General Cycling Discussion - Helmets anyone???

Is it just me or do people just not wear helmets. It was a beautiful day out so I took a 26 mile ride earlier down the road and down one of the local bike trails, I saw tons of people kids to adults riding. 3/4ths of them did not have helmets of any sort.

I never fell off my bike as a kid, but I've fallen twice since I started biking again now (once on a trail mountain biking, 2 inches to the left and no helmet and i would have had a hole in my head, and once when I first got my road bike as I had never ridden one before and had a little issue with the size of the tires and seams in the street). I feel naked without one, plus its the law here!

Anyone else notice this?

That's pretty typical.

Dallas has a helmet law, so I always wear mine there. Riding around the local MUP, I usually don't bother.

I love my helmet too. I find that helmets are the majority here in Dallas. There are a few knuckleheads that ride without them. I've passed about 12 bikers at White Rock Creek trail today and only two didn't have helmets. One was an old man going too slow for it to matter and the other, a young kid too young and dumb to care.
Ernest

I went riding on the Katy Trail a while back and forgot my helmet. But then, I don't think I saw anyone else with a helmet there, and actually saw some bicycle cops who didn't stop me or anyone else. So it's sort of hit-and-miss even in Dallas.

Is it just me or do people just not wear helmets.
I don't wear one, as I doubt it would really protect me from any serious injury, and I'm more comfortable without it.

I have one, in case I ever want to do any organized rides--I just don't wear it much anymore.

I have toyed with the idea of wearing a sun hat (http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=sunbody%20gus&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi) to prevent sunburns, but haven't got to trying it yet.

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Note #1: if I found a really good + inexpensive helmet-mounted light, I might be convinced to wear one while night riding because the head-mounted light would be useful. Ive never seen that however--the only good ones all cost at least several hundred bucks, which is too much for my sensibilities.

Note #2: I only ride recumbent bikes, so I don't face the same propensity to go "over the bars" that people on upright bikes do. "Falling on your head while wearing a bicycle helmet" is never going to be as safe as "not falling on your head in the first place".

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If I lived somewhere that had a helmet law, I don't know what I'd do--wear a Viking helmet maybe?

It's positively ******** to make police waste time giving out bicycle helmet tickets when there's very-probably murders, ******* and muggers running loose.
~

There are a few knuckleheads that ride without them... One was an old man going too slow for it to matterWhat? Do you know the limitations of a helmet? They are designed and tested for falls from a bike with no forward momentum. Bicycle helmets are designed to reduce the effects of linear forces. The slow old man has a better chance of a helmet actually protecting his head in the manner that the helmet was designed. The old man's fall would most likely produce a small rotational force compared to the faster riders. Helmets are not designed for rotational forces, the forces that cause brain injury.

But, who knows. I am one of those knuckleheads that doesn't wear a helmet.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=96298

There ya go, here's a whole thread dedicated to this topic.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=96298

There ya go, here's a whole thread dedicated to this topic.

Type "helmet" into the search box, and you'll probably get 50 of those threads.

FWIW, I wear mine, but I'm not blind to it's limitations by any means. Acting sensibly and predictably on the road is a far better way to protect yourself, followed by ensuring your bike itself (particularly the brakes) is in good working order. Wearing a helmet comes somewhere down the list after those things, as an insurance policy in certain types of crashes. Personally, I'd rather have that protection (however limited it might be) than not have it, so I wear mine. However, I'm not about to judge anyone who chooses not to. Their head, their choice.

FWIW, there is a helmet law in this country, but I've never seen or heard of it being enforced after over 150,000km of riding in five states.

I wear a helmet. It became a habit for me when I first started riding motorcycles years ago.

Believe it or not, the same arguments for not wearing helmets exist amongst motorcyclists too. The old "I just avoid wrecking" has always been my favorite. I have to bow before those who use that line of reasoning, as they must be so mighty as to dictate not only their own actions, but those of everyone around them.

Don't be fooled by people talking about linear and rotational forces...they operate under the naive assumption that brain damage can't result from linear trauma. Of course, add in enough speed and a hard enough surface, and linear momentum is plenty to bust your head open like a cantaloupe.

The only reason not to wear a helmet is pure vanity. Some people are cool with that. Occasionally I get vain and refuse to wear mine. I do so, however, without attempting to justify it. I accept the risks and acknowledge them...I don't pretend that there is some logical justification for riding without one.

