Recumbent - Are helmets really needed for recumbents?

After reading the thread regarding wearing helmets in the commuting forum, I started to wonder just how needed helmets are with recumbent bikes? With our lower center of gravity and riding position along with the eliminated risk of flipping over the handle bars, I really don't know what I'm protecting myself against by wearing a helmet.

Before I start a huge debate and flame war like in the commuting forum, let me first say that I don't recall EVER riding my recumbent without a helmet. Even when going to test ride it from the shop, I brought my own helmet and have never forgotten to wear it ever since. That said, even if the consensus shows that helmets are really not that useful for recumbent bikes, I think I'll still continue to wear mine to protect what little brain cells I have from any freak accidents.

If you're riding the bike pictured as your avatar, you're noggin isn't that much closer to the ground than it would be on a diamond-frame bike, so I'd say that if you consider them needed on DF bikes, you need one too.

The question isn't so much whether you're at a lower risk for a specific type of accident, it's the number of Gs your brain will pull when it hits the ground. Your lower center of gravity will not protect you if you're hit by a car, and IMO endos are mostly an issue for mountain-bikers. It's possible to endo on the road (on a DF bike) but I've never met anyone who has actually done it.

Can you fall over and hit your head on the pavement or another hard object? Can you run into something and hit your head on it? Can something run into you and hit your head? If you can answer 'yes' to any of those or similar questions, then you should wear a helmet. (The answers are all 'yes' unless you live on some other world.)
Note: This doesn't mean that a helmet will always prevent injury or the D word.

If you're riding the bike pictured as your avatar, you're noggin isn't that much closer to the ground than it would be on a diamond-frame bike, so I'd say that if you consider them needed on DF bikes, you need one too.

The question isn't so much whether you're at a lower risk for a specific type of accident, it's the number of Gs your brain will pull when it hits the ground. Your lower center of gravity will not protect you if you're hit by a car, and IMO endos are mostly an issue for mountain-bikers. It's possible to endo on the road (on a DF bike) but I've never met anyone who has actually done it.
adamrice,

The reason I bought a Rans Stratus was because I had done a header over the bars on my Trek 1420. I had told myself that if there was another accident attributable to the diamond frame design, I was going recumbant. That was in about 2002, just after a really bad accident I had on my Schwinn LeTour. I have figured out what probably happened on that one, where I was headed from a bike lane into the turn lane on a four lane area with a bike path, signaling a left turn. That's what I remember, looking back for that turn. The next thing I remember is waking up in Legacy Emanuel Hospital some forty minutes later, with a shattered helmet and a CAT scan saying I did not have a brain injury. A doctor told me that, "If you hadn't been wearing that helmet, and had a bad day that day, you would have lived." I decided to look again at recumbants, and had one pretty well picked out. But I had not decided to buy; my wife was a factor, as she did not like recumbent bikes. Well, I was on my Trek, on a bike path transitioning from pavement to a boardwalk over a marshland. The path had a section which had parallel planks, and a gap between the planks. My tire stuck into that crack, and I did the endo over the bars, in slow motion. I was only going less than 10 mph, and thought I'd simply stop, but that did not happen. Ever I went, and was dumped on the boardwalk unceremoniously. I tucked my head just in time to prevent a neck injury. Right after that, I put my downpayment on the Rans Startus; that was over 10,000 miles ago on the Startus.

Concerning helmets with recumbants, I wear one with mine. I feel that the potential for striking one's head from a recumbant is much less, as we are feet-forward and the times I've had the Stratus slip from under me deposited me on my rear, not my head. But because nothing is guaranteed, and because I saw on this site (Recumbants on Bike Forum) an example where a guy wiped out and was very glad he had a helmet, I will continue to wear one with the Stratus. Right now, my Stratus is in the shop for a new steering tube, as it broke recently and I cannot ride it until I get that fixed.

John

If you don't need your head, you don't need a helmet.

