All's I know is anything that's not protected gets skin loss. Wearing a helmet doesn't hinder riding, unless you've got some big cyst growing in your scalp.

In fact, that may be the problem.

The only way a helmet might hinder my riding is that the budget is too tight to afford one, therefore if I am required to have one, or even if I am convinced I need one to ride, then I won't be riding much. In fact this has been a big part of my excuse structure.

This is a poor argument, because it assumes that your experience is universal. You don't get to tell people what does or does not "hinder their riding" any more than you get to tell people what their favorite color is.

Some bicycling safety nannys (cut from the same cloth as the helmet nannys) want to do just that, with their insistence that cycling in anything less than iridescent day glow colors is irresponsible, unsafe, and makes the cyclist responsible for any collision that is the result of a motorist who can't see a cyclist right in front of them at broad daylight.

Wow, what logic, I guess I can assume then that since a pair of tires could cost more then a helmet, and since your budget is too tight you don't ride at all since their required to ride bike. Sounds like you don't ride all.

Yes, that is kind of true, even though I already shelled out for the used Fuji. Today I rode a whole six miles and to me it was a big deal to do so, since the three miles there was further than I had gone in one shot since getting the bike. And I wore my top hat, since I still don't own my own helmet. On the the other hand, I do have helmets for all three of my kids and urge them to wear them. Maybe I value their brains more than my own! I really think I do need to grab a helmet some time, but they do get so dratted expensive for the ones I'd rather be wearing.

Would it do to carve one out of a styrofoam cooler?

I see, a helmet is like kryptonite, once it's on someones head they forget how to ride. If you don't ride because you won't wear a helmet....your choice. I'm against mandatory laws but someplaces have them. I'm going out for Easter Brunch and if I don't wear a shirt and shoes I can't eat.

I don't see why a styrofoam cooler wouldn't work, or a large block of solid styrofoam would work too. With the block you can custom fit it to your head by simply putting the block on your head and have someone take a sledgehammer and pound it down on your head to get the block to custom mold to your head. Once that has been done drill some holes for air, then spray the outside with lacquer to keep the foam in place.

Depends what you mean by "hinder riding"; it is certainly a lot more uncomfortable in Fresno heat, and inconvenient for me to lug around. Between riding around campus, to the store, to the watering hole... it's just another thing I need to carry around all damn day. That qualifies as "hinders" for me.

Enjoy your Easter! Getting ready to sink my teeth in some ham right now!

Pray tell, how does wearing a helmet "hinder" riding a bike?

It weighs down the head too much and riders end up seeing just the front wheel while riding and end up with sore necks. A lot of cyclists are very weak individuals everywhere but their legs. Why do I say that you scream? Because cyclists complain about the weight of a helmet, they complain about Polar bottles being too stiff to squeeze, they have to save 2 grams of weight to put in titanium water bottle cage bolts or else they won't be able to climb the next hill.

rekmeyata

Shirley you jest, or is this an April Fools letter? I just went up and weighed my helmet. It weighs 11 oz or 312 grams.
My helmet is a $40 run of the mill Giro with a visor on the front, so Im sure it is not the lightest one out there. If someone is so weak as to not be able to hold up their head with 11 oz extra, should they be riding a bike at all? Crap I know some women that wear that much weigh in makeup!!!

Pondering you post, you admit what most DF riders claim they never do------------stare at their front wheels. Other DF riders will probably hate you for that admission. Maybe since I ride recumbents, and am able sit upright, it is just an added reason that I dont notice that I am wearing a helmet at all while I ride.

I hope your sarcasm meter is broken.

robbie

Oh no, I have a whole bucket full for people that argue against wearing a helmet. My two main points remain, wearing a helmet is really no burden at all, and if it only prevents the slightes injury, it is worth wearing.

It was sarcasm, but sarcasm does have some truth mixed in though. I have heard people complain that helmets are heavy thus they refuse to wear them yet all my children wore them. I heard complaints that people find it difficult to squeeze a Polar bottle, yet my 5 year grandson has no problem. I've heard people complain pumping a tire up on the side of the road is too much work so they get CO2's. I've heard of people not using the plastic Presta valve caps because of the additional rotational weight...I'm serious! I've heard that! I find it odd we have people who want to exercise but don't want to strain...if you call wearing a helmet, squeezing a bottle, or pumping up a tire straining!

Yeah, I'm a road bike person, I know all to well that most riders ride staring at their front tire, just as most car drivers stare at the rear of the car directly in front of them. I don't happen to be one of those because I learned from racing cars that one needs to be looking way ahead, and that translated very well when use to I raced bicycles.

By the way, my name isn't Shirley!!! But it could be if I shaved my legs...

Ha, mandatory helmets for golf? I didn't see any... http://clipnation.com/ultimate-golf-...ompilation-vid

Another point to consider is the fact is if a helmet only prevents minor road rash to the head, it may infact get infected and become a lot worse than first thot.

Another point? That point has become nauseating. Of course I too would never read 4,969 posts just to find those posts.

Happy to report that I now have a helmet and will wear it to ride my bike. Four bucks at Goodwill for a Giro Havoc. Not a bad find at all. Now I can set a better example for the kids.
http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/...ps518efaba.jpg

I know a guy who would have died if he didn't have a helmet. He still suffered a bad concussion! Mountain biking.
Another friend almost died in a bad high speed road bike wreck, helmet was destroyed and saved his head.
For cruising down the boulevard on a singlespeed, cruiser, moulton, etc. who cares! I crashed a million times as a kid, I know how to fall, I never hit my head at such low speeds.
If I do anything high speed, helmet on for sure!

That's a little ironic though, since helmets are tested for relatively low speed impacts, not high speed ones. And it's not as though they can't be... motorcycle helmets are. They just... aren't.

Current bike helmets are useful for helping to mitigate injuries from low speed impacts. As you note, most people don't need them for that... that's why I think they're most useful for beginners, kids, or when riding in conditions you are more likely to fall at low speed (iced or otherwise slick roads, etc).

That said, if you feel you'll benefit from using one, go for it.

Helmets are cumbersome for tranportation cyclists.

Don helmet
ride to coffee shop
remove helmet, carry around @ coffee shop
don helmet
ride to work
remove helmet, carry around @ work
don helmet
ride to meeting with client
remove helmet, carry around @ client meeting
don helmet
ride to lunch spot
remove helmet, carry around @ lunch spot
don helmet
ride back to work
remove helmet, carry around @ work
don helmet
ride to grocery
remove helmet, carry around @ grocery
don helmet
ride home
remove helmet, carry around @ home
don helmet
ride to date
remove helmet, carry around @ date...

Add in trips to bank, hardware store, school (riding from class to class @ uni), etc.

Poor poor baby, you have to lug around a super heavy bulky helmet...why not take the bus so you don't have to ride the cumbersome bike around? I mean after all you have to:

Get off the bike, lock it up at the coffee shop or carry it in;
unlock bike,
ride to work,
get off bike and lock it up or carry it in,
unlock bike,
ride to meeting with client
lock bike up again, or carry around @ client meeting
unlock bike,
ride to lunch spot,
lock up bike of carry around @ lunch spot
unlock bike,
ride back to work
lock up bike or carry around @ work,
unlock bike,
ride to grocery
lock up bike or carry around @ grocery
unlock bike
ride home
carry bike around @ home
get bike out of house
ride to date
lock up bike or carry around @ date...
lose date because you don't have a car and she thinks you're weird for not having one.

Yep, locks are a *****, too, if only we hanged thieves... ;)

With helmets it's the awkward bulk, not the weight, IMO.