How often do you wear your helmet?

[ANAO]

Nice article, nicer picture:

http://www.bicycling.com/rides/safety-etiquette/how-often-do-you-wear-your-bike-helmet?cid=soc_BICYCLING%20magazine%20-%20bicyclingmag_FBPAGE_Bicycling__

http://www.bicycling.com/sites/bicycling.com/files/articles/2016/05/bill-strickland.jpg

[guido]

100%

[redir]

Only when I have to which means bike races or organized rides. Essentially I wear one when I ride with others but not when I go solo. I always wear one mountain biking too.

[AngryScientist]

generally speaking, if i have the rest of the roadie costume on: bibs and jersey, i wear a helmet. in street clothes, no helmet.

[velomonkey]

Nice article, nicer picture:



If that dude fell over and split his head open - I would cry.

I would cry because something so beautiful and something that other people clearly put time and effort into was harmed and marked - probably permanently. Sure you could maybe mend it and fix it with time and the help of others, but under all that you'd know - you would know it's never going to the same.

Then I'd go over and kick the guy in the head - just to make sure he suffered. A damaged speedvagen is fine, a damaged speedvagen because of blantent neglect is NEVER ok.

[fuzzalow]

Commuting in town on the Brompton? 0%.
Laps in Central Park on the Eriksen? 0%.
9W or anywhere other than above with the Eriksen on the open road? 100%.
Anywhere other than above with the Brompton on the open road? 0%.

[velomonkey]

Laps in Central Park on the Eriksen? 0%.


That surprises me. The time I spent in NYC a few years ago I had my helmet on during laps in Central Park. One for the traffic in the park and two for getting to and from the park.

Still, some dude on your eriksen with no helmet - I would begrudgingly think you were cool. But I wouldn't say so!!!!

[druptight]

Personally, 100%. No judgement though, and if I were this guy, I would have absolutely laid into DUI guy who was questioning my helmet choice.

[bpm]

I wear my helmet every time I get on my bike. I have two daughters and I have always told them they need to wear their helmets whenever they are on their bikes, no exceptions. I got on my bike one day to go around the block and with my girls and forgot to put my helmet on and my younger daughter (5 at the time) called me on it. She said that if she needs to wear one, so do I, and we weren't leaving until I put it on. It reinforced in me how I need to teach by example.

[charliedid]

Most of the time

[thwart]

100%.

Google frontal lobe syndrome.

[superbowlpats]

100%

This x1000

[JAGI410]

95%. The 5% I don't is when I'm test riding newly built bikes in the shop parking lot. If I'm testing my own bikes at home I will wear a helmet in my own driveway.

[tumbler]

99%. I occasionally go without when I take the Brompton 3 blocks over to get my hair cut (usually mid-day, neighborhood type traffic, and a bike lane, so I don't worry too much). Pretty much anything else is helmeted.

[RFC]

Always. It has save my head many times in too many wrecks.

[shovelhd]

100%. Too many concussions.

[fuzzalow]

That surprises me. The time I spent in NYC a few years ago I had my helmet on during laps in Central Park. One for the traffic in the park and two for getting to and from the park.

Still, some dude on your eriksen with no helmet - I would begrudgingly think you were cool. But I wouldn't say so!!!!

HaHa, you are too kind, the last person that qualifies as cool would be me. I will say this however, is that some of the Central Park veterans recognize my EuroPro riding style and glancingly acknowledged that - albeit well short of giving props which in the cool of NYC is simply not done.

Perfectly understandable your stance on NYC & the Park. In high season the Park is an overload of craziness - the solution is to just slow down.

And the truth is that if I hadda ride the Eriksen in town traffic for anything other than getting to and from the Park, I'd wear a helmet. Buy I'd never willingly ride an Eriksen over a Brompton in traffic - the tiny wheels give the Brompton a maneuverability and a tight turning radius that for Manhattan gridlock cannot be beat.

[Germany_chris]

Only when required

[makoti]

Only when I'm on a bike. Around the house, never.

[thegunner]

HaHa, you are too kind, the last person that qualifies as cool would be me. I will say this however, is that some of the Central Park veterans recognize my EuroPro riding style and glancingly acknowledged that - albeit well short of giving props which in the cool of NYC is simply not done.

i would totally give you props, but i've also never seen your gorgeous eriksen in the park :(

[OtayBW]

Cracked the helmet clean through in 3 places several years ago and would have been drinking my nutritional yeast gravy out of a straw right now had I not worn a helmet. Every ride....

[parris]

Every time I'm on the bike.

[bobswire]

Most of the time unless I go Dutch.

[RowanB]

100%. If I forget it, something feels off straight away. This probably comes from growing up in a country where helmet use is compulsory (if rarely enforced).

[oldpotatoe]

My wife made me a deal, if I'm gonna mess with bikes, the $, time, etc w/o examination, gotta wear a helmet. However if I was single, I'd wear one only if riding in a group. I've had a bunch of them, expensive, light, cool but it just feels Better without one. And yes, had a few really bad crashes. Hit from behind, concussion from face hitting windshield, out for 15 minutes, no memory for about 40 hours after crash BUT Doc said might have broken neck with helmet(face into windshield, resulting angle) Burst fracture L1,3, cracked C3..so ymmv.

[Neves]

99.99% of the time if you see me on a bike you will see a helmet on my head. Having wrecked enough to break my collar bone several has taught me that my bike handling skills aren't always on point. I also try and be a good example to my daughter and the other kids on my street.

[witcombusa]

mtb use, fixed gear, organized rides that require it.
the other 95% I'm doing
rides from my home, never.

[CSKeller]

I wear my helmets anytime I'm on my bicycles or motorcycle.

My face ain't pretty but I still value the grey matter inside. I don't want to end up a vegetable in a freak fall while riding so I wear my helmet to help prevent that.

It's all about enjoying your life while mitigating risks. You don't work on electricity while standing in water, you don't smoke when the mountains of evidence say it's hazardous to your health.

It is crazy to see the hundred of motorcycles here that refuse to wear a helmet, even good friends. I don't judge...just pray that they stay safe...

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/pedestrians-and-bicyclists/fatalityfacts/bicycles

[berserk87]

Every ride.

I have smashed 3 of them due to crashes over the years. Two while racing and one while just lallygagging around in a park after a strong rain. There was a lot of debris on the road (leaves, twigs) and I hit something that made my front wheel go sideways. Next thing I knew, I was skidding on pavement on my face. The front of my helmet was crushed and I had a front tooth ground down a bit, but it could have been worse.

My niece (who is 20) crashed on her bike this weekend. She split her forehead open and had to have stitches. No helmet, of course.

[bicycletricycle]

I don't have a helmet

[FlashUNC]

All the time sadly. There may be some rare instances where I'm not, but those are exceedingly rare.

[Mzilliox]

always. you cats who choose not to wear for cool reasons are foolish.

thats as plain as i can put it.

[dgauthier]

100%

[Lewis Moon]

A man should never gamble more than he can stand to lose. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT6l7TZuibk)

100%

[benb]

Pretty much all the time other than trainer & 2mph spin around the driveway after doing maintenance.

It only takes a sample size n=1 to prove you wrong if you don't wear a helmet, the statistics don't really matter.

[Ralph]

100%. Especially when I've seen statistics that say most deaths occur without helmets and within 45 feet of your driveway on casual rides. The rides that are most deadly are the ones most don't feel the need for a helmet.

[Black Dog]

Only when on the bike. For safety mostly, but I also have young kids and I set the examples that I expect them to follow. Do as I do and all that.

[Mark McM]

100%. Especially when I've seen statistics that say most deaths occur without helmets and within 45 feet of your driveway on casual rides. The rides that are most deadly are the ones most don't feel the need for a helmet.

What's the source of these statistics? I've never seen anything that breaks down cycling deaths (with or without helmets) this finely.

[Mark McM]

Only when I'm on a bike. Around the house, never.

Not me. Statistics show that slip and falls, at or near the home, are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury. So I always wear a helmet around the house. Anyone who doesn't is just foolish.

[Ralph]

What's the source of these statistics? I've never seen anything that breaks down cycling deaths (with or without helmets) this finely.

Gotta think about where I saw this. Maybe in a Florida Freewheeler News Letter....article about bike safety from the LAW (League of American Bicyclists) or Florida Bicycle Association.

[oldpotatoe]

not me. Statistics show that slip and falls, at or near the home, are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury. So i always wear a helmet around the house. Anyone who doesn't is just foolish.

:d

[mcteague]

Not me. Statistics show that slip and falls, at or near the home, are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury. So I always wear a helmet around the house. Anyone who doesn't is just foolish.

And, I'm sure driving would be much safer if we wore full coverage helmets there as well. I do wear a bike helmet 100% of the time but am not kidding myself as to how much it will protect me. They do little to stop concussions and mostly help keeping your skull in tact, not a bad thing that.


Tim

[soulspinner]

100%.

Google frontal lobe syndrome.

and this is why u wear it every time. it only takes one time out of thousands of rides...

[rwerkudara]

Road/CX bike: 100%
CitiBike: 0%

[estilley]

100%.

Feel naked without one.

[redir]

I wear one when I take a post ride shower, just in case.

[purpurite]

I wear my helmet every time I get on my bike. I have two daughters and I have always told them they need to wear their helmets whenever they are on their bikes, no exceptions. I need to teach by example.

This. 100%, always, no matter where I'm riding.


I got to work this morning and was heading up to my second story office, and reached up to unbuckle my helmet. I realized that walking up a flight of stairs with my SPDs on and a 19 pound bike over my shoulder was probably one of the worst times ti take off my lid. Chances are I will need my head protected from a staircase fall more than anywhere else (long story, broken knee), but I did keep it on just in case.




Do any of you guys not wear seatbelts when you're in a car?

[beeatnik]

If that dude fell over and split his head open - I would cry.

I would cry because something so beautiful and something that other people clearly put time and effort into was harmed and marked - probably permanently. Sure you could maybe mend it and fix it with time and the help of others, but under all that you'd know - you would know it's never going to the same.

Then I'd go over and kick the guy in the head - just to make sure he suffered. A damaged speedvagen is fine, a damaged speedvagen because of blantent neglect is NEVER ok.

Some dudes don't deserve free bikas.

VM, check out this pic of Local Legend Bill on his late 80s Spectrum. I took it yesterday as we were following ATOC up the steepest climb of the stage. Bill is one of 2 or 3 San Gabriel Valley cats who can get away with not wearing a helmet at The World Famous Rose Bowl or World Famous Montrose. Interestingly enough, he'll show up wearing a helmet a few times yearly. Wonder what his calculus is. Anyhoo, he's a mountain biker and rad descender.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/27073804075_9ef65bbaa3_b.jpg

[gdw]

I believe that I sometimes wear one but can't remember for certain ......

[paredown]

I kind of agree with the guy in the article--not wearing a helmet while riding a townie or generally knocking about does kind of 'normalize' riding a bike, which I think was also the point of that TED talk--in places like Holland people think nothing about riding without a helmet.

Cycling then is a bit more like walking--'hey I need to get to the coffee shop, I'll take my bike'.

And yet--my inclination is to think that in the US, drivers (and pedestrians) are less aware, the traffic where you are likely to ride is typically moving faster, the streetscape is less bike friendly etc, so that a sensible person reaches for their helmet.

I am of two minds though--I raced in the 'hairnet' days--and even when required we typically took them off as soon as we cleared the start zone--I do miss that feeling of bare-headed riding...

[charliedid]

I wear one when I take a post ride shower, just in case.

smart

[SpokeValley]

100% without fail. I've been (and Mrs Valley, too) saved too many times by my brain bucket.

[choke]

0.000% of the time.

[saab2000]

I've been admonished, sometimes not too nicely, for getting on my bike to ride up and down the street to check the shifting or something without putting it on. I asked what the problem was and I've always been told that their child might see me or that someone else might see me.

Seriously, I'm not the role model for someone's child and the nanny state of this kind of stuff blows me away. Absolute safety doesn't exist and putting on a helmet every time we look at our bike doesn't make us safer.

I'm really bothered with someone tells me to put on my helmet.

FWIW, I wear one nearly 100% of the time nowadays. But not absolutely 100% of the time.

[DRZRM]

I always wear one. Forgot on my commute once this year, went back home...though I rode, I didn't walk pushing my bike. That's what a hardcore helmet zelot would do.

[carpediemracing]

99.9% outside.