My most spectacular accident, which had a screeching taxi and stuff (including me) flying everywhere, did not involve my helmet at all.

My slowest and most embarrassing accident, which involved my helmeted head being bounced up and down on slick/wet concrete, was when my front wheel slipped from beneath me as I made a turn at 3 km/hr.

Is it just me or do people just not wear helmets. It was a beautiful day out so I took a 26 mile ride earlier down the road and down one of the local bike trails, I saw tons of people kids to adults riding. 3/4ths of them did not have helmets of any sort.
Anyone else notice this?
Yep, some people wear them and some don't. That's all I'm going to say right now, under advice of counsel.

I wear a helmet. It became a habit for me when I first started riding motorcycles years ago.

Believe it or not, the same arguments for not wearing helmets exist amongst motorcyclists too. The old "I just avoid wrecking" has always been my favorite. I have to bow before those who use that line of reasoning, as they must be so mighty as to dictate not only their own actions, but those of everyone around them.

Don't be fooled by people talking about linear and rotational forces...they operate under the naive assumption that brain damage can't result from linear trauma. Of course, add in enough speed and a hard enough surface, and linear momentum is plenty to bust your head open like a cantaloupe.

The only reason not to wear a helmet is pure vanity. Some people are cool with that. Occasionally I get vain and refuse to wear mine. I do so, however, without attempting to justify it. I accept the risks and acknowledge them...I don't pretend that there is some logical justification for riding without one.

There is plenty of evidence that motorcycle helmets prevent serious injury in case of an accident. There is no credible evidence that bicycle helmets do. However, you are, of course free to believe the hype created by people interested in selling you a $100 piece styrofoam.

I used to wear a helmet (even when I lived in Europe as was the only person I ever saw wearing one). But I read the studies and eventually concluded that wearing a helmet was basically a superstition created by people interested in selling helmets. Vanity has nothing to do with it; I don't really look any better without a helmet than I do with one.

Serious injury? Possibly not, but having lived through skull striking pavement, I can personally vouch that the bleeding's a b*tch and takes a while to stop. :o That alone is motivation for me to wear something to keep from scraping skull again. :innocent:

Doubting that a helmet "would prevent any serious injury" is like doubting that smoking will shorten your life. It makes no sense and is contrary to logic. The reason you dont wear a helmet is because you think it is too hot or too dorky/ugly. No other way around it.

But I read the studies and eventually concluded that wearing a helmet was basically a superstition created by people interested in selling helmets.

What a load of bull. First off I would be interested in seeing that study, I would be more than surprised if you could point me to it. A motorcycle helmet is just a 200 dollar hunk of fiberglass and cushion. That hunk of styrofoam will and does on a continual basis make the diff between a bad case of rash and a split skull.

At a certain point, the force of the impact of one's head striking a curb or pavement is enough to go beyond a bump on the noggin to a subdural hematoma, which can cause swelling on the brain, which restricts the flow of oxygen to that part of the brain, which if left untreated long enough can cause irreversible brain damage. I don't know where that redline is. But if nothing else, common sense tells me a bicycle helmet provides a bigger cushion (in both senses of the word) so that bump on the noggin doesn't become a subdural hematoma.

Yes! most places it's not a requirement for adults. It's up to the individual to decide for themselves.

with the guys who i bike with i find the only kids who DON'T wear helmets are the DJers and the ones who do the tricks in the skate park.

Not around here... everybody wear one... once a while, a guy on his daughter's bike wearing flip-flops or kids on training wheels around the neighborhood, but they are going like 2 mph and very little chance of getting hurt.

are there any big issues with side impact protection of the helmets? seems like some of them ride pretty high up on the head. Also, the lack of hard outer shell seems odd on the bicycle helmet. My "other" helmet is designed for motorsports (driving) so maybe i'm expecting too much.

According to this study, helmets reduce your safety when riding in traffic, cars passed on average 3.33 inches closer when the rider had a helmet. However, wearing a long wig increased passing distances by almost 6 inches. I think the next part of the study should be the effects of wearing a g-string...
http://www.exercisedaily.org/cgi-bin/details.pl?article_id=1463

also on helmet laws: http://www.exercisedaily.org/cgi-bin/details.pl?article_id=1198

This is like the argument about seatbelts. Many people say the current car seatbelt systems are flawed so they don't wear it for whatever their justifications. My opinion, something is better than nothing. The chance that NOT wearing it will save your life as opposed to wearing it are FAR lower.

