I am a new cyclist. Have a brand new Allez (Entry level) and a new helmet. I've got all of maybe 10 miles on my new bike, and 9.8 miles on my new helmet. I used to ride MTB, and never used a helmet. But, I mostly rode like a puss.

Patriot, I agree with you despite my own actions. The .2 miles I rode without a helmet made me feel as if I were flying like a bird!

My ultimate goal is to be wearing a helmet the few times I need it. The trick is the whole predicting the future part.....

Fear? Nah. If I was afraid, I wouldn't be riding my bike. Is it a precautionary move though? You bet. I wear one cycling, skateboarding and snowboarding (if I remember correctly, there is good evidence showing that helmets are working to prevent head injuries in snowboarding and skiing). How many times have I hit my head during any of these activities? Not a one.

With any luck, the helmets I wear will end up being completely useless, but you never know. It may not even be a life-threatening injury...maybe just a bump on the head/headache type injury that the helmet prevents. Who the hell knows?

Basically I just don't see any reason not to wear a helmet while cycling.

Patriot,

Do you have the same feelings about seatbelts?

Your daughter has a higher risk of brain injury and potentially death as a child not wearing a helmet. That's one subgroup where helmets actually do have a demonstrated benefit.

But it's OK--if she sustains a severe head injury you can tell her that at least she wasn't living in fear.

http://members.airsoftcanada.com/dig...sc/oh_snap.gif

At least Patriot is not afraid of seeing his child suffer a preventable injury. . .

Of course anecdotes do not prove anything, but a former chaplain at the university where I work crashed at low speeds while on a ride with his kids in North Carolina (a new job). He never woke again; his family moved him back here to a long-term care facility where he finally died. What are the chances I will be in a situation where the helmet will save my life? Probably not high, but it cost me very little to have that element of safety. And as the good doctor points out, helmet use has shown to be effective for kids. My kids see me wear my helmet to go down the driveway, they wear theirs all the time.

Patriot -- you are, of course, free to do as you wish. To quoth Maude Flanders, however, "think of the children."

Also just a quick thought experiment (or you can do an actual experiment). Have someone trip you when jogging 8MPH. You catch yourself with your hands, more than likely. Now clip in and do a low speed fall. Notice any difference in the mechanisms of the two falls?

One last point (saves me from doing actual work). We survived a lot of stuff when we were kids. A lot of kids, however, did not survive or got very sick from stuff in the good 'ol days. Why not prevent injuries that are easily preventable? You don't have to live in a bubble to be cautious.

And one more thing! Kid takes helmet off while on the bike, bike goes in the garage. Kid no longer tries to take off helmet.

My experience:
I've ridden more than 100,000 km in the last 10 years. Less than 10,000 with a helmet, I guess. In that time I had 3 'serious' falls (one of them being hit by a car at slow speed), two with a helmet, one without. Probably 5 or 6 minor ones, nearly all without a helmet. I hit my head on the ground a couple of times, both with and without a helmet. Never had a problem, I'm not in a vegetative state yet.
I think helmets are way overrated. they probably prevent bruises and rash, but I doubt that:
1) Cycling is so dangerous as to need wearing a helmet, or you're risking your life otherwise;
2) Helmets are as effective as their impartial and objective manufacturers claim.
That said, I'm not against helmets, if anybody wants to use them, it's ok with me. I just think they're not that important.

Hey Patriot,

http://www.snowdesign.com/fun/ouch-6.jpg

http://www.snowdesign.com/fun/ouch-5.jpg

http://www.snowdesign.com/fun/ouch-2.jpg

Good luck with that! :)

That's scary!
But would've a helmet prevented it?
We'll never know...

It wouldn't have prevented the accident but likely would have prevented the road rash on his scalp.

+1

A helmet may not save my life. But if it just saves me some road rash or stitches on my head it is worth it.

I do like ridin sans helmet sometimes too.

-D

Thats funny :lol:

Looks like he has a bad gash on his cheek, below the hair line.

The helmet would have prevented the two skull fractures, eight weeks out of work, and the vertigo so bad that I threw up from rolling over in bed.

But, hey, the wind in your hair! The feeling of freedom, and invulnerability!

Bogus argument. The more expensive one is lighter and better vented.

My helmetted head has kissed the ground twice. I'm a believer.

YOu missed the part about how his daughter doesn't wear one either.

I mean, even today, when I tilt my head in a certain direction and look up, the room spins so bad that I fall over, followed by nausea that makes me unable to eat for an hour afterwards. If I'm lucky, that part *may* eventually go away.

Like I said, good luck, man. :)

Only if they engaged in the same kind of cycling. If the helmet wearers ride 2000 km per year and the helmetless ones ride 100 km per year your argument fails.

Just curious,

What caused the accident?

yep, I'm a bad parent who should have the CPS take his kids away. :rolleyes:

I grew up never wearing a helmet apart from in a race sometimes. I did grow up in poor Europe.

When we were 17 a friend bumped his head and blacked out, he was ok and went home but he died the next day.

I crashed on some gravel/pave roads going about 10-15kmph, I had been riding for 5 or more hours. I only know this because my friends told me. I woke up in the hospital, with a bit of torn ear and fractured skull in 3 places (and collabone & ribs) and lots of missing skin. This was in Aug 2000, I blacked out from no food.

The choice is yours. I learnt from my mistakes. My kids always have a helmet on, it's the law in Australia anyway. I think it's less to do with "putting the fear in people" and more from seeing the results yourself.

i always use a helmet, i dont care if its not in style and i dont care if it does kill the mood. i have no use for kids or an immune disease right now.

why would your accountant take your daughter?