nlerner

A hat for your weenie? I thought this was a family friendly forum.

obrentharris 

Skid Lid!
Brent

obrentharris 

Come on Neil. Birth control is family friendly!
Brent

Ex Pres 

Start HERE at my Alma Mater

(Va Tech helmet ratings)



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delbiker1 

Weenie hats are specific to individual weenie heads. They are not all created equal.

Hondo6

True. But even a cheap one from WalMart that fits OK works a helluva lot better than your hair to protect your skull.

OP: IMO @zandoval 's advice is sound. You should get one - even a WalMart cheapie - that fits reasonably well and use it while you decide which helmet you want to spring for long-term.

Like others here, using one probably saved me from a concussion - or worse - once.

Schweinhund

Funny part is, i would not even slightly consider riding a motorcycle without a helmet.

delbiker1 

Absolutely agree. Any helmet is better than no helmet. But, like butts, all heads are different. Plus, I have close to no hair left for even that minimum protection. A helmet that does not fit properly, and/or, is not comfortable, is likely not going to be used, or used in a compromising way.

gearbasher

I've been using Limar helmets ever since I started wearing one (at 45 years old...yes I was young and dumb). They were advertised as "The World's Lightest Helmet". When I bought my first one, they weren't available in the states, due to no U.S. Certifications at the time. I ordered one from England. I'm on my third one. One was destroyed in a crash and most likely saved me from becoming a vegetable and the other two are still in use. They are available in the US now.

BTinNYC 

Who needs a helmet, hell is only half-full.

cb400bill

Merged another helmet thread into the Helmet Thread 2.

delbiker1 

"I'm sure there ain't no heaven, and I pray there ain't no hell"; Blood, Sweat, and Tears, appropriate name for a band for a cycling nut.

steine13

Ah, helmets.

I've been riding in anger since 1986 and got my first helmet when I was forced to, in 1993. It was required equipment for an organized ride. And for a long time, I only used one when I had to.

I now ride mostly with a helmet. There was this local story that made an impression on me: Dude is toodling along the bike path, all by his lonesome, when a Canada goose decides to try and fly through his front wheel, with predictable and spectacular results. Several days in the hospital, broken elbow, AND a destroyed helmet.

I've never needed a helmet in my life, nor a seat belt, but I wear a seat belt every time I drive, since I was a kid, and I wear a helmet nearly always when I bike. I rode my motorcycle a couple times without a helmet, and yes, it's more fun that way, totally agree. Scary, too. So after some thinking, I got rid of the motorcycle, because it just wasn't worth it to me anymore. The law here in Michigan was changed so that helmets are no longer mandatory, and I think that's great.

I don't do pacelines anymore unless I know the riders personally. and even then the list of folks I'll follow closely is short. The older I get, the more I value my skin.. which is ironic, since there is less life left at this point. When I've crashed in the past, it was in a paceline, when someone screwed up. I rode in the ambulance with a friend of mine after one such incident. His helmet was destroyed, but he made it.

I'm all for wearing helmets, but there is a problem if we follow the logic of risk: pretty soon you realize we should all wear a helmet while driving, and it would be best if we put one on when we get up in the morning. Another of my friends wiped out on foot, on an evening walk, and hit is head but good. Concussion, MRI, the whole enchilada. Should he have worn a helmet?

I tread lightly when it comes to telling other people what they should do.
I'm a big fan of letting grown-ups decide on their own risk profile.
Smoking drinking extreme sports motorcycles skydiving... have at it.
What's the alternative? We can sit in the basement and wait for the end. Bicycling in traffic is definitely not for the faint of heart.

OK, time to look for a step ladder so I can get down from this soap box.
I hope @Schweinhund gets himself a cover soon, and I hope he never needs it.

cheers -mathias

Hondo6

No argument here. But a cheapie that fits - even if it doesn't fit like the proverbial glove - can literally be a lifesaver while seeking a long-term solution.

I'm relatively certain that the impact I nearly didn't walk away from (and walked away from with a broken wrist and a jammed neck, both of which still give me some problems 26+ years later) happened at less than 25MPH, and maybe less than 20MPH. Don't really want to think what my head might have looked like afterwards if I'd been riding bareheaded.