When USCF passed a rule about helmets (effective 1986) I made a deal with my mom. She'd buy me an approved helmet and I'd wear it every time I rode. I think I did 2 training rides without a helmet since then; except for those rides I have worn a helmet every time I trained.

When I worked in / owned a shop I would test ride bikes briefly without a helmet, sometimes. And a couple years ago I fixed some Junior's bike and test rode it about 50 yards without a helmet on (I'm counting that as my 0.1% "no helmet" in recent times).

I've had at least two pretty good concussions. One got me an ambulance ride. I've broken 7? 9? helmets. I've saved most but the ones that ended up a bazillion pieces I had nothing left to save, just straps.

I've seen some pretty bad head injury falls even with helmets on. One death. A least one permanent brain injury. A couple that took half a year or so before the rider could ride outside again. That's all in the last 5 years, I'm sure there were more injuries before that but I don't remember.

The weird one was the death. It was a super innocuous fall, basically a topple in the low 20 mph range. If it were a bit different he may not have even lost skin, maybe just skimmed a bunch of cleat off his shoe, but things were perfectly wrong. Very good helmet, properly secured. Guy died about 15 hours after the fall, never regained consciousness.

EMTs talk about "LOC", loss of consciousness. You have a LOC and it's bad news, no matter how brief. As far as I know I never had a LOC. I've seen guys where they had LOC. When they came to they have no idea where they were, what day it was, trying to get up with broken bones, etc.

Head injuries are terrible.

[christian]

Road bike: 95%
Mountain bike: 100%
Tandem with my daughter: 200%
Citibike: 0%

But I'm not militant about it. Relative to all risks in life, riding a bike is still pretty darn safe.

[sandyrs]

100% of the time when riding for "recreation" (anything that isn't commuting to work or riding around town).

99% when riding to work (my commute is 1.5 miles) or around town. If I forget my helmet I won't go back for it but that is exceedingly rare.

[downtube]

100%, to me it is the same as a seat belt. It is there, why wouldn't I use it.

[Tandem Rider]

Mountain Bike 100%
Tandem 100%
Road, well, depends. Groups, unknown companions, ice, etc, I wear it then. Solo or 1-2 trusted riders, hat. 50-75% of my rides are solo.

[CSKeller]

You may have seen this study that says drivers give cyclists without helmets more passing room.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/strange-but-true-helmets-attract-cars-to-cyclists/

http://www.bhsi.org/walkerstudy.htm

[biker72]

100% of the time I'm on my bike.

[fuzzalow]

i would totally give you props, but i've also never seen your gorgeous eriksen in the park :(

Dunno about up at the Runcible, which looks like an Amsterdam bike parking lot during riding season, but I have yet to see another Eriksen in the Park or in the wild in town.

As I get less and less riding time, I feel like I loose my 9W cred and rarely stray from the Park. I just don't have the form. But it matters less to me as I re-prioritize my time and the riding portion has gotta give - however can't beat the convenience of the Park.

I keep the weight off and stay in reasonable shape - nuthin' wrong with that. I ride the FTP I can manage and I don't care what it is. Because I don't train anymore, I just ride.

Do any of you guys not wear seatbelts when you're in a car?

HaHa! I wear a seatbelt in a NYC yellow taxicab. I wear a seatbelt while riding car service in the back of a Lincoln Towncar. If they had seatbelts on seats in the subway I'd probably use 'em. Probably habits acquired from years of motorsports on the track and the resultant respect for speed.

[thwart]

You may have seen this study that says drivers give cyclists without helmets more passing room.

IIRC, the same thing has been shown with obviously unskilled cyclists, or those wearing street clothes...

And for the same reason: "hmmm... maybe they don't know what they're doing... I better move over".

;)

[chwupper]

HaHa! I wear a seatbelt in a NYC yellow taxicab. I wear a seatbelt while riding car service in the back of a Lincoln Towncar....

:banana:

When I was still married to my New Yorker ex-wife, I *always* put seatbelts on in yellow cabs.

If I'm riding up to the corner store to get a 6-pack, I often won't wear a helmet. But I get a very worried "BE CAREFUL" as I go out the door. Not for no reason -- an impatient motorist once rammed through an intersection on my street as I was going through (my right of way). I jumped off the bike just before it went under the front wheels of the car. Proud to say I stuck the landing.

[sashae]

100% stretchy clothes road riding
100% mountain biking
0% citibike/commuter bike

Of course the two times I've split helmets I've been riding in the city, once hitting a pothole and once getting doored... sooooo.

[R3awak3n]

100% all the time even on my commute. I have ****ed myself up more times on my commute than on any other ride (probability I guess since I commute every single day).

[mcteague]

Also, if a car hits you, their insurance company will bring up your lack of a helmet to somehow place the blame on you. A jury would most likely read that as the mark of a reckless cyclist.

Tim

[Bradford]

100% of the time I play hockey.
100% of the time I ski.
100% of the time I ride a bike.


I've broken two bike helmets in my life; had at least 4 or 5 big hits skiing (and one concussion before ski helmets); thousands of hits playing hockey. I'm not taking any chances.

[Dead Man]

Only when racing, or occasionally if I find myself on a group ride where someone else might take my front wheel out from under me. Headers are where helmets are gonna be useful, and unless a squirrel dives into your spokes, headers really only happen in group settings

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13012893_254088004934464_7248838190014554264_n.jpg ?oh=ec2ab1e90ffb74d809636cb459066923&oe=57A0656A


I don't try to convince anyone of anything, though. I ride with dudes who are 100% helmet, I ride with dudes who are 0% training helmet, and I ride with dudes who sometimes do, sometimes don't. Generally the only time it ever comes up is when I'm riding with a 100% helmet type for the first time... he'll ask, I'll explain why I don't, and that's the end of it.

[AngryScientist]

headers really only happen in group settings

.

as i mentioned, i ride frequently without a helmet, so i'm not a helmet nut, but the logic above is silly. i shattered my helmet on the roof of a car that right hooked me last year, riding alone, for example. i would also argue that you're much more likely to be hit by a car riding solo than with a group, and helmets definitely can help in collisions with motor vehicles.

[Matthew]

Every ride for me. After crashing at an old NORBA race I found stones imbedded in my lid. Thought damn, that would have been my melon those were stuck in. Ouch. Always wear mine now, road or off road. Matthew

[redir]

Aw... poor little squirrel :(

[bobswire]

http://i66.tinypic.com/2db3yvr.jpg

[batman1425]

If I'm on the bike, my helmet is on. Only get one brain and you don't have to crash at high speed to sustain a major head injury. Risk isn't worth it in any circumstance IMO.

[93legendti]

100% of the time. I fell off my bike when I was 6 and split my head open. Stitches to the scalp suck.

[Seramount]

never leave on the bike without a lid...

have tried crashing with a helmet and without one.

sucks more without...

[19wisconsin64]

i'm dum enough already

[Bob Ross]

This thread would've been awesome if it had a poll.

[Dead Man]

I wear my helmets anytime I'm on my bicycles or motorcycle.

My face ain't pretty but I still value the grey matter inside. I don't want to end up a vegetable in a freak fall while riding so I wear my helmet to help prevent that.

It's all about enjoying your life while mitigating risks. You don't work on electricity while standing in water, you don't smoke when the mountains of evidence say it's hazardous to your health.

It is crazy to see the hundred of motorcycles here that refuse to wear a helmet, even good friends. I don't judge...just pray that they stay safe...

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/pedestrians-and-bicyclists/fatalityfacts/bicycles

always. you cats who choose not to wear for cool reasons are foolish.

thats as plain as i can put it.

A man should never gamble more than he can stand to lose. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT6l7TZuibk)

100%

Pretty much all the time other than trainer & 2mph spin around the driveway after doing maintenance.

It only takes a sample size n=1 to prove you wrong if you don't wear a helmet, the statistics don't really matter.

Only when on the bike. For safety mostly, but I also have young kids and I set the examples that I expect them to follow. Do as I do and all that.

and this is why u wear it every time. it only takes one time out of thousands of rides...

100% without fail. I've been (and Mrs Valley, too) saved too many times by my brain bucket.

If I'm on the bike, my helmet is on. Only get one brain and you don't have to crash at high speed to sustain a major head injury. Risk isn't worth it in any circumstance IMO.


This last one especially.... "Risk isn't worth it in any circumstance." Everyone I've ever known to die or be seriously ****ed up in a bike crash was wearing a helmet... the helmet just isn't nearly what all you gents seem to be making it out to be. Sounds like you're putting WAY too much stock in how much safety the helmet offers.... it's a 240g shell of packing foam with a thin skin of polycarbinate. They're rated at 7 and 14mph, and built to be as light as possible while still meeting the minimum guidelines.

There's tons of scenarios where a helmet would be super useful. But I think the range, relative to all possibilities for crashes on bikes, is really narrow. Crash with an impact speed exceeding the helmet's rating, and no - I don't believe it's going to be the least bit beneficial.

Like I said, I'll never try to convince anyone not to wear a helmet. But I'll definitely challenge this view that wearing a helmet is somehow eliminating the above-referenced "risk." No... no it's not. If you get hit by a car and get your head smashed, you're still probably going to die/TBI. If you crash bad and hit your head in the mountains at 30, 40, 50mph, you're still probably going to die/TBI. If you take a header because you overlap wheels with the guy in front and he veers to blow a snot-rocket at 25mph in the paceline and you come straight down on your head, you're still probably going to die/TBI.

Etc.

Helmet doesn't eliminate any risk. It might mitigate it in some situations... but the risk is still there, just as much as ever.

I've never hit my head while wearing a helmet. I have hit my head while not wearing a helmet (both fairly recently, too)... I was fine. Little headache, no concussion, no fractures, not even road rash. No injury at all the first time, but had a lump on the side of my head the second time. If I'd been wearing a helmet ($250 chunk of compliance foam) either time, I'm sure it would have been obliterated... and if I'd been wearing a helmet, that would mean I am someone who wears helmets, and therefor someone who believes in helmets, and probably would have posted a pic and been all "look at this! It's destroyed, so it saved my life!" Ah, no. Trashed helmet just illustrates how crappy those things are... not how much safer they keep you.

:)

[wpod]

I only ride with a helmet for road, mtb and moto.

[Llewellyn]

Every time I get on the bike - it's the law down here.

[Jeff N.]

Always. Absolutely.

[regularguy412]

In the approx. 30 years or so of riding I've done, I've only forgotten to wear my helmet on two occasions. Once I was just out of the driveway and went back and got it. The other I was half way around a 30 mile loop, so it didn't make sense to go back. Other than that, 100% of the time.

I've used up a couple over the years and am darn glad I had'em on at the time.

Mike in AR:beer:

[berserk87]

i...f you get hit by a car and get your head smashed, you're still probably going to die/TBI. If you crash bad and hit your head in the mountains at 30, 40, 50mph, you're still probably going to die/TBI. If you take a header because you overlap wheels with the guy in front and he veers to blow a snot-rocket at 25mph in the paceline and you come straight down on your head, you're still probably going to die/TBI.

Etc.

Helmet doesn't eliminate any risk. It might mitigate it in some situations... but the risk is still there, just as much as ever.

I've never hit my head while wearing a helmet. I have hit my head while not wearing a helmet (both fairly recently, too)... I was fine. Little headache, no concussion, no fractures, not even road rash. No injury at all the first time, but had a lump on the side of my head the second time. If I'd been wearing a helmet ($250 chunk of compliance foam) either time, I'm sure it would have been obliterated... and if I'd been wearing a helmet, that would mean I am someone who wears helmets, and therefor someone who believes in helmets, and probably would have posted a pic and been all "look at this! It's destroyed, so it saved my life!" Ah, no. Trashed helmet just illustrates how crappy those things are... not how much safer they keep you.

:)

OK - I don't mean this in a rude way - this is just plain wrong.

My most recent example of this was a team mate of mine that crashed into a car last August. He is a newer rider was behind us on a group ride. He had gotten dropped a bit and was going too fast to try and catch the group. We had slowed to about 15mph through a downhill right hand 90 degree curve. We thought the guy saw us slow for the curve. I yelled and gave a hand signal before the curve. We even warned him about it about a mile beforehand.

He passed another rider that was in the gap between, doing about 32 mph as he did so, and rode straight through the curve (i.e. he never made the right hand bend) and into the side of an SUV going the opposite direction.

We thought he had died. He was face down in a pool of blood on the ground afterward, not breathing for a few seconds. His teeth, roots and all, were lying on the ground around him. He had to be lifelined via helicopter to a hospital.

