Do you wear a helmet?

RobBaxter

Hi everyone,

I am newish to cycling and I don't wear a helmet, mainly because your head gets sweaty and they are somewhat uncomfortable. I met a cyclist though on a long cycle and she couldn't get over how I wasn't wearing one.

Most people I see cycling to work don't wear one.

So do you wear a helmet? And if so, do you wear it all the time? Even for a 2km cycle?

Bobby

Hermy

Not again.:eek:

niceonetom

Oh joy.

ipodrocker

safety first! and u can get sweaty prefer sweat over injury to the head due to not wearing a helmet.

funkyjebus

i wear a cap, why isn't that an option!!

07Lapierre

Yes...Only one head, Helmets can be replaced!

IM0

wohoo! friday again

ednwireland

best friday thread ever

and yes i always wear one since i smacked my head on a road and fractured a cheekbone

niceonetom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsf88VAW4IM

blorg

RobBaxter wrote: »

So do you wear a helmet? And if so, do you wear it all the time? Even for a 2km cycle?

Absolutely, all the time, and if you don't, you are an idiot just waiting for a Darwin award. I am wearing one right now.

Stark

blorg wrote: »

Absolutely, all the time, and if you don't, you are an idiot just waiting for a Darwin award. I am wearing one right now.

Me too. I smacked my head off a door frame on the way to the bathroom the other day. If I hadn't been wearing my helmet, I'd be dead right now.

While the obvious reactions are given below, might be good to not be rude to the OP and explain why these reactions were given, no?

RobBaxter, this topic plus 'road tax' plus a few others have been done to death on this forum which is why people are reacting as such. But to answer your question, I wear a helmet to work, and I wear it on long spins (except when going uphill in heat) but when just going down to the shops I don't bother.

Leroy42

Slightly Off-topic, but apart from the helmet safety/useless issue one area that I cannot understand is why some racing cyclists don't seem to wear one while training.

As far as I'm aware, it is mandatory to wear a helmet while racing, even the sportives such as W200 state it as necessary. That being the case, why would people not train in the equipment they will use for a race. Surely this makes the helmet a factor in the race as the person is not used to wearing one.

IM0

for short trips around town in civis no, but for out training all the time yes.
and when I commueted yes [really bugrudgingly!]

petethedrummer

Do you think that hot milf gave Tyler Farrar her number after seeing him in a dorky helmet? No way.

monkeypants

I have a helmet but I rarely wear it due to the noise caused by the wind whistling through it. When out cycling or running I like to be able to hear what's going on around me. Any suggestions on what to do?

IM0

monkeypants wrote: »

I have a helmet but I rarely wear it due to the noise caused by the wind whistling through it. When out cycling or running I like to be able to hear what's going on around me. Any suggestions on what to do?

move to space, theres a vacuum there no wind.

niceonetom

me@ucd wrote: »

move to space, theres a vacuum there no wind.

Unlikely to help him hear what's going on around him though.

niceonetom

Also, this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNR74UCidBI

IM0

niceonetom wrote: »

Unlikely to help him hear what's going on around him though.

If atree falls in a forrest and no one is around to hear it..does it make a noise:p

petethedrummer

me@ucd wrote: »

If atree falls in a forrest and no one is around to hear it..does it make a noise:p

yes

blorg

Leroy42 wrote: »

Slightly Off-topic, but apart from the helmet safety/useless issue one area that I cannot understand is why some racing cyclists don't seem to wear one while training.

As far as I'm aware, it is mandatory to wear a helmet while racing, even the sportives such as W200 state it as necessary. That being the case, why would people not train in the equipment they will use for a race. Surely this makes the helmet a factor in the race as the person is not used to wearing one.

They race often enough in one that they will be perfectly used to wearing one. In any case it doesn't really impact on training; the only place where it would is with time trial training where head position in an aero helmet is very important; anyone training for a TT would indeed wear the helmet they intend using in it.

Helmets have also been found to have an imprisoning effect on the thoughts of pro cyclists, particularly climbers. So much of cycling success is mental. The Spanish mandatory helmet law recognises this and specifically exempts holders of a pro license from wearing helmets and indeed exempts anyone cycling up a hill.

More practically, race helmets are expensive. If you wear one out training and crash you could break it.

AstraMonti

I have one of these:



Sometimes it gets too hot though

devotional1993

O.P don't mind the above -they suffer severe cronyism on this board and like to jump down peoples necks im afraid.

Raam

devotional1993 wrote: »

O.P don't mind the above -they suffer severe cronyism on this board and like to jump down peoples necks im afraid.

