View Poll Results: When do you not wear your helmet on your rides?
Always. On every single ride no matter where, how long or how fast.
74
69.16%
All the time except for short rides
10
9.35%
All the time except for slow rides
6
5.61%
All the time except for rides on back streets with no traffic
6
5.61%
I never wear a helmet
19
17.76%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 107. You may not vote on this poll
Do You Always Wear a Helmet?
09-20-18, 09:44 AM
#1
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Do You Always Wear a Helmet?
So I always wore a helmet when I rode recreationally and of course when I raced crits.
But now that I'm starting to use my bike to run errands, go to the gym and generally get around town, I find myself either purposefully or accidentally forgetting to wear a helmet. This is mainly due to convenience and apathy.
Thoughts?
But now that I'm starting to use my bike to run errands, go to the gym and generally get around town, I find myself either purposefully or accidentally forgetting to wear a helmet. This is mainly due to convenience and apathy.
Thoughts?
Last edited by raria; 09-20-18 at 09:58 AM.
09-20-18, 09:49 AM
#2
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Wear your helmet unless you want to take risks with your noggin, young person 
But I haven't worn one, except expecting a rainstorm, all summer.
But I haven't worn one, except expecting a rainstorm, all summer.
09-20-18, 11:14 AM
#3
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So I always wore a helmet when I rode recreationally and of course when I raced crits.
But now that I'm starting to use my bike to run errands, go to the gym and generally get around town, I find myself either purposefully or accidentally forgetting to wear a helmet. This is mainly due to convenience and apathy.
Thoughts?
But now that I'm starting to use my bike to run errands, go to the gym and generally get around town, I find myself either purposefully or accidentally forgetting to wear a helmet. This is mainly due to convenience and apathy.
Thoughts?
Thoughts? Drop the lead "so" in your post.
09-20-18, 11:23 AM
#4
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I always wear one - just as I always wear a seat belt. But I wonder why I bother when I'm on a rail trail (once or twice a year).
09-20-18, 11:23 AM
#5
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Short rides to the nearby grocery store on my 30lb MTB, not helmet. Shopping trip to store 15 km away on my CX commuter, helmet.
09-20-18, 12:21 PM
#6
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Are you wearing a helmet right now?
09-20-18, 12:33 PM
#8
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no helmet, but ride almost exclusively on neighborhood subdivision roads
always wear seatbelt
always wear seatbelt
09-20-18, 01:52 PM
#9
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I don’t use a helmet for my 0.5 mile ride to the train station. Mostly b/c leaving it on the bike brings an unacceptable risk of finding it kicked to pieces. And sometimes I don’t want to bring the helmet with me into town.
I may also ignore the helmet when doing a test ride down the street.
Apart from that, I do try to use a helmet just about always.
What drove the lesson home was an entirely unimpressive fall that split an eyebrow and cut a facial nerve. Spent an evening in the ER and three most likely avoidable months with a quarter of my face and half my mouth entirely numb.
If wearing a helmet for the rest of my riding days only once saves me from something similar, I’d be happy with that result.
I may also ignore the helmet when doing a test ride down the street.
Apart from that, I do try to use a helmet just about always.
What drove the lesson home was an entirely unimpressive fall that split an eyebrow and cut a facial nerve. Spent an evening in the ER and three most likely avoidable months with a quarter of my face and half my mouth entirely numb.
If wearing a helmet for the rest of my riding days only once saves me from something similar, I’d be happy with that result.
09-20-18, 02:24 PM
#10
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I am so brave my bike doesn't even have a seatbelt.
09-20-18, 03:45 PM
#12
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Definitely not always. Sometimes I use it only to protect my hair from the wind. Gotta look good when i get to my destination.
09-20-18, 04:07 PM
#13
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Only once in the 8 years I've been riding regularly. I like my head the way it is too much. I also don't like skin cancer and my hair is thin as gosmar threads.
I was looking for an ebike and came across one I wanted. I rode it home without a helmet, felt naked the entire time.
I was looking for an ebike and came across one I wanted. I rode it home without a helmet, felt naked the entire time.
Last edited by Rootman; 09-20-18 at 04:52 PM.
09-20-18, 04:48 PM
#14
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Wear one or don't. What difference does it make what others do? If you want to risk injury, do it. If you want
the extra protection (but no guarantee) then wear a helmet. Your choice. Who cares what others do?
the extra protection (but no guarantee) then wear a helmet. Your choice. Who cares what others do?
