Advocacy & Safety - Do you wear a helmet when riding?

I have never worn a helmet. Yet I've heard of many bicycle accidents and I'm starting to worry. I'm currently planning to buy a helmet.

I don't wear one for normal riding, because it's my stance that, for a competent adult riding on good roads, simply falling off the bike and landing on your head is highly unlikely- certainly less so than when walking home drunk, for example. On the road, an accident is most likely to result from a collision with a motor vehicle. If you're being flattened by a bus, a bicycle helmet will be no help to you whatsoever. They are designed to protect against minor cuts and scrapes to the head only, not to protect against concussion or brain damage.

Off road or in ice and snow however, the risk levels change. Falling off is more likely, and a bicycle helmet would be of more use to you here.

pass the popcorn.

Get a sense of where people are at regarding helmets in this particular sub-forum here (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/678939-Helmets-cramp-my-Style-part-n-1).

/thread

...seriously

dude..

I don't know whether it's worth adding to this interminable discussion. I do wear one nearly all the time, but haven't fallen on my head in more than ten years.
However, I have fallen on my head three times: First time, learning how to ride, resulting in a minor concussion (and not wearing a helmet). Second time, slipped in a patch of sand, resulting in a minor headache (and I was wearing a helmet). And the third time, caught my wheel riding in the dark, limped back to my dorm room and collapsed, probably a concussion (not wearing a helmet).

After six major concussions, I'd have to say yes: always, and I don't give a damn about the "science" behind the opposition. It's your head, make a choice and live (or not....) with it.

Ok, popcorn time for those who have been here before....



:popcorn :popcorn :popcorn :popcorn :popcorn :popcorn :popcorn :popcorn :popcorn :popcorn :beer

Before this thread gets closed...

I typically wear a Giro vented-styrofoam Camera mount.

Haven't seen this one in awhile.... j/k

Yes, I wear a helmet when I ride. If I was just running down to the store or something, then no, but OTW always. Been in enough accidents on roads and trails NOT to think that landing on one's head is unlikely.

I don't wear a helmet.

I wear a bike helmet, every time I am on my bike.

Yes! And it saved my life recently! It received a large dent in the front portion. Could've been my head: I'd be on a ventilator for sure, if it hadn't been for the helmet. Besides, it makes you more recognizable and visible as a cyclist to motorists.

In my opinion, it should be up to each person to decide whether or not they should wear a helmet when riding.

Those who don't always wear helmets, don't always not wear helmets, unlike those who always don't wear helmets.

I always wear a helmet when I ride my bike. I am aware that a helmet is not a magic amulet that will protect me in all situations, but I also know that it will improve my chances of avoiding serious injury. In almost 40 years of serious cycling, including competitive racing, I have taken falls where the helmet made no difference, but have taken others where it did. I have fallen so unexpectedly in seemingly "safe" situations that I know that I can't control the world around me, so I do my best to improve the odds

Those who don't always wear helmets, don't always not wear helmets, unlike those who always don't wear helmets.

But, sometimes, there are those who always wear a helmet, unless they do not.

Those who don't always wear helmets, don't always not wear helmets, unlike those who always don't wear helmets.

But, sometimes, there are those who always wear a helmet, unless they do not.

Truth is hilarious.:roflmao2:

After six major concussions, I'd have to say yes: always, and I don't give a damn about the "science" behind the opposition. It's your head, make a choice and live (or not....) with it.

You have already had six major concussions, and you still think a bicycle helmet is going to protect you from a seventh. Whoa, just whoa.

May I suggest something that might actually help you, some tumbling lessons.

Please, please, let some kind moderator come along and lock this thread. The discussion that's already underway (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/678939-Helmets-cramp-my-Style-part-n-1) is only 116 pages long, after all...

Get a sense of where people are at regarding helmets in this particular sub-forum here (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/678939-Helmets-cramp-my-Style-part-n-1).

/thread

...seriously
Well, the big difference is that my thread has a poll. The other one does not. That's why I don't want my thread closed.
Today I bought my first helmet and I'll make sure to wear it every time I ride, just in case.
When leaving my bike unattended, I will secure both the helmet and the bike, passing the simple cable lock through one of the holes of the helmet. I wouldn't bother to take the helmet with me.

On a trike, on a very quiet bike path, at walking pace with my daughter, no helmet. By myself, on a long ride on roads, yes, I wear a helmet. When my daughter endoed off her bike years ago, she hit head and shoulder first, and destroyed her helmet, resulting in a mild concussion. The ER doctor, who is a cyclist, said she would have probably lost the top of her scalp without the helmet... enough from me, I know the debates, I've drawn my own conclusions without judgment, because I don't know for certain. But I wear a helmet just the same.

My perception is that helmeted riders seem to have a much higher proportion of accidents where their helmet "saved" them from death or certain vegetable status than the difference in death or serious brain injury in accidents between helmeted and unhelmeted riders. If I could find some methodical way to quantify the number of claims against helmet usage and bicycle injury statistics, I could validate my conclusions and put a qualifier on anecdotal evidence. Until then it's just my observation.

In my opinion, it should be up to each person to decide whether or not they should wear a helmet when riding.