His was the most ruined helmet that I have ever seen. It was really deformed. At first I thought his head was deformed in the same manner. He fractured many, many bones in his face - pallette, orbital wall and floor blowouts, jaw (upper and lower), broken teeth, cheekbones, among them.

No brain injury other than concussion, and his head took a severe amount of impact based on the helmet. No fractures above the eye socket level either.

Plus my own experience of going down unexpectedly upon hitting something on a wet, leaf-ridden road - there was no group ride - only doing about 19mph. Smashed the front of my helmet, lost a bit of a tooth and had road rash on my face - but no injury to my skull.

A lot of motorcyclists take the attitude that if they get into an accident, they will be killed outright, so a helmet will not help. I used to handle injury claims for motorcycle accidents. What folks don't see is the risk of traumatic brain injury (via skull fracture, brain bleeding etc) which would cause the body to survive but the person to be a vegetable or severely impaired. The don't see the burden that they will potentially put on their wives, parents and children, who have to care for their helmet-less arses for the rest of their lives. Acute brain injury victims are often not self-sufficient afterward. A broken arm, or broken leg? That's usually temporary, and even if it does result in some impairment, it's rare that the injury would require full-time care for life.

So that's why helmets matter. They can't save everyone in every situation - nothing will. But they are a cheap and easy means of mitigating the odds. And with a head injury and impairment, you don't just impact yourself, but your family and loved ones. Your most vital organ is in your skull. There is no other body part so important.

[earlfoss]

I used to not wear a helmet. I wear one more often than I don't these days. No particular reason. I don't act like a self-righteous a$$ and yap at people not wearing them. Their choice.

[miguel]

100%

I've been hit by cars

And I've seen someone take a header into a guardrail wearing a helmet and have the ambulance take him away

If you have any arguments about not wearing a helmet you are wrong.

[thwart]

OK - I don't mean this in a rude way - this is just plain wrong.

My most recent example of this was a team mate of mine that crashed into a car last August. He is a newer rider was behind us on a group ride. He had gotten dropped a bit and was going too fast to try and catch the group. We had slowed to about 15mph through a downhill right hand 90 degree curve. We thought the guy saw us slow for the curve. I yelled and gave a hand signal before the curve. We even warned him about it about a mile beforehand.

He passed another rider that was in the gap between, doing about 32 mph as he did so, and rode straight through the curve (i.e. he never made the right hand bend) and into the side of an SUV going the opposite direction.

We thought he had died. He was face down in a pool of blood on the ground afterward, not breathing for a few seconds. His teeth, roots and all, were lying on the ground around him. He had to be lifelined via helicopter to a hospital.

His was the most ruined helmet that I have ever seen. It was really deformed. At first I thought his head was deformed in the same manner. He fractured many, many bones in his face - pallette, orbital wall and floor blowouts, jaw (upper and lower), broken teeth, cheekbones, among them.

No brain injury other than concussion, and his head took a severe amount of impact based on the helmet. No fractures above the eye socket level either.

Plus my own experience of going down unexpectedly upon hitting something on a wet, leaf-ridden road - there was no group ride - only doing about 19mph. Smashed the front of my helmet, lost a bit of a tooth and had road rash on my face - but no injury to my skull.

A lot of motorcyclists take the attitude that if they get into an accident, they will be killed outright, so a helmet will not help. I used to handle injury claims for motorcycle accidents. What folks don't see is the risk of traumatic brain injury (via skull fracture, brain bleeding etc) which would cause the body to survive but the person to be a vegetable or severely impaired. The don't see the burden that they will potentially put on their wives, parents and children, who have to care for their helmet-less arses for the rest of their lives. Acute brain injury victims are often not self-sufficient afterward. A broken arm, or broken leg? That's usually temporary, and even if it does result in some impairment, it's rare that the injury would require full-time care for life.

So that's why helmets matter. They can't save everyone in every situation - nothing will. But they are a cheap and easy means of mitigating the odds. And with a head injury and impairment, you don't just impact yourself, but your family and loved ones. Your most vital organ is in your skull. There is no other body part so important.
Well said.

[Mzilliox]

This last one especially.... "Risk isn't worth it in any circumstance." Everyone I've ever known to die or be seriously ****ed up in a bike crash was wearing a helmet... the helmet just isn't nearly what all you gents seem to be making it out to be. Sounds like you're putting WAY too much stock in how much safety the helmet offers.... it's a 240g shell of packing foam with a thin skin of polycarbinate. They're rated at 7 and 14mph, and built to be as light as possible while still meeting the minimum guidelines.

There's tons of scenarios where a helmet would be super useful. But I think the range, relative to all possibilities for crashes on bikes, is really narrow. Crash with an impact speed exceeding the helmet's rating, and no - I don't believe it's going to be the least bit beneficial.

Like I said, I'll never try to convince anyone not to wear a helmet. But I'll definitely challenge this view that wearing a helmet is somehow eliminating the above-referenced "risk." No... no it's not. If you get hit by a car and get your head smashed, you're still probably going to die/TBI. If you crash bad and hit your head in the mountains at 30, 40, 50mph, you're still probably going to die/TBI. If you take a header because you overlap wheels with the guy in front and he veers to blow a snot-rocket at 25mph in the paceline and you come straight down on your head, you're still probably going to die/TBI.

Etc.

Helmet doesn't eliminate any risk. It might mitigate it in some situations... but the risk is still there, just as much as ever.

I've never hit my head while wearing a helmet. I have hit my head while not wearing a helmet (both fairly recently, too)... I was fine. Little headache, no concussion, no fractures, not even road rash. No injury at all the first time, but had a lump on the side of my head the second time. If I'd been wearing a helmet ($250 chunk of compliance foam) either time, I'm sure it would have been obliterated... and if I'd been wearing a helmet, that would mean I am someone who wears helmets, and therefor someone who believes in helmets, and probably would have posted a pic and been all "look at this! It's destroyed, so it saved my life!" Ah, no. Trashed helmet just illustrates how crappy those things are... not how much safer they keep you.

:)

No way you really believe this? If you have watched a bike race you have seen cyclists (really damn fast ones) with helmets crash and survive. I mean it actually happens in real life, we aren't just dwelling in your imagination here.

As a fellow cyclist I'll say this once then let you continue doing whatever you want. I don't read about this stuff or hear it on the news. I am married to a person who lives it daily. My cyclist wife is a surgeon who often works in the ER. I'm not going to give examples, they are disgusting. But i will tell you your thoughts about a helmet are dead wrong. Period. If not for you then for society and your family. End rant

[chwupper]

Do you Madison guys remember this one?

http://www.nbc15.com/news/headlines/7503012.html

Truck runs over cyclist's head. Helmet trashed, head basically fine. They do work.

[R3awak3n]

helmets do work. They are not a miracle but they sometimes can be the difference btw life and death (or becoming a vegetable which is probably worse than death).

There are multiple cases that prove this and obviously they have tested helmets.

If you don't want to wear one, then don't that is your problem though. I always recommend using one, even when you are just going around the block... most accidents actually happened close to your home.

[redir]

the helmet just isn't nearly what all you gents seem to be making it out to be. Sounds like you're putting WAY too much stock in how much safety the helmet offers.... it's a 240g shell of packing foam with a thin skin of polycarbinate. They're rated at 7 and 14mph, and built to be as light as possible while still meeting the minimum guidelines.


:)

I dropped mine once and it broke. Literally. I dropped it from about 4ft and it broke and it was a very expensive supposedly good helmet.

Everyone has a story about how a helmet saved them except for the fact that they don't realize the story would be about 98% the same if they were not wearing a helmet. They are good for bumps and bruises and abrasions but that's about it.

The fact of the matter is that for anyone who is all hoity toity about wearing a bicycle helmet for safety is a phony. If you really want safety then if you don't wear a full face motorcycle helmet then you are...cue the typical responses... a Darwin award, just tryin' to be cool, will be suckin' protein from a straw, an organ doner, and so on...

Wear a full face helmet and a leather or Cordura suit then I'll believe that you really care about safety :beer:

[Fivethumbs]

Maybe we just go back to Campy vs. Shimano and Tubular vs. Clincher. You know, the good ole days.

[christian]

If you have any arguments about not wearing a helmet you are wrong.LOL, ok. How about "bicycling isn't that dangerous."

In 2009, there were 630 cyclist deaths. Let's posit that all of these cyclists were sober and not riding the wrong way on an unlit bicycle at night. (This is wrong, but doesn't matter for the facts at hand.)

In 2014, there were 113 occupational deaths from falls from ladders per the bureau of labor statistics (OSHA is awesome with detail). This does not count any deaths from falls not in the workplace. The CDC tells us that there are about 30,000 deaths from falls annually. But 20,000 of those happen to people older than 64 - so falls among the elderly. Let's ignore those, and look at the remaining 10,000 falls. I think it's safe to say that a non-trivial number stem from non-occupational falls from ladders. The CDC, in fact, estimates that 43% of fatal falls involve a ladder. So discounting those falls among the elderly, let's be super-conservative and say that some 3,000 to 4,000 people die from falling off a ladder each year. These are non-occupational falls, so not people who spend all day on a ladder. Just ladder enthusiasts, if you will.

The net of this is - climbing ladders is at least as dangerous, and seemingly significantly more dangerous, than riding a bicycle, yet, no one ever seems to advocate universal helmet wearing during Christmas light hanging season.

There are approximately what, 30,000 deaths from car accidents in a year? I would guess 20% of those are caused by head injury, but there's no movement to require car drivers to wear helmets.

It's fine to wear a helmet. There's minimal inconvenience in wearing one. I'll concede that if you hit your head, they can be helpful. But cycling is basically safe enough that people who choose to go without are still making a rational choice.

[jlwdm]

100% with helmet.

Jeff

[ofcounsel]

I wear mine, 100% of the time.

[oldpotatoe]

100%

I've been hit by cars

And I've seen someone take a header into a guardrail wearing a helmet and have the ambulance take him away

If you have any arguments about not wearing a helmet you are wrong.

Why any argument? The OP asked "how often do you wear a helmet", not why YOU or I should or shouldn't wear a helmet.

My noggin, my business, I decide thanks. This thread reminds me of the vegan thread. :eek:

GREAT post by Christian, BTW-

[flydhest]

LOL, ok. How about "bicycling isn't that dangerous."

In 2009, there were 630 cyclist deaths. Let's posit that all of these cyclists were sober and not riding the wrong way on an unlit bicycle at night. (This is wrong, but doesn't matter for the facts at hand.)

In 2014, there were 113 occupational deaths from falls from ladders per the bureau of labor statistics (OSHA is awesome with detail). This does not count any deaths from falls not in the workplace. The CDC tells us that there are about 30,000 deaths from falls annually. But 20,000 of those happen to people older than 64 - so falls among the elderly. Let's ignore those, and look at the remaining 10,000 falls. I think it's safe to say that a non-trivial number stem from non-occupational falls from ladders. The CDC, in fact, estimates that 43% of fatal falls involve a ladder. So discounting those falls among the elderly, let's be super-conservative and say that some 3,000 to 4,000 people die from falling off a ladder each year. These are non-occupational falls, so not people who spend all day on a ladder. Just ladder enthusiasts, if you will.

The net of this is - climbing ladders is at least as dangerous, and seemingly significantly more dangerous, than riding a bicycle, yet, no one ever seems to advocate universal helmet wearing during Christmas light hanging season.

There are approximately what, 30,000 deaths from car accidents in a year? I would guess 20% of those are caused by head injury, but there's no movement to require car drivers to wear helmets.

It's fine to wear a helmet. There's minimal inconvenience in wearing one. I'll concede that if you hit your head, they can be helpful. But cycling is basically safe enough that people who choose to go without are still making a rational choice.



Indeed. Well said. People have a hard time getting past what they have seen. Extrapolation is a powerful instinct. Risk is generally poorly understood.

[AngryScientist]

i can say that the vast majority of riders in NYC on bikeshare bikes are not wearing helmets. i know i've never worn a helmet on one of those bikes, which ride among NYC traffic.

i think once you start to view a bicycle as more of a form of utility, or transportation, and less about sporting, the more normal it seems to go lidless. the same can be said for chamois or clipless pedals, these things are the standard for road bicycles used for sport, but completely out of place and a hindrance for an urban transportation setting.

[fuzzalow]

Helmet usage and the associated safety implications is too complex a topic to simply distill into a summarizing position that becomes emblematic on whether to wear a helmet or to not wear a helmet.

