Helmet: Yes Or No?

[BeachyKeen]

I'm sort of torn on the idea of helmets. On the one hand, the only real accident I've had on my bike in the past few years was when I fell off and smacked my head on the pavement, which probably would have hurt a lot less had I been wearing a helmet. On the other though, I find they really restrict my peripheral vision (and I wear glasses so I'm already a little lacking in that area) and at the moment being able to see things coming up from behind me is winning out against my desire not to hit my head on things.

 

[6fhscjess]

LOL, a Viking helmet would be something cool to wear while riding the bike!

The helmet would probably weigh more then the bike.
Helmet yes.

 

[jhuskey]

Not more than a WalMart bike.

 

[Gelsemium]

Yeah, Walmart bikes have to be heavy, we can't have it all can we, cheap or good.

 

[mpre53]

I know what you mean and it's impossible to argue with that, but at the same time I never wore a helmet in my life and I never had an accident that damaged the head either, so that is why I am still not wearing one.

I was never hit by a car before, and never expected to be hit by one. But **** happens, and one day, some idiot blew a stop sign and t-boned me.

I went up onto his hood still clipped into my pedals, and then came flying off no longer clipped in. I went farther through the air than my bike did.

I made a perfect "three point" landing, the three points of which were my right hip, right shoulder, and right side of my head.

I hit hard enough to require shoulder surgery several months later, as my a/c joint got impinged (translated, jammed into) my clavicle. My head? The helmet did what it was supposed to. I wasn't even stunned. No LOC, not even a headache.

Half an inch of missing clavicle later, I have a life-long souvenir in my shoulder. A built-in barometer, so to speak. I don't have to look out the window to know that it's raining. But at least I'm not eating and drinking through a straw, and getting out and about on a motorized scooter.

But hey----it's your head. If you wait until your head is damaged by an accident, isn't that like locking the barn door after the horse escapes? Mine always has a helmet on it.

 

[Gelsemium]

Yes, I know it more wise. Lately I am not doing big rides like before, but when I start doing them again most likely I'll get a helmet, my kids to ask why to they have to wear one if I don't, so I need to give the example.

 

[gavinfree]

For me, I tend to ride without a helmet on casual rides where I won't be going fast or doing anything crazy. I tend to mountain bike, though, and I would never think about skipping a helmet for those journeys. I fall every once in awhile, and I don't want to bust my head open. The helmet might make the mountain cilmbs uncomfortable and hotter than they need to be, but I like the protection in those situations.

 

[531Aussie]

Here's my "introduction" to wearing helmets:

Mandatory helmet laws came to Australia in about 1991, and I was very ****** off at the time, because, like most people, I hated wearing one. It's a big change if you grow up riding through Australian Summers for many years with a bare head, then all of a sudden they tell you to wear a huge, hot, ugly foam thing on my head?!? What?!?! "Fark that", I thought.

To avoid being fined -- which wasn't much back then; maybe forty or fifty bucks -- I wore a leather "hairnet"-style, track helmet, which didn't do much.
I did this for a couple of years before I was hit by a car. In a big way, the crash was my fault, because I was riding way too fast through a traffic jam (in the gutter along side loads of stationary cars), just because I was shooting for a PB. Stupid.

There were a couple of cars trying to exit and enter the same driveway at the same time through the stationary traffic, but I didn't wanna slow down and wreck my PB. Hey, I was very young and silly. I only noticed and focused on one of the cars, which I got around, but I didn't see the other one turning in front of me; the driver didn't see me, either. *Bang*!

As I was tumbling through the air, then along the road, I was just waiting to hit head. As many people say about such a situation, it seemed to be happening in slow motion, so I had plenty of time to say to myself: "I'm gunna hit my head. I'm gunna hit my head. I'm gunna hit my head." Then I stopped with a big thud, but luckily, it was the beefy part of my **** that smashed hard into the concrete edge of the curb/gutter.

It must've looked spectacular, because heaps of people came to my aid, and an ambulance wasn't too far behind. The ambos cleared me on any damage, so I got my dad to come and get me. I had a massively swollen and sore butt-cheek for weeks.

This incident knocked some sense into me, so I started wearing helmets all the time, even when riding 400m to the letterbox.

I've since had a few helmet-cracking crashes -- a couple very hard -- so I'd hate to think what would've happened had I not been wearing one.

One anti-helmet argument that ***** me is when people say something like: "a helmet does nothing if a loaded semi-trailer hits me, so they're useless, so I'm not wearing one." Yeah, right.

