Touring - anyone tour without a helmet?

yes, no?

yes.

yes

yes

No.

are there legal implications in any US states?

yes

Never. In the U.S. bicyclists over 18 don't have to wear a helmet unless traversing a government reservation where they may be required.

are there legal implications in any US states?

A list of mandatory helmet laws can be found here (http://www.bhsi.org/mandator.htm). If you are an adult there are only isolated towns or cities that have mandatory helmet laws. I suspect that as an out-of-towner passing through, the worst you would get is a warning.

If you are under 18 then you should look over the list and see how it affects you.

Speedo

No. I never ride without a helmet.

i never ride without a helmet either

I like my head... It's not a matter of if you will crash but when.

It's up to you to decide. It's also up to some towns like mentioned above if it's a required item or not.

I rode up a looooong hill in the noonday sun this Sept. PArt way up I took off my helmet. It felt much better, but other than that I never do.

Tom

If I didn't wear a helmet, what would I clip my rear view mirror on?

Ray

Never!

If I didn't wear my helmet, where would I put my beer cans?

Never. In the U.S. bicyclists over 18 don't have to wear a helmet unless traversing a government reservation where they may be required.

or in most of Washington State ;)

Almost never, because how else would I obtain those neat patterns of sunburned scalp which allows me to pose as one of those alien humanoids in Star Trek?

I'm on my fourth helmet. None of the first three went quietly.

I like my head... It's not a matter of if you will crash but when.

I disagree with this sort of fatalism. You really believe that every cyclist is going to crash and land on their head? I don't think Heinz Stucke wears a helmet and he is still going strong after 300,000 miles. (Note that his worst accidents during his travels were the rare occasions when he was a passenger in someone's motor vehicle).

Helmet worship get's awfully silly at times. So you "like your head"? Does that mean that you hate your internal organs or your bones because you choose to ride without full body armor?

Personally, I don't think cycling is all that dangerous with or without helmets. The most dangerous thing is getting hit by a car, and often a helmet won't protect you when that happens.

I disagree with this sort of fatalism. You really believe that every cyclist is going to crash and land on their head? I don't think Heinz Stucke wears a helmet and he is still going strong after 300,000 miles. (Note that his worst accidents during his travels were the rare occasions when he was a passenger in someone's motor vehicle).

Helmet worship get's awfully silly at times. So you "like your head"? Does that mean that you hate your internal organs or your bones because you choose to ride without full body armor?

Personally, I don't think cycling is all that dangerous with or without helmets. The most dangerous thing is getting hit by a car, and often a helmet won't protect you when that happens.

Did you read my post? Really read it? If you don't want to wear one... It's your head not mine and I could really care less what you choose to do.

I choose to wear one. I may or may not land on my head WHEN I crash next. It's worth it to me to wear it.

I'm glad you feel it's not all that dangerous. Continue doing what your doing.

Still trying to figure out how you got helmet worship out of my short post.... but whatever.

anyone tour without a helmet?

yes, no?

:popcorn

I predict 4 pages in the end for this thread.

Never rode with a helmet, but a minor bike malfunction a few weeks ago changed my thoughts on that.... Now I always wear it.

The only time I have ever landed on my head from a bicycle accident, yes there was a car involved and not my fault, I landed on my teeth. I guess I should start wearing a full face helmet?

The only time I have ever landed on my head from a bicycle accident, yes there was a car involved and not my fault, I landed on my teeth. I guess I should start wearing a full face helmet?

Ouch, what a horrible image in my that makes my teeth hurt :(

come on people, don't get so hostile:troll:, we should all love eachother.:hug:

:bike2:

No, I don't wear a helmet.

I believe that most people should wear a helmet though. Most people should strap a helmet on the minute they get out of bed in the morning and wear it every minute of the day.

I completely understand your reasoning

I have killed several helmets and usually wear one. I broke a few while mountain biking and one in a bike/car accident. So I do value my helmet. That said... I don't wear it absolutely every mile I ride. I'd say about 99.7% of the time when on tour so far.

On the TA, I took it off for an 8 mile climb in ~100 F heat on a day I was not feeling well. I don't think I would have made it with the helmet on. It was so much cooler with a cotton cycling cap on!

I went without for my long day on the SFT tour. I started out without it on an empty access road (1 car every 20 miles or so). It was so nice riding without it that I left it off all day. The experience was so pleasant that I may repeat it once in a while on future tours when the weather and the road conditions make me long to ride some helmet-less miles. It will be reserved as a once in a while treat though.

