I really think you are giving some of them too much credit....:rolleyes::roflmao:

Aaron:)

Maybe they were riding without helmets and had head trauma.

motorcycle...on the sidewalk.

What the...:eek:

I very rarely wear a helmet now.
Since about year 2000 I have only owned recumbent bikes, and I tend to suspect they're considerably safer in this regard. Over the last couple years I've gone from "helmet always" to "helmet almost never".
Previous to recumbents, I used to wear a helmet all the time.

On a recumbent bike, you tend to crash feet-first, rather than being launched head-first over the handlebars of an upright bike. The typical recumbent crash involves the bike falling over sideways and sliding, and the typical injuries are scrapes to the legs and lacerations to the hands. Head injuries do happen, but not nearly as often as other injuries.

I ride pretty conservatively, in 20 years of adult riding I've never crashed.
And as far as comfort goes, no helmet feels as good as {no helmet}.

-------

I think that in terms of injury prevention, a rear-view mirror is much more important than a helmet--and nobody seems to be promoting rear-view mirror use, and most riders I see don't have them.
~

Hey.. I always have a rear view mirror I find it's the most used piece of safty equipment I have..

Shoot, I even wear a helmet when riding a recumbent trike.

You never know what will cross your path, and you don't get a timeout to put one on when you need it.

Answer: always wear.

(helmets are usually only rated for impacts for a rider at speeds under 15mph., )

Helmet ratings are concerned with the drop from riding height to the ground. FYI.

Just out of curiosity, what's your head circumference? (Mine's larger than average for a male - the only women's hats that fit me are the ones I make myself.)

As for my helmet use, I almost always take it off for pictures. I also tend not to wear it for the 5 block ride to the grocery store or the 5 mph evening rides through the rose gardens that I often take with my housemate who has health problems. I wear a helmet all other times.

As a member of the Great Pumpkin Society :lol: I had to stick my nose in here. I've got a 7 3/4 hat size BALD. Thankfully I've been able to use Giro's in a L/XL size
Yes I wear a helmut always. Notice that this is the "living car free" forum, not the "dying car free" forum.
Wearing a "Helmut" looks like it would be really uncomfortable.
http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/7956/helmutkohlvz5.jpg
So glad I stick to helmets. :p

I'm glad U use a helmet, Raiyn. ;)

I have never worn a helmet and probably never will, I have been hit by cars and hit cars. I have been car free all my life except for about three months back in the 80's.I'm 50 years old and I've probably spent more time on wheels under my own power than most people on this forum. I had no idea that I was a DUI
or a bum. I don't think people who wear helmets are stupid, or that ride walmart bikes for that matter.;);) I do wear one in the skate park though.:D:

As a member of the Great Pumpkin Society :lol: I had to stick my nose in here. I've got a 7 3/4 hat size BALD. Thankfully I've been able to use Giro's in a L/XL size
[color=blue]
This 5'8" female has a 7 1/4 hat size. :o At least I get it honestly. My dad's was an 8 1/2. The Bell Metro in a large fits me nicely.

It definitely depends on the situation for me. I generally don't when I'm riding around campus or on bike trails. I have been in about 3 crashes on campus, one of which I hit my head pretty badly. However, it's just too inconvenient to have a helmet around when going to classes. I usually wear a helmet when I commute on roads where cars will be passing me at much faster speeds.

I'm always amazed at the number of folks who claim to have had their lives saved by helmets on threads like this. I grew up in the "pre-helmet" age and people who were killed or seriously impaired by landing on their unhelmeted heads were incredibly rare. But these days the impression I get -- at least from the helmet advocates -- is that maybe 50% have been "saved" by their helmets.

Hmmm...

I'm always amazed at the number of folks who claim to have had their lives saved by helmets on threads like this. I grew up in the "pre-helmet" age and people who were killed or seriously impaired by landing on their unhelmeted heads were incredibly rare. But these days the impression I get -- at least from the helmet advocates -- is that maybe 50% have been "saved" by their helmets.

Hmmm... Never underestimate the need for conformity in humans. my riding skills have saved my life 100% of the time.