I have never ridden with a helmet. I don't own one. I fell off my bike twice in 2009. I was wearing leather gloves both times. Both times I went down onto the pavement on my arms, legs, and hands. Both times I pedaled away without injury, although the first time it was with a bruised thigh. I keep wearing leather gloves because of this.

I bought battery-operated 20-LED flashing lights and a yellow vest with white reflective tape (glow-in-the-dark). I did not buy a helmet. I do wear a woolen cap in the winter.

Whenever I ride on a road, my feet and legs are in front of me and below me. I cannot imagine an accident in which wearing a helmet would help, except for getting hit by a car or truck. I take pains to make myself visible for half a mile in both directions, to keep from getting run over.

ive been down twice on an upright bike once at 30+ mph and did not hit my head on the pavement. the next time however, the bike followed me and struck me on the back of the head. i was wearing a helmet and the contact was still hard enough to give me a mild concussion. i was dizzy and nearly vomited.

i've also witnessed a recumbet go end over end. the rider hit a chunk of concrete coming around a turn at a pretty good clip. it was without a doubt the ugliest accident i've witnessed. he hit the road face first, the bike landed on his back, and the two of them rolled/slid quite a ways. when he got up his helmet was broken as it was designed to do. i was very thankful he had the helmet on, we were probably 60 mi from the nearest hospital.

I've gone down a couple of times on my 'bent and have found the helmet ... useful. Once it was crossing train tracks. The front wheel got caught in the tracks and I went over onto my side. Since I was clipped in, and because it happened so quickly, I felt my head bounce off the pavement.

The other time was an emergency stop where I let the bike slide out from underneath me. The helmet may or may not have helped here (things were happening pretty quickly), but I found some scratches on it so I'm pretty sure it came into play.

Aside from that, it's the law here. Cops can and will pull you over and ticket you for riding without.

The next thing I remember is waking up in Legacy Emanuel Hospital some forty minutes later, with a shattered helmet and a CAT scan saying I did not have a brain injury. A doctor told me that, "If you hadn't been wearing that helmet, and had a bad day that day, you would have lived."

Hi, John- I'll assume you meant you wouldn't have lived without your helmet. Nice to hear from a satisfied customer- my day job is working at Emanuel in the inpatient pharmacy. (Although I didn't start there until 2005.)

A helmet can't prevent all injury, but it can mean the difference between living and dying. One well-liked VBC rider was hit a few years back and has spent the time since then recovering. Here's his story: http://bikeportland.org/2008/06/26/two-lives-changed-forever-by-marine-drive-collision/

Jeff,

No, that is what the doctor said, and what he meant is that without the helmet it would be better that I died that day than live the type of life the probable injury would have allowed.

Jeff, I was very happy with the treatment at Legacy Emanuel, as I stayed there for two days (I think) for observation. I had some pretty good vertigo for a while, but that has gone away after about two months. By the way, my wife is a hospital pharmacist at OHSU, in their Oncology unit at times. I appreciate all the hospital workers as they do a tremendous job; Legacy Emanuel also has a helmet give-away program, from what I've heard, for the school kids in the area.

John

If you don't need your head, you don't need a helmet.

I suppose you wear one 24/7? Because there are many things people do each day that have a statistically greater probability of head injury than riding bicycles. Driving, walking, taking a shower, etc.

Bike riding is not dangerous. Don't dress like it is. It spooks people and prevents them from taking up cycling.

If you're the sort of person who wears a helmet whilst riding a DF, then you'll probably consider that you need to continue wearing one whilst riding a recumbent ... If, OTOH, you're the sort of person that doesn't think cycling on a DF is extremely dangerous then you probably won't consider a recumbent to be extremely dangerous either.

It's your head, you make your decision ... Just respect that my head belongs to me and I get to make the decisions about it!

Bike riding is not dangerous. Don't dress like it is. It spooks people and prevents them from taking up cycling.

IMHO this is one of the sillier notions floated by the anti-helmet crowd. I have never known anyone who was scared away from bicycling because others were wearing helmets.