When it comes to others not wearing helmets... I don't think it is all that unreasonable of a choice and support their right to choose.

I doubt that I will ride without a helmet very often, but it sure is nice to go without once in a while.

most of the touring I did as a teenager and into 20's was without a helmet. Bike caps were pretty much it. Thereafter from racing I wore a helmet 90% of the time with a few crashes in races and during training. Wore a helmet when I became a parent. Then stopped after my kids became teenagers. Then I landed on my head and now wear a helmet 99.9% of the time. On a warm sunny climb riding at about 6mph I took the helmet off but after awhile the heat of the sun bothered me more than the helmet. I miss wearing bike caps, what a rough life.

There was a major study done a while back, now how clean a study I don't know, but it concluded that a huge percentage of bicycle related deaths resulted from head injury vs. other bodily injury and that a helmet MAY have reduced the number by a very significant amount. Now that being said, I don't feel ADULTS should be mandated to wear helmets just like I don't feel they should be forced to wear seatbelts. Your head, your choice

No. I never ride without a helmet.

Ditto!

Ouch, what a horrible image in my that makes my teeth hurt :(

Yeah it makes my teeth hurt to think about i too! Thats why I dont see why people need to wear a helmet all of the time. Even if I had been wearing one, which I was not, it would not saved any of my teeth of which I lost three. Besides the loss of teeth I also now have a metal plate with seven screwss holding my collar bone together. I have endured several plastic surgeries to put my face back together as well. Anyone want pics? Lol J/k

Helmets, at least to me, seem like they would have done absolutely nothing to help me in my accident, that even involved my head! I think that instead of fighting each other about the merits and disadvantage of helmets and helmet laws we should unite in our fight against the things that really kill cyclists. A lack of cycling infrastructure, reckless drivers, and too many damn cars on the road.

I like my head... It's not a matter of if you will crash but when..

I agree with this. Most cyclists I know have crashed at some point. A helmet can protect even in the most inocent idle fall over.

Personally, I don't think cycling is all that dangerous with or without helmets. The most dangerous thing is getting hit by a car, and often a helmet won't protect you when that happens.

I don't agree with this. I had a car pull out in front of me. I hit the front quarter panel, flew over the hood and landed on the other side. Glad I had a helmet. I had a friend that got struck from behind and projected him into a ditch. Glad he had a helmet. We all know there are many situations that will result in death regardless. A helmet will definately increase your chances of staying protected in more minor accidents. I think it's a pretty big risk to take to not wear one.

Having fallen and had a helmet save me from a serious and painful head injury I can see the upside of wearing a helmet - What, other than stubbornness is the downside?

I never ride without a helmet....except for the other day- it was cold as hell and my choice was wear a helmet and freeze or wear a heavy wool hat and be comfortable. I didn't freeze.

Having fallen and had a helmet save me from a serious and painful head injury I can see the upside of wearing a helmet - What, other than stubbornness is the downside?Exactly, that's why I always ride with elbow and knee pads. I usually where shoulder pads also. I would never think about walking down a flight of stairs without a helmet.

great response sweetlou.

also, cyclehelmets.org, anyone?

It's the law over here to always were a helmet, but when I have been in other countries (USA, Europe, UK) that do not require it - I still wear my helmet.

Conditioning? maybe, but I have had two accidents (one on the mountain bike, one on the road - clipped a wheel) that destroyed two helmets. I would rather that be the helmet than my head. There are enough risks on the road for me, without me adding to it.

No helmet for me. Fell twice in 33 years,still here.Worst thing that happened was an ear the size of a softball from hitting the edge of the curb.The other I just had street pizzas all over.Helmet would not have prevented either one.

My biking background starts with about 15 years of bmx and ramp riding..never wore a helmet, hit my head plenty of times but never too hard/ I have a hard skull. Also did some gymnastics. Being aware of what's around and especially knowing how to fall is extremely important in keeping safe - 10 times as useful as a helmet I would say....then again there are those situations. I know someone who was touring and a truck mirror smacked him in the head, which is terrible. I really liked the comment about recognizing and advocating for solid cycling infrastructure, that's pretty progressive and we could all use that more than anything I think. I remembered touring around the puget sound once and getting stuck in car traffic and people yelling out their windows at me and my travel partner like the road was meant only for cars and we should get out of the way... to where, the top of the curb? I'm most weary about impatient drivers at interchanges and highway on-ramps.

With today's lightweight, well-ventilated helmets I can't see that you gain any advantage by leaving the helmet at home. I always wear mine...

And I can't see any gain in wearing one, so I leave it at home for when I walk down stairs.