Primary reason I always use a helmet it to get Hair by HelMut :)

I think it is dumb to not wear one if you are a serious cyclist, which increases odds. You never know when that stick/rock is going to jump up or that motorist on the cell phone is going to take you out.

You should catch and market those jumping sticks and rocks, you'd make a killing.


I personally until conditions change (aka snow and ice) roam free, feel the breeze....

Around town I never where a helmet. I like to carry as little as possible on and off the bike.

On my geared roadie, most of the time I do. When I don't, its mainly to get some sun on my shaved head...

I took the train to Portland with my bike yesterday. In the past I have not worn a helmet, after about a half hour of riding around in much more traffic than I'm used to I decided "I think I'll look for a thrift store and buy a helmet." I bought an old dorky looking Giro. I wore it for the rest of the day. All it took was a whole day of riding with it to get used to it. I don't think I'll be doing much riding without one anymore. Plus its a good example for my daughter who I make wear one even if she is just circling the playground.

I decided "I think I'll look for a thrift store and buy a helmet." I bought an old dorky looking Giro. I wore it for the rest of the day. All it took was a whole day of riding with it to get used to it. I don't think I'll be doing much riding without one anymore. Plus its a good example for my daughter who I make wear one even if she is just circling the playground.

Ya might want to get rid of the thrift store special. You really don't know the condition it's in. There are somethings you should never buy used and helmets are certainly one of them.
Nashbar's got a Helmet sale on http://www.nashbar.com/results.cfm?subcategory=&category=&browse=all&storetype=estore&estoreid=1002&start=1&orderby=discount&cm_re=C1-_-R1.2-_-Helmets
(not to mention the free shipping this weekend)

I took the train to Portland with my bike yesterday. In the past I have not worn a helmet, after about a half hour of riding around in much more traffic than I'm used to I decided "I think I'll look for a thrift store and buy a helmet." I bought an old dorky looking Giro. I wore it for the rest of the day. All it took was a whole day of riding with it to get used to it. I don't think I'll be doing much riding without one anymore. Plus its a good example for my daughter who I make wear one even if she is just circling the playground.
Brad - you can get a brand new helmet for $5-$10 at many of our community events. They'll even fit it to your head. I'll PM you the name of the person with the city of Portland who will know the next event where cheap helmets will be making an appearance. (BTW, they're cheap because they are subsidized by local businesses as donations. Normally these are the LBS $40-60 helmets.)

I probably should wear my helmet more, Banff is very small, but full of drivers on vacation in the summer. If I'm just going downtown, I end up parking it in a central location and walking from there (downtown is aprox. 2blocks X 2 blocks), So I usually don't take it. If I'm riding to Canmore, 1 Hour away down the Trans-Canada Highway, I definitely wear it. It probably wouldn't help if I get mowed down at 100 kph, but it makes me feel better.

For my daily commute and errands around town I don't wear a helmet. For long group rides or mini tours by myself in the country I do. Reasons? Hmm. Conveniece, hassle, one more thing to do in the morning, have to carry around in stores, etc. I know and am aware of the risks, and I'm an adult who can make a conscientious decision.

+1.

Yousa, I wear mine.

Since the mid 1990s, I've always used a helmet when cycling. There are a few reasons for this.

1. It's the law in B.C.

2. Motorists tend to treat me with more respect. I noticed an immediate change in this regard as soon as I started wearing a helmet. (I got my first helmet a year or two before B.C. adopted a helmet law, by the way.)

3. I've known too many people who have had head injuries and in some cases permanent brain injuries as a result of a cycling accident when they weren't wearing helmets. I've never hit my head on a fall but I'd rather take the extra precaution.

I have a helmet but almost never wear it. Three years as a bike messenger and I never landed on my head. I'm willing to play the odds.

No I don't.

(until pay day that is)

yeah same here, though my original post might sound otherwise. I figure it's a personal choice like anything else, I'm just curious about the motives, especially in this eclectic group.
cheers

And so you put a huge bias in your poll options?

