Road Cycling - Do you use a helmet

For all cyclists...

Initially I started wearing it out of guilt, as everyone always gasped when I admitted to not wearing one. After a while when it had become habit, the guilt wore off, but I couldn't think of a good reason to NOT wear it. It doesn't interfere with my riding, and in the long run, I'd rather it be there the one time I need it.

On the road, my helmet use depends on how safe I feel in the traffic. Generally I always wear a helmet when there are cars around, but not when there traffic is very light. Off road I'm always straped in.

Yes, I use a helmet because they make great baskets to carry cycling related items like glasses, gloves, especially when you need another hand.

Oh, I also wear one when I ride/commute... :D

Jay

always.......

..only when I mtn. bike b/c there are alot of sharp rocks... yeah yeah..dumb.

100% on the trail
95% on the road - occasionally I'll take the beater SS to the grocery store and ride helmetless.

always.......


ditto.

I thought this might be about jimmy hats for a second.

Not wearing a helmet is a person's attempt at proving Darwin right.

always

I've got a helmet, why not wear it? It just doesn't seem worth it to me. The benefits I derive from going without the helmet do not outweigh the protection it will provide should I ever need it. I have a few friends who refuse, so I understand that this is a deeply personal preference.

Always, always , always.

Always, except when I forget it at home (only happened once in the past year)

Everytime. No question.

I always wear a hat anyways, so wearing a helmet while riding is almost natural. I'd wear my hat, but I'm afraid it'd fly off on the downhills. And it wouldn't protect my head all that well in a crash, either. :-P

I don't, and I never have. I'm thinking about getting one though, just because I figure it takes just one wrong fall to hurt your head pretty nicely..

-Jason

I crashed really HARD about 7yrs ago. (riding at night BTW)

My helmet split. If I wasn't using a helmet I might be a vegetable. I would have cracked my skull and layed on the road all night.

Buy a Helmet....and wear a condom for good measure.

I hit my head really hard sledding when I was 17. I don't remember that day or the one after it. I had a hard time for a week or so with short term stuff. I always wonder if there are things I lost that I'll never know about.
Closed head injuries tend to make you all philisophical about helmets.

Always, always , always.

agreed no excuses here... but then again it's your head so do what you want :eek:

alway, alwways, always and if I forget, I go back and get it.

wouldn't even consider riding without one

This thread isn't intended to be a debate. I'm gathering comparison for Fixed/Road riders/Comuters to see how different folks are.

Another vote for wouldn't think of riding without one. Wouldn't allow my kids to ride without one either. Don't understand those who don't but that's their business not mine!

Yes,

I always wear a helmet...but right now I'm waiting to buy a new bike because my Bianchi got munched when I was hit by a car!

I had a helmet on but didn't hit my head...still, made me happy to know it was there when she pulled out into me.

PJBAZ

I used to not. I would just wear it occasionally on the more heavily trafficed roads, and I would wear just a cap or nothing at all on the back roads. Well, one day I decided to wear my helmet on a back roads ride, and while decending off a big climb, I ended up 30 feet over the hillside unconscious, and probably would've been dead without the helmet. My head was bleeding anyway. Now I don't ride at all without a helmet. God gave me more opportunities to live and love life after that crash, and I'm not going to take any uneccessary risks.

I've had two occasions in which my helmet took the punishment instead of my pumpkin.

...what were we talking about?

My brother in law did not bring his once for mtb and I made him go back home for it. He took a header into a tree that day.:eek:

Wear your helmet ;)


...patiently awaiting his little red star

I'm legally required to for now, and have no intentions of not wearing one even after I have the option to not wear one.

Brain Buckets 'R Us. Never leave home without it.

I never wear one. If I happen to hit my head, im screwed anyway, helmet or not. The only real way I could see myself ever hitting my head in a fall would be if I was hit by a vehicle.

This thread isn't intended to be a debate. I'm gathering comparison for Fixed/Road riders/Comuters to see how different folks are.