Having fallen and had a helmet save me from a serious and painful head injury I can see the upside of wearing a helmet - What, other than stubbornness is the downside?

I think it would be for some that they don't ride at all or much less with the discomfort of a helmet.

I did not wear a helmet until I was in my mid-30s, and although I had a few accidents in those years, I never hit my head on anything. I was lucky. I broke a bone in my hand, and went over the handlebars at high speed with my skin acting as a brake on concrete. Ouch, but no head injuries.

I've been wearing a helmet while cycling for the last 20 years, have had a few more accidents, and still have not hit my head. So my luck is holding out.

But I would not tempt the fates by going back to riding helmetless. In my line of work, I meet people who have traumatic brain injuries. Not a nice thing to happen. Obviously a helmet does not "inoculate" against all eventualities, but that extra layer of foam and plastic between you and a hard object can protect you (and your brain).

To me, wearing a helmet is a no-brainer, pardon the pun!

In my line of work, I meet people who have traumatic brain injuries. Not a nice thing to happen. !

my introduction to that was my partner in the bike shop suffering a bike head fall at low speed that cracked his skull. I took him to the ER and the next morning I called and they said they flew him out to the ICU in the next town as he went into a coma for two weeks. He lost his sense of smell and took at least 1/2 yr to get his bearings as his injury had taken him through some difficult personality changes.

If only there was some forum where we could debate the merits of helmets all day long...

On another topic, who doesn't use vehicular cycling while they are on tour?

Who doesn't like separated bike paths? Does anyone prefer bike lanes?

I disagree with this sort of fatalism. You really believe that every cyclist is going to crash and land on their head? I don't think Heinz Stucke wears a helmet and he is still going strong after 300,000 miles. (Note that his worst accidents during his travels were the rare occasions when he was a passenger in someone's motor vehicle).

Helmet worship get's awfully silly at times. So you "like your head"? Does that mean that you hate your internal organs or your bones because you choose to ride without full body armor?

Personally, I don't think cycling is all that dangerous with or without helmets. The most dangerous thing is getting hit by a car, and often a helmet won't protect you when that happens.

I am just editing an interview I did with Heinz Stucke last week. He doesn't wear a helmet, because he says it gives him headaches. He is strongly in favour of a mirror though. He says that is the reason he's still alive - his rear view mirror. He also wears a bright yellow vest in heavy traffic.

when i was 18 (1970's), i did a 2 month tour wearing a stylish full-brim hat; something like a fedora. never crashed on the whole trip, but did have 1 incident where it might have been wiser to have had a helmet on. somewhere in south carolina, some youths drove past me and threw a couple of beer bottes at me. 1 hit me on the shoulder.

since i've had a number of misadventures which have left me sprawled on the ground, i always wear a helmet while riding. however, i don't bother with one while climbing stairs. it's a personal call.

as far as the actual risks and safety factors, if you google around you'll find a lot of contrary "evidence" and opinions. even counter-intuitive examples, such as in the chance event that the front of your helmet should get snagged on something while you're flying through mid-air, it could cause your head to be whipped back and even break your neck. highly unlikely, but not impossible. what i've ever come across can typically be divided between 1) pro-helmet by cycling advocates, cycling related industries, governmental agencies, etc., which are fundamentally based on hospital case studies/statistics, police reports, etc., and 2) freedom of choice believers, based on the assumption that adults should be allowed to assess and take whatever risks they like.

while i believe that personal freedoms should be guarded at all costs, as a society we recognize that there are limits;e.g. yelling "fire" in a theater. where it impacts the helmet/no helmet question is that non-wearers believe they are taking their own risks. needing or not needing a helmet as/after you crash is not the only scenario. a lot of people have had chipped windshields, exactly at the level of a cyclist's head. this is the reason states have helmet laws for motocyclists; getting hit in the head by debris can cause them to lose control and put other motorists at risk. state legislature have decided that the evidence is enough to warrant laws.

as bicyclists, we're not likely to be traveling at such speeds on interstates, etc.. from what i've come across, i don't believe there's any unarguable reason to make people wear helmets.

i wear because i've had experiences that make me feel that i'll be in a better position to enjoy life and provide for my family if i'm wearing a helmet in some not-unlikely scenarios. others feel differently.

but i do have a question of my own.

none of the posts by helmet wearers have called for mandatory laws, called non-wearers idiots, or have been anything but polite, while a number of non-wearers have made snide comments, and this is the general case every time this topic comes up.

if non-wearers perceive cycling to be so safe, why are so many non-wearers so defensive and verbally abusive about it?