Wear one!!

see this threadhttp://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ighlight=saved

Whilst I accept that a helmet may not save my life in the event of an accident, it's not going to do me any harm, will probably help prevent some head injuries,and is hardly a great hassle to wear.

Thanks for the input, everybody. Sorry to bring up such a touchy friggin' subject. Honestly, I had no idea that this was such a rehashed topic. I guess that's what the search function is for. Also sorry for any offense caused (real or perceived). I just got a little defensive there after being insulted for asking a simple question.

You know what an insult is?

It's the price of helmets!! Helmets cost (where I live) over a 100 dollars sometimes. Granted there are a few ones for around 40, but C'mon!!! It's styrafoam and plastic with a few pieces of strap materail. If I had any buisness sense, capital, production capabilities, logistical planning capabilities, training, and time, I'd make my own!!

But they do overcharge for what you get. Shoot, it's almost enough to make me not want to buy one.. almost.

Although the issue is beat to death here are my feelings on wearing a helmet. I wear one all the time, I don't believe it will be much help in a serious accident, it may prevent scratches if I were to fall over or crash at a very slow speed. I wear one for two reasons, the least important being, the helmet has air tunnels that actually cool my head, the most important reason is the children. When I'm riding on my flashy, high tech bike, wearing a good fitting jersey, shorts and shoes. I look like a cyclist, The children in their yards and along the roads see me and notice me, they ride bicycles and tricycles. They have undeveloped bone structure that will benifit from the protection of a helmet if they were to tople over. I have been told a number of times by parents that it's easier to explain to a child that wearing a helmet is benefitial and the right thing to do and is part of riding a bike. I ride responsibly and try to set an example for the up and comming cyclist to wear the proper gear, ride responsibly, enjoy the sport and live to tell about it.
Oh and it keeps the sun off the bald spot.

Aplogies if people took my Dirty Harry quote as a cheap insult.
Im a pretty competant rider. I know all the usual dangers to avoid and most of the unusual ones. I dont just fall off, and in my 30 years riding I have had 1 self inflicted crash, a couple of scary moments and 1 car-inflicted crash. The worst injury was a grazed knee.
Still, I am aware that sometimes things just go wrong. When several things go wrong together you just got unlucky and are probably going to crash. A helmet may help in some cases to reduce life-changing injuries.

A lot of safety advocates put helmets at the top of the cycling agenda. I put them at the bottom, quite literarally your last resort after everything else hs failed to protect you.

mmm, try shopping for car helmets :)

At the moment, I'm putting a 6 point roll cage and 4 point harnesses into my car. That should give you an idea of my views on safety. I put my seatbelt on whether i'm driving 50 miles or 50 inches.

A helmet is definately a good idea, and a good one won't be uncomfortable.

Btw, for anyone that thinks i'm crazy for putting all that into my car, I drive a 240sx and i'm hoping to get into track racing, so I do have a reason for it :D

I guess a helmet would be a good thing, especially when you read about those who's life they've saved, I don't wear one right now, sweat and aggravation are my rationalization for not wearing one at the moment, I'll need to look into these expensive ones that fit better and are cooler temperature wise as I'm not that vain that I don't wear it because of the ~Cool~ factor.

BUT, if you don't ride in heavy traffic and are very careful and don't take chances I don't see the immediate need for wearing one...in my riding career, not a racer, I've taken a couple of tumbles, turned a complete somersault in the air once trying to get back onto the highway, hit the ashpalt that had built up into a curb and the front tire sort of halted my motion forward...the feet strapped in the pedals made for me to ride that pony to the ground but my head came no where near getting a beating in that, shoulders and legs took the brunt. Now I ride with toe clips that are strapless that allow me to quickly dismount if need be, I know...I can't lift with it but I do some amount of pulling with that style.

I'll need to evaluate this more, I think the thing that also has me not running out and getting a helmet right away is the way our Safety department at work reigns down on the people all in the Safe Name of Safety, it truly leaves no room for discussion, you just adhere or you're in deep trouble, there are places for safety gear and places that are over kill...

One thing I noticed is that during the Tour De France you'll see a lot of the riders not wearing helmets all the time, now THERE would seem to me to be a HIGHLY LIKELY place of wrecks to occur and you know these guys have ridden a few miles in their lifetime...

Sorry for the long rant but I am getting more and more into the healthy aspect of riding, building stamina and endurance and things like the helmet battle does nag at me, I've read that other thread and glad to hear that lady Sandra took advantage of wearing the helmet and possibly saved her life, Hind sight is almost always 20/20 vision...

Off to ponder, thanks for the thoughts guys/gals,
G2

I young and just started biking & I wear one ALL THE TIME. It's not about looking cool or anything. I just rather be safe than sorry.

