Helmets look stupid

I'd rather be safe than sorry.

The pro's wear helmets for a purpose. So when they crash they don't get serious head injuries. And I'd rather be riding outside having a good time than laying down on a hospital bed awaiting surgery.

Ride like you've never rode before!

Litlle Lance

My Wife had a really bad crash last year, 25+ mph on a descent, she split her Helmet in 3 Places..it looked like it had been hit with a ball pein hammer...

When the medics arrived at the scene they asked if she was wearing a Helmet, I said "Yes" and handed it to them...the medic said "Thank You, that saves us a lot of work, we hate having to put tubes down People's throats"

It's none of my business, but I think people look more stupid NOT wearing a Helmet than they do wearing one...whatever the brand or style...

Wembley1 said:

"Surely in a race they can do without them or make it a matter of choice"

That is what the topic starter said. My daughter worked in rehab hospital as an OT. She saw head injuries from bike accidents. Those with helmets usually walked out after observation. Those without stood a much better chance of going to a home, not their own home.

You choose, but inevitably others to bear the costs of your choice. That i do not like.

I agree!! Plus you have the chance of a mechanical failure, take Hincapie for instance, a pro rider with a top wrench working for him and his steerer snapped off...it looked like he landed on the side of his head...so you never know!!

frkm0005 said:

Hey alan I don't know if you have ever wiped out but I have.

I wasn't racing. It didn't involve a car. Me and the asphalt and I lost. It was a corner that I took too quickly and the asphalt was in bad shape. Let's just say that even WITH my helmet I suffered a minor concussion. The right side of my face was mashed up pretty good and I hate to imagine how much worse it would have been if I had no helmet.

I suppose that in a race you would probably be going faster and the chances of you falling would be slightly higher because you're in close contact with other riders. It's not only your cycling skills you need to worry about but also the guy beside you. You never know when the guy beside you is gonna make a sudden move and down you go.

The fact that you even began this thread is stupid. Yes I agree that racing with helmets takes away from the tradition but I think that if cyclists back then were handed a helmet like the Giro Atmos or the Specialized Decibel, they may have been more inclined to wear them. The difference in the tradition of racing and todays safety is the advances in technology that create a helmet that is very aerodynamic and light compared to what was available 30, 40, or 50 years ago.

I am sorry it offends your sense of style. Apparently, though, you take style over function. You might benefit from an attitude adjustment. Look how colorful the peloton looks comiing over the finish line. All the helmets are brightly colored with different slot patterns in them. They are amazing examples of the advances in technology as well, being stupid light, but absorbing energy where it needs to be absorbed. Others here have giving you a piece of their mind and might not be as charitable about it as me. Take you lickin' because it must be clear to you, by now that no one else here shares your opinion.

I' live in St. Louis...on the other side of the river you don't have to wear a helmet on a motorcycle...I think those dudes look stupid.

I have a Merlin bike from Maplewood that I can pedal at around 30mph...if I crash and smack my head on the pavement at that speed I'd prefer to have a helmet on. I'd like to have my motorcycle jacket, gloves and boots on too...

Don't wear a helmet if you don't want to, natural selection will take care of you soon enough.

jamesdemien said:

I have a Merlin bike from Maplewood that I can pedal at around 30mph...if I crash and smack my head on the pavement at that speed I'd prefer to have a helmet on. I'd like to have my motorcycle jacket, gloves and boots on too...

It's funny how you get to taking things for granted. I went out the other day on a short errand and forgot to wear gloves. It had been a very long time since I rode a bike without gloves and I really felt a bit naked. I had to think about it for a minute to understand why I felt that way and then it occured to me that if you take a crash with bare hands there is a pretty good chance you'll lose some serious skin. Almost any type of gloves at all will help prevent this.

I think that the only situation that warrants riding without a helmet is when the pros are riding a stage that has an extended climbing finish. I know they allowed this in the Tour de France a couple of years ago, but I'm not sure if this practice has been banned since then. Even in that situation, an unexpected crash (aren't they all??) could result in a serious head injury.