Personally, I wouldn't want to see helmets made mandatory; but I regard them as a reasonable safety item. I see gloves in the same light. They're no bother to wear, and if they prevent the occasional minor injury, they're worth the expense.

Yes.

I didn't wear helmets riding a DF for most of my life. However, with my bent trike, I do wear one. My test ride years ago, I rode past a few cars and realized my head was about the level of most bumpers. It's already helped me once when I was conked upside the head by a kayak on a low trailer when the driver pulled back into the lane too soon.

I'll still continue to wear mine to protect what little brain cells I have from any freak accidents.

Yeah, THAT'S the ticket!!!!:thumb:

I didn't wear helmets riding a DF for most of my life. However, with my bent trike, I do wear one. My test ride years ago, I rode past a few cars and realized my head was about the level of most bumpers. It's already helped me once when I was conked upside the head by a kayak on a low trailer when the driver pulled back into the lane too soon.

Not to minimize the stress this near-serious accident must have caused you, we would really like to see a video of the incident.:)

Last summer I was involved in a low speed accident. A pickup comming out a driveway that crossed the bike trail I was on hit me. I was instantly knocked down sideways. My shoulder and head hit the concrete. My helmet had gravel grain marks on the side of it. My head wasnt hurt at all, but my shoulder still hurts. I never ride any bike without it. The accident was while on my RANS Stratus.

As someone else stated, if your head means nothing to you then dont wear a helemt.

IMHO this is one of the sillier notions floated by the anti-helmet crowd. I have never known anyone who was scared away from bicycling because others were wearing helmets.

Think of the children. Parents now think of cycling as a dangerous activity because people who do it wear helmets. They don't want their children to be at risk and therefore a whole generation of kids has grown up with much less cycling than previous generations and this folks go on to cycle less as adults than they would if they had grown up in a more care free time like the one I grew up in. This phenomenon is pretty well established.

Think of the children. Parents now think of cycling as a dangerous activity because people who do it wear helmets. They don't want their children to be at risk and therefore a whole generation of kids has grown up with much less cycling than previous generations and this folks go on to cycle less as adults than they would if they had grown up in a more care free time like the one I grew up in. This phenomenon is pretty well established.

A more care free time when folks tried not to think about risk and how to take steps to minimize risk.

Helmets are a good thing man. If they help in Football, Racing, Equestrian, and other sports, it's probably a good idea to wear one when you have a chance of going downhill at 50-60 mph seated.

If you want I can post a picture of my roommates dome cracked open because she did not wear a helmet, and she was not going all that fast. That's only if you're cool with seeing open head wound, decent amount of blood and and dirt on the wound.

Think of the children. Parents now think of cycling as a dangerous activity because people who do it wear helmets. They don't want their children to be at risk and therefore a whole generation of kids has grown up with much less cycling than previous generations and this folks go on to cycle less as adults than they would if they had grown up in a more care free time like the one I grew up in. This phenomenon is pretty well established.

No, parents are not scared of cycling because of wearing helmets; they are scared of cycling because of children getting killed by cars or falling off a bike and getting seriously injured. Wearing helmets is a response, not a cause.

John

Oh, great. Now this thread will become as hopeless as the "cramps my style," helmet threads.

Necessary, no. Smart, yes.

Both my friends who got hit over the Christmas holiday would say you need one. The first was hit in the head with a mirror from behind by a truck doing 45+. The second was hit so hard as to be knocked 25 feet. Both walked away and both had helmets destroyed but heads intact.

Do you need it from a normal accident caused by you, maybe not, but I'd think twice about leaving it.

No you don't need to wear a helmet and why not enjoy the feel of cool air rushing through your hair.................................except for that one time when you hit your head and the blood clot and .....OH yes death.

But hey at least you enjoyed your self!!!!!!!!!!

Once upon a time, a man would have said all that and meant it and the others would have nodded approvingly.
Now people say it sarcastically and then go worry their little selves to sleep.
What have we become?