There is a skill set issue involved. That counts for a lot but certainly not all of the issues surrounding safety - you can always get taken out from the blindside behind you and there may be little you can do about that. But there are hundreds of assessments and decisions made in milliseconds out on the road and a riders approach and response to this range of inputs counts much more than the simplicity of thinking of wearing a helmet as a blanket insurance policy.

I have had debates with other riders on this forum over safety that leave me dumbfounded. I can only say that some of those approaches are faulty and if they choose to risk their life on it, hey, it's a free country brother. Reliance on anecdotal evidence to me is repugnant intellectually and is a fatal flaw in any decision process.

All riders can and should qualify and quantify risk of all degrees and magnitudes, known and unknown, before making a decision and approach to how they each respond and cope to that risk profile. It is never as simple as just wearing a helmet and all is good or that just wearing that helmet has dramatically changed the numeric calculus of risk and survivability attendant to the task of riding a bicycle.

I know the gravity of what I am up against on the road. I trust in my skillset to adequately cope with the risk - which comprises a risk model that gets updated with every ride and every observation & event I experience on the road. I have much to live for and I am neither arrogant nor stupid to place myself at undue risk in riding a bike. So whether I decide to wear a helmet or not, I know what I am doing. Whatever anyone else might think or say about my decision is something I'd always consider based on the intelligence of the critique. But the knee jerk militancy of the helmet fundamentalists I couldn't care less about and have no time for.

[rzthomas]

I usually don't wear a helmet on the 1 mile ride via DIVVY bike from the METRA stop to my office. The ride is entirely along the University of Chicago Midway Plaisance. If you know DIVVY bikes, you know that they are slow and stable. Seeing as how I only cross two intersections on that short ride at about 11-14 MPH, I'll take the risk.

I wear a helmet for all other riding. It makes me feel better about being out there with the cars when on the road and with the trees when getting rad in the woods.

[benb]

LOL, ok. How about "bicycling isn't that dangerous."

In 2009, there were 630 cyclist deaths. Let's posit that all of these cyclists were sober and not riding the wrong way on an unlit bicycle at night. (This is wrong, but doesn't matter for the facts at hand.)

In 2014, there were 113 occupational deaths from falls from ladders per the bureau of labor statistics (OSHA is awesome with detail). This does not count any deaths from falls not in the workplace. The CDC tells us that there are about 30,000 deaths from falls annually. But 20,000 of those happen to people older than 64 - so falls among the elderly. Let's ignore those, and look at the remaining 10,000 falls. I think it's safe to say that a non-trivial number stem from non-occupational falls from ladders. The CDC, in fact, estimates that 43% of fatal falls involve a ladder. So discounting those falls among the elderly, let's be super-conservative and say that some 3,000 to 4,000 people die from falling off a ladder each year. These are non-occupational falls, so not people who spend all day on a ladder. Just ladder enthusiasts, if you will.

The net of this is - climbing ladders is at least as dangerous, and seemingly significantly more dangerous, than riding a bicycle, yet, no one ever seems to advocate universal helmet wearing during Christmas light hanging season.

There are approximately what, 30,000 deaths from car accidents in a year? I would guess 20% of those are caused by head injury, but there's no movement to require car drivers to wear helmets.

It's fine to wear a helmet. There's minimal inconvenience in wearing one. I'll concede that if you hit your head, they can be helpful. But cycling is basically safe enough that people who choose to go without are still making a rational choice.

Joe idiot working on his Xmas lights after downing half a six pack on Sunday afternoon might not be wearing a helmet climbing up to his roof but Pros are much better about it. Not that their helmets are really designed to help much for a 30ft fall but it does make a difference in quite a few other accidents that happen in those same situations. The statistics are not in favor of skipping the lid on a job site any more then they are in favor of them for cycling. OSHA and the employers who have to pay the health insurance premiums and worry about workman's comp make sure their employees where helmets where appropriate.

My wife occasionally has to go and inspect worksites.. she has been hit in the head on a worksite and protected by her helmet. And she's a white collar worker who just occasionally has to go out there. Her helmet is actually fairly banged up.

It's also dumb to say people fall on those job sites and die and that means helmets don't work.. some of those people get impaled on rebar or spiral shatter a femur and bleed out or die from internal injury from chest trauma or all kinds of other things that have nothing to do with whether helmets work.

[54ny77]

http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/cat-helmet.jpeg

[christian]

It's also dumb to say people fall on those job sites and die and that means helmets don't work.. No one is saying that; it's a complete straw man argument.

What I am saying is that the -relative- risk of cycling is less than climbing ladders. While it may well be a good idea to wear a helmet both on a bicycle and on a ladder, the risk-based argument for wearing one on a ladder is substantially stronger. Yet, people don't aggressively admonish people on internet forums to wear helmets on ladders. In short, helmet wearing is more a cultural norm than a rationally determined risk-based one.

[benb]

No one is saying that; it's a complete straw man argument.

What I am saying is that the -relative- risk of cycling is less than climbing ladders. While it may well be a good idea to wear a helmet both on a bicycle and on a ladder, the risk-based argument for wearing one on a ladder is substantially stronger. Yet, people don't aggressively admonish people on internet forums to wear helmets on ladders. In short, helmet wearing is more a cultural norm than a rationally determined risk-based one.

Probably because no one spends all that much time on internet forums talking about climbing ladders. It doesn't mean much and like I said, worksites that have rules for rational reasons make those guys wear helmets.

You could make the same bizarre argument for war. "Lots of guys died in the Army in Iraq and Afghanistan and they wear helmets under force of punishment, the helmet requirement must be more cultural than risk based." See what I did there? Lots of ways to die in the army that aren't helped by wearing a helmet so clearly the helmet doesn't really work.

[batman1425]

Everyone has a story about how a helmet saved them except for the fact that they don't realize the story would be about 98% the same if they were not wearing a helmet. They are good for bumps and bruises and abrasions but that's about it.

Have to disagree here. To suggest that helmets are largely ineffective, or only effective in a small fraction of circumstances is an inaccurate representation of the data. Modern helmets are very effective are at reducing impact trauma - and this extends beyond cycling. Also, having a helmet lets your head slide on hard surfaces after impact. Sliding is better than hitting and sticking which causes a greater transfer of energy and reduces the possibility of neck injury as well. This is the backbone behind the MIPS technology, which is very, very good tech. All of my and my wife's helmets have MIPS now.

Will a helmet protect you from every conceivable impact that you might experience on a bike? No. Will it reduce the amount of trauma your brain receives in a crash? Yes. Could that reduction be the difference between bumps and bruises and permanent brain injury. Yes. Is that reduction in risk worth the act of wearing a helmet? Only the individual can decide, but to me, any associated downsides of wearing one are VASTLY outweighed by the value it provides in protection.

[batman1425]

This last one especially.... "Risk isn't worth it in any circumstance." Everyone I've ever known to die or be seriously ****ed up in a bike crash was wearing a helmet...
:)

My comment isn't meant to imply that wearing a helmet makes you invincible on the bike, but wearing one reduces your risk of sustaining major injury. We all know that riding a bike is an inherently dangerous activity and you are right, even when we do everything we can to be safe, helmets included, bad things still happen. Not wearing a helmet increases the chances that I will not walk away from a crash, and that increase in risk isn't worth it to me, in any circumstance. It's an easy and relatively cheap way to improve my chances of coming home safe after each ride.

[oldpotatoe]

Have to disagree here. To suggest that helmets are largely ineffective, or only effective in a small fraction of circumstances is an inaccurate representation of the data. Modern helmets are very effective are at reducing impact trauma - and this extends beyond cycling. Also, having a helmet lets your head slide on hard surfaces after impact. Sliding is better than hitting and sticking which causes a greater transfer of energy and reduces the possibility of neck injury as well. This is the backbone behind the MIPS technology, which is very, very good tech. All of my and my wife's helmets have MIPS now.

Will a helmet protect you from every conceivable impact that you might experience on a bike? No. Will it reduce the amount of trauma your brain receives in a crash? Yes. Could that reduction be the difference between bumps and bruises and permanent brain injury. Yes. Is that reduction in risk worth the act of wearing a helmet? Only the individual can decide, but to me, any associated downsides of wearing one VASTLY outweighs the value it provides in protection.

Think you meant value vastly outweigh downsides. Not the other way around....:)

[Seramount]

I dropped mine once and it broke. Literally. I dropped it from about 4ft and it broke and it was a very expensive supposedly good helmet.

Everyone has a story about how a helmet saved them except for the fact that they don't realize the story would be about 98% the same if they were not wearing a helmet. They are good for bumps and bruises and abrasions but that's about it.

The fact of the matter is that for anyone who is all hoity toity about wearing a bicycle helmet for safety is a phony. If you really want safety then if you don't wear a full face motorcycle helmet then you are...cue the typical responses... a Darwin award, just tryin' to be cool, will be suckin' protein from a straw, an organ doner, and so on...

Wear a full face helmet and a leather or Cordura suit then I'll believe that you really care about safety :beer:

thoroughly compelling argument...

I'm throwing my helmet away today.

[eBAUMANN]

I cant believe this thread has 8 pages...

Would you rather hit your skull directly on the pavement or your helmet directly on the pavement?

I just dont get what people have against helmets, they can only help when sh*t goes down.

To answer the question:
The ONLY time I dont wear one is occasionally riding around in the parking lot at a race, to/from reg/bathroom/etc.

[shovelhd]

To answer the question:
The ONLY time I dont wear one is occasionally riding around in the parking lot at a race, to/from reg/bathroom/etc.

Please don't do that. If I see you doing that I'm going to yell at you. The reason is that if you have an incident off the race course at the event and you were not wearing your helmet you would not be covered by USAC insurance and you expose the promoters, officials, and USAC to litigation. Ride without your helmet anywhere but at a USAC or UCI event. Thank you.

That's how I feel about helmet use in general. It's your squash, and your decision. None of my business. Just don't put me in a position where I could be harmed by your lifestyle choices. That makes it my business.

[Dead Man]

Tis a DQable offense to ride helmetless with your numbers on, round hur. I mean, you're gonna get warnings first... But it is a rule

[benb]

I just dont get what people have against helmets, they can only help when sh*t goes down.


Nope, be prepared for the anti-helmet strawman argument that the helmet supposedly increases your chances of a neck/spine injury in a way that outweighs the protection it provides from head trauma. There will be no proof but someone will make that claim based on anecdote/conspiracy. (This is the calling card of the organization ABATE on the motorcycle side.)

[SeanScott]

100% but it feels so good not to wear one.
I am sure it is the same with motorcycles as well.

[fuzzalow]

It's your squash, and your decision. None of my business. Just don't put me in a position where I could be harmed by your lifestyle choices. That makes it my business.

No. It is even then, none of your business.

Unless specific to a role in event management which is sponsored and regulated by an organization and therefore subject to its rules and insurance requirements. There you function as an agent for the private event and anything you do can be officially or arbitrarily deemed to be "your business".

In the general public domain, it is none of your business. Even with the hint and suggestion that an injured helmetless rider becomes a health care liability and expense burden borne by the general taxpayer populace. The numbers are too small for these kind of hypothetical injuries to have any effect on any input formation on public health care policy.

[christian]

You could make the same bizarre argument for war. "Lots of guys died in the Army in Iraq and Afghanistan and they wear helmets under force of punishment, the helmet requirement must be more cultural than risk based." See what I did there? Lots of ways to die in the army that aren't helped by wearing a helmet so clearly the helmet doesn't really work.

Again, a straw man. I am not saying "there are lots of ways to die on a bicycle, so you don't need to wear a helmet." I am saying, "bicycling appears less dangerous than other daily activities you engage in without a helmet. Ergo, shower helmets, ladder helmets, and car driving helmets ought to be at least as big a focus."

This matters whether you wear a helmet or not -- there is a pernicious narrative that if a bicyclist isn't wearing a helmet, they were reckless -- see every newspaper article that mentions whether a cyclist was wearing a helmet. (When the actual story is he was struck by a texting motorist, or whatever.)

Besides, your Army analogy is hardly relevant -- the army has detailed statistics on head injury mortality and morbidity going back over a hundred years, and they are making an explicit cost vs. benefit calculation. Head injuries in battle are significantly more prevalent than in bicycling. Additionally, the army (much like the employers you speak of) has an economic incentive to require helmet wearing -- they have paid for the soldier's training and wish him to be fit to serve, even if that includes significant inconvenience (not just minor inconvenience) to the individual soldier.