The positives of a helmet definitely out-weighs the negitives.

Another thing, I think the #1 reason why people don't wear one is because they think they will feel uncomfortable and and hot. Someone mentioned about large vents in helmets nowadays, and it is true. I got used to my helmet just after a week of riding. After it's on my head for 3 minutes, I don't even feel it anymore.

Do it for yourself, do it for the people you love. :beer:

If I had been unlucky, and had not been wearing a helmet, the doc says I would have lived. With luck, and no helmet, May 17, 2002 would have been on my tombstone as the end date. But I'm here, posting this and have a helmet in more than ten pieces--it does its job.

I have seen many rationalization on this thread about not wearing a helmet, about competencies, about sweat, etc. But rationalizations will not bring back life. That's what my helmet has done for me. I still have it in my garage, pieced back together so people can see the impact it took, and I can tell them that I'm here because it is in pieces.

Thanks Giro!

And just remember, if and when that accident does come, you may not know--may never know for sure what happened or why.

John

you can buy a helmet for as little as $12. Helmets are like bikes, you can spend as much or little as you want. Fortunately, with the ANSI/SNELL regulations, a $12 helmet maybe nearly as good as a $50 one.

For the record I have hair down to the middle of my back and live in FL. If a helmet is going to bother anyone by being too hot or sweaty it's gonna be me. But strangly enough it doesn't bother me in the slightest. in fact the directed ventilation is a very nice touch and the brow pad keeps the sweat out of my eyes very well. SKID LID = GOOD CRACKED BRAINCASE = BAD

Sweet, man. I also have a 240SX and am buying a 350Z come September. I have plans to turn one into a track car eventually. Preferrably the 240 since I spent way less money on it and the lighter weight is an advantage.

You guys auto-X? I was thinking about it too.

I'm with you on this one... heat shouldn't be an issue with helmets and I've got the same hair and live in the south too. I do wear one. I won't even sit in the saddle without it on. Although I've never really banged my head hard in the bike wrecks I've had, I splatted into the street a couple of weeks ago and noticed some scuff marks at various points around the helmet. Perhaps that accident could have been worse had it not been for the helmet? I'd rather not take the chance of finding out.

Inches make all the difference in my non bike activities:

You can see why I think a roll cage is important.

Bikendrums, you have long hair?

Who knew?:D

rockcrawling in the TJ-cool. You need some more articulation! :D

I need longer front shocks, and there is a big wish for the Currie folks to come out with a rear version of the "anti rock".

Really, some people put to much in to articulation. You can build one with all kinds of articulation, but if you've got no downward presure on the axle (ie. from springs), what good is it?

Lockers, now there's the tickette. Now that I've got lockers, I don't spin much tire at all.

35's, flat skid, ARB's, works pretty well.

You have a TJ?

Another plus point for crash helmuts is the fact it gives Flies something to aim for other than my mouth:D . those vents can suck those beauties in like nothing else.

A good helmet protects also against the sun rays, as it has the visor.

It is also usually made from bright colored + reflective plastics, what makes you more noticeable to motorists.

One hears more and more about exposure to sun rays and resulting health problems. It means one has to wear a cap or hat anyway. So why not a bicycle helmet for that matter?

I could stick a yellow reflective stickers on my helmet and they hold there OK. Can you stick reflective stickers on a textile cap?

Let me put it another way. Imagine such a crazy situation, like one is to be hit on his head by a club, say, as punishment for some crime in an exotic country. One has a bike helmet and a textile bike cap to wear. Anything can be put on one's head. Tell me honestly, what would you wear? Or what is your guess - what Ken would put on in such a situation?

And what makes you so optimistic that a crash will not be similar to a hit with a cudgel on the head?

Update: I bought a helmet yesterday although it was for a different purpose than biking. I'm getting a freebord this week and I know that I'll be falling off of it alot. http://www.freeboard.com . It's a BMX helmet because I need a little more durability in minor crashes. I am trying it out on my commute today and it didn't seem too hot this morning. The afternoon ride will really be the benchmark, though.

like i always tell my 7 year old: because that is where you keep your brain. i've cracked two shells in all the years..... my limited thinking powers are intact for now.

always always always always always wear a helmet. even though you think you are a good cyclist stuff happens...

i.e. my front forks come APART while riding on a flat in the mountains.

or

i.e. your crank arms break while riding, you go down.

you just never know what can happen to you out there, better to be overly safe then to regert that you were not safe enough.

I’m pretty sure I’d be riding a wheelchair instead of a bike if I hadn’t worn a helmet for the last 12 years.