Helmet or not?

[53x11 in DC]

If you've ever cracked a helmet landing on concrete you'll become a firm believer quick. Trust me, don't risk it.

Cracked mine 3 years ago on an f-in bike path, cruising home from a training ride. Crosswind took my front cosmic carbone out while I was screwing with my jersey zipper w/both hands. Mild concussion. Remember the crash, fuzzy for the hour preceding the crash - weird. Roller blader standing over me when I got my sh*& together.

Guessing it could have been much worse.

Good thing was the bike was OK.

 

[cyclelicious]

Cracked mine 3 years ago on an f-in bike path, cruising home from a training ride. Crosswind took my front cosmic carbone out while I was screwing with my jersey zipper w/both hands. Mild concussion. Remember the crash, fuzzy for the hour preceding the crash - weird. Roller blader standing over me when I got my sh*& together.

Guessing it could have been much worse.

Good thing was the bike was OK.

hey, gotta check the bike for injuries and minute scratches asap.

My crash was the result of one small moment of inattention. One moment you're invincible then bam down you go. Concussions are serious business, you should always get checked out.

 

[lostintime]

I didn't start wearing a helmet full time until 2002. If the helmets of today were not so well ventilated as to make heat a non-issue, I may still not be wearing one though. They don't bother me on the hottest of days so I continue to wear one. I suppose I can say it minimizes my risk of some types of head trauma.... but I think it comes more out of fear.....societal and personal. Which fear?..... name one!

What is "safety" anyways? Helmets add a small measure of skull safety, but there's infinite ways to injury oneself on a bike or getting out of bed for that matter. I've had multiple traumas to my head, not all cycling related, for which a helmet may or may not have lessened the effects of concussions and all. There are no firm answers and there never will be. Would've should've and could've just lead the mind to nowhere like a dog chasing it's tail.

Wearing a helmet... good for you. Not wearing one....good for you also.

-cheers

 

[75kilos]

I've been in two 'incidents' in the past 2 years and in the first, I actually chose to hit the back window of the offending car with my head (in a helmet) - the alternatives were either to turn into oncoming traffic, or going under the b----d's wheels as he turned left suddenly, 5m in front of me, at 40kph.
In the most recent entertainment, my right handle-bar was wing-mirrored so that I was pulled off and my helmet hit the deck in the right temple region: a nice dent.

SO, Boys and Girls out there who are not wearing a helmet on their ride and won't admit it: DO NOT wait for the accident to prove to yourself that wearing one IS a good idea.
Here endeth the lesson....

 

[philcrisp]

The Evidence

Mountain biking always, road as dictated by local law or competition rules otherwise not if I think my kids won't see me.

Unusually for this type of discussion nobody's started posting references yet. Have any of the previous posters reveiwed the evidence and what effect did it have on your decision?

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

The numbers are 1 out of 5000 rides you could be in a critical injury, or fatal situation. Estimate of course.

If you ride in a city or metro area, you should wear a helmet. If your rides are mostly rural like mine where sometimes I won't even see a car for an hour or more, no helmet required.

Lots of factors go into a decision, and you could beat the topic to death, but it all comes down to personal preference. And we don't need a bicycle Taliban to tell us right from wrong either.

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

Not worth the risk. I know they cant protect you from everything but the way i look at it my head will be better off if it hits the ground wearing one than not.

What is a bit weird is that the uci have made full face helmets and body armour mandatory for downhill but road pros doing 120kph in the alps only have to wear lycra.

Funny! I wonder how many people are hospitalized training and racing downhill compared to road racing. Now you have your answer to the UCI rules on mandatory equipment.