However, I sense you're not really interested in discussing the relative risks of these activities, so we can leave it there.

[christian]

Would you rather hit your skull directly on the pavement or your helmet directly on the pavement?

The ONLY time I dont wear one is occasionally riding around in the parking lot at a race, to/from reg/bathroom/etc.

How do you square these thoughts? :)

[batman1425]

Think you meant value vastly outweigh downsides. Not the other way around....:)

HA! Good catch! :beer:

[rileystylee]

Here's a fact not an opinion.
Wearing a Helmet makes the overall circumference / area of your head bigger and therefore if you fall off you are more likely to hit your helmeted head than a head without a helmet. Maybe.

[notsew]

Lots a changed minds in this thread, right?? :rolleyes:

Its obviously safer for me to wear a helmet...



because if I didn't my wife would murder me.

[verticaldoug]

I have some research published for snowboarders and skiers wearing helmets. The authors admit these are tough questions to answer, but concluded a helmet will reduce head injuries by about 50% when wearing a helmet. They also looked for more spinal/neck injuries for helmet wearers and could not find any.

The other question is how many cycling accidents will result in a head injury. I don't have concrete data here, but this data will also very according to your own specifics: child, teenager, fit adult, old fart etc. It is probably lower than you think.

Everyone makes their own risk assessment. If you wear a helmet, that's okay. If you don't wear a helmet, that's okay too.

This thread reminds me of an old fishing tale from Minnesota when I was a kid. This old fisherman couldn't swim. Whenever he got in a boat, he wore his trusty life vest. He wore the vest on calm days, waving days, whenever he ventured out in the boat on the lake. It kept him safe. After years of wearing his trusty vest, he was carrying his vest, his tackle box and rod from the boat on the dock. He accidentally dropped his trusty life vest in lake and it sank to the bottom like a rock. Moral of the story, my dad and uncle who didn't swim, never wore a vest in the boat and neither drowned.

[Mark McM]

I have some research published for snowboarders and skiers wearing helmets. The authors admit these are tough questions to answer, but concluded a helmet will reduce head injuries by about 50% when wearing a helmet. They also looked for more spinal/neck injuries for helmet wearers and could not find any.

Do you have any sources for that 50% statistic? From what I recall, the study authors found the head injury reductions only in minor injuries (lacerations and contusion), and not in serious injuries (concussions).

From the 2012 National Ski Areas Association Facts about Skiing/Snowboarding Safety (https://www.nsaa.org/media/68045/NSAA-Facts-About-Skiing-Snowboarding-Safety-10-1-12.pdf):

According to Dr. Shealy, who has studied ski related injuries for more than 30 years, recent research has shown that the use of helmet reduces the incidence of any head injury by 30 to 50 percent, but that the decrease in head injuries is generally limited to the less serious injuries. There has been no significant reduction in fatalities over the past nine seasons even as the use of helmets overall has increased. This trend emphasizes the importance of not increasing risk-taking behavior simply because you are wearing a helmet. Skiing and riding in control is essential in improving slope safety and reducing fatalities.


From some population data studies on bicycle helmet use, there are similar trends - bicycle helmets can reduce the incidence of minor head injuries, but they have had little affect on the number and severity of major head injuries. Which should not be surprising, as an inch of Styrofoam can only have a limited affect on reducing head deceleration forces.

[Dead Man]

And that's why they're only rated for 7 and 14mph impacts.

[verticaldoug]

Do you have any sources for that 50% statistic? From what I recall, the study authors found the head injury reductions only in minor injuries (lacerations and contusion), and not in serious injuries (concussions).

From the 2012 National Ski Areas Association Facts about Skiing/Snowboarding Safety (https://www.nsaa.org/media/68045/NSAA-Facts-About-Skiing-Snowboarding-Safety-10-1-12.pdf):


.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3989528/

They have a whole section on study limitations. My recall was off and they site a consumer safety report from 1999 saying 44% for adults and 53% for children, but do not give a specific figure in their own report.


Which is why I have the life vest story.

[eBAUMANN]

How do you square these thoughts? :)

Haha, yea im just being honest, sometimes I need to go to the bathroom and the fastest way to get there is on the bike.
Or if im riding back to a post-race BBQ after getting changed at the car which I had to park a mile away (as was the case at singlespeedapalooza this weekend).

Ive crashed on pavement and smacked my head very hard, cracked helmet, etc etc.
I have no interest in doing it again and I do thank my helmet for taking that hit, as who knows what could have happened had that been my skull hitting the road instead.
Im not expecting a helmet to save me from a concussion, im using it only as a first line of defense against my head hitting pavement.

Please don't do that. If I see you doing that I'm going to yell at you. The reason is that if you have an incident off the race course at the event and you were not wearing your helmet you would not be covered by USAC insurance and you expose the promoters, officials, and USAC to litigation. Ride without your helmet anywhere but at a USAC or UCI event. Thank you.

That's how I feel about helmet use in general. It's your squash, and your decision. None of my business. Just don't put me in a position where I could be harmed by your lifestyle choices. That makes it my business.

This is likely due to my poor understand of the absurdly litigious nature of our society, but if I crash my bike anywhere at anytime (at a race or otherwise), IMO the only person liable is me (unless someone else IS liable).
Im not suing anyone because I made a mistake...not even USAC.

As a follow up question...would this mean that if any of the dozens of spectators who show up to races were to get hurt anywhere in the "venue," that "the promoters, officials, and USAC" would all be liable?
Because that sounds a little far fetched if so.

[Fivethumbs]

This comment is not about whether you should or shouldn't wear a helmet. It's only me sharing my personal experience. Since I first started riding bikes as a kid, starting with BMX and graduating up to road bikes (40+ years) I have crashed scores of times. I have ridden with helmet and without helmet. I have crashed at high speed; I have crashed at low speed; I have crashed all by myself and because I touched my front wheel to the back wheel of the rider in front of me. I have crashed because my front tire washed out and because my back tire washed out. I crashed because I hit a bump and my hand came off the handle bar. I never once hit my head with or without a helmet.

[eBAUMANN]

This comment is not about whether you should or shouldn't wear a helmet. It's only me sharing my personal experience. Since I first started riding bikes as a kid, starting with BMX and graduating up to road bikes (40+ years) I have crashed scores of times. I have ridden with helmet and without helmet. I have crashed at high speed; I have crashed at low speed; I have crashed all by myself and because I touched my front wheel to the back wheel of the rider in front of me. I have crashed because my front tire washed out and because my back tire washed out. I crashed because I hit a bump and my hand came off the handle bar. I never once hit my head with or without a helmet.

You sir, are in the extreme minority, and quite lucky.

[Red Tornado]

generally speaking, if i have the rest of the roadie costume on: bibs and jersey, i wear a helmet. in street clothes, no helmet.

More-or-less the same goes for me.

If I'm kitted up (road or dirt), I'm riding for keeps and about 2/3 of the road time is in a group and at speed.

If I'm in street clothes it's either riding the driveway after a tuneup/fix/etc. or out on the single-speed, coaster-braked cruiser bike with the wife (she's got her own cruiser, not a tandem).

Not to minimalize the importance of safety, but spent some time in the Netherlands, and I noticed that almost none of the riders wearing helmets. These folk commute every day and there's no big outcry that I'm aware of over there about the lack of helmet wearing.

I like the comment another poster had about wanting cycling (especially commuting) to look "normal" to the non-cycling public. The area where I live has seen a decent increase in commuters and I think some of that can be attributed to a decrease in the amount of people that think we are all lycra, space-helmet wearing freaks.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[benb]

Again, a straw man. I am not saying "there are lots of ways to die on a bicycle, so you don't need to wear a helmet." I am saying, "bicycling appears less dangerous than other daily activities you engage in without a helmet. Ergo, shower helmets, ladder helmets, and car driving helmets ought to be at least as big a focus."

However, I sense you're not really interested in discussing the relative risks of these activities, so we can leave it there.

These arguments are incredibly stupid. Go knock yourself over in the shower 10 times, fall off a step ladder 10x (not a hundred foot ladder or some other stupid thing you never do in your lifetime anyway) and then go crash your bike at 20-30mph 10x and come back and tell us you still think showering is more dangerous than biking.

There is probably zero overlap with people who get seriously injured in the shower and serious bicyclists. If you're 90 years old and can't walk anymore than bicycling will be really dangerous just like taking a shower by yourself. Your statistics about showering being dangerous can be just as misleading as bicycling statistics.

I'm in that bizzaro category like someone else mentioned where I've crashed a bunch and never hit my head. Crashing on wet train tracks in the rain, going OTB in a criterium 20 rider crash, getting broadsided by a pickup truck, too many MTB crashes to count, a 60+ mph get off motorcycling at the racetrack, etc.. and I've never hit my head. That doesn't mean cycling is safe for me.

I think part of the anti-helmet thing is cop-out by cyclists who feel entitled for the entire world to change to make it safer for them so they don't have to take responsibility for their own actions.

It's all kind of a moot point anyway since almost all of organized cycling will say "see you later" if you show up without a helmet.

The only one I kind of agree with you on is car helmets. Cars are really really freakin dangerous and in a rational world we would wear helmets and use 5-point harnesses driving the car. Having worn helmets for motorcycling and car sports I don't really see it as a huge inconvenience to wear a helmet there either. We already require children to be in 5-point harnesses.

[choke]

I think part of the anti-helmet thing is cop-out by cyclists who feel entitled for the entire world to change to make it safer for them so they don't have to take responsibility for their own actions. It's funny, if you changed 'anti' to 'pro' then that's exactly how I see the helmet preachers.

[Dead Man]

Don't get too emotionally invested in this, boys.

The point isn't to change minds.. it's to have your own views challenged and subsequently vetted, altered, or thrown out.

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/524eca7fe4b008299350301f/t/529d63fce4b0793e6bbe7c90/1386046461135/someone-on-the-internet-is-wrong.jpg

[AngryScientist]

Don't get too emotionally invested in this, boys.

The point isn't to change minds.. it's to have your own views challenged and subsequently vetted, altered, or thrown out.



Well put.

I'm a believer that every decision we make in life involves a risk/reward equation. What car you drive, if you wear a seatbelt in a car, if you ask the pretty girl out on a date and so on. In the case of helmets we are all lucky enough to be able to make whatever choice suits us.

[beeatnik]

Shower helmet sounds like a great idea for kickstarter. "Better than a shower cap and 1000x as effective in preventing TBI!"

[benb]

It's funny, if you changed 'anti' to 'pro' then that's exactly how I see the helmet preachers.

Sure, except it's anti helmet clowns who expect welfare/medicaid/whatever to pick up the bag when they get badly injured. Hardly on the side of personal responsibility.

I don't really care about any of this, it's all kind of amusing to me. This whole stupid debate has played out a million times on the internet and the arguments against helmets are EXACTLY the same from motorcyclists, and there you're talking about bikes that travel at way higher speeds than we do, all the time. I can't say I'm consciously arguing just to rile people up but this thread does remind me vividly of one of my moto friends who would purposely argue stuff like this to rile people up and he'd often be arguing points he didn't even believe.

[choke]

Sure, except it's anti helmet clowns who expect welfare/medicaid/whatever to pick up the bag when they get badly injured. Hardly on the side of personal responsibility. Is this wide enough for you?

[Dead Man]

Sure, except it's anti helmet clowns who expect welfare/medicaid/whatever to pick up the bag when they get badly injured. Hardly on the side of personal responsibility.

No, I guarantee you they haven't thought about that at all, and have absolutely no expectation of it. I'm also really confident that the tax $$$ being spent on anti-helmet clowns with TBI right now might as well be absolute zero, compared to billions of dollars being negligently thrown away on things you really ought to care about but are choosing not to.

This was the same argument that resulted in mandatory seatbelt laws. Insurance companies convinced people the .000001% of their tax dollars being spent supporting brain-dead seatbelt rebels was worth creating laws for. Is it really? Really? No.

[redir]

Sure, except it's anti helmet clowns who expect welfare/medicaid/whatever to pick up the bag when they get badly injured. Hardly on the side of personal responsibility.
.


Exactly who here is 'anti-helmet?'

I think I can speak for anyone here who chose not to wear a helmet and say that we don't care if you choose to wear a helmet. That's your choice, congrats and go for it!

That means that we are not anti-helmet.

You on the other hand...

