because it has reduced the number of organs they are able to harvest. Even if they were joking, it doesn't sound funny to me.

I would definitely wear a helmet when you are with your kids; you have the most influence over them. If you don't wear one "just down the street", they won't, either.

I never wore a helmet when I was a kid, even after a friend cracked his head open and bled like crazy. But when I got my mt. bike I started wearing one and I've cracked two of them; one on a rock and the other when I hit a tree. I wear a helmet when I'm on my road bike because I'm going 20 mph on the flats and 45 mph down the mountains.

When my wife and I go riding on some dirt roads in LA (lower Alabama) we sometimes don't wear our helmets because we're only going 10mph.

Plenty of stats here if you care:
http://www.bhsi.org/stats.htm

Everything you wanted to know about helmets:
http://www.helmets.org/guide.htm

Quick rundown of all helmets made for 2005:
http://www.helmets.org/helmet05.htm

I don't think it's a good idea not to wear your helmet. 1st off you are setting a bad example for your kids when they are your age. Plus if there is someone that is not a friendly driver thinks could go wrong.

plus you can fall anywhere anytime. I learned that the hard way. (broke my teeth on a curb. if i didn't wear a helmet i probobly would've had a concusion.

Whatever floats your boat and doesn't splash mine... Although some people believe that to not wear a helmet is a personal freedom, it does have strings. I as a taxpayer am irked to hear the 'freedom lovers' nay saying helmet laws. I am willing to bet that AFTER a harmful crash they will look to our government for help with medical bills, rehab and possible long term care. You are an adult and choose not to wear a helmet, fine. I just wish I didn't have to pay for YOUR mistake.
RIGHT ON! I don't mind someone else not wearing a helmet as long as they're not the type to keep a lawyers phone number on their cell speed dial and use it the minute they have an accident.
I wear a helmet on every ride be it road, path or MTB trail. Why? Mostly for safety, but also because ALL the serious cyclists in my area wear one. Once in a while I'll see someone huffing and puffing on a single speed beach cruiser without a helmet, but the riders that are serious about the sport in this area don't give it a second thought. I never realized there was any controvery until I read this thread.