I experienced a concussion while snowboarding and now I don't think twice about wearing a helmet. That is an experience you don't want to happen to you. The difference between a concussion and a fractured skull, or worse, is not very much.

[font='Comic Sans MS']Now if you were complaining about sweating and getting a hot head or headaches that would be a point to discuss,[/font]

[font='Comic Sans MS']A helmet looking stupid on a Lycra clad shaved body with little socks over silver shoes go figure.[/font]

[font='Comic Sans MS']Personally I find it hot and bothersome wearing the lid but I’ve crunched two in low speed runs. So, age is already slowing down the grey matter and i don’t need to bash myself in the head to speed up the process.[/font]

[font='Comic Sans MS']Here in South Africa it’s illegal to ride a bike without a helmet.[/font]

artmichalek said:

I have.

Me too, and guess why I'm here today writing this? Yep, that's right!

HowardSteele said:

[font=Comic Sans MS][/font][font=Comic Sans MS]Here in South Africa it’s illegal to ride a bike without a helmet.[/font]

It's illegal in Australia but not enforced. All serious riders wear them, but people riding to the shops often don't. Like just about everything sensible, teenage boys are the most relucant to wear them.

Little Lance said:

I'd rather be safe than sorry.

The pro's wear helmets for a purpose. So when they crash they don't get serious head injuries. And I'd rather be riding outside having a good time than laying down on a hospital bed awaiting surgery.

Ride like you've never rode before!

Litlle Lance

The pro's wear helmets because it's a UCI requirement in racing. I picked up a european cycling mag the other day (Pro Cycling I think). It had articles covering many of the pro teams for the current season, including quite a few pics of teams out training. 4 out of the 5 teams they had pictures of were out riding without helmets, this included QuickStep and Phonak. The only team that had all riders helmeted was T-Mobile.

In terms of racing the requirement until last year was any mountain finish on the TdF didn't require riders to be helmeted and as soon as they hit the climb almost all helmets would come off.

For the record I'm pro helmet and never ride without one.

--brett

Just because quick step and phonak dont were helmets doesn't mean you aren't utterly stupid not to wear a helmet. It just means quick step and phonak are also utterly stupid...uphill finishes I understand but other than that who cares what you look like? SERIOUSLY!!!

Insight Driver said:

I am sorry it offends your sense of style. Apparently, though, you take style over function. You might benefit from an attitude adjustment. Look how colorful the peloton looks comiing over the finish line. All the helmets are brightly colored with different slot patterns in them. They are amazing examples of the advances in technology as well, being stupid light, but absorbing energy where it needs to be absorbed. Others here have giving you a piece of their mind and might not be as charitable about it as me. Take you lickin' because it must be clear to you, by now that no one else here shares your opinion.

But I never said I didn't wear one. I just said they look stupid and they do. And they won't protect you i n a serious accident involving the head, only minor🙂 stuff

You'll look a hell of alot more stupid with your head shaved on one side and a patch of dented skull showing than you ever will with a lid on your fashionably concerned noggin.

Some helmets do look stupid,of course it depends on who is wearing it. The helmet manufacturers can just do so much to make really stupid looking people look smart.
They are not miracle worker.

alan b'stard M said:

But I never said I didn't wear one. I just said they look stupid and they do. And they won't protect you i n a serious accident involving the head, only minor🙂 stuff

Why do you care what they look like? What difference could that make.

Since one can't preselect what kind of accident you'll get into, it only makes sense to wear one .... doesn't it?

lumpy said:

Why do you care what they look like? What difference could that make.

Since one can't preselect what kind of accident you'll get into, it only makes sense to wear one .... doesn't it?

Some will say they will make it worst in a crash.

I have crashed exactly twice without a helmet, and one time just tapped my head on the pavement. I didn't even hit hard.

That was enough for me to realize that the skull is pretty thin, and I had better wear a lid.