Some of the comments on the Slate.com site are just as wacky and hysterical as found on BF about the alleged protective powers of bicycle helmets.

When the all-ages mandatory cycling helmet law passed in Vancouver, WA it was primarily used as a tool to harass the homeless population. After it passed it was easy for a LEO to spot a guy they don't like, then use their lack of helmet while cycling as a pretense to detain them, run their ID, etc.

Wear your helmet!
 

Had a pretty good wipe out this morning. Had to make a sudden course adjustment to avoid another cyclist turning in front of me. Happened on slick smooth concrete and I guess to much rear brake. Went into a skid as I swerved and bike lost all traction. Next thing I new I was horizontal and going down hard. My leg, hip, shoulder and side of the helmet took the force of the fall. I am guessing the POC/Rapha helmet saved me. The styrofoam material on that side of the helmet fractured in a few places. Done with my favorite helmet! In any case I biked away. Not alot of choice as I was almost 20 miles from home. Sore but okay. Bianchi took a couple of scratches on the shifter and tape, but no frame damage. Happened so quickly.

QUALITY HELMET WAS CRITICAL.

Weenie hats
 

I've been solidly hair in the wind since i could pedal. But, since 60 has come and gone I'm thinking I don't want the next fall to be "the fall" is there any real difference in brands, or is any weenie hat pretty much ok?
I was looking here https://weightweenies.starbike.com/l...p?type=helmets

Any will do better then nothing. Get one from the WlaMart till ya make up your mind what ya rally want.

I am not a mandatory helmet nazi, but wearing a helmet has definitely saved my life for sure. Start wearing one as soon as you can...

Helmets are kind of a personal thing. They all seem to fit differently. Go to a LBS and try on different brands and different models. Find the most comfortable and make certain the strap fits snuggly under the chin. Helmets work. They have saved my head in the past.

Those all appear to be from like 20 years ago... I don't know why you would buy a vintage helmet.
They have actually changed too, we got MIPS now. Supposed to help.

Imo the most critical thing is that it is comfortable and fits you well. Which requires trying a few on. They are 'universal', but different ones suit different people. Especially if you're between sizes.

Anything you could buy at WalMart would be better than my collection of vintage wear
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...34515085a3.jpg
Like any cap, they keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
And the brains inside

What's that one closest to camera? Never seen anything like it!

A hat for your weenie? I thought this was a family friendly forum.

Skid Lid!
Brent

Come on Neil. Birth control is family friendly!
Brent

Start HERE at my Alma Mater

(Va Tech helmet ratings)



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Weenie hats are specific to individual weenie heads. They are not all created equal.

True. But even a cheap one from WalMart that fits OK works a helluva lot better than your hair to protect your skull.

OP: IMO [MENTION=194136]zandoval[/MENTION] 's advice is sound. You should get one - even a WalMart cheapie - that fits reasonably well and use it while you decide which helmet you want to spring for long-term.

Like others here, using one probably saved me from a concussion - or worse - once.

Funny part is, i would not even slightly consider riding a motorcycle without a helmet.

Absolutely agree. Any helmet is better than no helmet. But, like butts, all heads are different. Plus, I have close to no hair left for even that minimum protection. A helmet that does not fit properly, and/or, is not comfortable, is likely not going to be used, or used in a compromising way.

I've been using Limar helmets ever since I started wearing one (at 45 years old...yes I was young and dumb). They were advertised as "The World's Lightest Helmet". When I bought my first one, they weren't available in the states, due to no U.S. Certifications at the time. I ordered one from England. I'm on my third one. One was destroyed in a crash and most likely saved me from becoming a vegetable and the other two are still in use. They are available in the US now.

Who needs a helmet, hell is only half-full.

Merged another helmet thread into the Helmet Thread 2.

"I'm sure there ain't no heaven, and I pray there ain't no hell"; Blood, Sweat, and Tears, appropriate name for a band for a cycling nut.

Ah, helmets.

I've been riding in anger since 1986 and got my first helmet when I was forced to, in 1993. It was required equipment for an organized ride. And for a long time, I only used one when I had to.

I now ride mostly with a helmet. There was this local story that made an impression on me: Dude is toodling along the bike path, all by his lonesome, when a Canada goose decides to try and fly through his front wheel, with predictable and spectacular results. Several days in the hospital, broken elbow, AND a destroyed helmet.

I've never needed a helmet in my life, nor a seat belt, but I wear a seat belt every time I drive, since I was a kid, and I wear a helmet nearly always when I bike. I rode my motorcycle a couple times without a helmet, and yes, it's more fun that way, totally agree. Scary, too. So after some thinking, I got rid of the motorcycle, because it just wasn't worth it to me anymore. The law here in Michigan was changed so that helmets are no longer mandatory, and I think that's great.

I don't do pacelines anymore unless I know the riders personally. and even then the list of folks I'll follow closely is short. The older I get, the more I value my skin.. which is ironic, since there is less life left at this point. When I've crashed in the past, it was in a paceline, when someone screwed up. I rode in the ambulance with a friend of mine after one such incident. His helmet was destroyed, but he made it.

I'm all for wearing helmets, but there is a problem if we follow the logic of risk: pretty soon you realize we should all wear a helmet while driving, and it would be best if we put one on when we get up in the morning. Another of my friends wiped out on foot, on an evening walk, and hit is head but good. Concussion, MRI, the whole enchilada. Should he have worn a helmet?

I tread lightly when it comes to telling other people what they should do.
I'm a big fan of letting grown-ups decide on their own risk profile.
Smoking drinking extreme sports motorcycles skydiving... have at it.
What's the alternative? We can sit in the basement and wait for the end. Bicycling in traffic is definitely not for the faint of heart.

OK, time to look for a step ladder so I can get down from this soap box.
I hope [MENTION=561119]Schweinhund[/MENTION] gets himself a cover soon, and I hope he never needs it.

cheers -mathias

No argument here. But a cheapie that fits - even if it doesn't fit like the proverbial glove - can literally be a lifesaver while seeking a long-term solution.

I'm relatively certain that the impact I nearly didn't walk away from (and walked away from with a broken wrist and a jammed neck, both of which still give me some problems 26+ years later) happened at less than 25MPH, and maybe less than 20MPH. Don't really want to think what my head might have looked like afterwards if I'd been riding bareheaded.

I'm not positive, but if I recall correctly that helmet was a fairly inexpensive Bell I literally did get at a local WalMart.

Currently commute 14 miles total, helmet hanging on the bars, because I have to wear it on campus at work. Broken one in a crash before and still was concussed; it might have saved my life. I don’t go down hills as fast now. That’s the big takeaway, the cause of the crash, not “Gee wizz I’m glad I was wearing a helmet!”

there are multiple things one can do to be safe on a bicycle. As far as PPE is concerned, it’s generally a “last line of defense” compared to “administrative” or “engineering” controls.

This idea of helmets as an end all be all blanket answer to bicycle safety misses the forrest for the trees. As far as things one can do to being safe on a bicycle, it doesn’t even make top 5 in my book.

the majority of pro riders in history did not wear helmets, and to this day the majority of people who make their living riding their bicycles (not racers but food delivery people) do not wear helmets.

So would you suggest that if someone likes to go downhill fast they should wear a helmet? I watch pro's get it in some crazy accidents and I think there is wisdom built into them wearing helmets. I'll agree, that there are a lot of risk factors you can avoid but you would take the fun out of riding.