When biking for fun on the road do you wear a helmet? Explain why or why not you do.

I do wear a helmet because ive seen what a hit to the head can really do.

Helmet on, no matter how short the ride. It's just not worth the risk of getting blindsided by some stupid motorist as you're coming off your driveway.

Helmet, they are not that heavy/hot and my brain is worth more than whatever "nerd" points I get from wearing it...

We have a acronym on several motorcycle forums I use ... ATGATT -- All The Gear All The Time. Yep, helmet goes on EVERY single ride and always has since I knew what cycling really was.

all the time.

it's also the law depending on your age/location: https://www.bhsi.org/mandator.htm

Helmet always. Occasionaly I have taken it off mtn biking on steep long climbs... but always put it back on before heading downhill. Don't think I've ever taken it off on the road...

Ride with a helmet, make choices like you're not.

I always wear one now because I crashed on a tour as a kid and landed right on my head. Blacked out for I don't know how long. Next day, got a helmet.

I don't get this, your steep climbs are on a mountain of fluffy pillows? I saw a cadet rider in 1983 lose his balance while waiting for the race to start, fall down and hit his head - two weeks in coma- 0.0 mph.


I've hit my head twice in crashes, enough to damage the helmet, I'm ok, except that I think a lot of things taste like chicken.

ditto

My aunts, who know I'm intelligent, always ask me "Do you wear a helmet" I've become so annoyed with them asking that I've started to say things like, "no I ride with one hand and put the other hand on top of my head or no I wear a jewel bag with the handles around my ears."
Don't worry I'm not bashing you for asking because you don't know me and haven't already asked me 15 times like my aunts have.

well put

https://www.bikeforums.net/advocacy-safety/96298-helmets-cramp-my-style.html

(please)

don't wear a helmet.

Are you kidding? One crash could end your life. I know your saying it wont happen to me.
But it can.

I always wear a helmet. I want to save the mortician some work when I get hit by a car.

I guess you have nothing to protect.

I have fallen and broke my helmet...I can't really remember what happened...

You must be the guy my kids see once in a while. They just refer to him as the Organ Donor.

I have been in a accident and my partner was in a accident. Both with cars and I believe a helmet is necessary. Wear it, not wearing one is dumb.

RacingPain

moesch, your signature is helmet-less...

I don't get this, why do you even ask the helmet question if all that anyone is goiing to do is flame someone who says they don't wear one. Why don't you all just start a thread with the title, "Cyclists that don't wear helmets are morons and I hate them." There is no desire for discussion in these helmet threads, only trolling for an excuse to nanny someone and preach.

Yes, I wear a helmet all the time, but it's no one's business if I did not wear one.

If you choose not to wear one, statistically you are still more than likely to have a long healthy life. I'd guess longer than if you didn't cycle at all! Personally I didn't ride with a helmet accept to race (a leather hairnet then) until the early 1990's and still take it off for long hot climbs unless local law says otherwise... I'll accept what I feel is absolutely minimal risk. Oddly, everyone I know who was cycling at that time is still alive. Same with skiing. That said, risk mitigation is your choice. Helmets help, but they aren't a personal force field and don't do much for high speed impacts with immovable objects or protect your legs/spine/neck/face/teeth/internal organs. That's where the "make choices like you're not" comes from.

Helmet, always!!

I used to sometimes think about not wearing it for a short ride.....until I had a totally unexpected crash not even involving a car.

I was riding sidewalk to boogy over to trail head and some people got in my way....to avoid them I went off sidewalk and got tire caught in rut...wasn't going fast enough (slowed down for the people) to break out of the rut and fell sideways right into a wooden realestate sign, right on my head.

Not a major fall, but surely would have cut my head and given me at least a minor concussion had I not worn my helmet. Even with helmet, I had pain for a few days.

I vote yes for the helmet. My cousin died when he was eight because he did not wear a helmet - he was struck by a car and helmet could have helped because he died of massive brain swelling and hemorrhaging. This was before the NJ helmet law for kids under 14. I was a kid then too, and the day after he died my Dad took us kids out and bought us all helmets. Several years later my brother made a BAD choice while riding on our road and was also hit by a car, but he was wearing a helmet. He still had to have reconstructive plastic surgery on his nose since he hit face first. AND, once when I was riding with my Dad, his tire slipped on a patch of sand and he went down and his helmeted head bounced off the curb. Thank goodness for the helmet!

Ok, this is making me scared to go back and ride, with the family history. Anyway, wear your helmet! Protect your melon!

Hey! I didn't sign the back of my license so they better not take my organs! If i can't have them then no one can! muhahahaha