Poll: Do you wear a helmet when riding

[LS3Miata]

I saw a thread today where the person posted about a crash and bought a helmet after the crash. That made me wonder how many people here where a helmet when riding.

If you choose sometimes or never, I would be curious as to why. Hopefully we can keep this discussion respectful of a persons choice.

Me - I always wear one.

 

[JoePah]

It really boggles the mind that any adult would go riding without a helmet. And children should be reminded so many times that it becomes habit.

 

[Fitzy]

I saw a thread today where the person posted about a crash and bought a helmet after the crash. That made me wonder how many people here where a helmet when riding.

If you choose sometimes or never, I would be curious as to why. Hopefully we can keep this discussion respectful of a persons choice.

Me - I always wear one.

I believe she’d mentioned she’d bought the helmet THAT DAY; she was wearing it for her helicopter-ride.

 

[Fitzy]

I believe she’d mentioned she’d bought the helmet THAT DAY; she was wearing it for her helicopter-ride.

Oh...and DITTO; I feel naked without my helmet...and you don’t wanna see me naked.

 

[Asher]

Places that emphasize helmets as a safety solution have the worst safety records for biking. "Don't worry about stray bullets, just wear a bulletproof vest everywhere."

However, for ebikes, there's obviously higher risk, and I wear one if only because I'm required to (class 3 ebike).

 

[Al P]

Wife and I always wear helmets. Though there is still the possibility of a concussion in a serious collision, there is at least less of a chance of road rash to the protected parts of your cruller.

 

[elyhim]

I always wear a helmet with my ebike. I have a regular rockhopper I ride with folks at lunch on a paved greenway for 20 minutes that is a low speed, flat ride I do not wear a helmet for. It's more of a fresh air, team building thing than anything else.

 

[slomoshun]

An ebike isn't more prone to cracking your skull than a standard pedal bike. When pondering the value of wearing a helmet, consider that the meager price of a styrofoam shell is a LOT cheaper than living with brain damage.

 

[Bob H]

I always wear a helmet because I seem to need one. It saved me twice last year and I couldn't imagine riding without one. If I lived in the Netherlands and could ride around on their system, I might try it without. However, my city is a long way from the Netherlands. Where I live, most motorists seem intent on killing you plus I seem to have a talent for getting into trouble even on bike paths. So, I'll wear one for the rest of my days.

 

[rich c]

So far my helmet has only prevented road rash. I took a slow speed fall and bloodied my hands, but the helmet was scuffed instead of my forehead. Good enough reason for me to always wear one.

 

[BernieS]

I always use my helmet when riding my ebike. However, I continually am amazed at few people in our small Montana town do wear a helmet when cycling. We have a few bike "routes" but zero bike "paths" in town so you're riding on the gravelly shoulder or in the roadway with the traffic. Unless, of course, you're riding the sidewalks which is pretty common around here. Pure suicide without a helmet.

 

[TForan]

alternate views.

https://www.ted.com/talks/david_cam...prevent_concussions_and_what_might/transcript

 

[Over50]

I've been fortunate not to crash yet. But last summer I pulled a boneheaded move. My wife and I rode to a local grocery store that has an outside lunch area. In this lunch area are some tables with large permanent umbrella shaped covers (all metal and heavy). In riding under one, I misjudged the height and hit my head on a metal support. We were going really slow fortunately. The impact jarred me but it was a glancing blow so I was ok. I looked at my helmet later and there was quite a mark at upper forehead then a scrape. So I was pretty certain that without the helmet it would have been a bloody gash and maybe an ambulance ride with stitches and an overall embarrassing incident. That was a clumsy knuckle-headed move that isn't typical of incidents where helmet would offer protection. But I do think that in some sort of crash or impact maybe there is a good percentage of circumstances where the helmet is going to reduce the damage. Then of course there are some where helmet or no helmet there is going to be serious consequences. Given my age and therefore reduced ability to rebound from a head trauma/brain injury, I guess I choose to protect myself where its simple and easy to do so (i.e. wearing a helmet).

 

[Bob H]

I

I've been fortunate not to crash yet. But last summer I pulled a boneheaded move. My wife and I rode to a local grocery store that has an outside lunch area. In this lunch area are some tables with large permanent umbrella shaped covers (all metal and heavy). In riding under one, I misjudged the height and hit my head on a metal support. We were going really slow fortunately. The impact jarred me but it was a glancing blow so I was ok.