I'm always amazed at the number of folks who claim to have had their lives saved by helmets on threads like this. I grew up in the "pre-helmet" age and people who were killed or seriously impaired by landing on their unhelmeted heads were incredibly rare. But these days the impression I get -- at least from the helmet advocates -- is that maybe 50% have been "saved" by their helmets.

Hmmm...

Agreed. It's fundamentally impossible to determine the effect of a helmet for any individual case, but on the whole, there is no way every "a helmet saved my life" claim can be true.

If I wasn't wearing a helmet during a couple of my earlier crashes I might still be alive today but I might also have diminished mental capacity today so I always wear a helmet.

If I wasn't wearing a helmet during a couple of my earlier crashes I might still be alive today but I might also have diminished mental capacity today so I always wear a helmet.

You might also have ridden in a way to prevent the accidents as well. This is a contention of the Insurance companies who are not at all convinced that helmets are a good idea. Not that there is no protection in helmets, but that there is a common issue, when there is protective devices, people rely on them. So, they go faster, do risker things, because of course, they feel they are protected by the helmet.

The best solution is to wear a helmet, but don't act like it. Sort of like wearing a seatbelt in a car, don't change your driving habits with a car because you wear a seatbelt, just use it to help, in case.

But, given the number of people who say that without a helmet I would be dead or a vegetable, I get the feeling people are engaged in some pretty risky behavior. Bombing down a hill at 50 MPH would probably be considered such, yet people do it a lot - because of course, they are protected by that flimsy helmet. :rolleyes:

I don't wear a helmet because I choose to ride responsibly, been working for me for 40+ years now.

I never wear one. I suppose it has something to do with the fact that I also never wear any sort of cycling specific clothing, either. I hate feeling like I have to get "suited up" just to ride a bike. For example, a few years ago I tried clipless pedals and it made me not want to even ride a bike just because I had to use special shoes. The helmet's not as big a deal as that, but I just never think about it. And for the record, when I was younger I crashed, helmetless, going 36mph. Went over the bars, landed upside down on my elbows and head, stood up and walked away. My only injury was a nasty mass of skin hanging from my left elbow.

That being said, if I were to go mountain biking or had to ride on ice I'd wear one.

I'd like to edit my answer to say: Always! because that's just how I roll.

I wear a helmet because I'm an EMT and have seen some gnarly head trauma. I want my daughter to wear a helmet so she avoids gnarly head trauma, so I model that behavior. Some people don't wear helmets, and that's fine with me. It takes all kinds.

I only have one thing to add to this conversation:
We expect our member to show respect for others. Respecting their person, their views, their time and their opinions, and their belief systems ... even if you disagree with them.

I'd like to edit my answer to say: Always! because that's just how I roll.

I wear a helmet because I'm an EMT and have seen some gnarly head trauma. I want my daughter to wear a helmet so she avoids gnarly head trauma, so I model that behavior. Some people don't wear helmets, and that's fine with me. It takes all kinds.
I used to be a paramedic and have seen my share of "gnarly head trauma" too. The trauma that resulted from bicycle accidents, though, almost always involved a helmeted rider, which is one of the reasons I think faith in bicycle helmets is a bit misplaced.

Like you, I don't really care whether cyclists do or don't wear helmets, but I am concerned with the attitude -- very common these days -- that a helmet makes you "safe". Like I always say, safety comes from what's in your head, not from what's on it.

I think it IS stupid (for me) to ride without one -- that's how I voted.

When I commute -- helmet's on.
With the kids -- them, too.
Fun rides -- you betcha buddy!
Utility/errands -- OHHHHHHHH, YYYYEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

The last time I rode without a helmet was to check the h-bar height on a fresh adjustment -- went about three houses down the street, and back. No traffic, smooth street.

I've no health insurance, so I'm inclined to wear the helmet when riding.

When I lived in Chicago several years ago I was biking down a parking ramp, slow and careful. I didn't notice a very fine grit/dust on the pavement which, as I turned to go down the next ramp, acted just like graphite and spilled me in a flash. The first part of me that touched down was the area of my helmet protecting my left temple. I've no idea how serious it would have been without a helmet, but I got to dust myself off and continue my ride. Since then wearing a helmet just makes sense for me.

