Do you wear a helmet?

Wow, there's a lot of really "pious" people on here! I almost always wear my helmet. I wear it whenever I get the feeling that I could really hurt myself. There are a few times when I don't wear my helmet, and that's only when I'm just practicing little things like balance and basic technique. Anytime I do a big trials move on my mountain bike, or if I'm doing anything that seems remotely risky, either because of terrain or speed or something else, I'll wear my helmet. If anybody asks me why I think it's important to wear a helmet, I just say "Because it makes me look so cool!!!!!"

 

I wear one now after waking up in the hospital with a broken pelvis and top of my femur. That healed pretty quick but the scar tissue on my brain caused me to have a 6min gran mal seizure,(tonic/clonic), I would have died if not for my wife. I was sooooo healthy and sooooo strong and I don't have any memory after leaving my house that am,(only a cool down ride after my 9mi run i didn't need a helmet...).

 

I always wear my helmet. You never know when something is going to happen and believe me, I've had some drivers do some pretty stupid things.

 

I got three stitches from not wearing a helmet.
When I crashed on my mountain bike and broke my collar bone and wrist, I put a large dent in my helmet with no head injury.

 

Yup: I wear mine. I've yet to see a credible study that proves that helmets aren't helpful. A lot of non-helmetphiles allude to the low percentage of ER patients w/ head injuries from cycling, but this is a misuse of statistics. When you're flying through the air, those statistics mean nothing. Some point to studies that claim that bike helmets may actually cause rotational injuries because of their shape but then also say that their studies may not cover all possible causes or may be flawed in some aspect.

A helmet will not protect you in all situations. Nothing will. A helmet does not protect your neck. That's a given. But helmets do perform well at what they're supposed to do: distribute impact force over a larger area and dissipate energy by its own destruction.

I've had helmets save my head in the worst (dynamically) situations: 110 mph motorcycle racing crash (highside, body brought to a stop by shoulder and helmet impact w/ dirt berm); 120 mph motorcycle racing crash wherein I ground through the helmet, as well as cracking it all the way through in several places; car vs. bicycle in which I landed on my head. In all cases, I survived without even a headache, and in the case of the bike crash, the helmet was doubly handy as I was able to use it to beat the guy's care with.

As many have noted, it is a personal choice to not wear a helmet, but that doesn't make it a smart choice.

 

I would never ride without a Helmet...
I just posted this...
http://cyclingforums.com/t176710.html

 

I always wear my helmet when motorcycling. I never wear a helmet when cycling.

Haven't really thought about it. In France hardly anyone wears a helmet on push bikes. When I'm on my Yamaha, however, I have full helmet, leathers, CE armour, boots and gloves.

It's what you're used to being told and the culture you live in, I guess.

 

Good point Sandra...I also see quite a few Families out on a Sunday afternoon ride...the Kids are wearing Helmets but the Parents aren't...

What use is a Parent to their Kids if they sustain a permanent Head injury? Who will have the responsibility of taking care of the Kids and paying all the Bills if the bread winner of the Family is in a Coma?

If for no other reason, we should wear a Helmet for our Familes and loved ones...and of course, that's only my opinion...

 

Always. A relative was killed just falling into a curb as a kid. And one of the guys that got me started racing many years ago rear ended a van and hit the back glass forehead first. He will never talk right again. Both crashes were before bicycle helmets were heard of but if either had been wearing a modern helmet they would probably be OK.

 

sadly. I'm one of the ones who tends NOT to wear a helmet. We didn't grow up wearing them and I have a full head of hair so I just tended not too BUT....my son wrote from college the other night and told me his bike locked right up on him . Thankfully his injuries didn't require a doctor but I immediately thought of that happening to me as I'm cruising around on one of the local roads here. it would be pretty bad. Hearing from him and reading this thread has convicted me that I need to be more careful and just wear the helmet. I really do need to think of others--specifically my family--and how an injury like that would affect them. Thanks for the thread Davidputty!

 

Hi Sillyputty....
Great Post...
I think you hit the nail on the Head when you wrote that we need to think of our loved ones also, not just ourselves, when deciding to wear a Helmet, and I can say this from first hand experience...
I posted this:
http://www.cyclingforums.com/showthread.php?threadid=176710 a couple of Days ago...

I can't describe the feeling of kneeling next to my wife at the side of the road, I'm what I'd describe as a "Big strong Man", but I just broke down and cried as I watched the Paramedics lift her into the back of the Ambulance and drive away with lights flashing and sirens blaring...in fact, simply writing this brings it all back....it's a terrible, terrible feeling...

We spend our whole lives putting so much into loving and caring for our Families and Friends so why inflict unbearable pain on them if it can be avoided?

I know there are Members of this board who are against Helmets, that's their perogative, and yes, I'm extremely impressed at how articulate, scientific and clever they are...Hats (or Helmets) off to them....

P.S. Not really.

 

Yeah, but only when I ride.. Gets a bit annoying in the shower otherwise.

 

Always, I've crashed on my head far too many times to not wear it.

 

I never used to wear a helmet when riding a bicycle - I didn't grow up wearing them (other than when racing BMX), and never had a bad crash, but now that I'm older (and hopefully wiser) - I want to set a good example for my son. So I picked up a decent helmet I think looks cool, and now I don't ride without it.

 

WOW!! I'm so glad you were wearing your Helmet Denise, hope you've made a full recovery!!

My wife had a very bad crash last sunday...she dented and split her Helmet on the right hand side..she hit a Kerb...luckily she has only mild concusion, and I've spent the whole week changing her dressings on her Arm, leg and down the side of her leg...she lost a couple of layers of skin I think...she's been in a LOT of pain ever since...but thank god she was wearing her helmet...great web site by the way...

 

Um, riding a bike without a helmet is like riding in a car without a seatbelt. Just plain stupid. I'd rather wear a helmet than have to relearn my motor skills after an accident!!!

 

I wear a properly adjusted helmet with the chin strap buckled. If I don't have my helmet on my head I'm not on my bike. The same rule applies to the kids and bikes, scooters, tricycles, roller blades, etc.

A related rule applies to cars and seatbelts. The Land Cruiser, or wife's van, won't go unless everyone is properly buckled in.

 

I just bought myself a MET 5th Element helmet.

http://www.met-helmets.com/ProdottiDet.jsp?idrub=40&idcat=6

Wow! So cool, it feels like the helmet's not even there. So much so, my head gets cold on an evening ride (~15 degree C ambient temp)

 

yes i do wear a helmet.


why does everyone look sexy in a helmet except for me.
i look stupid.

 

I'll be the judge of that. Feel free to send or post said picture. After all.. beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.