Both my friends who got hit over the Christmas holiday would say you need one. The first was hit in the head with a mirror from behind by a truck doing 45+. The second was hit so hard as to be knocked 25 feet. Both walked away and both had helmets destroyed but heads intact.

Do you need it from a normal accident caused by you, maybe not, but I'd think twice about leaving it.
aikigreg,

I would be interested in whether either of your friends reported their accidents to either the police, or went to a hospital?

John

aikigreg,

I would be interested in whether either of your friends reported their accidents to either the police, or went to a hospital?

John

Greg will probably get back to you on this, but in the meantime you can read about one of the incidents here:

http://rbentonline.org/YaBB.pl?num=1261439224

i routinely wear helmet and gloves.
i`ve just brought my first pair of clipless pedals, now wondering what other protective gear i can buy, lol!

Yes to both, thankfully.

Let's see, May 1971. Crossing intersection and had contact with speeding/weaving vehicle...50 yards before first bounce off road. What caused concussion was contact with car's right side A-pillar, was totally limp when impacting road. Very fortunate as was not wearing helmet (weren't sold back then unless you count the TdF leather skullcaps). Now, won't ride without one...more cars on roads, driving faster with more distracted drivers (cell phones, texting, etc...). Have worn helmet when riding (DF or recumbent) since about 1976 and don't plan to push my luck.

I'm not convinced I need to wear a helmet. I ride a RANS Stratus on flat, dirt rail trails, typically at speeds of 10 to 12 mph. No cars, no asphalt, no turns, no hills, almost never go over 15 mph. Use platform pedals so my feet come free easily. Low bottom bracket so I can get my feet to the ground very fast.

However I always ride with a helmet, find them comfortable to wear, and see almost no down side to using one.

Ground speed has no bearing on needing a helmet. Helmets are designed to protect your skull from impact with the ground due to falling from 4-5 feet; or about head height when you're on an upright. Impact with the ground is based on acceleration due to gravity, which is purely a vertical force. Mind you, I'm not arguing that you 'need' a helmet; it's just that ground speed isn't a factor. In general I'd agree that being lower lessens the need for protection. But my head is 2 feet up even when I'm on my lowracers. That's still high enough to hurt if I flop hard!

I doubt if this thread will change the minds of those who simply don't want to wear a helmet. For many decades I rode without one and never worried about it. I had some serious bike accidents that could have resulted in brain damage except for good (dumb?) luck. Maybe the attitude of invincibility wears off as we get older. I now ALWAYS wear a helmet, even on a trike. Maybe it will make a difference, maybe not. It's not uncomfortable and I can afford to replace it as needed. The one time I turned turtle on a trike, I wasn't wearing it and it made me realize it might be worthwhile to use one while riding the trike. I know you can hit the ground really hard, even on a recumbent just 2 feet off the ground. I had a hematoma that covered my entire thigh and lower side from crashing my Linear LWB. It was an experience I would rather not repeat, hence the trike.

I've seen two tadpole trikes roll over in fast corners. I got to see one from the riders point of view.

Bicycling - safer than water skiing. (http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1026.html)

I guarantee that I run a higher risk of falling onto hard concrete from walking on Wisconsin's icy sidewalks and parking lots than I do from riding on my Stratus. My parking lot has a slight slope that is really treacherous with ice on it, which is pretty much everyday this time of year. Over the past 3 years I have slipped and fallen a couple of times on the ice. I've taken to using a hiking stick with the metal point exposed on the worst days, jamming that metal point into the ice.

Bicycling - safer than water skiing. (http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1026.html)

Interesting, but I'm curious if helmet wearing is a contributing factor to the low fatality rate of cycling in these these figures.

Not to minimize the stress this near-serious accident must have caused you, we would really like to see a video of the incident.:)

Well, my husband does have an SUV, but finding a kayak and trailer might be a bit trickier for us to rig a replay. Not to mention, I'm not entirely certain of my odds of finding another spot in a ditch free of stones and/or nettles in Sweden...