I would, except I just started riding again and am too lazy to go out and buy one. If I end up buying/taking a bike for school next month, I will absolutely buy one. Matter of fact, I should slow down in my rides until getting one.

Matter of fact, I should slow down in my rides until getting one.

This is exactly the thought process that I think is responsible for the greatly increased number of falls I've seen in the last decade or so: "I have a helmet on, so I'm safe."

Maybe BF wouldn't be quite so full of crash stories if we all rode as though we were unhelmeted and therefore vulnerable.

I didn't vote, but it depends. I have a helmet that I bought from Wal-Mart. (It had good safety ratings from sources than that of manufacturer/vendor). I actually prefer a cap to a helmet, but you should see the look on my 4 year old son's face if I don't wear a helmet.

If I was mountain biking I would wear one.

I crashed on the way to work one night. It was July, hot and humid, and "I never crash." No need to wear my helmet. I spent the next week in the hospital, the neuro ward of our regional medical center. I missed five weeks of work, by which time I had recovered the use of my right hand and the ability to speak intelligibly. I don't know what that cost my HMO, but it couldn't have been cheap, and was probably wholly unnecessary. That was in 1995, and since then I wear my helmet.

This is a picture of me when I crashed on my skate board doing about 25-30 mph, no helmet.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j237/zeppinger/07-24-06_1356.jpg

I got a collar bone that is bolted to a rod made out of titanium, thirty three stitches many of which were in my face, a mild concussion, and many of my front teeth are now fakes....

I wear a helmet all of the time now, unless the ride is very short and only through neighborhoods. Would the helmet have saved my collar bone? No. My stitches? Probably not. Concussion? Maybe.... Teeth? Who knows, the helmet may have even made that worse by angling the cement so that instead of hitting my mouth I would have hit my chin! Broken jaw would have been sweet.... Still, if I had hit my forehead any harder who knows if I would still be here. Helmet companies love to scare you into thinking that you will die if you dont use their product, just like every other company (oil, car, perfume, you name it!) After the accident everyone asked me "did you wear a helmet?" NO "did you wear a helmet?" No "did you wear a helmet?" No. blah blah blah. I dont think that it would have helped me that much. However, i DO NOT think that it is a bad idea to wear them all the time. I am glad that I have it on every once in a while when a huge SUV flies by me, but would it really help me? I doubt it. I think i mostly wear it to keep my friends and family happy and I also dont want to deal with everyone asking me if i was wearing one, assuming i live through my next accident :) Its almost like people think, "if you are not smart enough to wear a helmet then you deserve what injury you got!" I dont agree.

Yeah, I wear a helmet every time I ride. I, honestly don't care if anybody else wears one.

I always wear a helmet when I cycle. I have no clue how or if it'll save my life one day, but I'd rather not second guess at any point in the future.

That and I have decorated my helmet with loads of stickers. It's really the only reasonable way I can wear stickers.

This is exactly the thought process that I think is responsible for the greatly increased number of falls I've seen in the last decade or so: "I have a helmet on, so I'm safe."

Not at all. Rather, the attitude more closely resembles, "the chances of injury in a crash at any speed will always be higher without a helmet than with one, so I should get one." I don't drive more recklessly with a seatbelt than I would without one, and I wouldn't ride more recklessly with a helmet than I would without one. Regardless of how I drove or biked, it would behoove me to use the protective gear available in each situation. Which is why I always buckle up, and why I've ordered my helmet (http://www.amazon.com/Giro-Transfer-Sport-Bike-Helmet/dp/B000BO3D18/ref=pd_sbs_sg_2) from Amazon and await its arrival.

I wear one now. I wasn't when I first got my bike a year ago. Then I bought a cheap helmet at Walmart, and it is uncomfortable and looks really stupid. I can't stand the way bike helmets look. That's just me. I know they are designed to let in air, etc., but I don't like them.

