dedhed

I've driven many miles on motorcycles without helmets, was wearing one when I crashed less than ½ mile from home. Dumb luck? My 6 year old always wears one, the teens sometimes do but none ride all that much. we never wore helmets or even saw them as kids. We never wore helmets on our minibikes either. I wear my bike helmet 99% of the time and I couldn't tell you why other than habit. I'm not some super safe guy either, heck I've been known to weld in sandals and shorts and don't watch me handle volatile fluids or dangerous chemicals.

slooney

PR- Thanks for making it real. Quite a story. Glad your son only suffered "superficiao" damage.

Don Gwinn

Aww, you're no fun.

I think I'm going to have to go to a bike shop or get a helmet over the internet. The consensus here seems to be that cheap helmets at Wal-Mart or the local hardware store offer the same protection as the expensive ones (I don't care about weight or aerodynamics; the helmet is the least of my worries there.) Unfortunately, they don't carry helmets big enough for my gi-normous melon head. They seem to be one-size-fits-all everywhere I've looked, coming in "Child," "Youth," and "Adult." I think I'm going to need "Yeti" on that scale. I wear a 7 3/4" fitted ballcap and an XXL football helmet.

But yes, you're right, it's something I have to have.

wethepeople

I make sure to _ALWAYS_ wear my helmet, it goes on when I leave the garage. I dont think I would be writing this if it wasnt for a helmet. granted it wasnt on a road I crashed on, it was in a trail downhilling. I had memory loss for a day and a major concusion, my speach is still slurred to this day.

santiago

I have two young daughters (4 and 2). When getting in the car they know the first thing everyone does is buckle up. Once in the confusion of loading up my girls and all the stuff I had plopped my eldest daughter in and forgot to buckle her in. She immediately told me so. She's learned there are no cases when you don't buckle up.

The same applies for helmets. The moment my girls were old enough to prop up on a tricycle, they've worn a helmet and know to do so. I know that if I were to NOT wear a helmet it would send a mixed message just like it would for me to not buckle in the car. Today my older one points out when she sees people riding on the road without their helmets.

Basically, the probability of falling and hitting your head "around the neighborhood" is probably low but it is still there. I would rather my girls have a helmet on while riding just in case. Look at it this way, the probability of standing under THE tree that gets hit by lightening in a thunderstorm is probably low but you won't see me taking any of those chances.

Am I risk adverse? No, if I was I wouldn't go out riding (I also have what some might consider dangerous hobbies), I just know that I like to mitigate my risks.

SaskCyclist

What is the downside to wearing a helmet everytime you are on the bike?

2manybikes

Excellent point Operator !!

The kids are watching you all the time, they learn from your actions and behavior. You need to set a good example by wearing a helmet every time. They need to see consistent behavior.

Don Gwinn

I picked up a helmet today. Everyone said the cheap ones are just as good, and Wally World had a Bell model called a "Reflex" for eight bucks that fit my head pretty well. It's a tad tight, but it fits all the way down on my head and I prefer a snug fit in a helmet or hat of any kind. Doesn't feel like it's coming off my head that way.

You people must be rubbing off on me, because I bought a seat bag and a small can of fix-a-flat at the same time and passed up a computer, frame pump, and multitool with some regret.

Sco++

Helmet on every ride for the entire ride. It is a state law here that all bike riders under the age of 12 MUST wear a helmet while riding. Guess the powers that be figured kids 13 and over are wise enough to make their own decisions...

jcg878

Exactly. Unfortunately personal experience is often the the lesson that teaches that we're not in control nearly as much as we like to believe we are.

I spend a fair share of time in the neuro ICU at work, and I find those patients to be the most depressing I see. Many of them are young and otherwise healthy, except that they have traumatic brain injury and will never be the same. The helmet goes on my head every time I hop on the bike, no matter where I am.

raisin

Ever see anyone with a head injury because of a bike fall? I have - not pretty.

https://www.helmets.org/stats.htm

85% of the people who die while cycling aren't wearing helmets.

You have kids. It should be an easy choice.

baj32161

If you don't want to wear a helmet fine. Noon has any right to tell you what to do. I rode into work yesterday without my helmet and felt naked.....I couldnt wait to get home and do my evening ride....WITH my helmet...and I never wore one as a kid...don't even think they had them. And I rode EVERYWHERE!!!

Don Gwinn

I've been wearing my helmet every time since I bought it last week. It really hasn't been a big deal to wear it. If I get too hot, I lower my head and let some air in through the top vents.

markm

"Planned Accidents"

Whether or not you set a bad example for the kids, the poster seems to think that accidents are 'planned events'. It reminds me of when I decided to always wear a helmet.

My wife and kids were riding on a rail trail near our home a couple of years ago. We had crossed a bike bridge/ramp over a river. On the return, as we were coming down the ramp, my wife's handlebar caught a picket on the ramp fence. She was only going 5 mph. Howver, her bike made a hard right into the fence and her helmet whacked onto the top of one of the pickets.

Thank goodness she was wearing her helmet. In fact, she was only wearing it because we were trying to set a good example for our kids. Now we all wear a helmet no matter where we ride.

I am not saying that adults should be mandated to wear a helmet, it is just the smart thing to do.

jisho

Your choice but considers an old saying commonly heard in ER rooms: What do you call a bicyclist without a helmet? A: An organ donor.

jcg878

That sounds like a stretched description of motorcycles as "donorcycles"

Crinolin

I bought my first helmet yesterday, and gloves. Pretty much because of this bike forum.

solo54

Only you can answer your question Ginger. If in doubt, wear it. If it concerns you enough to ask others opinions. You should probably wear it.

Randymac

Ginger, the odds favor the helmet.

You can change the odds by changing the variables, such as where, when, your condition during, traffic etc... But, you won't be able to swing the odds against a helmet.

H2OChick

That's why they're called "accidents." Nobody PLANS on getting in one, and you NEVER know when it'll happen.

Fasteryoufool

On a ride like you describe, I wouldn't worry about whether or not you're safe enough - but what I WOULD worry about is what message you're sending your kids. As parents, we need to set the example for our kids. I always wear my seatbelt when I drive, and I always put my helmet on when I ride my bicycle - I hope my sons do the same.

caloso

Kids model parents. If you want your kid to want to wear his helmet, then wear yours.

Metieval

Kids don't need to be told to wear a helmet.

Kids don't need to wear a helmet because their role model wears one!

IMO Kids should be taught to make their own desicions for the right reasons. Teach them logic, teach them how to think.

give somebody a fish and they eat today, but teach them how to fish and they will eat for the rest of their lives.

stevesurf

If you ever find you're not wearing your helmet because it's uncomfortable, try refitting it or getting a new one. I'm actually of the opinion that the helmet is one area where you should spend your money, although it's been proven that you can get a very comfortable and highly ventilating helmet for around $70 US.

As others have stated, the more you wear the helmet, the more your children will imitate you!

powerhouse

It's a very important big deal to wear your helmet everywhere you ride.