Its the same with helmets. I'm a volunteer fireman and i have seen people do some serious damage to themselves just tripping and falling on their head. Brain damage even. Shundaroni explained what can happen best, and wyeast explained it as well. Yeah whats a $40 piece of plastic and foam really gonna do? Well any cushion is better than no cushon. Will it save you all the time? Not likely, but I would rather increase the odds than play russian roulette for no gain whatsoever.

I think people who have started riding within the last 10 years or so are more likely to wear a helmet all the time

some of the young fellas down at the LBS say they just always wore one, so they don't even think about it

but 20 years ago adults never wore helmets, so for better or worse, there are alot of people who have ridden for 20 or 30 years or even more who prefer to ride without one

I ride both ways. I wear one alot, but I also like some days to just wear my old cycling cap for old time's sake. sort of a nostalgia thing

Salsa once crashed into a tree wearing his bran-spanking-new spiffy & pricey helmet. He dented the helmet, and was really feeling like he should still be able to use it. We were at a NORBA race in Banner Elk NC, and one of the people staying with us just happened to be - you guessed it - a rocket scientist. He opined that if Salsa wanted to mow lawn for a living, using a bashed helmet was A-OK, but if he actually planned to be an engineer, he might just want to invest in a new model.

He pulled the same stunt the following year in VT, and was very, very glad he had a helmet that was undamaged when he began the race, because it was split when he finished with that tree on the last downhill of the XC course. Our buddy medic made him stay awake for hours after that one....

i (almost) always wear a helmet. i didn't think anybody would say anything if i didn't, but strangly enough yesterday i just strapped the helmet to the handlebars riding down a little path, and i had 3 or 4 people yell "wear a helmet".

when i crash i never hit my head, but now it's just a habit.

I ride with no helmet and wearing flip flops. I will surely die soon.:rolleyes:

Riding in groups: Absolutely.
Riding trails: Absolutely.
Riding in congested traffic: Absolutely.

If I'm out by myself on a lonely road: Sometimes.

To and from the post office and around the neighborhood: Rarely.

If I'm going to get hit by a car at high speed on a lonely road, I'm more likely to die of internal injuries than have the helmet make a substantial difference. However, when you're out with your buddies and touch somebody's wheel it's a different story altogether. Broken ribs, wrists, and collarbones are not life threatening injuries but a head injury very well could be. The helmet basically protects me from being a dumbass and forgetting how to stay upright.

The exercise daily article was interesting. I myself have noticed the drivers here give me more clearance when I'm commuting in street clothes with panniers than they do when I'm in lycra. Maybe I need a wig too.

I were a helmet, hummm, well, a Petzel, Ercin, climbing helmet. It looks like those bell bicycle helmets. I figure since it protects me when climbing big trees it must work for protection on the road. It is very similar to the very expensive bell types I've seen. (it was also expensive) It has to withstand massive hits, and contorted hits. and it is bright yellow.

JAK

a Petzel Ecrin climbing helmet
yeah, why don't bike helmets look more like that?
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&resnum=0&q=Petzl%20Ecrin&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

SInce I have personal experience I thoguht I'd share my $.02. For the first 20 years of my life I did not waer a helmet and fortunately didn't crash on my head. I even worked as a messenger for 2 of those years and got away free from injury. However, on night, for no reason at all, I decided to wear my helmet while riding to a friend's house. It was dark and while riding I got to know one of Boston's finest potholes personally, I flipped the bike and landed head first on the concrete. Fortunately, I was able to get out of the street and to safety before any cars came. My helmet was smashed in quite nicely and since that accident I've not ridden without one.

Cheers

Rob

I was a little held back to use the climbing helmet, and after examining bicycle helmets, I said whoa, these are only good for one time.

I've recently seen some that are real close to the Petzel and are for bicycle. Is it fashionable to be like the next guy or is is it max protection with good form?

JAK

I wear a helmet. It became a habit for me when I first started riding motorcycles years ago.

Believe it or not, the same arguments for not wearing helmets exist amongst motorcyclists too.

Same here. We gave away about 80 helmets earlier this year at a bike rodeo, and I was surprised that only a few made a fuss about wearing them. One of those was a girl who let us know that it had to be pink for her to wear it, and the blue ones we had were the wrong color. We even gave one to the kid of a guy wearing a shirt advertising Harley's, and the guy said something like "maybe I should wear one of these while I ride my Harley" and sounded like he actually thought it was a good idea that he should have thought of earlier.