+1. It should be up to the individual rider. Personally I consider the chances of a helmet being useful on a bicycle to be similar to other daily hazards like walking around in the kitchen (open cupboards etc) or walking down the stairs. If you feel more at risk when out on the road, I'm not going to argue with you wearing a helmet. What I do have an issue with is people trying to force their decision on others.

In school I recall a kid who had to wear a helmet all the time, even in the classroom. Not sure why, likely a medical condition, or just highly accident-prone.

Oh look a helmet thread :rolleyes:

IBTL

When leaving my bike unattended, I will secure both the helmet and the bike, passing the simple cable lock through one of the holes of the helmet. I wouldn't bother to take the helmet with me.

You may be slightly more paranoid than necessary about "locking" your helmet when the bike is unattended. For some reason people just don't steal bike helmets. I've left mine hanging from my handlebars or simply clipped to the frame and never had a problem. Sometimes I'll lock it with the cable just because someone might want to take it "as a joke" but the stealing of bike helmets is not, so far as I know, much of an issue for most of us.

My perception is that helmeted riders seem to have a much higher proportion of accidents where their helmet "saved" them from death or certain vegetable status than the difference in death or serious brain injury in accidents between helmeted and unhelmeted riders. If I could find some methodical way to quantify the number of claims against helmet usage and bicycle injury statistics, I could validate my conclusions and put a qualifier on anecdotal evidence. Until then it's just my observation.

My favorite is the person who was 'saved' when he rode full tilt into the back of a parked car leaving a nice helmet shaped indentation in the rear window.
Personally I prefer to avoid hitting any stationary objects, even parked cars.
For the record I am not anti-helmet, I am anti-helmetnanny.

My favorite is the person who was 'saved' when he rode full tilt into the back of a parked car leaving a nice helmet shaped indentation in the rear window.
Personally I prefer to avoid hitting any stationary objects, even parked cars.
For the record I am not anti-helmet, I am anti-helmetnanny.

One of the things I picked up in a (very boring) engineering lecture about health and safety is that personal protective equipment (PPE) should be considered only once other steps are taken to reduce risk levels- far better to reduce the risk of an accident than to have to deal with it when it happens. This is my view on staying safe on a bicycle- people seem to forget that there's more to staying safe than simply wearing a helmet. Wearing a helmet will not make you a safe cyclist, nor will not wearing one make you an unsafe cyclist. The primary factors are how you ride and how visible you are to other traffic. I object to bicycle helmets being forced on to others without much apparent thought other than 'it makes you safe'.

*yawn*
The OP should search for past threads.
No, I don't wear helmet.

I wear a helmet every time I ride my bicycle.

I wear a helmet every time I ride my bicycle.

Me too.

I don't really care if anyone else wears a helmet (except my children and wife). All I ask is if you don't wear a helmet please make sure you have the means to care for yourself financially in the event of a problem. As long as it stays YOUR problem please do what you want...

Twice in the last 22 years I have had an accident.

The first occurred when a dog zig zagged right into my path as I was going about 25mph. I hit the dog, came over the bars, and smashed the helmet like dropping a watermelon. I was fine except for road rash. The helmet was toast. The dog was fine.

Most recently, I looked back to see where my riding companions were, and when I turned around I was about an inch from the edge of the pavement, which was about a 3" drop. Off the pavement I went, and if I had just slowed down and stopped, like I tell my kids to do, I would have been fine, but no, I tried to get back up on the roadway, and down I went, hitting my left ankle, my left hip, my left elbow, and the left side of my helmet. I was very glad I had a helmet on both times.

Riding a bike down a hill at 40 mph is a heck of a lot different than walking around your house, and those types of comparisons aren't really valid, it appears to me.

Riding a bike down a hill at 40 mph is a heck of a lot different than walking around your house, and those types of comparisons aren't really valid, it appears to me.

My point was that bicycle helmets aren't really designed to deal with the forces involved in a 40mph accident. They're designed to protect you against minor bumps and scrapes to your head, the same bumps and scrapes you could pick up anywhere

Now I'm getting curious to see the eventual results of this poll but I fear the thread getting shut down before a lot of people vote. Any way of keeping the comments in this thread related to the poll and NOT the usual rants and bickering as found in that other, more entertainingly vitriolic helmet thread?

I'm really enjoying watching the votes roll in. :popcorn

I wear a helmet. Yet, I often wish racers didn't! Nothing better than seeing Greg Lemond grimace prior to a win or seeing Jacques Anquetil give his chilling joyful game face during a time trial!

One time I met up with a messenger in SF who told me he had his jaw bone fractured in several places and facial road rash following an accident. Yes, he was wearing a helmet! From then on he used a full face helmet. Go figure!

It's interesting to see how some people interpret "No" versus "Depends on Circumstances".:p

vgXhc voted "no" in the poll. Here's a pic of his loaded rig on tour. Guess he just carries the helmet on the handlebars and never wears it. ;)

A little more "fact checking" might reveal even more in the "Depends on Circumstances" category.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/69234-Pictures-of-your-loaded-rigs?p=9565294&viewfull=1#post9565294

We have a lovely thread already in existence (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/678939-Helmets-cramp-my-Style-part-n-1) for discussing the pros and cons of helmet wearing.

Thread closed.