Fifty Plus (50+) - Poll: How many 50+ Wear Helmets?

I did not wear a helmet in the 60's when first riding because they were not available. When I started racing in the 70's, I wore a leather hairnet helmet and then a hockey helmet. During a race I went over the bars and landed on my head receiving a concussion, the helmet was split in two, I had no other injury to my head. One time after that on a helmetless club ride I fell on my head and along with a concussion I received a nasty cut on my scalp. My conclussion is to wear a helmet all the time; it is much better to crash with a helmet than without one!

I would like to think that by the time folks reach 50+ intelligence has set in to help make major decisions
If one has a vision prob, one gets glasses and WEARS THEM
Doesn't take much intelligence to know that the brain we have is the only one we are ever going to have. Damage it severly or not even severly and it DOESN'T repair itself and prob never will return to full use
Who in blazes would subject family to the continued horrors of brain damage and sometimes assisted living?
Not only the young because I see lots off olders NOT wearing a helmet
I wear one, wouldn't think of NOT wearing one

When my son Sven crashed 3 years ago in the Tour de France, he wasn't wearing a helmet, however, slow motion replays of the accident showed that he hit the guard rail of the street face on. In other words, a helmet wouldn't have been of any benefit during that accident. In '99 when I hit the curb in a descent with a 60+ mph tempo during a hobby race and crashed landing on the back of my head wearing a helmet, I only suffered a broken shoulder. I believe the helmet saved my life. When my son Clint was killed September 2003 by an automobilist, he wasn't wearing a helmet, however, the injuries which killed him were internal, liver and kidneys destroyed. His head was also hit hard enough that he was unconscious until his death, thus sparing him quite a bit of agony. This is only to say that everything is possible. I wear a helmet 98 percent of the time.

When my son Sven crashed 3 years ago in the Tour de France, he wasn't wearing a helmet, however, slow motion replays of the accident showed that he hit the guard rail of the street face on. In other words, a helmet wouldn't have been of any benefit during that accident. In '99 when I hit the curb in a descent with a 60+ mph tempo during a hobby race and crashed landing on the back of my head wearing a helmet, I only suffered a broken shoulder. I believe the helmet saved my life. When my son Clint was killed September 2003 by an automobilist, he wasn't wearing a helmet, however, the injuries which killed him were internal, liver and kidneys destroyed. His head was also hit hard enough that he was unconscious until his death, thus sparing him quite a bit of agony. This is only to say that everything is possible. I wear a helmet 98 percent of the time.

My God Mr. Monty!!! Am I seeing correctly; you have lost two sons to bicycle accidents! Oh, My...;(

I am simply at a loss to express my feelings. My the next years be happier...

John

This one time, at band camp? We all wore helmets? We laughed so hard!!

No, I have only lost one son to biking. Sven's accident in the Tour de France was a serious one with talk about brain surgery, however, after a few days in the hospital, it was clear that that wouldn't be necessary. This year he'll be racing in the "Tour de Romandie", the "Tour de Suisse" and the "Giro d'Italia". He won't be in the "Tour de France", a race that he now abhors, because of the nervosity of the race.

I wear a helmet all the time. The bike paths around here get quite busy with animals and kids. Their internal homing devices will inevitably home in on you or cause a wreck in front of you. I wonder what protects the face. I commute to work when I can and I see quit a few cyclist that opt not to wear a helmet. They have their reasons not to protect their brains I hope. Our neighbor’s kid was hit by a truck going about 25 mph. She was knocked a good 50 feet. The helmet did its job to her head and to the grill of the truck.
I hope I never get a chance to say “I told you so.”

I always wear a helmet expect for the few times I forget. Once or twice I've caught myself wearing a wide brimed cowboy hat. I principally wear a helmet as an example to children.

I always wear a helmet expect for the few times I forget. Once or twice I've caught myself wearing a wide brimed cowboy hat. I principally wear a helmet as an example to children.

I don't understand. Children's brains are important but yours is not?

I cringe when I see two kids on bikes wearing helmets but the mom and/or dad are not. From a risk perspective, it is much more significant if the bread winner/money maker gets a critical injury than if the child gets a critical injury. If the bread winner loses the ability to make money, the WHOLE family is down the drain, so to speak. If the kid is injured, there is still money and support. They should ALL wear helmets!

When I was a kid, I had a paper route that rode every day on my bike. My bike was for transportation to almost everything. Helmets were never seen or used then. I guess I was lucky in all the accidents I had.
Since taking up the sport in recent years, I wouldn't think of riding without it.

Never did in my youth, but always have since taking up riding again about 9 yr ago. I'll continue to wear one because it has saved me twice in the two accidents I've had.

[QUOTE=DnvrFox]If the kid is injured, there is still money and support.QUOTE]


Still plenty of money? An severely injured child is like to bankrupt the family. Medical bills have become a major driver of personal bankruptcy -- accounting for half of these filings, according to a recent study*.
Most debtors had health insurance when the illness that fueled their financial problems struck.

*http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/02/21/gvsc0221.htm

[QUOTE=DnvrFox]If the kid is injured, there is still money and support.QUOTE]


Still plenty of money? An severely injured child is like to bankrupt the family. Medical bills have become a major driver of personal bankruptcy -- accounting for half of these filings, according to a recent study*.
Most debtors had health insurance when the illness that fueled their financial problems struck.

