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Greg S.
Greg S. Sendmail

Helmets?

posted over 2 years ago | Report

Do you wear a helmet when you ride?

This is a big question on most cycling oriented websites. I always wear my helmet and encourage other to do so. I'd like to know if you wear a helmet when cycling and why you do or why you do not.

If you're interested, you can view the reason I wear a helmet at the following site:

http://www.bhsi.org/crashes.htm

My story is the one from April 16, 2009

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29 posts

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  • Stephanie Y.
    Stephanie Y. Sendmail

    Always. Always.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Kevin M.
    Kevin M. Sendmail

    I honestly can't remember the last time I rode without a helmet.
    Even with a helmet I sustained a mild concussion in a crash in a race last year.

    posted over 2 years ago | edited over 2 years ago

  • Philip O.PRO
    Philip O. Sendmail

    Always wear a helmet regardless of surface or speed, because the potential for serious injury is not related to either. I will never forget the sight of my first crushed helmet - that's why I wear one.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Philip P.
    Philip P. Sendmail

    Yes! Lots of hilly roads where I live...I would hate to think what my head would look like after hitting the pavement at 35 MPH.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Randy I.
    Randy I. Sendmail

    ALWAYS!, ever see those TV programs that show kids crashing on skateboards, bikes or whatever, and they hit there heads in the crash. They are usually KO'd. I may not have much between my ears, but I want to keep what I do have!

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Mark V.
    Mark V. Sendmail

    A few weeks back I was out on my bike with my brother in law. We were close to the end of our ride...heading into head wind drafting each other. It was great and we were both feeling good doing about 20mph. He took the lead and I was following pretty close so I backed off...suddenly a rabbit crossed to bike trail we were on. He broke slightly to avoid running into it...in that split second I thought "ok..it's passed by now I'm going to get behind him and we're off again". What I didn't see was that silly rabbit had stopped and looked like it was going to do a U-turn...my bro-I-L broke to a stand still. To late. I was approaching his back wheel and all I could think was I'm going to ruin his new $5000 Trek Madonne....so I tried to avoid him and lost it. Lost some skin on my leg...bruised hip...and hit my head so hard I cracked the helmet in two places. Thankfully I had it on because I would be re-learning everything...if I had survived the impact had I not been wearing one. I sat there stunned but ok...no broken parts...just skinned up and bruised. I was so thankful, thinking back on it the next day and that the helmet did it's job, I wrote LAS and thanked them for making a great product. So needless to say I will never ride without a helmet. Oh my bike....just a scratch on the left peddle.

    posted over 2 years ago | edited over 2 years ago

  • Gehr 1.
    Gehr 1. Sendmail

    I almost always wear my helmet for road rides, especially on group rides and always for mountain biking. In the era I started riding, early 80's, helmets were few and far between. Even for racing amateurs only had to wear a hair-net (leather covered padded strips) which were only really helpful for abrasions protection. Rules for helmets have only been enforced in the pro peloton since '05 and even now in a mountain top finish of more than 5km (3miles) they can be taken off.

    I found a couple of sites for interest http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_helmet and http://bhsi.org/history.htm

    posted over 2 years ago

  • John P.
    John P. Sendmail

    always.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Joe C.
    Joe C. Sendmail

    100%

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Darrel W.
    Darrel W. Sendmail

    I do on all my road rides... I've had a couple of crashes, and from the high perch on a road bike, the side of my head bounced off the road both times.

    I don't wear one if I'm riding around the block on my MTB with my son (he does, though).

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Matt B.
    Matt B. Sendmail

    I didn't used to because I thought it made me look silly, but always made my boys wear their's. They kept telling me to put mine on, and I finally did. Now I wouldn't ride without one. Sometimes it takes a kid to teach an adult what's important.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Bill S.PRO
    Bill S. Sendmail

    I don't ride - but I see plenty of folks in Honolulu who ride without helmets. I wish more people here would wear head protection.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Chuck M.
    Chuck M. Sendmail

    I almost always wear mine. Actually, I only remember riding without once and that was because I arrived at the beginning of the ride without it.
    I did crash my mountain bike a few years ago and on dirt, with a Giro, I ended up unconscious for 45 minutes and a John Doe at UofMD Shock Trauma. Concussion with Coma was the diagnosis, and I learned a lot.
    I more recently crashed my MTB and separated my shoulder, and can guarantee I'd have head injuries if I hadn't had a helmet on.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • James R.
    James R. Sendmail

    Started wearing x-country buckets in the 90's when I started mountain biking. Full face Giro Helmet when I started downhilling and then when I switched to road riding, I started wearing a roadie helmet by Bell. I have never, ever felt like riding without a helmet was acceptable.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Chari M.
    Chari M. Sendmail

    YES, but of course! I like my head & my brains right where they are, thank you!