SO, I purchased a skateboarding helmet, like this from Protec: http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/12/03/helmet.jpg

I modeled it in the photograph for scale. This picture was taken about thirty seconds after an 18 wheeler almost ran me over. So, as you can see, I'm a bit petrified and pale.

Seriosly, I like wearing my helmet. It's a little hotter than my bike helmet, but it's far more comfortable and doesn't look lame.

I wear a stupid looking helmet. It prevents the harassers from hollering at me when they pass. The see my stupid looking helmet, jaws drop.. then they just keep on going speechless.

Of course, I make a very distinguished looking face while chanting, "Have you seen muh batheball? Have you seen muh batheball? Have you theen muh baseball?"


Same tactic I use when I'm on the incline, and dropping roadies with carbon fiber bikes in full kit.

I'm always amazed at the number of folks who claim to have had their lives saved by helmets on threads like this. I grew up in the "pre-helmet" age and people who were killed or seriously impaired by landing on their unhelmeted heads were incredibly rare. But these days the impression I get -- at least from the helmet advocates -- is that maybe 50% have been "saved" by their helmets.

Hmmm...


I cannot speak for others, but I was involved in a bike crash in which the helmet kept a minor closed head injury from being a very bad closed/open head injury. As I also ride a motorcycle on occasion, I have had the helmet discussion with many other people. The argument from most motorcyclists is that if you fall off the bike at 70 mph you are going to die anyway - so why wear a helmet?

My personal contention is that you don't always crash at 70 mph. Sometimes you hit gravel and dump the thing when you are going 15 mph turning onto your neighborhood street. In those cases, the helmet may be the difference between embarassment and spending the rest of your life in a wheelchair.

I think the same is true for bicycles. Wearing a helmet requires very little sacrifice and IF you do need it, you really appreciate having it on. I don't think it is stupid not to. I think humans make a lot of decisions that don't make good sense even though they know the risks. Helmet use is a personal choice. I just choose to wear one!

I wear one now. I wasn't when I first got my bike a year ago. Then I bought a cheap helmet at Walmart, and it is uncomfortable and looks really stupid. I can't stand the way bike helmets look. That's just me. I know they are designed to let in air, etc., but I don't like them.
Wearing a helmet isn't a fashion statement; it's a safety measure. You may think the helmet looks lame, but there are plenty of other cyclists wearing the same headgear.

Cycling helmets are designed to meet the needs specific to cycling. I don't know if a skateboard helmet will provide adequate protection for cyclists. Helmets designed for other sports — hockey, caving, mountain climbing or the baseball batter helmet — are meant for different types of impacts and may not provide the protection you need.

Wearing a helmet requires very little sacrifice and IF you do need it, you really appreciate having it on.

Precisely, wearing a helmet is so easy to do. If you find one that fits well they really are comfortable to wear and should you fall, you really do value it when you've just hit your head hard and you're looking at a very dented, scratched or cracked helmet thinking 'what if I hadn't been wearing that'.

Helmets are comfortable (I actually like wearing my TSG Evolution because it's so comfortable, I can happily wear it for 4-5 hours at a time without even thinking of taking it off once), they do protect people and I truely believe they can save lives. So why not wear one?!

This is the cycling version of the seatbelt argument. Wearing a seatbelt is no big deal, and it's such a habit for me that I feel naked if I'm not buckled in while in the car. Likewise, I've worn the helmet for so many years that it would feel more odd not to wear one. If you buy yourself a decent one, they're perfectly comfortable.

It's like insurance - you keep paying every month, and you hope to high hell that you never need it, but it's sure nice to have when you do need it.

Helmets are comfortable (I actually like wearing my TSG Evolution because it's so comfortable, I can happily wear it for 4-5 hours at a time without even thinking of taking it off once), they do protect people and I truely believe they can save lives. So why not wear one?!

That's another thing. I'm not comfortable wearing anything on my head (especially something that attaches under my chin), and I've never found a helmet that fit me well. Only the absolute largest sizes fit me, and then they're so big that they just kind of flop around on my head no matter how they're adjusted.

P.S. I also hate tight clothing, backpacks, and cycling shoes, so a lot of cycling "norms" are things I avoid.