fishboy316

Does it really matter why it happened in regards to the helmet? The helmet did save some addition pain and trouble. I think in regards to skills we all are improving all the time. My big crashes were on my mtb and i am learning all the time, my comment about the big crashes was only to say stuff happens and you should factor that into your decision! I don't personally care one way or another which way folks decide but in my opinion why not be ready when the cat jumps under you at 20 or 30 or you end up run off the trail and break your back and tailbone. Would have been much worse with a head injury also!

corrado33

I think the OP is attempting to justify NOT wearing a helmet by saying that wearing a helmet turns people into daredevils. While yes, wearing protection does often give my mind peace of mine when I'm about to do something stupid (or even going down a trail slightly faster than before, as is human nature), it ALSO protects against completely unforeseen things, like animals or a rock sliding out from under your tire.

I believe that not wearing a helmet is fine, provided you're traveling a very well known, short, safe path that you're not traveling very fast. However, any other time, it's not worth it.

But, to each their own. If it's legal to go helmet-less, then do it. You'll probably crash eventually and change your mind. Crashing on your bike isn't a matter of if, but a matter of when.

rylhwk

I always ride with a helmet and so do my 2-5 year old girls. Better safe than sorry! Even if my 5yr old is riding in the driveway she has her helmet on.

molten

Those like me -- who like cycling in the rain & thunderstorms -- get lesser rate of wetness. When a helmet is worn.
Drizzle is always the best, for one who likes helmets or not.

MBurke

I just got our June 2015 consumer report magazine and it had an article on bike helmets. They had some stats listed....

Cycling sends more people to the ER for head injuries than any other sport - Twice as many as football, 3 1/2 times as many as soccer.

Wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of traumatic brain injury by almost 70%

87% of bicyclist killed in accidents over the past two decades were Not wearing helmets , according to the insurance institute for highway safety.

These statements came from the June 2015 Consumer Reports magazine.

quicktrigger

Grew up without a helmet, but always wear one now. END OF STORY.

Helmet saved a close friends life a few months back. He is an outstanding cyclist, and nobody knows how his wreck happened. Was on a mountain bike trail, not doing anything crazy, up ahead of a group out of sight a bit. CRASH! Nobody saw it, and his concussion wiped the day away for him. Doc said it would have been easily fatal but for the helmet that shattered.

QT

ddeand 

The "cause of accident" discussion is basically irrelevant. By it's basic definition, an accident is not a controlled, planned occurance, so every precuation, safety measure, personal awareness, safe riding action doesn't even figure into the event. The most you can do is protect yourself, to some extent, from the outcomes of the event, and that protection is based on a sliding scale that each individual determines. I wear a helmet, but I don't wear knee and elbow pads when I mountain bike. I know I'll get skinned up, but my head has some protection.

The most convincing people for wearing helmets while biking are the nurses who work in the emergency rooms and trauma centers of your hospitals. Talk with them about what they see - it's pretty sobering.

AlmostTrick

Discussing the cause of crashes is extremely relevant for those who wish to avoid them.

The most we can do is study, and learn from previous crashes and the situations that lead to them.

spdracr39

Wearing a helmet is a personal choice that is made by the rider. It is one of the few safety devices that when not in use doesn't endanger other people. If you choose not to wear one that is solely your choice and your risk. I will not ride without one and I will not ride with someone that isn't wearing one. I don't feel that people who choose to ride without a helmet exhibit the same risk assessment skills as I do and do not want to be near them.

bbbean 

No one can seriously argue that helmets make you less likely to have an accident. That's not their purpose. They are there to make you
less likely to suffer a head injury if and when you do have an accident.

Assumptions make a difference.

JonathanGennick 

True! And from just one thread over, the one on pointing out debris:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-euz...ature=youtu.be

Start watching from the 28-second mark and prepare to wince.

Darth Lefty 

My wife started wearing a helmet in April 2013 when someone was killed by the light rail along our bike-to-coffee route, about a quarter mile from the coffee shop. She bought a helmet on the way home after reading the news over the coffee.

Also: helmet thread!

rydabent

Everyone has argued the helmet safety thing till the cows come home. BTW I am pro helmet.