*http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/02/21/gvsc0221.htm

Where did the "plenty" come from?

I have had two kids who have suffered spinal cord injuries, resulting in paralysis, and one of them was born profoundly developmentally disabled. I know a little (perhaps even more than you) about the financial hardships, thank you. I also know that it was because I (and my wife) were able to work that we got through this whole thing.

If I had been the injured one, we would never have made it.

Where did the "plenty" come from?


I'm sorry, "plenty" was a reactionary over read.

I would like to add another point. Some of the recumbent riders I have seen here in Ohio have elbow pads as well a their helmets and they appear to be with the program.
The helmet thing reminds me of Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. You got the people that wear them and then you have .....

Bop Bop, you've got it in one, the first thing that hit's the old tarmac when you come off a bike is the head. I've seen kids being real cool and riding with the helmet on the handlebars, I guess they must be quicker than me in getting that helmet on their head before their head hit the road?

Some never learn unfortunately, I have ended up twice in hospital with a fractured skull, that was before helmets were the thing of course. Since they became the answer to self preservation I wouldn't ride without one ever. Unfortunately I have been knocked down twice in the last twelve years (by a car) and only received a broken helmet on one occassion and a broken nose the second time around.

I feel positively naked riding without a helmet and not only that, if you get caught by the boys in blue it cost's us here a fine of $85 for not having one while riding a bike.

Ride on?

I've worn one since I started back cycling 4 yrs ago. Probably would not be here if I didn't. Had a nasty crash one year ago when I went over the handlebars and landed on my head, shoulder and then back. Separated my shoulder and cracked a rib but the head came out without a scratch. Tore up my helmet pretty good but I'm sure glad I had it on.

Back in about '86, I was riding along a curvy country road, when I thought I heard a car behind me and looked back. As I looked, my front tire went off the pavement - about a 3 inch drop - and then back on. Back tire got hung trying to roll back up, and down I went. In slow motion, I got a foot out, planted it, and my forward momentum carried me in a somersault. I landed facing backwards, on my feet, and just as my bike came down I caught it by the top tube. It was definitely a 'Ta-Dah!' moment! Luckily, there wasn't really a car behind me.

After that incident, I thought about how easily it could have been for me to simply have landed on my head instead of carrying all the way over to my feet. So, ever since then, I've worn a helmet. I can't say it's ever saved me from injury, but ya never know when it might! And it's not like you can rewind an accident and 'try it over' with a helmet the second time.

BlazingPedals,
I'm recovering from a wipeout much like yours five weeks ago, when I broke two ribs, sprained my right wrist and left a lot of skin on the pavement. I was wearing a helmet, which was unscarred. The ambulance guys told me stories all the way to the emergency room about horrendous bike wrecks and lives saved by helmets. I'll never ride without one after that.
Like many others here, my riding predates helmets. I disdained them until my kids started riding and I felt like too much of a hypocrite insisting that they wear one while I wasn't. Now I wear it even on the paths.

I've worn a hardshell helmet since I started riding "seriously" in 1982, except for one misguided year, Before Giro, when I decided helmets weren't light enough, cool enough, or comfortable enough. I luckily survived that year, and several spills with helmets over the years without serious injury.

At one point I commuted daily at night, and wore a massive yellow MSR helmet. A distraught young woman on a moped, riding without lights and going the wrong way in the bike lane while looking for her lost wallet, clipped my rear wheel as I turned left. I went down rolling onto my back, and just as I thought I was done falling, the back of my head hit the pavement with a shocking thud. The big MSR did its job although my rear wheel couldn't continue. The woman hurried off again after making quickly making sure I wasn't near death.

I sure can't imagine riding without a helmet ever again. I want to enjoy all the riding years left to me in this life!

Cam

I am a retired firefighter/paramedic, also a lifelong bicyclist (offroad & road), and motorcyclist (also offroad & road, tho I don't really do much offroad these days). In each of these areas, I have had to rely upon the merits of helmet protection. I've thrown away the crash-damaged helmets, and have kept the head inside intact. I also wear gloves in all these endeavors, and they have likewise saved me much pain and lengthy recovery. Don't leave home w/o your protection!

I checked "Always" but that answer applies to my reintroduction to bike riding at age 50. Since buying my first bike last year, I always wear a helmet. But in my childhood, youth, and 20-somethings (when I got a concussion from a bike fall), either helmets didn't exist, or I didn't know about them.

I always wear one now - can't imagine going without. Well, yes I can, but it isn't pretty! I'm grateful I survived my teenage years riding in St. Louis without one.

Turns out that now I always have a skullcap on too! Keeps this bald head warm in winter & sunburn free in summer.

I see a lot of positive comments with regard to wearing the helmet.

I have worn one for abouot the last 5 years, when I started realizing that bicycling is not just cruising slowly around the neighborhood. Always wear it now. There weren't no stinkin helmets back in 1950 when I started riding. 20" baloon tired old Schwinn.

Sorry to inform you, but there were leather helmets in the 1950s (referred to as 'hairnets').
Have covered over a quarter million miles on single bikes and tandems and always wore a helmet. And, yes have crashed a few times, actually cracking a helmet once. It is a very cheap investment!

Excuse me but this is the silliest thread
it's a no brainer
save your life, wear a helmet