09-20-18, 05:30 PM
#15
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I always wear a baseball cap. It does LOTS to save my head from stuff, especially sign poles where I am locking the bike up. Doh
I have slid out lots of times too, a couple could be called crashes. I did chip my leg bone under my knee once.
Just did 3,900 miles on my second mountain tour. No shoulder places to freeways with and without no bikes allowed signs. Pffft
1/3 of the miles in STUPID nanny helmet zones. NOT ME. Yah I was just about the only one. Pffft
There were at MOST 1/1000 crappy encounters with vehicles. I caused that many myself too.
I have slid out lots of times too, a couple could be called crashes. I did chip my leg bone under my knee once.
Just did 3,900 miles on my second mountain tour. No shoulder places to freeways with and without no bikes allowed signs. Pffft
1/3 of the miles in STUPID nanny helmet zones. NOT ME. Yah I was just about the only one. Pffft
There were at MOST 1/1000 crappy encounters with vehicles. I caused that many myself too.
Last edited by GamblerGORD53; 09-20-18 at 05:39 PM.
09-20-18, 06:05 PM
#16
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I wear a helmet when I ride my bike for two reasons: the people I work with are required by law to wear them (children) and I want to be a good example to them. And also I would feel like a total idiot if I slipped on my bike and hit my head on the pavement and wasn't wearing a helmet.
09-21-18, 01:10 AM
#17
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Almost all the time. Sometimes I'll make the hop between Mom's house and her neighbor's house of about 1/2 block without a helmet.
Also I've taken it off on exceptionally HOT rides with minimal traffic or on bike paths when I deemed that it was safer to not use a helmet than it was to have one on.
Also I've taken it off on exceptionally HOT rides with minimal traffic or on bike paths when I deemed that it was safer to not use a helmet than it was to have one on.
09-21-18, 01:39 AM
#18
Senior Member
In Australia, the law in every state and territory requires that cyclists in public environments -- such as roads, bike paths, parkland, etc -- are required to each wear a helmet.
Having gone through what I have with an workplace accident -- not on a bike -- helmets are a useful method to avoid head and brain injury that can cause death, permanent living issues, or a long recovery (as I now know in some detail, and it might have been different had I been wearing even a bike helmet when my incident occurred).
Having gone through what I have with an workplace accident -- not on a bike -- helmets are a useful method to avoid head and brain injury that can cause death, permanent living issues, or a long recovery (as I now know in some detail, and it might have been different had I been wearing even a bike helmet when my incident occurred).
09-21-18, 02:09 AM
#19
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I feel naked without one. Besides, I already have enough lumps on my head to put Peter Puma to shame.
09-21-18, 02:19 AM
#20
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You're not alone on the road. If you need protection, how safe is it for others to cycle or walk near you?
09-21-18, 05:07 AM
#21
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I only wear one when I want the benefits of my helmet mounted mirror, and reflective tape/rear tail light. Which is always on my work commute on busy high speed roads. Oh, and on group rides that require one.
Most other rides usually not, mountain biking included.
Most other rides usually not, mountain biking included.
09-21-18, 06:36 PM
#22
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I always wear one. With a blinkie. I could envision circumstances where I might take short local rides without one, but I don't encounter them in my life.
09-21-18, 06:39 PM
#23
Non omnino gravis
I've cracked two helmets and zero skulls, so I choose to wear the helmet.
...except on really long ascents. All it's doing at that point is making me hot. Out here, I can go uphill for 2+ hours. Helmet comes off.
...except on really long ascents. All it's doing at that point is making me hot. Out here, I can go uphill for 2+ hours. Helmet comes off.
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09-22-18, 07:10 AM
#24
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As I have posted many times I even wear my helmet on my trike where I only have a couple of feet to fall. The reason-----------in the case of accidents with a car, the driver's att will claim I am partly at fault if I wasnt wearing a helmet. It is also the reason I have two flags on the trike too. It shuts completely all that ------------it partly your fault nonsense.
09-22-18, 07:21 AM
#25
Newbie
I've been riding for over 30 years and have only needed it once. I hit some some black ice on a bridge and fell slamming my head into the ground. The crack in my helmet would have been in my skull if I had not been wearing it. Always wear a helmet!