    Running Healthy~
    Chari

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Jade
    Jade Sendmail

    Always and forever after the crash which almost broke my skull!
    God has been kind and I don't want to push him further!

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Peter S.
    Peter S. Sendmail

    Always, since as far back as I can remember (late 80's). Helmets have gotten a lot cooler since then.

    I do take mine off during 85F (30C) 100% humidity climbs over 5miles or so, because I don't want to pass out. But I even forget then.

    Went straight over handlebars when a big dog stupidly ran right in front of me when I was going 25mph (40kph). Landed on my forehead, helmet was smashed, but I was okay. It's those once in 10 years experiences that I wear my helmet for.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Kris R.PRO
    Kris R. Sendmail

    I'm going to buck the trend and say, "not always".

    - I wear it road cycling
    - I wear it off road cycling
    - I didn't wear it learning to trackstand on my bike, nor do I wear it when doing a trackstand for photos.
    - I don't wear it when riding around the bottom floor of my garage after making adjustments to my bike.
    - I don't wear it riding through the hallways of my apartment complex.

    Basically anything faster than walking pace and I'm wearing it.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Ross H.
    Ross H. Sendmail

    Always and I look down on those I see who do not. I have; however, gone on rides listening to my Ipod and clearly have seen people look down on me. Or maybe they were wondering how the bike could hold the fat guy - I don't know but everyone should always wear a helmet!

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Rhea K.
    Rhea K. Sendmail

    Always. 1974 got hit by a car while riding a bike sans helmet. I curled up to avoid hitting my head and my back took the pavement, have had 3x back surgeries since then. 2004 had a serious car wreck and closed head injury. Took 4 years to come back from and I have memory loss, problems with attention span, and an anxiety disorder.--I can't work. The back issues are nothing compared to what I went through from the head injury. Would never go without one and have considered driving with one. LOL

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Greg S.
    Greg S. Sendmail

    Glad to hear you're still cycling. You've really been "through the wringer" with injuries. I agree with you that general cycling injuries pale when compared to a closed head injury. Road rash and broken bones can't compare to the "loss of self" associated with a head injury.

    I, too, never, ever ride without my helmet!

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Alain C.PRO
    Alain C. Sendmail

    I will leave my little story on your site as well....would not be here to write it...if i did not wear a helmet...

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Brian M.
    Brian M. Sendmail

    I am glad to see all of the YES responses. I also started wearing a RoadId (www.roadid.com) in case of a serious accident since I often ride solo.

    Now if only I could get my relatives to wear one. Especially on those hills where they go 50mph coming down.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Chris C.
    Chris C. Sendmail

    Every ride for me is done with a helmet on my head!

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Cesar A.
    Cesar A. Sendmail

    To me I make it a habit to wear a helmet, like it's a habit to always look back for cars when I'm driving to change car lanes..you never know

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Douglas K.
    Douglas K. Sendmail

    Wore one for the first time in late eighties, it was required for an organized ride, and haven't stopped since.

    posted about 2 years ago

  • Mark L.
    Mark L. Sendmail

    Always, it makes good sense and sets an example to the youth, after all if I hit the ground whilst travelling at 20mph my head would for certain hit the ground, and that would be goodnight; further more if you consider that over 800 cyclists have died on the roads this year need I say any more. However I do however prefer to wear just my bandana with the sun on my back and the winds in my face

    posted about 2 years ago

  • Mary K.
    Mary K. Sendmail

    I never wore a helmet, for the longest time...even when I first started bike commuting.

    One hot July day, I was leaving my house, and looked at my helmet on the floor. The drivers had been really awful all week, and I thought, "Maybe I should wear my helmet." That day, I got hit by a car. Now, I *always* wear a helmet...it just feels weird not to have one on. (I still think they look kind of silly, so I put fake flowers in mine to make it look prettier.)

    posted about 2 years ago

  • Greg S.
    Greg S. Sendmail
    in reply to what Mary K. said:I never wore a helmet, for the longest time...even when I first started bike commuting. One hot July day, I was leaving my house, and looked at my helmet on the floor. The drivers had been really awful all week, and I thought, "Maybe I shou... read more

    Glad you're OK. Good thing to listen to that inner voice!

    posted about 2 years ago

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