chris_pnoy

When on trails and stuff, I use a helmet. Riding around town, around the block, I don't.

bcritch

I wear a helmet (thanks for the present, sis!)

yannb

I ride my bike to/from the ferry most days. It's only a 9 minute ride and often dont wear it. However yesterday, I wore it and i know it saved my life, I was crossing the street thinking I was in front of the curb in the median looking for cars. Unfortunately, i hit the curb went over the handle bars, landed on the side of my head, body following. Fortunately I was wearing my helmet. Had I not been, I would be in the emergency room who knows in what state. I walked away with a couple of scrapes on my hands, a bruised knee and a very sore shoulder. Also this was just a minute away from my house. As they say, most accidents happen within a mile of your house. I believe this to be true now and from now on will always wear my helmet.

Helmet I can replace, head I cant.

Yann

closetbiker

stories to the sticky please

snickersnicker

Haven't had a helmet since I was five. I ride a road bike (commute), generally at pretty high speeds. The area I live in isn't quite urban -- somewhere between urban and suburban -- but it gets a lot of traffic and there isn't any shoulder. I've never crashed, and the only time I came close to being hit by a car, I kicked his door and he backed off.

I just really can't afford a helmet and don't worry too much at all about crashing.

jharte

I wear my one while commuting and touring. If I'm on the Katy trail, it comes off.

phoenixangel

wear when doing mountain trails and road
as long as i'm off road i won't bother =D

Daveag

Always wear a helmet -- brain damage is not my idea of living! Also the helmets sold today are light and well ventilated (meaning comfortable).

Infodiva

Umm, Niten exaggerates greatly. I didn't say he had to wear a helmet - it's totally up to him, and I rarely wear one myself. But, he likes to ride his bike at top speed on the MUP! He came home once too often with a bloody scalp from slipping on gravel and scraping his head on the pavement. I strongly encouraged him to wear the helmet - or a baseball cap, or something. In his case, I think it helps.

closetbiker

Ahhh... good to see you two getting on so well.

grapetonix

No helmet. I guess that I am really kind of stupid and ignorant in the matter, but as some other poster wrote, I feel incomfortable in one. It makes my SOUL feal sweaty and takes away the joy of bicycling during those hot summer days, really! A lot of heat is dissipated off the head, so no surprise. Perhaps a helmet with integrated cooling system and fan would sell great?

I mostly ride on low-traffic roads with an MTB, and keep an average speed of about 25km/h.

mod-eddie

Outside of the quiet streets in my neighborhood, I always wear a helmet.

alanbikehouston

Yesterday (June 26th) Lance Armstrong came off his bike and ended up sliding down the road. He plans to be back on his bike today, he says "Thanks to my helmet and glasses".

I don't know why he thanked his glasses. He did not see the damage to the road that tossed him to the pavement. And, of course, my coke bottle thick glasses did not enable me to see the road damage that tossed me into the road three weeks ago, cracking my third helmet in the past three years. But, I finished the ride, thanks to my helmet.

closetbiker

Geez. After a half dozen reminders, this is the second blatent dig by you with an editorial.

If you want a debate, take it to the sticky.

Hawkear

His glasses are likely made out of impact resistant materials, which protected his eyes and the surrounding area.

I didn't wear a helmet in college, when I was riding my Target bike around campus. Only injuries I had were occasional scrapes on my leg or arm from crashing. Now that I ride faster and on the street (and have a degree ), I tend to wear one, but I'm not going to force it on anyone else.

closetbiker

I guess Lance is in the "sometimes" category.

countrydirt

No, but I intend to get one that fits and wear it religiously

Niten

-- Douglas Adams
The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Chapter 34

R also relative to your emotional reference frame. Who knew?

alanbikehouston

If this is supposed to be a REAL poll of REAL cyclists, we should remember that Lance Armstrong is a REAL cyclist. His vote on "wear/don't wear" ought to be counted. And, he has been telling the whole world today that even though he crashed on his head yesterday so hard that he split his helmet, he is alive, and is he back on his bike.

So, "poll away". But, Lance has spent the day making a stand on this issue, and HIS vote ought to count.

closetbiker

Yeah, and we see him ride without one too.

That puts him in the sometimes catagory (if he was to participate, honestly)

alanbikehouston

Hey, Closetbiker. Thanks. I did not know how (or why) you were altering my posts to say whatever silly thing YOU want them to say. Now, I've figured out how you do it.

If you object to having YOUR posts altered, golly, just remember who invented this goofy game. If your "game" becomes popular, the entire Forum can sound as if its members are about nine years old.

Geez...

closetbiker

Why?

maybe because you were going against what the thread starter asked so well.

maybe we can ask a simple question and get an idea of how many non-helmeted riders there are here, without the thread being destroyed through argument, so we'll not be able to get an idea what the thread starter was asking about and understanding of the topic can be acheived.

maybe we can stay on topic and get an idea of what's what instead of saying one thing (like Lance promoting helmets) and doing another (like taking them off at first opportunity) Oh, but wait! Lance gets paid by a helmet manafacturer. He's sworn alligence to Giro for sticking by him during his bout with cancer. Good for him but, doesn't that negate his neutrality?

bugsyonebike

I haven't worn my helmet at all this year. I guess I just got out of the habit. I should know better too. Someone very close to me was saved from serious injury by her helmet. Thanks for making me think about it.

ObscureRefMan

Wear my helmet. All the time. Road, trail or path.

BikerLRY

Only in races