Do you wear a helmet?

[tandem3bike]

.., a real biker know how important it is to wear a helmet... it saves my life more than once...

 

[Oldman]

Here in Seattle it is the law, but many ride without a helmet. I was in a crash with a truck a few years ago and my helmet cracked. I'm certain it would have been my skull that cracked without the helmet. Going on a ride for me without a helmet would feel the same as if I forgot my bib!!!

A couple of serious racing and training crashes (not my fault) where I was hit from behind made me wary. Several concussions and the voices in my head tell me to protect the melon at all times.

 

[PainIsYourFriend]

Absolute no-brainer for me it's the law. Iv'e been t-boned once and am convinced it saved me from a more serious injury. Plus you should see how people drive in Melbourne (be afraid, be very very afraid). Oh and buy a good one don't be tight.

 

[theorytest]

When riding mopeds or motorcycles it is always very important that you wear the correct protective clothing in order to protect you from the weather and also to help other road users to see you.

Importance of protective clothing
Without the right clothing you can get very cold and wet when riding a motorcycle. Special motorcycling clothing is available which:
• protects you from the weather
• helps to protect you from some types of injury
• helps other road users to see you

 

[davidg]

'May' help, will never hurt. I think the question is not helmet or not but helmet LAWS or not. No laws please, it's a 'nanny law', protecting you from yourself.

If they are going to make it illegal to ride w/o one, they had better start with motorcyclists(no helmet law here for them).

Gotta say, after a long ride on a summer's day, with a helmet, taking it off for those 3-4 minutes on a bike path, no helmet sure feels nice. Cooler and I have a very high end Giro.

Agreed, and given the number of head injuries to pedestrians and drivers, make them wear them too!

 

[Anonymous]

i have now bought a giro.. certainly for winter riding with all the ice and crap around.. in the summer, recreational riding down the river, i doubt i will wear it..

 

[theorytest]

You should always follow rules and regulations while driving..And so you must wear helmet while driving as its one of the rules..

 

[elapid]

.., I used helmet but in some instances i don't wear one... I love the soft touch of air in my face... but in mountain biking helmet is a must....

You wear your helmet over your face? I think you're doing something wrong there, matey!

 

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[Addison]

Hi,
I wear helmet.As it is not only rule in our area,but it really helps me in protecting myself from heavy wind..But, one thing that in winter it's ok..in summer it's really horrible to wear it..

Thank You

 

[passtest]

yes, I am always using helmet.

 

[Anonymous]

FOAF story

I have fofgotten to put mine on a couple of times and I feel naked.

A friend told me he knew someone (FOAF) who made passangers in his car put on helmets. A bit extreme, but logical in a Spock kind of way.

 

[Wolves-Lower]

Of course wearing helmets make sense! What I never like to see is laws telling what we have to do to save us from ourselves. We will let The Darwin Award do that.
I wear my helmet on Fridays on the road, in the woods and race day. But if I am going to the store for a six pack...nah.
I live in a Helmet free State for Motorcycles, thank GOD! And I wish to keep it that way. Sometimes the Government Safety Police take things way to far. The state I live in is trying to ban Road Bikes from County Rds.! And they have language in the bill stating that we might have to wear Day Glow Orange Vest??? I mean if we are that concerned about seeing vehicles lets paint everything Day Glow Orange, including cars and trucks!

 

[Black-Balled]

Am all for helments in pro tour races today, but i wish pros were still allowed to take them off if a stage ends on a climb, like they did for a few years. Nothing was more thrilling to watch then when the big guns threw off there helments at the foot of a great climb such as the alp d huez. It was like ok, game on. I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it.

HA! Agreeeeeeed!

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

I have fofgotten to put mine on a couple of times and I feel naked.

A friend told me he knew someone (FOAF) who made passangers in his car put on helmets. A bit extreme, but logical in a Spock kind of way.

I've seen that before, usually in a short yellow bus.

 

[Anonymous]

Of course wearing helmets make sense! What I never like to see is laws telling what we have to do to save us from ourselves. We will let The Darwin Award do that.
I wear my helmet on Fridays on the road, in the woods and race day. But if I am going to the store for a six pack...nah.
I live in a Helmet free State for Motorcycles, thank GOD! And I wish to keep it that way. Sometimes the Government Safety Police take things way to far. The state I live in is trying to ban Road Bikes from County Rds.! And they have language in the bill stating that we might have to wear Day Glow Orange Vest??? I mean if we are that concerned about seeing vehicles lets paint everything Day Glow Orange, including cars and trucks!