What can I say, I ride the neighborhood sans a helmet. When I hit the outer roads I wear one.

nope dont normally see them around here. The only people who wear them are the more serious riders, with the more expensive bikes etc. Average joe i rarely see with a helmet. Im an avg joe and wear my 90% of the time. Unless im going to the bank, which is only a quarter mile up the road from me..i will just roll up in whatever im wearing then. It's a safe straight shot to it

Virtually all serious and semi-serious cyclists here (Reno) wear them. You see the occasional wannabe racer who's too cool, and many once-a-month riders wobbling along on Huffys and stuff without them, but nearly every "real" rider on a "real" bike will have a helmet on.
What bothers me are the number of kids you see riding with parents, and the parents will be helmetless while the kids have on token plastic, but tilted way back so it won't do any good when they faceplant. I don't know how you can NOT think of that when you look at the kids.

What a load of bull. First off I would be interested in seeing that study, I would be more than surprised if you could point me to it. A motorcycle helmet is just a 200 dollar hunk of fiberglass and cushion. That hunk of styrofoam will and does on a continual basis make the diff between a bad case of rash and a split skull.

I appreciate your polite and civil response.

If you go to the big helmet thread on A&S you can find links to all the studies; that thread probably shouldn't be duplicated here.

FWIW, there is a helmet law in this country, but I've never seen or heard of it being enforced after over 150,000km of riding in five states.

I take it that those "five states" don't include Victoria, then. Riding around here without helmet on head will put a dent in your wallet pretty quick smart!



But, apart from that, helmet wearing simply makes sense. The naysayers miss the point of the helmet wearing, and the naysayers who cite 'studies' which supposedly prove that helmets offer no protection or provide enhanced risk misunderstand the studies they've read (or are referring to shoddy articles which misrepresent them!)

My rule is no helmet - no ride, with absolutely no exceptions. Even if I'm just riding round the block to check something, my helmet is securely strapped on. In fact my helmet goes on before I unlock my bike and only comes off when the bike is locked back up or away again, so I'm never actually on a bike without wearing head protection. That's a very strict routine I'm in after falling a few years ago and cracking my helmet. I fully realise a helmet won't save me in 100% of crashes, but I really can't see the logic in not wearing one. I'm convinced I've been very well protected by my helmet a few times in the past and I genuinely believe circumstances do exist where wearing one can save your life, which is why I think every single person who rides on two wheels NEEDS to wear one. It's just a shame not everyone does!

My rule is no helmet - no ride, with absolutely no exceptions. Even if I'm just riding round the block to check something, my helmet is securely strapped on. In fact my helmet goes on before I unlock my bike and only comes off when the bike is locked back up or away again, so I'm never actually on a bike without wearing head protection. That's a very strict routine I'm in after falling a few years ago and cracking my helmet. I fully realise a helmet won't save me in 100% of crashes, but I really can't see the logic in not wearing one. I'm convinced I've been very well protected by my helmet a few times in the past and I genuinely believe circumstances do exist where wearing one can save your life, which is why I think every single person who rides on two wheels NEEDS to wear one. It's just a shame not everyone does!

Actually it's a shame that so many people consider cycling to be so dangerous. I don't wear a helmet unless an event dictates or I feel the risk of head injury is greater than normal in relation to the hundreds of other activities I do daily without a helmet (racing being a good example, thought that it now mandated anyway).

This is where people like me disagree with people like you. I don't consider cycling dangerous, the danger comes from people voluntarily making it more dangerous via their own actions...whether it be racing or just riding like an idiot and not following the rules of the road. You consider the act of riding a bicycle dangerous...and that is sad, but perhaps you make those choices that make it dangerous, so I am happy that you realize your limitations and wear a helmet to reduce your risk of injury WHEN you crash.

Virtually all serious and semi-serious cyclists here (Reno) wear them. You see the occasional wannabe racer who's too cool, and many once-a-month riders wobbling along on Huffys and stuff without them, but nearly every "real" rider on a "real" bike will have a helmet on.
What bothers me are the number of kids you see riding with parents, and the parents will be helmetless while the kids have on token plastic, but tilted way back so it won't do any good when they faceplant. I don't know how you can NOT think of that when you look at the kids.