[redir]

Anti helmet clown.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/09/20/article-0-0682B19A000005DC-913_306x486.jpg

[shovelhd]

This is likely due to my poor understand of the absurdly litigious nature of our society, but if I crash my bike anywhere at anytime (at a race or otherwise), IMO the only person liable is me (unless someone else IS liable).
Im not suing anyone because I made a mistake...not even USAC.

As a follow up question...would this mean that if any of the dozens of spectators who show up to races were to get hurt anywhere in the "venue," that "the promoters, officials, and USAC" would all be liable?
Because that sounds a little far fetched if so.

I wish it was far fetched. There are two angles to it. Say there's a pothole in the parking lot and you hit it wrong and high side it, slamming your head into a rock. You aren't responsible for the pothole, the promoter is, but this is why they have insurance. So you slam your gourd into a rock. With helmet, you're pissed but you walk away, and you probably race with a headache. Without a helmet, you're in the meat wagon and your ten times more pissed. Now another rider comes along and does the same thing but he decides to sue, citing your incident as evidence of negligence. You didn't sue anyone, he did. As an official, I'm involved. I don't want to be.

Look, I could be a total prick and take riders out of the field for helmet violations, but I don't. I'm just asking that everyone consider everyone else that makes the race happen, and the liability they readily accept so you can play your game. Believe me, the riders sue. It's not uncommon.

When I'm working a criterium pit with 100 riders coming at me at 30mph while I'm standing on the course to put the dozen riders who crashed the last lap safely back into the field, I'm taking a risk. It's a risk I accept because I have some semblance of control and the situation is known. I don't with the previous example, and I dont like that.

[verticaldoug]

I wish it was far fetched. There are two angles to it. Say there's a pothole in the parking lot and you hit it wrong and high side it, slamming your head into a rock. You aren't responsible for the pothole, the promoter is, but this is why they have insurance. So you slam your gourd into a rock. With helmet, you're pissed but you walk away, and you probably race with a headache. Without a helmet, you're in the meat wagon and your ten times more pissed. Now another rider comes along and does the same thing but he decides to sue, citing your incident as evidence of negligence. You didn't sue anyone, he did. As an official, I'm involved. I don't want to be.


With a helmet, you are also in the meat wagon. I am sure helmets provide some safety, the question is how much. On a purely cynical note, how much hype is in the marketing of the helmet manufacturer. If they had definitive proof, I am sure they'd publicize it.

[rileystylee]

These arguments are incredibly stupid. Go knock yourself over in the shower 10 times, fall off a step ladder 10x (not a hundred foot ladder or some other stupid thing you never do in your lifetime anyway) and then go crash your bike at 20-30mph 10x and come back and tell us you still think showering is more dangerous than biking.

There is probably zero overlap with people who get seriously injured in the shower and serious bicyclists. If you're 90 years old and can't walk anymore than bicycling will be really dangerous just like taking a shower by yourself. Your statistics about showering being dangerous can be just as misleading as bicycling statistics.

I'm in that bizzaro category like someone else mentioned where I've crashed a bunch and never hit my head. Crashing on wet train tracks in the rain, going OTB in a criterium 20 rider crash, getting broadsided by a pickup truck, too many MTB crashes to count, a 60+ mph get off motorcycling at the racetrack, etc.. and I've never hit my head. That doesn't mean cycling is safe for me.

I think part of the anti-helmet thing is cop-out by cyclists who feel entitled for the entire world to change to make it safer for them so they don't have to take responsibility for their own actions.

It's all kind of a moot point anyway since almost all of organized cycling will say "see you later" if you show up without a helmet.

The only one I kind of agree with you on is car helmets. Cars are really really freakin dangerous and in a rational world we would wear helmets and use 5-point harnesses driving the car. Having worn helmets for motorcycling and car sports I don't really see it as a huge inconvenience to wear a helmet there either. We already require children to be in 5-point harnesses.

Helmet

[shovelhd]

With a helmet, you are also in the meat wagon. I am sure helmets provide some safety, the question is how much. On a purely cynical note, how much hype is in the marketing of the helmet manufacturer. If they had definitive proof, I am sure they'd publicize it.

Sure. I've been in the meat wagon twice after a race crash and helmets are mandatory. We were talking about a parking lot incident and a rule that all riders agree to follow when they sign on the dotted line. Not hypotheticals.

[William]

I've had a few helmets grunched in Crit crashes so I get the need to protect your melon. I ride with one 99.9 percent of the time. But, I do enjoy an occasional ride without one.


YMMV.






William

[shovelhd]

I have zero problem with that, William. It's not for me, but more power to you.

[William]

I have zero problem with that, William. It's not for me, but more power to you.



:beer:




William

[redir]

As a race promoter, and one who doesn't wear a helmet unless I have too, it pisses me off to see racers riding around the event without a helmet. Just freakin wear one at the race. Period. :beer:

[William]

From the time I learned how to ride a bike in my kindergarten year all the way up through my teens, I never once wore a helmet. We rode bikes everyday and everywhere. We made up all kinds races and jumping events:

Trail riding
Trail racing
Obstacle courses
BMX
Evil Knievel impersonations
Ramp jumping
Distance jumping
Jumping for height
Jumping over obstacles for distance and height
Jumping into giant puddles
Jumping over streams
Jumping off rock walls
Jumping over ditches
Jumping out of ditches
Wheelie races
Wheelies for distance
Picking up objects on the ground while riding
Downhill racing - Dirt
Downhill racing - street
Downhill racing - street to see who could lay down the longest skid marks at the bottom
Death Bike (aka: last kid left riding upright)
Dead start drag racing
Rolling start drag racing
Power sliding in dirt
power sliding in gravel
No hands riding for distance
Coasting for distance
Coasting for distance steering with feet

And this is just what I can remember right now.


Surprised I'm still here.:D






William

[Mark McM]

I wish it was far fetched. There are two angles to it. Say there's a pothole in the parking lot and you hit it wrong and high side it, slamming your head into a rock. You aren't responsible for the pothole, the promoter is, but this is why they have insurance. So you slam your gourd into a rock. With helmet, you're pissed but you walk away, and you probably race with a headache. Without a helmet, you're in the meat wagon and your ten times more pissed. Now another rider comes along and does the same thing but he decides to sue, citing your incident as evidence of negligence. You didn't sue anyone, he did. As an official, I'm involved. I don't want to be.

Look, I could be a total prick and take riders out of the field for helmet violations, but I don't. I'm just asking that everyone consider everyone else that makes the race happen, and the liability they readily accept so you can play your game. Believe me, the riders sue. It's not uncommon.

When I'm working a criterium pit with 100 riders coming at me at 30mph while I'm standing on the course to put the dozen riders who crashed the last lap safely back into the field, I'm taking a risk. It's a risk I accept because I have some semblance of control and the situation is known. I don't with the previous example, and I dont like that.

Helmet rules at races venues (not during the competition) are more about liability than helmet effectiveness. A promoter is expected to provide a safe venue (even for parking), and is therefore open to liability if a participant gets injured (even if it is not the really promoters fault). Requiring participants to wear helmets at all times may have only a very small affect on safety, but it costs the promoter nothing, so on balance it helps the promoter.

[sitzmark]

You forgot sitting on your handlebars facing rearward while pedaling and navigating over your shoulder.

We're just a couple of the lucky ones from those days. Word is that the vast majority of kids with bikes in the 50's / 60's / 70's died on their bikes or lived their lives with little or no cognitive function.

Helmets [usually] can't hurt....

From the time I learned how to ride a bike in my kindergarten year all the way up through my teens, I never once wore a helmet. We rode bikes everyday and everywhere. We made up all kinds races and jumping events:

Trail riding
Trail racing
Obstacle courses
BMX
Evil Knievel impersonations
Ramp jumping
Distance jumping
Jumping for height
Jumping over obstacles for distance and height
Jumping into giant puddles
Jumping over streams
Jumping off rock walls
Jumping over ditches
Jumping out of ditches
Wheelie races
Wheelies for distance
Picking up objects on the ground while riding
Downhill racing - Dirt
Downhill racing - street
Downhill racing - street to see who could lay down the longest skid marks at the bottom
Death Bike (aka: last kid left riding upright)
Dead start drag racing
Rolling start drag racing
Power sliding in dirt
power sliding in gravel
No hands riding for distance
Coasting for distance
Coasting for distance steering with feet

And this is just what I can remember right now.


Surprised I'm still here.:D






William

[gdw]

"Word is that the vast majority of kids with bikes in the 50's / 60's died on their bikes or lived their lives with little or no cognitive function."

The losses our country endured during those years is staggering especially when you add in the street hockey, baseball, and skiing casualties that could have been prevented by helmets.

[FlashUNC]

This is likely due to my poor understand of the absurdly litigious nature of our society, but if I crash my bike anywhere at anytime (at a race or otherwise), IMO the only person liable is me (unless someone else IS liable).
Im not suing anyone because I made a mistake...not even USAC.

As a follow up question...would this mean that if any of the dozens of spectators who show up to races were to get hurt anywhere in the "venue," that "the promoters, officials, and USAC" would all be liable?
Because that sounds a little far fetched if so.

Let's not discount that it ain't entirely your call who gets pursued either. After my crash and surgery, my health insurance company was looking for avenues to recover the costs of my treatment, which included asking me several times for any possible info about other parties involved in the accident. There were none and they were stuck with the bill, but I'm sure if there were another party involved, lawyers would have absolutely come into the picture. And not because I had any desire to sue anyone.

[William]

You forgot sitting on your handlebars facing rearward while pedaling and navigating over your shoulder.



Oh, and riding with a passenger behind you and another on the handle bars. Hanging on the sides of pick up trucks...

We're just a couple of the lucky ones from those days. Word is that the vast majority of kids with bikes in the 50's / 60's / 70's died on their bikes or lived their lives with little or no cognitive function.

Helmets [usually] can't hurt....


Well, I do drool a bit and eat a fair amount of Apple sauce....so there is that.









:D
William

[kevinvc]

From the time I learned how to ride a bike in my kindergarten year all the way up through my teens, I never once wore a helmet. We rode bikes everyday and everywhere. We made up all kinds races and jumping events:

Trail riding
Trail racing
Obstacle courses
BMX
Evil Knievel impersonations
Ramp jumping
Distance jumping
Jumping for height
Jumping over obstacles for distance and height
Jumping into giant puddles
Jumping over streams
Jumping off rock walls
Jumping over ditches
Jumping out of ditches
Wheelie races
Wheelies for distance
Picking up objects on the ground while riding
Downhill racing - Dirt
Downhill racing - street
Downhill racing - street to see who could lay down the longest skid marks at the bottom
Death Bike (aka: last kid left riding upright)
Dead start drag racing
Rolling start drag racing
Power sliding in dirt
power sliding in gravel
No hands riding for distance
Coasting for distance
Coasting for distance steering with feet

And this is just what I can remember right now.


Surprised I'm still here.:D



William

If you had worn a helmet you'd probably be able to remember a lot more. :D

[Dead Man]

Here's a loaded question... but think about it and answer honestly:

If you 100% helmet types HAD to ride without a helmet for a day, would it change how you ride?

[Bob Ross]

If you 100% helmet types HAD to ride without a helmet for a day, would it change how you ride?

I can confidently say "nope"
I ride a bike the way I do because I'm pretty convinced that's the safest, smartest, smoothest, and funnest way to ride a bike. And I can't imagine that altering one piece of kit would suddenly cause me to discover a safer, smarter, smoother, funner approach to the activity.

But I also don't wear a helmet because I believe it will prevent me from getting killed; I wear a helmet simply because THERE IS NO DOWNSIDE.

[Dead Man]

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/2b/e9/0c/2be90ce0e227efd03eef813160546a6a.jpg

This helmet looks really safe. Aero too. No downsides. :)

[mjf]

I can confidently say "nope"
I ride a bike the way I do because I'm pretty convinced that's the safest, smartest, smoothest, and funnest way to ride a bike. And I can't imagine that altering one piece of kit would suddenly cause me to discover a safer, smarter, smoother, funner approach to the activity.

But I also don't wear a helmet because I believe it will prevent me from getting killed; I wear a helmet simply because THERE IS NO DOWNSIDE.

Have to agree, conditionally this was after finding the right helmet for me.

My riding style doesn't change significantly helmet on/off but there's some comfort knowing if something were to happen that there's an extra layer keeping my head off the pavement.

