Helmet wearer ?

[gbb]

I deliberately do not wear a helmet.
This is a reaction to all the bullshit and bullshitters telling me that I should.
You wear a helmet if you want to and if you feel that you need to set an example.
I have no quarrel with this.
Just don't try to impose your views and values on me.
I've read all the for and against arguments many times over and made my decision.
I will stand by it. So there!

I find the same occasionally, not just with helmets. The more someone tries to tell me i should be doing something...the more likely i am to dig my heels in.

 

[gbb]

I do but forgot one day last week.
When the wife found it at home she phoned to give me a proper telling off.
I shall expect my kids to wear ones so I will have to set an example.

This is not aimed at you Downward, but an onservation i made recenty. There's a family opposite my house. They make their kids wear a helmet. Nothing wrong with that if it makes them happy. But, they have a 12 ft trampoline. Now those things scare me....it seems a lot more dangerous for the kids than riding a cycle, and they dont even go on the road. Where's the logic in that ? To my mind, there's a lot more chance of an injury on a trampoline than there ever is on a bike.

This re-inforces my thoughts...ive ridden all my life and AFAICR only twice fallen off (perhaps luckily). There are many many more everyday things we do that are just as likely (or unikely) to cause injury, and yet we get all paranoid about going on a bike without a helmet.

 

[Cubist]

I always wear one, whether on or off road. Both my kids wear one. They are quality, lightweight helmets, which look cool. After their accident where they both hit a wall headfirst and both helmets showed obvious signs of damage, they are bright enough to make their own decisions.

I'm bald as a coot, so the "like to feel the wind in my hair" argument doesn't apply.

With my track record for accidents (13 fracture injuries in 35 years of rugby, Judo, motorcycling, MTBing, watersliding and fighting) I reckon I need to take fewer risks anyway.

I don't get involved in helmet debates if I can help it. Life is too short. Make an informed choice and move on. Campaigners on either side of any fence turn me off. As has already been stated, people who feel strongly about an issue will ignore or purport to negate with "evidence" or "logic" any argument which either doesn't suit them, or is relied upon by the opposite side. This leads to anger and frustration, bitterness and a sense of hopelessness. I have enough of that in my life without adding to it!

 

[Aint Skeered]

Yes I wear one all the time.
I crashed whilst racing a couple of weeks ago, breaking my Clavicle, pretty nasty road rash, and a head impact with the tarmac resulting in a two week old Giro Ionnis helmet cracked. This undoubtably saved me from further injury,
and iis the best £130 I've spent this year.

I do feel it is upto the individual, if he/she wears one, but having said that, I feel it is foolhardy not too

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I managed to give my head a fair ol' bash whilst descending a technical MTB route. I didn't come off the bike rather hit a low hanging branch of a tree. Dread to think what would have happened if not for the helmet.

 

[gbb]

The two posts above highlight areas where (if i participated) i would definately wear a helmet..racing (i'd HAVE to anyway)..and proper MTBing.

My logic (or illogical) thoughts wouldnt even come into it. Those are two right and proper times to wear for me.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

A very well constructed comment. My reason for always wearing a helmet is that I always have the choice as I may decide on a whim to deviate from a trail onto serious MTB territory.

The two posts above highlight areas where (if i participated) i would definately wear a helmet..racing (i'd HAVE to anyway)..and proper MTBing.

My logic (or illogical) thoughts wouldnt even come into it. Those are two right and proper times to wear for me.

 

[feckless]

I wear one all the time, but only because it's a legal requirement here (NZ).

Riding offroad, I'd probably wear a helmet all the time, but for commuting and most road riding I can hardly see the point. No helmet will protect me from the average Kiwi driver, and I'd rather a clean kill than life as a kumera.

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[Funtboy]

Yes I wear one all the time.
I crashed whilst racing a couple of weeks ago, breaking my Clavicle, pretty nasty road rash, and a head impact with the tarmac resulting in a two week old Giro Ionnis helmet cracked. This undoubtably saved me from further injury,
and iis the best £130 I've spent this year.

I do feel it is upto the individual, if he/she wears one, but having said that, I feel it is foolhardy not too

It's posts like this that make it a no-brainer for me. Since I started cycling as an adult (about a year ago) I have regularly read posts/heard stories like this one. A helmet would be no use in a 70mph head-on with a car but what about common or garden left hook? I am not a headwear type person, in fact I hate having my head covered, but I feel naked without my bike helmet. Luckily I found a helmet that fits like a glove and doesn't effect my peripheral vision at all.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Does that mean you have a very strangely shaped head

Luckily I found a helmet that fits like a glove and doesn't effect my peripheral vision at all.

 

[snorri]

It's posts like this that make it a no-brainer for me.

As a utility cyclist I can see very little relationship between my sort of cycling and that quoted by aint skeered, he is a racing cyclist! Nearly all competitve sportspeople would admit to taking risks in order to win, risks they would never take outside of the world of competition.
As gbb said earlier, there can be occasions....

 

[Funtboy]

As a utility cyclist I can see very little relationship between my sort of cycling and that quoted by aint skeered, he is a racing cyclist! Nearly all competitve sportspeople would admit to taking risks in order to win, risks they would never take outside of the world of competition.
As gbb said earlier, there can be occasions....

As I pointed out in my post, this is just one of many tales I've heard/read. Not all of them are from road-racers. My route to work is pretty hairy and a left hook is not beyond the bounds of possibility. Cracked skull or cracked helmet? No brainer.

 

[Funtboy]

Does that mean you have a very strangely shaped head

Not greatest analogy I suppose!

 

[Funtboy]

Does that mean you have a very strangely shaped head

 

[fossyant]

I haven't argued on this thread, but given my experience with a claims process, where my shoulder took main impact, but also my head....(with skid lid)......

OK - I wear a helmet on/off road, but not when pootling with the kids...... I ride hard, and use a helmet as an air conditioning system for my head - I sweat buckets, so getting a good lid with a skull cap, keeps all stinging sweat out of my eyes.....

I don't have a problem with anyone wearing or not wearing one, but the helmet/skull cap works best for me in temp. control....

My knock off in December would have been massively complicated had I not had a lid on, and I could show the damage - it was very minor to the Giro Pneumo, but it didn't sound like that scraping along the road.....

It was also the first time in 23 years that my head has ever hit the ground in a crash, but factor in the physics of a car hitting you side on at 30 MPH...then.......physics take over.......rag doll effect.....

The doctor/specialist etc. have all asked - I'd said "yep good helmet worn, head hit the ground, was sore for about a week, but I was OK, no loss of consiousness..." (repeat..repeat)........ you soon get their outlook..........

MRI scan later this week on shoulder/neck and then nerve tests in a couple of weeks........

For your own sakes, especially if commuting....don't complicate it further if not wearing a helmet, as you WILL be knocked off..... every 3 years is my average......

Only advice..do what you feel...........

This is just why I wear one.... and a good looking/performing lid - not one of these crappy hot 'potty' things....., oh and the fact I ride flat out everywhere......what's this 'pottering about' looking at scenery.......

Here endeth my lecture..........