I'm not positive, but if I recall correctly that helmet was a fairly inexpensive Bell I literally did get at a local WalMart.

LarrySellerz

Currently commute 14 miles total, helmet hanging on the bars, because I have to wear it on campus at work. Broken one in a crash before and still was concussed; it might have saved my life. I don’t go down hills as fast now. That’s the big takeaway, the cause of the crash, not “Gee wizz I’m glad I was wearing a helmet!”

there are multiple things one can do to be safe on a bicycle. As far as PPE is concerned, it’s generally a “last line of defense” compared to “administrative” or “engineering” controls.

This idea of helmets as an end all be all blanket answer to bicycle safety misses the forrest for the trees. As far as things one can do to being safe on a bicycle, it doesn’t even make top 5 in my book.

the majority of pro riders in history did not wear helmets, and to this day the majority of people who make their living riding their bicycles (not racers but food delivery people) do not wear helmets.

curbtender

So would you suggest that if someone likes to go downhill fast they should wear a helmet? I watch pro's get it in some crazy accidents and I think there is wisdom built into them wearing helmets. I'll agree, that there are a lot of risk factors you can avoid but you would take the fun out of riding.

Trakhak

Speed matters very little, unless you run into something or vice versa. Even falling backwards while standing still, your head can hit the ground with, and I quote from wherever I read it, "lethal velocity." A bullet fired horizontally from a gun and a bullet dropped from your hand from the same height will hit the ground at (almost exactly) the same time.

Helmets for cyclists, helmets for soldiers, helmets for construction workers---they're unnecessary until they are, and they can't keep you safe in every possible situation, but smart people wear them for the situations where they'd help. I think of my helmet as a cheap, one-payment add-on to my medical insurance.

I-Like-To-Bike

But not with the same velocity, nor the same energy delivered to the ground; bad example.

steine13

>> bad example.

Unfortunately: Great example.

A cycling buddy of mine wiped out near a stand-still and fell to the ground, hitting his head. Got a concussion, had to go to the emergency room, headache, several days off work, etc. etc.
His grown son was with him, and neither of them understands what really happened.

They weren't riding, they were out for a walk.
That's the point I was trying to make several posts up: the logic for wearing a helmet while cycling is sound, but its logical conclusion has you wearing a helmet whenever you are in motion, wether cycling, walking, or driving.

cheers -mathias

RoadWearier

I'm looking for a lightweight helmet for my commute and saw this on Temu. I thought it was a great idea but not if it's garbage. I have a cheaper helmet that I hate. It's heavy and feels like it's perched on my head despite the fact that it is indeed sized and fitted appropriately.



​​​​​ https://share.temu.com/ySJxCNYKnr

Maelochs

There are all kinds of lower-cost bike helmets out there which are actual bike helmets---that is, they are liable to fold in an impact, and will actually offer you all the protection a certified safe bike helmet will offer.

I usually don't wear a helmet on the road, but since most group rides require one, and off-road I prefer one .... still I have never paid more than about $30 - $50 for a helmet. I wear Bell because they fit my head, but if I chose to do a serious search i am sure I could find a lot ... and not knock-offs .... last year's leftovers, models which didn't sell well, etc ...

There is Zero reason to wear an uncomfortable helmet. And ... I am sorry if the experts lied to you, but if it is not comfortable it is Not "sized and fitted appropriately." I am surprised I would even have to say this.

RoadWearier

You don't have to say anything, really.

Maelochs

Nor do you, sir. You chose to, I chose to.

Ain't life grand?

msu2001la

Does this helmet actually solve those problems? The folding aspect seems handy for storage, but I don't see how this would have anything to do with the weight or comfortable fit. If anything, it seems like a foldable helmet would make it heavier and less comfortable.

I personally don't have a problem using a regular helmet for commuting, and don't understand how/why a folding helmet would be helpful. I just carry mine, or maybe leave it strapped to my handlebars if I'm running into a store or something.

msu2001la

Oh, it's one of those threads. My bad.

Have fun guys.