Granted, there are no nettles now, but no way I'm going to go for a ride and then roll in the snow with -10 F temps. That would be almost as bad as nettles! ;)

I suppose you wear one 24/7? Because there are many things people do each day that have a statistically greater probability of head injury than riding bicycles. Driving, walking, taking a shower, etc.

Bike riding is not dangerous. Don't dress like it is. It spooks people and prevents them from taking up cycling.

Sadly it seems the people who are easily spooked into believing that bike riding is dangerous will likely continue to think bike riding is dangerous anyway. When you don't wear a helmet these people just think you are on a suicide mission, when they likely have more of a chance of head injury doing other activities they don't perceive as dangerous.

Well, my husband does have an SUV, but finding a kayak and trailer might be a bit trickier for us to rig a replay. Not to mention, I'm not entirely certain of my odds of finding another spot in a ditch free of stones and/or nettles in Sweden...

Granted, there are no nettles now, but no way I'm going to go for a ride and then roll in the snow with -10 F temps. That would be almost as bad as nettles! ;)
No problem.....I'll settle for the image in my mind that came with reading about your accident.

Maybe a Reality TV producer could be talked into staging a reenactment of the event? That would be Must-See Television!

My father fell off a ladder last year. He has Parkinson's, and was falling a lot anyway. He'd been told to stay off his ladder, but obviously he didn't listen. Nobody saw him do it and he didn't tell anybody until his physical state deteriorated terribly and we found the fall had resulted in two brain clots, which required surgery. His speech centers were affected, permanently; now he's only able to mumble, and often can't find the words he wants.

This discussion has made me realize that one of my old retired-but-still-good helmets would be perfect for him, and next time I see him I'm going to give him a couple of them. I've got a snitload of them, after all! It's a little like closing the barn door after the horse has gotten out; but maybe I can help prevent him from doing more damage the next time he falls.

A 'bent puts you at about the right height of a big trucks bumper . . . or maybe you'll just not ever crash??!
There are those that have crashed and those that will crash. Hey you decide and take your chances.
Have worn a parachute on someflights, but never had to test it.
Have tested helmet several times on bikes . . . avoided squashed braincells/concussions. Cheap insurance!

BlazingPedals, sorry to hear about your dad.

I've wasted a lot of money on a bunch of helmets starting about 1976. Have yet to "use" one. (Sound of rapping on hollow wooden body part.)
Guess I'll keep on throwing my money away.

When I was a kid we road on our 12 speed schwins with street clothes and that was it. Fell a few times like when I used too big of a stick to try and snap in my spokes at too low of a speed. Never hurt though. In college I had a bike and no helmet though I hardly ever rode it. Stopped riding and years later for some reason I got a helmet with my new bike and just wore it.
Since then I've sliden out on sandy or gravel covered roads, slipped on ice, gotten hit by beer bottles (usually with beer left)/slushies/soda cans(open and closed)/basketballs/iceballs, headbutted the door of a passing car (pass me too close will yah!), hit hundreds of tree branches and more practically used it to mount my helmet light which I really love to have in addition to the one on the boom. I was glad to be wearing eye protection with all that incoming love I got although perhaps it was because of the helmet eh ;)

I don't wear a helmet because I sweat too much even in the winter.

... after a really bad accident I had on my Schwinn LeTour. I have figured out what probably happened on that one, where I was headed from a bike lane into the turn lane on a four lane area with a bike path, signaling a left turn. That's what I remember, looking back for that turn. The next thing I remember is waking up in Legacy Emanuel Hospital some forty minutes later...

Were you looking over your shoulder as, or before, you signaled? Is it possible that you may have drifted left as you signaled that turn? It's pretty normal to drift left if you look over your left shoulder. It takes a bit of skill to continue to ride straight while looking over your shoulder. I'll assume you didn't hear a vehicle approaching from behind you.

Is it possible the driver drifted into the bike lane (if you were in the bike lane) when you were hit? That happens too. Not much you can do about that if your visibility is good.

Do all of you also wear a helmet when walking? When walking around traffic?