OMG, I'm exposed, I've been a 'fake' rider on 'fake' bikes for over 40 years! :roflmao2: :rolleyes:

Actually it's a shame that so many people consider cycling to be so dangerous. I don't wear a helmet unless an event dictates or I feel the risk of head injury is greater than normal in relation to the hundreds of other activities I do daily without a helmet (racing being a good example, thought that it now mandated anyway).

This is where people like me disagree with people like you. I don't consider cycling dangerous, the danger comes from people voluntarily making it more dangerous via their own actions...whether it be racing or just riding like an idiot and not following the rules of the road. You consider the act of riding a bicycle dangerous...and that is sad, but perhaps you make those choices that make it dangerous, so I am happy that you realize your limitations and wear a helmet to reduce your risk of injury WHEN you crash.

The implication of your post is that I don't know how to ride simply because I choose to protect my head. I DO know how to ride but a lot of my riding is off road, hence I made no reference to riding ON the road. You show me someone who likes doing crazy off road stuff and never, ever falls off and I'll personally give you £1000. Everyone falls off at some point, and in the past when I have fallen off I believe my helmet has protected me. When I am on the road, however, I ride responsibly and carefully. I've done enough travelling and riding to know how roads work, so I respect them. That still doesn't change the fact my helmet stays on regardless of how or where I ride. That's just my opinion. I don't really care if you disagree. :)

The implication of your post is that I don't know how to ride simply because I choose to protect my head. I DO know how to ride but a lot of my riding is off road, hence I made no reference to riding ON the road. You show me someone who likes doing crazy off road stuff and never, ever falls off and I'll personally give you £1000. Everyone falls off at some point, and in the past when I have fallen off I believe my helmet has protected me. When I am on the road, however, I ride responsibly and carefully. I've done enough travelling and riding to know how roads work, so I respect them. That still doesn't change the fact my helmet stays on regardless of how or where I ride. That's just my opinion. I don't really care if you disagree. :)

No, the implication of my post is that riding a bicycle isn't any more dangerous than other activities we do without helmets, unless the person riding the bicycle makes choices that make it more dangerous. If you make those choices, like doing crazy off road stuff, by all means wear a helmet, you probably need it. But that does not make cycling dangerous, it makes you dangerous.

No, the implication of my post is that riding a bicycle isn't any more dangerous than other activities we do without helmets, unless the person riding the bicycle makes choices that make it more dangerous. If you make those choices, like doing crazy off road stuff, by all means wear a helmet, you probably need it. But that does not make cycling dangerous, it makes you dangerous.

I can see your point to an extent but you seem to be assuming people who wear helmets riding on roads and places like that are less skilled than those who don't wear helmets, which simply isn't true. I've seen plenty of non-helmeted arseholes riding like idiots endangering themselves and other road users, then conversely, plenty of people wearing helmets who observe the rules of the road and respect other people using it. If I'm doing things I consider to be more dangerous off road I wear body armour as well as a helmet (full face helmet if I need to), but it doesn't mean that just because I wear a helmet on roads as well I'm automatically a reckless rider. This logic I cannot agree with!

Maybe we just have to agree to disagree on this!

I've never heard a persuasive argument against wearing a helmet. And the other side has never heard a convincing one to wear one. I suppose it's good to air one's differences once in awhile, but this particular issue always goes the same way.

No, the implication of my post is that riding a bicycle isn't any more dangerous than other activities we do without helmets, unless the person riding the bicycle makes choices that make it more dangerous. If you make those choices, like doing crazy off road stuff, by all means wear a helmet, you probably need it. But that does not make cycling dangerous, it makes you dangerous.

I would have to disagree here...I was struck by a car riding along a road on the shoulder (meaning to the right of the white line) from behind by a car going 40-45 mph. I had a bright yellow jersey on and it was 1630 hours on a sunny day. I had ridden this road five days a week for the last 6 months. It is well traveled but by no means congested to a point that would make it seem dangerous. I feel I,m a capable rider and did nothing to get myself hit other than being there. My head broke the windshield and also hit the pavement. I had a concussion and my right ear was partially torn off, but no serious head trauma was sustained. I guess my bad choice was to ride a bike on a roadway that cars also use. I don't care if anyone else wears a helmet or not, it's a personal choice. But I do not subscribe to the idea that one can be so safe of a rider that a crash could never happen to them. You can account for yourself, but not for the actions of others.
Jeff

No, the implication of my post is that riding a bicycle isn't any more dangerous than other activities we do without helmets...