 

[swampy1970]

I've had a few good "offs"

One into the side of a house out in the Welsh countryside. I think it was Wales - right on the border - but I was flying down a hill, farmer Giles had been out with the **** spreader and his tractor leaked more diesel that it consumed as fuel and combined with the Crapnagnolo Chorus brakes, I was doing my best impersonation of a fly on a windshield right into the side of a house. It was a conscious decision to use the brick and motor as a "rapid deceleration device" - the other options were parked cars outside the Drum and Monkey pub and a "thorn bush from hell." The part of the house I hit was a bungalow - and with the front door being below street level I basically hit the curb, went ass over *** with bike attached, smashed my shoulder into the gutter and my head smashed a thick slate tile. The owner came out to see some English **** (ie me) sat on my ****, wondering what planet I was on. My brand spanking new Specialized Airforce 2 helmet (I think this was 1994) was cracked and severely dented. Shoulder was, and still is, ****ed. The next time bleeding Liberals here in the US go on about the wonders of the British National Health Care system, I just tell them about the 4 hour wait to get a simple x-ray, the "no after care special" and the "pain killers? get f**ked, you can suffer for your sins"

Fun "off" number deux. Fun summer day training ride, practicing sprints (cause I was a 140lb whippet that could sprint for s**t) on a section of road that came down a 5% grade, around a corner and then a flat 200m section. I used the downhill to get upto 30mph fairly comfortably, razzed it around the corner and did what Richie Porte did a few days ago and decked the pedal mid corner. My ass went backwards, head first, into the curb. Broken helmet number 2. That one scared me more than the other and left me with the mother of all concussions. Again, British NHS to the rescue, "oh, you'll be alright dear, make sure you drink a bit of water and you'll be fine eventually." I barfed a few times and passed out twice. The doc just told me "it'll pass." It passed, just like my desire to stay in Blighty.

The one incident that now reminds me everytime that I ride that I need helmets, mitts and an undershirt was on a friends motorcycle. He swore his Ducati 888 SP2 was faster than my Yamaha FZR1000 EXUP. We swapped bikes for the day with the implicit understanding that he'd had his Duke fully serviced and legendary electrical woes (makes old Lucas parts look damned reliable) had been fixed. 80 miles into the ride and coming to the top of the east side of Snake Pass, I was on the gas on a very long sweeping corner when the Dukes engine "hiccuped." It was the bikes way of saying "bwahahahahahahaaaaaa the wiring is farked" 80mph along the tarmac and then dirt, and bumpy English moorland vegetation and I finally came to a stop. I missed a hefty concrete post and an old brick wall by inches. Dainese one piece leathers, farked. Sidi boots and gloves, trashed, Bell helmet - it was still round but not pretty. Scary part was my back protector was broken.... Amazingly I could still walk - but that was the adrenaline talking. A guy in a car had rushed down into Glossop to call for an ambulance and by the time it arrived the adrenaline was wearing off quick and I was not a farking happy camper at all. Again, the NHS came to the rescue. Since I had no broken bones, but despite looking like I'd spent 10 rounds with the entire cast of WWE whilst equiped with baseball bats, I was left with aspirin and paracetamol from the local chemist - no pain meds at all... The following 8 weeks were something I won't forget in a hurry - then again, anytime that wiping your **** is a major exercise in pain tolerance you remember. He came clean months later when I asked why he never asked me to pay for the new Ohlins forks and Marvic front wheel and all the fairings that were trashed - he just said, "I never got around to getting the electrical system rewired. I was behind you, saw everything and felt there was tons of grip left... and figured it wasn't your fault." I did think about asking him for the near 2,000 quid that it cost to replace all the bike gear but figured he paid more than that to get his Duke fixed. That 2 grand was money very well spent. He ended up selling that bike to get a Duke 916. *******. That bike was sex. He wanted the grunt the EXUP had, so what better way than to buy a very nice bike? Better than the YZF1000 Thunderthighs that replaced my EXUP when a senile old woman just drove out of her drive way at about 20 mph and into the road without looking. One quick trip over the bars, frame and forks bent - I figured whilst laying in the road pretty much unhurt that I'd just lay there a while for added effect. Ambulance showed up and I told them not to even bother - another 5 hours in a waiting room to get checked out, zapped with nuke juice and no pain killers, fark that.

I could never figure out how English engineers could fashion one of the fastest planes in WW2 out of balsa wood but no fecker could fix an aluminium motorcycle frame more than 50 years later...

Now, I always go out the velocipede with helmet, mitts and undershirt. The mitts and Oakleys may come off on long climbs but they'll come back on during the descents. I've seen the fun folks have had after a fast crash and the palms of the hands take the brunt of the road rash. Screw that. It's one thing to be laying in bed banged up, but not being able to take care of some of the more simple but pleasurable things in life... Mitts are good.

Nowadays, there's no excuse for wearing a helmet. A good helmet is as cool as a bare head. A good helmet is actually more aero than a bare head. Faster, safer, just as cool? I really don't see a reason for not wearing one. I owe my life to 2 bike helmets and a full gamut of motorcycle protective gear.

I am living proof that safety gear works. Some would argue that I'm 'normal' but like Ozman said above, I ain't being forced fed with liquid food through a straw and relying on an electric wheel chair to get around.