[FlashUNC]

I can confidently say "nope"
I ride a bike the way I do because I'm pretty convinced that's the safest, smartest, smoothest, and funnest way to ride a bike. And I can't imagine that altering one piece of kit would suddenly cause me to discover a safer, smarter, smoother, funner approach to the activity.

But I also don't wear a helmet because I believe it will prevent me from getting killed; I wear a helmet simply because THERE IS NO DOWNSIDE.

I just don't want to go out like Serse Coppi. So a helmet it is.

[batman1425]

Here's a loaded question... but think about it and answer honestly:

If you 100% helmet types HAD to ride without a helmet for a day, would it change how you ride?

Not how, but likely where. To me, riding style and wearing a helmet are independent means by which I can attempt to mitigate the risks associated with riding. Wearing a helmet doesn't make me feel like I can be reckless. I ride as safe as I can ever time I swing a leg over, for me, and for my family.

That said, if forced to ride helmet-less I'd probably try to avoid the really busy roads in my area because the number of variables outside my control on those streets are greater than quiet country lanes. I'd also likely not go for a technical MTB ride because my skills are not good enough to reliably keep me upright on that kind of terrain.

[Gummee]

I haven't ridden 'around town' since I graduated college, but I'd routinely ride to/from class sans helmet, but when 'going riding' I'd wear it.

Same thing nowadays I suspect. 'Going riding' means kitting up which means wearing a helmet. I've got 4 good ones and 2 that need retiring to choose from, so it's not tough to find one that I wanna wear on a given day

M

[sitzmark]

Oh, and riding with a passenger behind you and another on the handle bars. Hanging on the sides of pick up trucks...


Well, I do drool a bit and eat a fair amount of Apple sauce....so there is that.
:D
William

Was that from cycling or the psychedelics of the day? :D:D

[shovelhd]

Helmet rules at races venues (not during the competition) are more about liability than helmet effectiveness. A promoter is expected to provide a safe venue (even for parking), and is therefore open to liability if a participant gets injured (even if it is not the really promoters fault). Requiring participants to wear helmets at all times may have only a very small affect on safety, but it costs the promoter nothing, so on balance it helps the promoter.

It's very clear. Rule 1J1. Helmets at all times in the vicinity of the race course except when warming up on rollers or a trainer.

[bikingshearer]

If you 100% helmet types HAD to ride without a helmet for a day, would it change how you ride?

Almost certainly not. I do my very best to avoid crashing when I ride. Even if I could be guaranteed I would never hit my head, I would still ride the same way, i.e., fairly conservative. I can say from painful (and blessedly infrequent) experience that road rash and separated shoulders hurt more than enough, thank you.

Of course, I'm no longer young and stupid. I'm middle-aged and stupid.

[Neves]

Bailed out on a mountain bike ride that was 1 1/2 drive each way this morning because I forgot my helmet. Off to the brewery, its got to be beer thirty somewhere.

[William]

Was that from cycling or the psychedelics of the day? :D:D

http://r34.imgfast.net/users/3414/14/33/74/smiles/842899.gifhttp://r34.imgfast.net/users/3414/14/33/74/smiles/842899.gifhttp://r34.imgfast.net/users/3414/14/33/74/smiles/842899.gifhttp://r34.imgfast.net/users/3414/14/33/74/smiles/842899.gifhttp://r34.imgfast.net/users/3414/14/33/74/smiles/842899.gif


...Man!!






William

[Mark McM]

Wasn't it pointed out in a different discussion a short time ago that things that get the most debate are typically the things that made the smallest differences?

[soulspinner]

Bailed out on a mountain bike ride that was 1 1/2 drive each way this morning because I forgot my helmet. Off to the brewery, its got to be beer thirty somewhere.

:banana:

[bikingshearer]

Wasn't it pointed out in a different discussion a short time ago that things that get the most debate are typically the things that made the smallest differences?

Which sums up why fights between humanities professors are so vicious. Except it's the graduate students who end up having to assume the position.

[Pastashop]

A friend of mine made a point recently of ensuring his teenage son started his driving in a very large car... So he could be safe. I figured, safer for his kid, but an inexperienced driver in a 3-ton SUV can't be good for the safety of others, can it?.. Plus, it's this mentality that contributes at least in part to an arms race in car sizes...

Anyhow, to bring this back to helmets... Wearing a helmet, while possibly offering marginally reduced risk of injury (statistically speaking), also makes the activity appear more dangerous. Which reduces the number of riders over time, which makes drivers - again, over a long period of time, and statistically speaking - less attuned to the possible presence of cyclists. The latter actually making cycling more dangerous for both helmet-less and helmeted riders - a self-fulfilling prophesy.

At any rate, the vast majority of drivers don't care about cyclists' well being. They'd rather text or check Facebook. At some point, that'll be treated by law enforcement like DUI. And at that point, drivers will either stop texting, or everyone will be in self-driving cars, which are much safer for everyone involved. Statistically speaking, of course. ;-)

[charliedid]

[QUOTE=William;1976362]From the time I learned how to ride a bike in my kindergarten year all the way up through my teens, I never once wore a helmet. We rode bikes everyday and everywhere. We made up all kinds races and jumping events:

Trail riding
Trail racing
Obstacle courses
BMX
Evil Knievel impersonations
Ramp jumping
Distance jumping
Jumping for height
Jumping over obstacles for distance and height
Jumping into giant puddles
Jumping over streams
Jumping off rock walls
Jumping over ditches
Jumping out of ditches
Wheelie races
Wheelies for distance
Picking up objects on the ground while riding
Downhill racing - Dirt
Downhill racing - street
Downhill racing - street to see who could lay down the longest skid marks at the bottom
Death Bike (aka: last kid left riding upright)
Dead start drag racing
Rolling start drag racing
Power sliding in dirt
power sliding in gravel
No hands riding for distance
Coasting for distance
Coasting for distance steering with feet

And this is just what I can remember right now.


Surprised I'm still here.:D

This x 100!

That is all too familiar William. One of our favorites was a sheet of plywood ramp over the shrubs and fence into the pool. Parents, often around while this happened. Usually with a cocktail and smoke in hand.

Climbing onto roofs and trees with the intent of jumping out was a fav. I bicycle toured 4000+ miles in 1974 and 75 and of the 90 people, mostly kids on those trips maybe 3 helmets in all. Nobody died, if I recall.

[EPIC! Stratton]

99.9% of the time.

That 0.1% would be if I'm checking on something I just fixed. IE: Is headset still creaking/brake rubbing/etc.

[Ronsonic]

The only time I wear a helmet is when I'm planning to do something particularly aggressive or risky or new. JRA or commuting or just blasting around familiar trails just a nice cap. Strange or nasty trails, or hard training or racing on pavement or off, hell yes I'll have a helmet. Intervals, yes; recovery, no.

Today I'm going to wear one since I've been plagued with vertigo for the last week and a half. Would hate to get woozy and run into a tree or something.

[djg21]

I never go without one. I am here today because I was wearing a helmet when I had an encounter with a senior citizen driving the Mercury Marquis pictured below. Even with a helmet, I remained unconscious for a couple weeks, had major surgery to repair my facial bones, not to mention the other broken body parts, and spent months doing occupational rehab before my memory was sound enough and I could read well enough for me to be able to work again. If I had not been wearing my helmet. The result would have been far, far worse.

The design of helmets has come so far in the past 20 years, and helmets are so much more comfortable, that there simply is no good reason not to wear one.

To those who say they grew up not wearing helmets, technology has improved, and we now know much more about the lasting issues caused by even seemingly insignificant brain trauma. And, the fact that you have not worn a helmet and not yet needed one says nothing about your odds of being a victim tomorrow.

On edit: btw, when this happened, I was pedaling leisurely, just riding along on my daily commute to work. The road is trafficked, but not too terribly, and the entrance to a dedicated bike path is a mile or so down the road.

[BobbyJones]

"Wearing a helmet only sometimes is like wearing a condom only sometimes"
-said to me a long time ago


Never wore a helmet as a teenager, either on a bike or a motorcycle unless I was racing.

Then one day I saw I PSA featuring a woman with TBI. She had something going on with her eyes...detached nerves or something. Made me realize there's a whole range of possibilities that can happen between being ok and being dead (either I'd be ok with...something in the middle, not so much).

So mostly helmet on at all times, except for a test ride around the block or a Citibike ride. Or the occasional time when the weather's warm and the sun is shining- its worth the risk to have the wind in my hair for a few miles towards the end of a ride.

[MsRN]

Just when I ride; otherwise I'd look silly!

[William]

From the time I learned how to ride a bike in my kindergarten year all the way up through my teens, I never once wore a helmet. We rode bikes everyday and everywhere. We made up all kinds races and jumping events:

Trail riding
Trail racing
Obstacle courses
BMX
Evil Knievel impersonations
Ramp jumping
Distance jumping
Jumping for height
Jumping over obstacles for distance and height
Jumping into giant puddles
Jumping over streams
Jumping off rock walls
Jumping over ditches
Jumping out of ditches
Wheelie races
Wheelies for distance
Picking up objects on the ground while riding
Downhill racing - Dirt
Downhill racing - street
Downhill racing - street to see who could lay down the longest skid marks at the bottom
Death Bike (aka: last kid left riding upright)
Dead start drag racing
Rolling start drag racing
Power sliding in dirt
power sliding in gravel
No hands riding for distance
Coasting for distance
Coasting for distance steering with feet

And this is just what I can remember right now.


Surprised I'm still here.:D

This x 100!

That is all too familiar William. One of our favorites was a sheet of plywood ramp over the shrubs and fence into the pool. Parents, often around while this happened. Usually with a cocktail and smoke in hand.

Climbing onto roofs and trees with the intent of jumping out was a fav. I bicycle toured 4000+ miles in 1974 and 75 and of the 90 people, mostly kids on those trips maybe 3 helmets in all. Nobody died, if I recall.



:beer:

Who else has built sketchy jumps?







William

[Fatty]

I wear one when I take a post ride shower, just in case.

I have worn mine in the shower many a times. Freshens it right up.

[Tandem Rider]

:beer:

Who else has built sketchy jumps?







William
Heh, I had a bike like the one in your picture, ramp looks pretty solid and small though. Hard to get much distance with it. Too bad he didn't think of using a piece of plywood propped up by a stack of firewood or a sawhorse, because we all know that was solid :rolleyes:

[Dead Man]

http://cdn.skim.gs/image/upload/v1456337753/msi/sweet_jumps_dffldn.gif

[djg21]

Iconic BMX biker Dave Mirra was found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the same brain disease that has been diagnosed in a number of former professional football players, including Junior Seau and Ken Stabler. Mirra is the first extreme sport athlete to be diagnosed with the disease.

He was found dead, from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, on February 4.

Most scientists believe that CTE is a result of repeated, or subconcussive, hits to the the head. The concern is that each time the head takes a pounding, it shakes the brain inside the skull. That can lead to a buildup of an abnormal protein called tau, which can take over parts of the brain.
. . . .
http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/24/health/dave-mirra-cte-bmx-biker/


Why take a chance?

[rnhood]

Why take a chance?

A wise person won't.

[msl819]

generally speaking, if i have the rest of the roadie costume on: bibs and jersey, i wear a helmet. in street clothes, no helmet.

Roadie costume... I like it

[spiderwj]

Butt on bike, helmet on head. Always. Entire family. No exceptions. Family roller blades and scooters also. I've broken too many helmets to take a chance.


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[spinarelli]

Every time I ride. If you already paid for one or more helmets why not wear them? I see people riding with their helmet slung on their handlebars swinging back and forth. I just don't get it. It would be so much easier to just put the helmet on their head.