I'm curious as to what these other activities are....and why taking one risk doing these "other activities" justifies taking another risk by riding a bicycle without a helmet.

I've heard anti-helmet folks carry this argument to the extreme and say that we should wear helmets to do everything, or wear full body protection while walking to prevent any sort of injury whatsoever. And to that I say, if you want to carry personal protection to those extremes, go ahead. But that doesn't justify wearing no protective equipment (cycling helmet) at all just because it won't protect against anything and everything.


I don't consider cycling dangerous, the danger comes from people voluntarily making it more dangerous via their own actions

You wear a seatbelt while driving a car don't you? Driving, in and of itself is certainly not dangerous when done correctly. But, as you point out, it becomes dangerous when other people voluntarily make it more dangerous via their own actions. Unless you cycle in a vacuum, you are likely to be exposed to these very same people whose actions you must guard against by wearing personal protective equipment.

And even if you do ride in a vacuum, no one is so perfect that they are above the slight possibility of hitting a crack or pothole in the road and taking a header...which, in my opinion, is the accident where a cycling helmet can be the most useful (head first over the bars).

BTW...I'm pro helmet, but certainly not pro helmet laws. To each his own.

I can see your point to an extent but you seem to be assuming people who wear helmets riding on roads and places like that are less skilled than those who don't wear helmets, which simply isn't true. I've seen plenty of non-helmeted arseholes riding like idiots endangering themselves and other road users, then conversely, plenty of people wearing helmets who observe the rules of the road and respect other people using it. If I'm doing things I consider to be more dangerous off road I wear body armour as well as a helmet (full face helmet if I need to), but it doesn't mean that just because I wear a helmet on roads as well I'm automatically a reckless rider. This logic I cannot agree with!

Maybe we just have to agree to disagree on this!

Take off the helmet so this can sink in...I am not dissing people that wear helmets, I am simply saying that cycling is not dangerous, people are. The act riding a bicycle does not put you at any greater risk of head injury than most other daily pursuits people do...it is the actions and choices of the rider that increase the risk. If you want to race, you are making a voluntary decision to increase your risk and thus should wear a helmet. It's that simple.

Our disagreement is that you consider the simple act of riding (not racing, not running lights, etc) to be dangerous, while I do not. It saddens me to see so many people with this fear of such a simple and enjoyable pursuit. How on earth did we Americans survive all those years without helmets...indeed how do all the rest of the world's cyclists, who vastly outnumber Americans, manage to survive to this day without helmets?

I'm sorry you feel cycling is so dangerous and I am glad you wear a helmet to mitigate your risk. You gotta do what you gotta do for your own self...and should respect my right to do the same. ;)

I would have to disagree here...I was struck by a car riding along a road on the shoulder (meaning to the right of the white line) from behind by a car going 40-45 mph. I had a bright yellow jersey on and it was 1630 hours on a sunny day. I had ridden this road five days a week for the last 6 months. It is well traveled but by no means congested to a point that would make it seem dangerous. I feel I,m a capable rider and did nothing to get myself hit other than being there. My head broke the windshield and also hit the pavement. I had a concussion and my right ear was partially torn off, but no serious head trauma was sustained. I guess my bad choice was to ride a bike on a roadway that cars also use. I don't care if anyone else wears a helmet or not, it's a personal choice. But I do not subscribe to the idea that one can be so safe of a rider that a crash could never happen to them. You can account for yourself, but not for the actions of others.
Jeff

Of course. The act of riding was not dangerous, but your choice of where and when to ride increased your risk. Rather than not ride at all because of your environment you choose to mitigate your risk by wearing a helmet. That is the point. I don't feel the same risk so I don't wear one...you do what you want, I do what I want, everybody is happy. But, as evidenced by this and every other helmet thread, many folks cannot stand the fact that so many of us manage to ride happily for years without wearing a helmet and try to make us out to be stupid, crazy or Darwin candidates. Well, crazy is in the eye of the beholder, so while I might think you're crazy for thinking cycling is dangerous enough to require one EVERYWHERE, NO EXCEPTIONS, as in the post I originally responded to, I don't run around starting threads saying such or trying to degrade those that make choices different than mine.

If I had more patience, I wouldn't say a word in these stupid threads, but sooner or later the fear, the herd mentality, the lack of respect for others and the downright bad manners displayed in these threads make me pipe in anyway...and my diplomacy is usually lacking, which makes me no better than the morons who start these things or chime in with stupid comments, which irks me even more that I stoop to their level.

