BIKE HELMETS.....Do YOU wear one??

sunraew

I have a couple of life stories that proved it to me:

A while back, my friend and I had been training hard for about 6 months to go on a 120km bike race from the city to the northern coast. We were both wearing our helmets on race day. About 30km into it we got caught up trying to move through a tight pack. The rider in front clipped another tyre and crashed. My friend didn't have time or space to avoid him. It was horrible. Her bike flipped as she crashed. She landed hard hitting the back of her helmet. Other (inexperienced?) riders from behind didn't even try to avoid her but rode over her, including her face(!), before I could untangle myself from my own bike and drag her to safety being careful in case of a back/neck injury. She kept telling me she was okay and not to fuss, but didn't know her own name, what day or time it was or why were there. Then she had a seizure. [Freaked right me out as I'd never seen one before]. I went with her in the ambulance, and listened as the ER doctor in the nearby town told her that the damage was severe and that she could not afford to have another brain injury. There is no doubt in my mind that the injury would have been far worse without the helmet, especially newer technology ones (of course, that one needed to be replaced after the impact). Ever since, I've always worn a good quality (never dropped) helmet while cycling, mountain biking, kiting and snowboarding etc. AND I avoid crowded race conditions like the plague.

Then, more recently, a freak accident at home. I hit my forehead on the corner of a door frame. I don't remember how I found my way to, face first, closely inspecting the linoleum. I was just pacing off to the laundry and must have tangled over something. Hubby came along and found me lying there totally confused. Blood everywhere. Off to the ER, stitches, and concussion. "Beautiful" shiner. :blushing: I was trippy for some weeks after that. Not good for my best performance at work. Everyone wanted to know what the other guy looked like. Imagine the mess if I was travelling at 15-35mph? Again, proved to me that a helmet is so worth it...

Noh! I don't wear a helmet around the house!! :laugh: but have stopped nipping outside to the recycling bin in socks & jandals.

Protect your Melon! Wear a Helmet. Oh yeah, and (be fashionable,) fasten your helmet straps!

cleotherio

I always wear a helmet, even on bike paths. I always want to roll down the window and yell at cyclists who aren't wearing helmets whey they're riding on busy roads. Especially when they're riding against traffic. Stupid stupid stupid.

Sabine_Stroehm

I always wear a helmet, even on bike paths. I always want to roll down the window and yell at cyclists who aren't wearing helmets whey they're riding on busy roads. Especially when they're riding against traffic. Stupid stupid stupid.

Funny you should mention "paths". A friend of mine was in a horrible head on collision with another bike on a bike path. Lots of broken bones (including around his eye), BUT! his head was fine.
Lot's of folks think if there aren't cars, they don't need a helmet. Not true.

Catjag

I always wear my helmet. We have taught our daughter that she needs to wear hers and I lead by example. Also, the drivers in Vegas are nuts.

teryx123

I grew up before helmets and survived fine, but I do wear them now. A guy tried to make a move to pass me once 30 miles into a race, on a hill, and blacked out trying. He toppled over the front of his bike and landed on his head. It split the helmet clean in two pieces. It was one of those styro-fabric things. Aside from major road rash he was OK.

funkycamper

When I first started biking a few years back, after many years without a bike, I didn't because I thought I went to slow to bother. Got distracted by something, hit a curb, went head-first over the front of my bike, and got a huge goose-egg on my forehead which turned into two black eyes. No concussion, thank goodness. I was going maybe 4mph. If I was going any faster, I'm sure I would have had at least a concussion, maybe worse.

So I now always wear a helmet. Always.

NikoM5

Never. I managed to get through my less than safety conscious youth without one. I have what you'd call a high sensitivity for dangerous situations which has kept me pretty much safe and incident free my whole life. I drive a powerful sports car yet have never been involved in a collision during my 21 years of driving, at fault or otherwise. I would make my child wear one until they were mature enough to make their own decision

Susanh43

Absolutely! Every time! We all wear them (as a family).

meghannrenee

EVERY time I ride. I've been commuting on a bike for a year and a half and wearing one has saved me twice.

I live in Boston, some of the trains are above ground and the tracks go right down the middle of the driving lanes. The first time it saved me I was going to make a left hand turn and my front wheel slipped into the track (didn't have enough of an angle) - head first over the bars in the middle of traffic. Out cold. Happened to be lucky enough to have a surgeon on his way home from Beth Israel in the car behind me - he stopped, pulled me out of the road and took my vitals. Told me if I hadn't been wearing a helmet with the way I hit the ground I would have sustained some pretty serious damage. The helmet was cracked.

2nd time I was hit by a car making a right hand turn - no turn signal (seriously people - learn how to use these things!!!). She didn't even look.

Helmets are important. Being too cool to wear them is stupid.

panicintheattic

Yes. Always. With Chicago traffic, I would NEVER go far without it. I've only crashed once (my own fault sort of, there was road construction and I went to go over a median and my tire ran along side it instead), got some nasty scars and luckily the woman in the car behind me saw otherwise I would have been run over, and probably owe a lot to the helmet on my head. But yes, too many ghost bikes everywhere and horror stories from friends. A friend of mine got hit by a turning car that was flooring it trying to make a light and went straight through the woman's windshield (luckily walked away with only a quick hospital visit and a gnarly scar the length of his whole forearm). Definitely know many others that have taken slightly less serious spills. I could justify not wearing a helmet if maybe you lived in the middle of nowhere, rode on the sidewalks, and traveled at 2mph. But that's about the only time.

Graceious1

I do sometimes.

dcmat

I didn't use to but when a mate nipped out without wearing his and ended up being air lifted to hospital I changed my mind...that and pressure from the kids!

However I do not agree that they should be made compulsory due to the benefits of cycling and the drop in numbers where helmets must now been worn. Even the BMA agree!

sheclimber

Yes, always!! I crashed on my bike this summer....going about 2 mph, on the sidewalk, while riding around in circles killing time waiting for the rest of my ride group to show up to head out for 30+ miles and some serious climbing. I ended up in the emergency room, 29 stitches in and above my brow, and had a wicked black-eye for weeks. Cracked my helmet (which is good, that's what it's supposed to do to absorb the force of a fall) but had no internal head injury, concussion or otherwise. I was in the bike shop 2 days later buying a new one (even got a discount because I was replacing one that was damaged from doing it's job!)

Moral of the story: No matter what you're doing on your bike, even seemingly harmless, you can have a potentially serious accident and head injuries are not something you want to gamble with.

AEFidgets

Of course, I'm a mom, got to lead by example...

laurainparis

Yes, I wear one. Sometimes I'm the only adult in a group of casual bikers wearing one, but too bad, I'll be the safe dork.

capperboy

I choose to wear one but I an yet to be convinced that it would make a difference in a high speed incident especially one involving an motor vehicle. .

dcmat

I choose to wear one but I an yet to be convinced that it would make a difference in a high speed incident especially one involving an motor vehicle. .

Sort of agree with this as too many people wear their helmet too far back so it doesn't protect the forehead.

Les_Lamb57

I cycle commute in busy traffic and always wear a helmet...I think it sends a positive message to drivers.

When I'm driving and see a cyclist wearing a helmet and doing their best to be visible to me I think "...sensible guy..give him room".
When I see a cyclist with no helmet, dark gear, jumping lights...I think "...idiot!".

henn1230

go buy them. I wear one all the time.

Cyngen

Yup I wear one. In fact, I wear what I feel is proper safety equipment when doing any sport or activity. It's up to each to do as they wish, but I wear one. And gloves, helps my hands a bit.