[Vera J. Hogue]

I used to wear a helmet every day. As I progressed into showing in breed level shows, it became "uncool" to wear your helmet when practicing. I have gone to several high end trainers that would joke about me wearing a helmet. The thought is that once you have been riding for so long you have enough balance to stay on. It is very stupid but is very prevalent throughout the higher end of showing. If I'm riding at home and I have a bunch of little kids that I'm setting an example for I'll wear my helmet but if I'm just riding with friends I don't. It is just a habit that has been broken by several trainers. My riding instructor used to not let anyone in the ring without a helmet on but now she has become lax on this rule just like everyone else. It's kind of sad. In the show ring it is also preferred that you wear a hunt cap for the english flat events instead of a helmet. You still have to wear a helmet for the jumping but even the rules of the association promote helmet less riding. They do allow helmets but hunt caps are preferred. :bike:

[Dead Man]

I used to wear a helmet every day. As I progressed into showing in breed level shows, it became "uncool" to wear your helmet when practicing. I have gone to several high end trainers that would joke about me wearing a helmet. The thought is that once you have been riding for so long you have enough balance to stay on. It is very stupid but is very prevalent throughout the higher end of showing. If I'm riding at home and I have a bunch of little kids that I'm setting an example for I'll wear my helmet but if I'm just riding with friends I don't. It is just a habit that has been broken by several trainers. My riding instructor used to not let anyone in the ring without a helmet on but now she has become lax on this rule just like everyone else. It's kind of sad. In the show ring it is also preferred that you wear a hunt cap for the english flat events instead of a helmet. You still have to wear a helmet for the jumping but even the rules of the association promote helmet less riding. They do allow helmets but hunt caps are preferred. :bike:

uhh..

http://www.indiacityblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/horse-riding-2.jpg


erm...


http://s3.amazonaws.com/lcc_production_bucket/files/4319/in_content.jpg?1323693236


some similarities...... but............................. totaly dif'rent ****, yo.

[cmbicycles]

^^^ I remember reading something about a major contributor to head injury being the vertical distance (distance for the head to accelerate before hitting the ground). Makes sense, but there are certainly myriad factors that can change in an accident. If true then slightly greater chance for injury on a bicycle than motorcycle, greater up on a horse. Similarities and differences for sure but probably worse on a horse, especially once you start jumping.

I wear a helmet almost all of the time, except quickly test riding something for repair before/after.

[tuxbailey]

I wear 99% of the time, even in my neighborhood to set example for my daughter.

[Vera J. Hogue]

Yes
Every time I ride.

[Louis]

And for the horse:

http://www.cashelcompany.com/Images/Product%20Images/hh-bla.jpg

[rileystylee]

I wear one for walking around all the time as I may fall over and hit my head or something may fall on it. In the shower too as its a very risky thing to do, oh yeah, up a ladder as well.
In fact I'm going to not go out at all as something terrible may happen. I'll be safe on the Internet though won't I?

[rustychisel]

I'll be safe on the Internet though won't I?

No, you'll get a smack around the lughole for being cheeky. So it amounts to the same thing.

[oldpotatoe]

I wear one for walking around all the time as I may fall over and hit my head or something may fall on it. In the shower too as its a very risky thing to do, oh yeah, up a ladder as well.
In fact I'm going to not go out at all as something terrible may happen. I'll be safe on the Internet though won't I?

You may get 'text neck'....:eek:

I hear ya brother, helmets, never 'hurt', may help. On these last few really hot days, last couple of miles, riding alone on deserted MUP, helmet on hbars, ahhhh, really nice, cool....and I have a big $, well fitting helmet. Can my front tire blow, fork fail, run over a prairie dog? Yup but I'll take my chances. Rode by a guy running, noticed his head way higher than mine and we were traveling about the same speed....:eek:

[Ozrider]

Every time I ride, needed it twice, most recently last Sunday
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160621/38457fd78b32068e06da2104214dca0d.jpg
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160621/4b1376374b6aaa71c82b5b4638834d62.jpg


Parlee Z5, Trek Madone, Jonesman Custom

[Sierra]

100% of the time. Now.

But, I have commuted by bike throughout various periods in my career and I now shudder to think of how I used to set out on busy thoroughfares, at dawn, sometimes in thick fog, without a helmet, no lights, and maybe a reflective strip on my thin jacket. This would be considered foolhardy now; but in those days nobody wore helmets.

These days I would feel absolutely naked without a helmet. And that is saying something for a spandex-clad.

[duncanknudsen]

I used to follow the street clothes not helmet and full kit with helmet. After being hit by a car without a helmet, I felt extremely lucky that I didn't get a worse concussion. 100% these days!

[R332]

My profile:

•Trips from work to the convenience store, coffee shop, bakery or other places in town: 100%
•Cyclocross bike rides in fresh snow in the park: 100%
•Rides when I realize I forgot my helmet: borrow one or go home
•Solo road rides: 100%
•Group rides: 100%
•Fondos, centuries, charity rides, other similar events: 100%
•Group rides with people I don’t know: 100%
•Races: 100%
•Riding with children who wear helmets: 100%

[sasteelman]

Always. Did several trips in Europe without a helmet - hey nobody in the Tour de France was! You don't need to have an catastrophic crash to suffer a brain injury - all you have to do bang your head the wrong way. Brain injuries don't heal. Real reason - I went out with a nurse who worked in a rehab hospital head injury ward. Changed my mind.

[Luwabra]

if it were just me coming home to myself then meh whatever... but..i have three kids that depend on me as a stay at home dad. I do everything i can to ensure my noggin gets home fully functioning. i take every precaution there is .. lights front/rear, helmet, etc.. ride the backroads(gravel) w little to no traffic but still manage to crash now and then due to road conditions. in my case safe is better than sorry.

[bitt3n]

I went out with a nurse who worked in a rehab hospital head injury ward. Changed my mind.

All it takes is seeing one of those people in the head-injury ward who's writhing around in a kind of giant six-sided crib wearing a diaper.

[NPcycling]

Always. Cracked a helmet in half in a crash on a cyclocross bike 3 months ago. Can't imagine getting on a bike and not wearing a helmet. I did not think like that 30 years ago.

[Ken Robb]

Only when I plan to crash.:rolleyes:

[sasteelman]

The colour is not that important. The date the helmet was made is more important. The cushioning material detiorates with age - think it's something like 5 years.

[ripvanrando]

Realizing the risk of falling out of bed, I now do the socially responsible and wear one to bed. I owe it to my fellow comrades (keeps those health insurance premium increases to 40% per year)

When taking a ditch nap, I remove my helmet and rotate using it as a very effective pillow. I guess that counts as wearing it.

[oldpotatoe]

I used to follow the street clothes not helmet and full kit with helmet. After being hit by a car without a helmet, I felt extremely lucky that I didn't get a worse concussion. 100% these days!

These threads always are fascinating..ya wear a helmet because of an accident..good for you. If I had been wearing a helmet when I got hit from behind and ended up going up and over and my face hitting her windshield..the Neuro doc said if I had been wearing a helmet I would have broken C5, instead of just cracking it..so YMMV..yes, yes, I wear a helmet, really don't like it and yes, yes, it's way expensive and keen looking...

'May' help, never hurt..:)

[mcteague]

These threads always are fascinating..ya wear a helmet because of an accident..good for you. If I had been wearing a helmet when I got hit from behind and ended up going up and over and my face hitting her windshield..the Neuro doc said if I had been wearing a helmet I would have broken C5, instead of just cracking it..so YMMV..yes, yes, I wear a helmet, really don't like it and yes, yes, it's way expensive and keen looking...

'May' help, never hurt..:)

I really doubt he could know that for sure. Pure speculation.

Tim

[oldpotatoe]

I really doubt he could know that for sure. Pure speculation.

Tim

Just what the doctor said, lip of helmet hitting windshield, forcing neck back..no skin in the game..maybe less than the 12 stitches I got around my right eye..YMMV was my point. If you want to wear a helmet, great and groovy..not trying to argue..your noggin, do what you want and why you want..

The real damage was burst fracture of L1 and L3..Dodge dakota grill marks on me arse..

[Mark McM]

I really doubt he could know that for sure. Pure speculation.

Yes, it is just speculation.

Just like most of the "helmet saved my life" stories.

It is difficult to reach a scientific conclusion based on anecdotes of what happened in single occurrence events.

It is even hard to reach a scientific conclusion based on speculation of what might have happened (but didn't) in single occurrence events.


Edit: That last line was supposed to read:
It is even harder to reach a scientific conclusion based on speculation of what might have happened (but didn't) in single occurrence events.

[soulspinner]

Yes, it is just speculation.

Just like most of the "helmet saved my life" stories.

It is difficult to reach a scientific conclusion based on anecdotes of what happened in single occurrence events.

It is even hard to reach a scientific conclusion based on speculation of what might have happened (but didn't) in single occurrence events.

so dont wear one.

[mcteague]

Yes, it is just speculation.

Just like most of the "helmet saved my life" stories.

It is difficult to reach a scientific conclusion based on anecdotes of what happened in single occurrence events.

It is even hard to reach a scientific conclusion based on speculation of what might have happened (but didn't) in single occurrence events.

Agreed. Years ago, I went OTB and landed on my head. My Giro Prolight, first helmet they made, cracked in half and I was unconscious a few seconds. I used to say the helmet saved my life. As time went by I realized I really cannot say that as I have no real idea what would have happened without the helmet. Maybe a skull fracture, maybe my skull would have slid on the pavement instead of slightly sticking as foam can do. Still, that would not have been pleasant either.

I do wear one on every ride. It may help and sure poses no significant discomfort.

Tim

[Waldo]

I start every ride with a helmet. I've been known to take off the helmet on very hot climbs -- to me, climbing helmetless makes a huge difference in cooling. On the other hand, my wife and I have been known to come home from tandem rides and start pulling weeds in the front yard while still in cycling clothes, shoes and helmets still on. So, in other words, sometimes (very rarely), I ride without a helmet and sometimes I wear a helmet while not riding.

[Tony]

Crashed hard today trying to move up front, clipped a garbage can and went down. Right side of helmet is trashed, I felt the helmet do its job during the impact. First thought in my mind while laying there was I'm so glad I was wearing a helmet.

[Noah_Deuce]

Every time. Too many close calls (and one collision with a car in college).

[Eeberhar]

All the time, and glad for it. Just a few weeks ago (over the bars again...) cracked a section of the helmet right through. I would have survived but instead of seeing stars I would have been seeing blood. Replaced with a nice LAS helmet, nice one handed buckle system!

[donevwil]

Last time I went down (16 years ago) was the last time I haven't worn a helmet (or ridden with a mirror). 6 hours of my life gone. One minute I'm riding to work, the next I'm waking up 20 miles away in a hospital bed and can't remember what my name is. Not again thank you.

[simple]

Every single ride.

Even on Zwift.

[rusty1200]

100% always!!

[R3awak3n]

Every single ride.

Even on Zwift.

Lol, that's the only place I don't wear one. I do wear socks on Zwift though.

[oliver]

Whenever I'm not commuting. Otherwise I get strange looks from everyone else.

[ripvanrando]

I try to wear it everyday for many hours but life has been getting in the way.

[Dead Man]

I try to wear it everyday for many hours but life has been getting in the way.

Rain and misery been getting in the way up here... Freaken A, I swear it's gotta be some kind of record wet start to fall.

[shovelhd]

PLEASE, CX racers, wear your helmet at all times when you are riding your bike. On the course, off the course, doesn't matter. I don't want to yell at you. It's for your own safety and economic health, and the health of the sport.

[Spinner]

... some years ago at the end of a ride, I was coasting through my neighborhood when a good friend waved as he was raking some leaves. I decide to stop for a chat and headed for his driveway. Leaves were littering the street and I forgot that there was a storm water grate on the curb at the drive. Rolling at less than 1 mile per hour, I hit that hidden grate at an angle and BAM, I went down in a flash, hitting the front of my helmet on the pavement with some significant force. Thereafter, I stood-up and became profoundly aware that my helmet saved me from a certain trip to the hospital.

I have always worn a helmet after that incident.

[OtayBW]

...and BAM, I went down in a flash, hitting the front of my helmet on the pavement with some significant force. Thereafter, I stood-up and became profoundly aware that my helmet saved me from a certain trip to the hospital.

I have always worn a helmet after that incident.Yep, except after my helmet cracked through in 3 places, I likened it to saving me from a certain trip to the morgue.....

[Louis]

Not to be argumentative, but frankly IMO asking "how often do you wear your helmet?" isn't that different from asking your heart transplant surgeon if s/he's scrubbed down before operating.

[OtayBW]

^ It's kind of a loaded question on this forum. In fairness, you were expecting the topic not to stray? I think the thread has been fairly informative and good-natured.

[KeithNorCal]

Every single ride.

[ebaker205]

Helmet = Function > Form

[Louis]

^^^^ +1.

And even then, the form isn't that bad.

It isn't as if you have no choice but to wear one of those original Bell mushrooms.

http://irontwit.creativeblogs.net/files/2007/10/fondo-helmet.jpg

[nesteel]

Every single ride.

I'm with this guy.

[estilley]

Rain and misery been getting in the way up here... Freaken A, I swear it's gotta be some kind of record wet start to fall.



I think second wettest October on record. Second to that time in the 90's when the willamette was out of its banks and OMSI was underwater.


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