 

[swampy1970]

Yes, I know it more wise. Lately I am not doing big rides like before, but when I start doing them again most likely I'll get a helmet, my kids to ask why to they have to wear one if I don't, so I need to give the example.

I wish more parents were like you. I always wear one on the bike paths when riding with my kid. She's got a few battle scars from falling off but has yet to hit her head (thankfully) and because of this she always asks "why do I have to wear one if I don't hit my head when I fall off."

The one time she doesn't...

 

[531Aussie]

ha, Drum and Monkey Pub. I've gotta get to that country one day

 

[Gelsemium]

I wish more parents were like you. I always wear one on the bike paths when riding with my kid. She's got a few battle scars from falling off but has yet to hit her head (thankfully) and because of this she always asks "why do I have to wear one if I don't hit my head when I fall off."

The one time she doesn't...

Pretty much. It's basically a matter of gaining the habit and there are out there quite a few cool helmets so they end up loving them. Riding is so great, so nothing like doing it safely and avoid problems.

 

[Viciouscycle]

Yes.

I had a friend who's small child was hut by a car in front of him, and drug about 50 feet.

He showed me the helmet. Looked like you had put it in a wood chipper.

The kid ended up being fine. But there is no doubt in my mind that he'd be dead if he hadn't had a helmet.

You aren't wearing a helmet to protect you from your own stupidity... But that if every idiot in a car.

 

[Connie858]

For me there is no yes/no answer. It all depends on what bike, what situation, which country you are in and what you want at that moment in time.

My road bike - I would always wear it. Not because it will necessarily prevent any major head injuries, but it has a visor (I only have the 1 helmet and it is an mtb helmet with visor) and the visor is really useful in sunshine for shielding my eyes so I can see the road, and in rain for keeping off the majority of rain.

On my mountain bike - usually but not always because there are exceptions to the rule. I have smashed several helmets now from falls. I could post pictures, but I don't see the point. On several occasions I have actually felt the helmet made the situation worse not better.

My touring bike - this depends on what country I am in and to be honest how hot the weather is and what and where I am cycling. My touring bike has the ability to go off road and I do cycle off road, on quiet cycle routes that are old converted railway lines and sometimes the freedom is really nice not to wear my helmet.

My recumbent trike - no, I don't wear it. Helmets were designed originally for mtb use, for mountain bikers coming off their bikes of their own accord (or hitting tree branches etc) and put bluntly if I fall off my trike of my own accord, I have bigger problems to deal with!

 

[Volnix]

On my mountain bike - usually but not always because there are exceptions to the rule. I have smashed several helmets now from falls. I could post pictures, but I don't see the point. On several occasions I have actually felt the helmet made the situation worse not better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QUHLMNwcB4

 

[ZXD22]

Ofcourse you should wear a helmet. Long distance wise it is very crucial to wear one, but to me, if you are riding a short distance like less than a mile or two then you probably don't need to wear one. Just put into the fact that if you rode your bike and tripped on a rock or god knows what, you are going to go tumbling without head protection and that is always a big no no.

 

[531Aussie]

I once busted a crank while riding off the saddle at about 5km/h up a steep driveway. The right pedal and broken bit of crank, with all my weight on it and my foot still attached, hit the concrete and slide out sharply to the right. I somehow ended up landing on my back and smashing the back of my helmet.

So, **** can happen, even when you're riding very slowly

 

[swampy1970]

ha, Drum and Monkey Pub. I've gotta get to that country one day

The cycling around there is better than the beer. If you want better beer and probably better cycling, just come to California.

The Drum and Monkey pub is located on a 20%ish grade. Some say 1 in 4 or 25% but I really don't think its really that steep...

 

[Connie858]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QUHLMNwcB4

you have no idea how accurate most of that is! Only I come home covered in bruises as well, black eyes, stitches.... last time my husband had to take me to A&E to get an x-ray we were separated and I was asked if he was beating me up! All I could do was laugh and tell them he didn't need to beat me up, I was good enough at beating myself up!

And until 5 months ago, the house was full of bike parts and bikes being cleaned with a tooth brush after being stripped down and washed in the sink.... now sadly that is beyond me (back injury and probably permanent paralysis hence now being on a recumbent trike) but I still get out. I haven't yet parted with my 2 wheeled bikes. we are leaving that for a while longer until we know if the paralysis is permanent, so there are now 5 bikes in the back bedroom and 3 outside (my husband cycles as well luckily!)

 

[ZXD22]

The cycling around there is better than the beer. If you want better beer and probably better cycling, just come to California.

The Drum and Monkey pub is located on a 20%ish grade. Some say 1 in 4 or 25% but I really don't think its really that steep...

Is biking really that better? I mean I know that California has way better streets than the north east possibly but I would think there would be too many hills to bike up on. Sure it adds more motive and makes you work harder, but hills are icky for me. Going down there this summer though so I might do some biking down near Santa Clarita.