I can get behind most of this, with one condition. How about if insurance companies are able to disallow coverage for any head injuries sustsained while riding without a helmet? Sounds fair to me. Someone thinks helmets are of "questionable value" or they resent the "Government Safety Police", I say, "Put your money where your mouth is." I don't see how yuou could disagree with that.

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

Am I the only one that wears helmet partly because I think it looks cool with a race kit and cycling shoes?

 

[philcrisp]

How about if insurance companies are able to disallow coverage for any head injuries sustsained while riding without a helmet? Sounds fair to me.

That's back door compulsion.

 

[El Oso]

I wear one on every training ride. Part of my logic is that if you have to race with a helment then why not train with a helmet? Also I realized that it takes one mistake that isn't even your fault to have a problem. Plus the odds indicate that one is bound to crash every once in a while.

I went on a recovery ride once without one and felt like I got the stinkeye from every rider I passed. Now I'm too embarrassed to do a training ride without one.

I don't wear one when riding around town, but then again I live in a small isolated suburb where everybody rides their bike around town and car's generally aren't an issue.

 

[usedtobefast]

I wear one on every training ride. Part of my logic is that if you have to race with a helment then why not train with a helmet? Also I realized that it takes one mistake that isn't even your fault to have a problem. Plus the odds indicate that one is bound to crash every once in a while.

I went on a recovery ride once without one and felt like I got the stinkeye from every rider I passed. Now I'm too embarrassed to do a training ride without one.

I don't wear one when riding around town, but then again I live in a small isolated suburb where everybody rides their bike around town and car's generally aren't an issue.

your head will not ask why it hit the ground,car or not. just sayin'

 

[passtest]

Wear helmet and save your life when driving on the road

 

[Anonymous]

That's back door compulsion.

Not sure I understand "back door compulsion". I see it as taking responsibility for your actions. I decide not to wear a helmet... I crash and sustain massive head injuries... why should the rest of society be compelled to pay the cost of my stupidity? Member of a society have a responisbility to the other members. You can't refuse to wear a helmet, and then refuse to pay the consequences. That if front door hypocrisy.

 

[Archibald]

Started riding in Aus where it's compulsory, and despite living in London now where it's not, I still wear one.

I've seen someone split a helmet in two on impact [with the ground] - the simple fact is that if they didn't have a helmet on, then their head would have smashed like a melon.
It's not brain surgery to work it out that you get to live longer if you wear one...

Will now read the rest of this thread.

 

[arran1]

If we take safety measures then sometimes it saves our live like using of helmet either you are on bicycle or on motorbike.

 

[bc_hills]

Hello,

With Jens Voight's facial injury fresh in mind, I'm curious what folks here think about full-face helmets that off-roaders are much more likely to wear.

Irenaeus

Irenaeus, I don't know if your question was meant to be funny, but wearing a downhill full face helmet in summer temps will fry your brain. They are meant for people who ride chairlifts uphill and can "ride" all day without a chain.

Having just read this entire thread I'm left perplexed by the general level of vitriol that comes from the helmet always side of the story. You guys are angry. I have a helmet and don't always wear it. I do not get upset when I see someone else without a helmet, even when I'm wearing mine.

Maybe, statistically speaking, I shouldn't ride without one. But then, statistically speaking, I shouldn't rock climb, I shouldn't go back country skiing by myself, and I shouldn't drink beer. I shouldn't hike in bear country, I shouldn't go out after dark and I probably shouldn't even drive.

There are times when riding without my helmet does not exceed my personal comfort level with perceived risk. Whether or not my perceived risk matches reality is another question all together, but if I'm helmet-free and somebody wants to chase me down and ask me why, that's the answer so save your energy and smugly dismiss me from your field of interest. Please.

On a different but related note, one thing I've noticed is that very few riders out my way seem to ride defensively. I'm always checking out what's coming up behind me on the road. I don't trust drivers at all as far as my safety is concerned so I'm always glancing about. I usually find other cyclists completely surprised to have me come up on them. Take a quick glance over your shoulder once in a awhile. If you want to.

Peace.