Xrisnothing

Okay, I've been commuting to school and back almost every day for a little over a month or so. At first, I wore a helmet, but I've been leaving it at home the past two weeks. When I wore it, I got honked at or yelled at almost daily. Since I've stopped wearing it, that's happened only once. Also, people seem to be more courteious towards me, allowing me into traffic and such. Anyone else notice this?

Oh, and I'm also wearing regular clothes, no jersey, etc.

Ken Wind

The helmet doesn't say **** you on it in big letters, does it?

In all seriousness though, it's probably not the helmet.

wneumann

Curbs and falls may break my skull, but names will never hurt me.

It's your head, do what you want, but
a: do you really care if somene hoots at you
b: is your sample size really big enough to determine if the helmet is making a difference?

dalmore

You know I get exactly the opposite reaction. Well I'm always helmeted but when I'm wearing a regualr jersey I tend to get more abuse than when I'm decked out in my lime or orange high-vis stuff.

My sample is pretty small though. I rarely get abuse...

KleinRider

A friend of mine was killed last year because he wasn't wearing his helmet. Please wear yours.

chipcom 

I rarely wear a helmet, but I can safely say that over the last 40 years or so, whether I am wearing one or not has little to do with how I am treated by motorists. I think 'how' you ride has more of an impact - if you ride predictably and courteously, you get more respect.

That said, I think how you are dressed might have some impact. Motorists seem to have a bad attitude towards those who dress like Lance wannabes or 'hipsters' - at least around these parts. I would assume it's because they have had bad experiences with either group rides or messengers.

caloso

Are you female? I thought I read something about an experiment where they compared motorists passing a male rider v. a female rider. The suggestion was that male commuters wear wigs and women's clothing rather than a helmet.

chipcom 

I tried that the other day. All the motorists did indeed keep a greater distance from me - except for one that had flashing blue lights.

ryanparrish

There might be something to how your decked out. My experiences are inline with dalmore for instance if Iam just wearing jeans and a polo no helmet I have noticed agression when I wore my safety gear and helmet notably less also my sampling as well is small

caloso

I get the widest berth when I ride with Mrs. Caloso and the Wonder Twins. No one wants to upset the Mama Bear.

-=(8)=-

Helmets dangerous........wear a femalian looking wig, instead.

https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...et/5334208.stm

icedmocha 

It would be awesome to have one of those George Washington wigs. I'd keep a gavel in a sleeve on my handlebars.

CastIron

Unfortunately that "study" only showed a correlation under limited circumstances. It didn't give cause. Still pretty odd, though.

I-Like-To-Bike

Some bikers don't care for them either. But probably don't act it out when cycling near someone wearing one.

Sigurdd50

When I use a chain saw, I use safety glasses
When I drive a car, I use seat belts (and air bags!) and I keep a sheet of glass in front of me... (um... um... windshield!)
When I have sex with a stranger, I use a condom (it has been decades... but...)
before I solder on high voltage circuits, I drain the capacitors

when I ride a bicycle in any kind of traffic, I wear a helmet

I might look cool or feel breezy without one, but I'll look lame in a nursing facility on my back for the rest of my life.

I advocate it everyday on my bike, when I pull up next to the dozens of cute university students as I ride. I do believe that there *may* be more women than men (don't want to *muss* up their hair?) that don't. I don't even notice that I have my helmet on my head anymore.

I-Like-To-Bike

I'm sure the dozens of cute university students notice your attire when you advocate to them on the street. What is their reponse to your advocacy efforts when you are pulled up next to them? Anything printable?

capejohn

I'm with chipcom on this one. It's the bike clothes that scream, SPANK ME!!!!.

DevilsGT2

I don't notice it around here, whether I wear my helmet or not.

I will tell you though, nothing pisses me off more than self-righteous bikers that make it their buisness to nag me for not wearing my helmet.

FlatTop

I wear either a black Bell or silver Trek on my noggin, and I think that those motorists who notice the helmet have given me consideration. Probably just out of the sheer novelty of seeing a guy wear a helmet while riding a bike. Like it's a grand experiment I'm conducting on the byways of New Jersey.

knobster

That's unusual here for people not to wear helmets. The people that don't are usually riding the wrong way on the street also. I've never even considered riding without one.

dbg

Please sign the organ doner section of your driver's license. Organ and tissue donation saves lives.

I noticed that switching my clothing to yellow greatly decreased my incidents with motorists. I wear a yellow jacket (fleece underneath in winter) that looks like those "security" jackets you see at crowded events. Those canary yellow pearl izumi jackets are even brighter, but I seem to get more respect with that "security yellow" color, --like maybe I'm a policeman or something.

Poppaspoke

Interesting idea! I wonder if cycling in full bike cop kit would get me more respect? Or just
arrested?

ducati

I ride 4x a week to work, through all sorts of weather. I personally choose to wear a helmet; after sustaining a nasty concussion I believe could have been prevented by covering my noggin, it's just a choice I usually make.

However, there have been a few days I've forgotton one. When some Lance wannabee stops next to me at a light and starts chastising me for now having a helmet (yes, this happens, frequently I hate to say) I can't help but smile and wonder why folks with bulging waistlines wear lycra on their once a week "fitness" rides.

closetbiker

I find this an interesting thing.

Before an all-ages mandatory helmet law was passed 10 years ago, I found the occasional helmeted cyclist would make an unsolicited comment about anothers lack of helmet, but now I find I can't remember the last time I've heard this happening. The law is not really enforced and you can get away with not wearing one now, so maybe people are figuring that everyone has given it some thought and respecting their choice as opposed to before the law passed and felt that it was their duty to inform others on what they think is important (as if the helmetless hadn't thought about it, or their choice wasn't respected).

I was in Seattle in June and noticed despite the helmet law there, it looked to be a 50/50 split of helmet wearing. I wonder if helmeted cyclists in Seattle "inform" helmetless cyclists of the "importance" of wearing a helmet, or do they just leave them alone?

d_D

Are you sure it's not your behaviour that is different. You feel safer wearing the helmet so you take more risks. It's something I do and the main reason I don't use a helmet.