I feel dirty now. :eek:

I'm curious as to what these other activities are....and why taking one risk doing these "other activities" justifies taking another risk by riding a bicycle without a helmet.

I've heard anti-helmet folks carry this argument to the extreme and say that we should wear helmets to do everything, or wear full body protection while walking to prevent any sort of injury whatsoever. And to that I say, if you want to carry personal protection to those extremes, go ahead. But that doesn't justify wearing no protective equipment (cycling helmet) at all just because it won't protect against anything and everything.


You give yourself away when you utter 'anti helmet folks'. Nobody (at least not me) is trying to tell people not to wear helmets, only a moron would do that...just like the morons that say only morons don't wear helmets.

I stated a simple fact...riding is not dangerous, but the actions of the rider increase the risk. Obviously you don't know what these 'other activities' the actions of the cyclist might be, despite the numerous examples. Racing increases your risk, disobeying the rules of the road increases your risk, doing stupid things because your are impatient, in a hurry, showing off, etc, increase your risk, etc. etc.



You wear a seatbelt while driving a car don't you? Driving, in and of itself is certainly not dangerous when done correctly. But, as you point out, it becomes dangerous when other people voluntarily make it more dangerous via their own actions. Unless you cycle in a vacuum, you are likely to be exposed to these very same people whose actions you must guard against by wearing personal protective equipment.

And even if you do ride in a vacuum, no one is so perfect that they are above the slight possibility of hitting a crack or pothole in the road and taking a header...which, in my opinion, is the accident where a cycling helmet can be the most useful (head first over the bars).

BTW...I'm pro helmet, but certainly not pro helmet laws. To each his own.

No, I don't wear a seatbelt, never have. No excuse. oh well.

Of course there is a risk everytime you ride a bike, walk down the street, clean your rain gutters, drive your car, etc. etc. etc., but again, you see riding a bike as carrying some great risk of head injury, I don't. Do you see a risk of head injury getting up on a ladder and cleaning your rain gutters? Do you wear a helmet? I know you have a hard time with analogies, but try that one for size...I consider cycling about as dangerous as cleaning out my rain gutters. 40+ years, riding, 35 or so commuting, in traffic, has not made me feel otherwise.

So by all means you wear your helmet and I won't wear mine. It don't make you any smarter than me or I any smarter than you, it's just a choice we made based on our own personal risk assessment.

...only a moron would do that...just like the morons that say only morons don't wear helmets.....

I know you have a hard time with analogies, but try that one for size...



Chipcom, you might consider taking that giant chip off your shoulder. I believe in live and let live. I'm not trying to argue with you...I was only asking questions to better understand your point of view. This is not A&S. Every helmet thread does not have to be a war.

Take off the helmet so this can sink in...I am not dissing people that wear helmets, I am simply saying that cycling is not dangerous, people are. The act riding a bicycle does not put you at any greater risk of head injury than most other daily pursuits people do...it is the actions and choices of the rider that increase the risk. If you want to race, you are making a voluntary decision to increase your risk and thus should wear a helmet. It's that simple.

Our disagreement is that you consider the simple act of riding (not racing, not running lights, etc) to be dangerous, while I do not. It saddens me to see so many people with this fear of such a simple and enjoyable pursuit. How on earth did we Americans survive all those years without helmets...indeed how do all the rest of the world's cyclists, who vastly outnumber Americans, manage to survive to this day without helmets?

I'm sorry you feel cycling is so dangerous and I am glad you wear a helmet to mitigate your risk. You gotta do what you gotta do for your own self...and should respect my right to do the same. ;)



ride around my town for a week, and you will change your tone.

anyway to each their own, if someone doesnt want to wear a helmet so be it.

I would rather not be a Veggie all my life

So by all means you wear your helmet and I won't wear mine. It don't make you any smarter than me or I any smarter than you, it's just a choice we made based on our own personal risk assessment.

Had you just said that in the first place instead of the patronising "take the helmet off so this can sink in" crap, this would all have been easier. You mentioned "bad manners displayed in threads like this". Frankly, the only bad manners so far have come from the way you've expressed your views. I've already said, personally I couldn't give a toss whether you agree with me or not but one thing I don't need is to be patronised. Now I've said my final bit, I'll say this again... Let's agree to disagree.