I ride singlespeed on the road only. I use a skate helmet. If I look stupid I'm certain it has nothing to do with the helmet :D

jimv

I crashed really HARD about 7yrs ago. (riding at night BTW)

My helmet split. If I wasn't using a helmet I might be a vegetable. I would have cracked my skull and layed on the road all night.

Buy a Helmet....and wear a condom for good measure.


At the same time? :eek:

I remember an accident I saw about 25 years ago. These two motorcyclists are going down a street. A car pulls out of a lot and the the bikes t bone it. One guy goes over the hood. The second guy hit the door pillar with his head. With a helmet he might have survived but no guarantee. The point is this is the exact type of accident most people face on a bike.

I never wear one. If I happen to hit my head, im screwed anyway, helmet or not. The only real way I could see myself ever hitting my head in a fall would be if I was hit by a vehicle.

It's your head, if its worth protecting is a question you have to answer. A few years ago, I was riding behind someone that was riding pretty strong. But when we came to a slight incline, he slowed down and stood up, my wheel ended up lapping his and the wheels touched. I went down fast and hard. I had no time to respond. I broke my left hand in two places, cracked my helmet and pretty good road rash. We were going about 30 mph, I know that if I was not wearing a helmet, I would not be typing this now.

Not only do I wear one, I only ride with people that wear them.

Sure do. They've got some good designs these days, they are confortable, light and look good. I don't see why you wouldn't...

I'm more likely to get in a crash because the helmet is uncomfortable for me. All helmets are. I know this isnt the case for everyone though...

We all do, all the time! NO EXCEPTIONS!

I sometimes wear one. I for sure descend more cautiously if I'm not wearing one. I don't agree with the people who yell at me for not wearing one. Sometimes when I pass people on the road they point at their head or give me some other crap becuse I don't have one on. Do they cover thier eyes when the riders in the tour take theirs off at the base of climbs? I do always wear mine when i ride with my younger brother(14). I don't think cyclists should look down on other riders for not wearing a helmet, it is their own choice.

Its mandatory to wear a helmet in Australia, so yes I wear mine.

Its just stupid not to wear one anyway. Even the pro's wear helmets now, so stop pretending you're a european pro and put your helmet on.

After I was forced into a set of RR tracks and cracked my pneumo in 4 + places and broke it all the way through in a couple more, I thank my lucky stars that I have always worn one and will always continue to wear one.

there is no law here making people wear helmets when riding a bike.

I wear one when I ride and when I'm wearing a jersey+shorts. This means I'm going biking for more than 20kms, on open road or on the highway.

But when just going out to the store or the bike shop I don't wear one.



I also ride a dirtbike, Honda 200, and I don't use a helmet. I am planning to get one though.


Sorry to disappoint you guys. :)

Its mandatory to wear a helmet in Australia, so yes I wear mine.

Its just stupid not to wear one anyway. Even the pro's wear helmets now, so stop pretending you're a european pro and put your helmet on.

I saw a guy this morning riding along Leach Hwy without one. I kinda had to take a second look, it's so strange to see people riding without them. It's looks strange!

No helmet no ride

Is this a trick question?

Rich

Went out and bought this helmet a couple of weeks ago...was having trouble with overheating. It is the law to wear one here, but you would be stupid not to...crazy drivers!

Yeah...
would be nice not to have to I guess, but the knnee scrapes of my youth vs. the car injury of my later youth do not combine to predict a favorable outcome if I do not wear a helmet.

Jacob

Yep...

I suppose the mandatory helmet laws in Qld, Aus made me used to wearing one, though I'm sure I always wore one even before it was mandatory.

I feel naked without one... psychologically I can't even get on the bike to do a ride around the block to test something without a foam cap on my noggin...

sice my last crash about 4 years ago...I will never ride without one.

I understand that wearing a helmet may be a question of choice but why take the risk? It may be your choice not to wear one, but do you not owe your family and the people who care about you the comfort in knowing that you are taking every precaution in protecting yourself?

It's about responsibility. It's not just about you!