NO WE EFFING DON'T! :pac:

keane=cock

i wear one alot. at first i was very self conscous of it. felt like it made my head look really long but safety never sleeps

AstraMonti

devotional1993 wrote: »

O.P don't mind the above -they suffer severe cronyism on this board and like to jump down peoples necks im afraid.

Nope, we are running a meritocracy system here. To be honest I blame the immigrants :rolleyes:

monkeypants

me@ucd wrote: »

move to space, theres a vacuum there no wind.

As soon as I'm out of negative equity, I'll consider the move. I suppose there'll be less traffic too.

Lumen

devotional1993 wrote: »

O.P don't mind the above -they suffer severe cronyism on this board and like to jump down peoples necks im afraid.

You sure?

Signal_ rabbit

I always wear a helmet not for safety reasons or anything, I just think my Catlike Whisper looks cool. I wear it in bed too just in case I fall out!

In fact I actively ensure all the family wears a helmet even inside the house.

petethedrummer

Raam wrote: »

NO WE EFFING DON'T! :pac:

Raam is right on this one.

Columbia

I rarely wear mine. Only if I'm heading out in the rain or with a group, or if I'm going to be doing any difficult descending or other high-speed stuff.

I'm 22. I'm invincible, you see.

abcdggs

Signal_ rabbit wrote: »

I always wear a helmet not for safety reasons or anything, I just think my Catlike Whisper looks cool. I wear it in bed too just in case I fall out!

In fact I actively ensure all the family wears a helmet even inside the house.

VISOR! euro infringment!

DualFrontDiscs

Commuting- No
Pottering about- No
Full Lycra- Yes
Touring- Yes

'Surfing' on the back of an xtracycling- Probably should



Faces have been blurred to protect the guilty innocent.

DFD.

Leroy42

blorg wrote: »

More practically, race helmets are expensive. If you wear one out training and crash you could break it.

I assume you are being sarcastic!

studiorat

me@ucd wrote: »

If atree falls in a forrest and no one is around to hear it..does it make a noise:p

petethedrummer wrote: »

yes

No...

froog

ashamed to say i don't.

Malari

me@ucd wrote: »

If atree falls in a forrest and no one is around to hear it..does it make a noise:p

The question is, if a tree falls in the forest do all the other trees laugh at it?

And was it wearing a helmet? If so it may have been saved from damaging it's crown.

:P

SamB64

RobBaxter wrote: »

Hi everyone,

I am newish to cycling and I don't wear a helmet, mainly because your head gets sweaty and they are somewhat uncomfortable. I met a cyclist though on a long cycle and she couldn't get over how I wasn't wearing one.

Most people I see cycling to work don't wear one.

So do you wear a helmet? And if so, do you wear it all the time? Even for a 2km cycle?

Bobby

Yes, I wear a helmet, I never used to 20 years ago, but got back into biking through mtb and now on road I wear one too.

Sure you're head get sweaty sometimes, but it's a lot better than the alternatives.

Cycling to work is often most dangerous because you're cycling at busy times and often on busy roads.

My advice - wear a helmet, but I would say that I've trashed 3 in crashes and last time I was on a two minute memory loop for a while which is pretty scary.

Sam.

sweetswing

DualFrontDiscs wrote: »

Commuting- No
Pottering about- No
Full Lycra- Yes
Touring- Yes

'Surfing' on the back of an xtracycling- Probably should



Faces have been blurred to protect the guilty innocent.

DFD.

i would reccomend you turn the handlebars on your seatpost around the other way, a slip could leave you with horrific injurys no helmet could prevent:D

cian69

I cycle in to work along the canal most days and I don't wear a helmet. If it makes you feel safer, go for it, but if you cycle at an easy pace, signal, obey the rules of the road etc and keep a good awareness of what is happening on the road around you, you're doing enough to reduce the chances of an accident.

tomasrojo

cian69 wrote: »

I cycle in to work along the canal most days and I don't wear a helmet. If it makes you feel safer, go for it, but if you cycle at an easy pace, signal, obey the rules of the road etc and keep a good awareness of what is happening on the road around you, you're doing enough to reduce the chances of an accident.

What you describe is, I think, the only proven constructive strategy for reducing the chance of head injury.

I realise many others disagree strongly, and I really don't want the tiresome 'anecdata' to start, but looking at population-level data from Australia and New Zealand, where helmet-wearing shot up in a very short period, I really don't see any observable protective effect from mass helmet-wearing. I can only assume the protective effect is really far too slight relative to the forces generally involved in collisions, or that the helmets are not protecting against the right sort of forces (rotational forces do far more damage than linear).

I'm as guilty as anyone for these accursed threads persisting, but I wish they weren't such a feature of discussions of cycling, given that cycling is not unusually productive of head injuries.

tomasrojo

SamB64 wrote: »

Cycling to work is often most dangerous because you're cycling at busy times and often on busy roads.