Now-----------the point I always argue is the legal aspect. If you are on many bike forums, you must know that it is pretty much open season on cyclist. It is especially true if he or she is not wearing a helmet. If a car runs down a cyclist and they are not wearing a helmet, the driver's lawyer will claim it is not the drivers fault, since the cyclist didnt have a helmet they must have had a death wish. It is hard enough trying to get a conviction in criminal court even if the victim was wearing a helmet let alone if they were not. So--------simply for your legal protection, wear a helmet, it takes away a huge out for the drivers lawyer.

YouthInAsia

I've never liked the way bicycle helmets look. Hate those ugly things. Add on a little sissy mirror and the helmets look even more stupid in my opinion. I've found a few bicycle helmets that I dig, but they're usually expensive and out of my price range. Nonetheless, I wear one. But I refuse to wear lycra biker shorts, the hideous road jerseys or the associated shoes. But the helmets I'll wear for the sake of safety and to set a good example for my 13-year-old who has autism.

bbbean 

Thanks for sharing. Personally, I can't stand lima beans and I refuse to eat rye bread, but I do eat a lot of salads with chicken or pork.

practical

Please add a mirror - it's better to prevent accidents in the first place.

AlmostTrick

You mean a silly mirror?

Right. A helmet adorned with lights, reflective tape, and yes, a silly mirror, most certainly can aid in preventing a collision with a car! Of course there are other ways to mount this stuff, but a helmet is a pretty darn handy platform for this, and up higher than any other mounting location. Being able to turn and aim a headlight at drivers waiting to turn out can be particularly handy.

I actually think the above mentioned safety advantage of a helmet is more important than any tiny amount of "protection" a little styrofoam provides in a crash.

I wonder how long until this thread gets locked.

GovernorSilver

Do you put the mirror on the right or left side?

AlmostTrick

Left, because I'm in the USA where we ride and drive on the right, so this gives a good view of the road behind. A tiny turn of the head can cover virtually everything. It does take a bit of time and practice to set it up and get comfortable with it.

Although I have heard of a few really silly cyclists who put one on each side! Hey if it works, then I say good for them!

JanMM

A friend gave me a helmet in 1976 - don't know how many thousands of miles I have ridden since then but only a very, very few of those miles were helmet-less.
Glad to say I have wasted money on all the helmets that I have bought since 1976 - they have all been worn but not 'used'.
But I continue to wear helmets................I look good in them.

Garfield Cat

What does it mean when wearing a helmet looks stupid? Part vanity and part conformity mixed in with pride. None of these are virtuous.

ddeand 

I absolutely agree that studying the causes of crashes can help mitigate the frequency or severity of those crashes. The studying, though, comes after the fact of the incident. Again, by definition, a crash or accident is not a planned incident and can occur regardless of the precautions taken based on the study of crashes. A case in point would be the advent of seat belt laws in automobiles - the use of seat belts has reduced the number of deaths and injuries in crashes, but it has not necessarily eliminated crashes (there has been slight reduction of crashes over the past decade). The safety measures only help protect the individual in the case of the crash. I place bike helmets in the same category as seat belts in that they help generally mitigate the severity of damage that can be caused in crashes. My premise stands - accidents (unplanned events) and crashes will happen regardless of how much we study the causes of those accidents. Thus, we need to determine our individual level of proactive behavior (wear a helmet, wear pads, don't ride at night, ride only on bike paths, quit biking) until we reach a comfort/safety level that is tolerable.

Alaraine

I Do minimize my risk to a level i am comfortable with, or at least i will have once i get a helmet. I only ride on wide streets or streets that have a bike lane, i know my neighborhood and commutes very well, and in the next week or two i will be getting a helmet. Also, i was not arguing one way or another, simply asking a question.

ddeand 

I just want to be clear that I wasn't chastising anyone about how they ride (unless it puts others at risk). You have already taken steps to mitigate possible accidents and seem to be on the path to add another level of protection. We all have the right to chose our own level of comfort, safety, or whatever you want to call it. I was just trying to stress that being proactive on a safety level might be more appropriate than being reactive after the fact. This topic always brings up a lot of different and passionate responses - perhaps, because so many people have personal experiences with bike accidents.

On a personal note, I am glad you will be getting a helmet.

obed7

you are correct, but they work great as an addition to good riding skills. I really do not care what other folks do, as for me, I wear one...The best riders in the world wear them....oh, and the best riders in the world go down too...some times you go down for reasons that no skill level will overcome. Your statement reminds me that ignorance and self indulgence are rarely silent, they always let you know they are there.