I had a similar experience where my helmet saved me. I was riding up a paved alley by some apartment buildings when I encountered a sewer crew working in the alley. I saw that I could cut into a parkade and zip around the crew as there were no cars parked in it and the roof was quite high. However they had electric outlets hanging from the ceiling served by metal pipes which I didn't see. I ran into one and the helmet saved me from losing a big chunk of scalp and a lot of blood. It was my own fault because I made a split second decision and didn't realize wearing sunglasses going into a fairly dark parkade from bright sunlight was a bad idea. Anyway, I came out of it with just a scrape mark on the top of my helmet and a scare that will keep me from being that stupid again - hopefully!!!!

 

[Nova Haibike]

I had to vote "sometimes." I always wear a helmet when I go out for a ride, but when I am working in the shop and taking a customer's bike out for a spin, either to diagnose a problem or after a tune-up, I do not.

 

[tomjasz]

Helmets, in some studies created a false sense of safety and helmeted riders had more “events”.
I can’t ever remember a helmet in Amsterdam. That said, every scooter or motorcycle forum I’ve been on bans helmet discussions. It’s never to long before friendly adults descend into nasty judgmental comments. From both sides of the issue. Hoping we are different....

My 2 cents... I cannot remember, ever, seeing a helmeted rider in the highest per capital bike riders in the world. (Anecdotal not confirmed)

 

[Camac]

I always wear my helmet, well when riding my bike at least. We insist on it in our cycling group (140+ members)(no helmet; no ride) and we also strongly encourage floro jackets (99% compliance).

 

[Bob H]

Helmets, in some studies created a false sense of safety and helmeted riders had more “events”.
I can’t ever remember a helmet in Amsterdam. That said, every scooter or motorcycle forum I’ve been on bans helmet discussions. It’s never to long before friendly adults descend into nasty judgmental comments. From both sides of the issue. Hoping we are different....

My 2 cents... I cannot remember, ever, seeing a helmeted rider in the highest per capital bike riders in the world. (Anecdotal not confirmed)

I would ride without a helmet in the Netherlands because they have a bicycle infrastructure that they have developed over the last 60 years or so that is the best in the world. More importantly though, they have a respect for cyclists because almost everyone rides a bike and riding a bike is seen to be just another form of Transportation. In my city and certainly in most of North America that I have seen, we have just got started on building a proper infrastructure through dedicated bike lanes and other methods of road sharing. However, we have not even begun to change the attitudes of motorists regarding bicycles. Everything in my city is viewed as a war between bikes and cars and the majority of motorists have no desire to share the current roads or to see money spent on separated lanes so they don't have to share. They just seem to want bikes to go away. I hope things are better where you live but a helmet is essential where I do.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

I would ride without a helmet in the Netherlands because they have a bicycle infrastructure that they have developed over the last 60 years or so that is the best in the world. More importantly though, they have a respect for cyclists because almost everyone rides a bike and riding a bike is seen to be just another form of Transportation. In my city and certainly in most of North America that I have seen, we have just got started on building a proper infrastructure through dedicated bike lanes and other methods of road sharing. However, we have not even begun to change the attitudes of motorists regarding bicycles. Everything in my city is viewed as a war between bikes and cars and the majority of motorists have no desire to share the current roads or to see money spent on separated lanes so they don't have to share. They just seem to want bikes to go away. I hope things are better where you live but a helmet is essential where I do.

You beat me to it, Bob. All very well said.

I recently read a comment somewhere -- might have been NYBikeSnob's blog -- that our approach to bike safety is as though we said "There's a problem with shootings in your town? Then wear a bullet-proof vest."

If we adopted the common-sense policies of the Netherlands and Denmark, not only would cycling be a lot safer, but a lot more people would rides bikes for daily transportation. Most of us live in towns or areas that make cycling so aversive, only the enthusiasts ride much.

Under those conditions, you bet I wear a helmet. It's in hi-viz yellow, too, so they might see me coming.

 

[tomjasz]

Wear a what? Oh, it’s the helmet discussion again...

Fortunately the discussion remains adult, unlike most other forums. My old favorite ModernVespa bans them. Large forums almost always have someone claiming the high ground, on both sides of the argument discussion. Thanks to all for keeping it civil!

I wear mine, like Bruce Arnold's, based on the kind/place of my ride.