Cycling to work isn't more dangerous than competitive cycling. Crashes or hitting tree stumps aren't a feature of commuting. Unless you're cycling recklessly, cycling to work has a good safety record -- about as good as walking to work.

Jawgap

I wear a wig


Seriously, I wear a helmet - I'm slow enough to ensure that there is a protective effect to be gained from wearing a lid!

wayne0308

I wear a helmet when I'm mountain biking. I had an incident a few years back that left a nice bit of damage on my old helmet and wouldn't like to know what damage would have been done to my skull if it wasn't. I'd have a nice scar at the very least.

I tend not to wear one when I'm cycling on my road bike. I'm a fairly careful cyclist when cycling in the city and have never come off the bike cycling in Dublin.

Though having said that I am looking this week for a light and comfortable helmet as I'm doing longer distances than I used to and the state of some of the roads here in Dublin lead me to believe that it's only a matter of time till I come off the bike.

Leroy42

Wayne0308 - you mention that you wear one when on the MTB, but not road cycling. Have you always crashed you're MTB since day one? I assume not and wonder why you had a helmet on the day of the accident, since it appears your reasoning for not wearing it on the road is that you've never had an accident.

I assume you did not have the foresight to know that you would have the accident on the MTB, so why wear it?

Everyday cyclists, it's their choice, some do some don't. can't say I can argue either way.

Racing or even mid level training cyclists have no reason. All this nonesense about heat, weight etc. If the pro's, and many amatuers in sportives, can hadle a helmet in the sweltering heat of the continent, climbing 20k+ mountains, I reckon you guys can handle 15 degress. GIven that it is mandatory to wear it in competition what do you think you gain from not wearing it.

I hear some people saying they look sh1t, but honestly we are stick thin, shaved legged, cycling tan, gaudy coloured lycra wearing, walk like ducks in our cleats weirdos. A helmet, or lack of it, certainly will not be bringing us into the 'cool' club anythime soon!

Gavin

Leroy42 wrote: »

Wayne0308 - you mention that you wear one when on the MTB, but not road cycling. Have you always crashed you're MTB since day one? I assume not and wonder why you had a helmet on the day of the accident, since it appears your reasoning for not wearing it on the road is that you've never had an accident.

I assume you did not have the foresight to know that you would have the accident on the MTB, so why wear it?

There are a large number of obstacles one encounters when cycling offroad which one doesn't encounter on the road. People fall off MTBs regularly, it's a difficult sport which requires good balance.

Commuting is not a difficult sport. It does not require good balance and does not have numerous obstacles. There is no need for a helmet as there is not a significant increase of risk to the head.

Leroy42

Gavin, but your analysis is based on the arguement that a helmet does provide some protection. I take your point that more hazards exist, and the chance of a fall increased, on an MTB trail over a commute.

However, given that a helmet provides some protection, however small or unlikely, it seems strange that a person who thinks this way would rather not wear it on the road.

I can see some benefits to wearing it, without wanting to start that tiresome arguement about how much etc, but can't see any benefits to not wearing one.

DirkVoodoo

If ever there was an argument for compulsory helmet use, it's the dublin bike scheme: thousands of relatively inexperienced cyclists in the middle of the city without helmets and I don't think I have heard of one fatal head injury.

That's not to say there won't be one, that's stupid, but it's like people have said "relative risk" is what you have to look at. Sure, I could slip in the shower and crack my head, does it mean showers are dangerous and I should wear a helmet? No, but being aware of the increased danger is probably sufficient.

My last mountain biking trip I fell off more times in an hour than I have in nearly 4 years of commuting and road cycling. The risk does not really compare. I saw some (morons) rollerbladers jumping off the railings of the entrance to the bank at the fork in the road by leeson/sussex street. One guy was nursing a cut elbow and I was amazed that none of them were wearing any helmets. If episodes of "scarred" have taught me anything it's that the risk of head injuries or broken wrists are inherent to that activity. Much like mountain biking it's part of it rather than being an external risk.

DirkVoodoo

Leroy42 wrote: »

I can see some benefits to wearing it, without wanting to start that tiresome arguement about how much etc, but can't see any benefits to not wearing one.

Personal freedom?

Chips Lovell

Leroy42 wrote: »

However, given that a helmet provides some protection, however small or unlikely, it seems strange that a person who thinks this way would rather not wear it on the road.

I can see some benefits to wearing it, without wanting to start that tiresome arguement about how much etc, but can't see any benefits to not wearing one.

With that line of reasoning, you need to ask why you don't wear a helmet while driving a car (which has been proven to mitigate somewhat the risk of head injuries in the event of an accident) or even while out drinking?