Don't wear a helmet? I'd like to know why.
Hello All,
I'm admittedly new to the community, but Julie H. told me this group is amazingly diverse and very (hopefully) willing to offer their honest opinions on issues in the Cycling community.
Here's a little background. I'm a reporter from RedEye, and I'm looking into what seems to be a more controversial issue than most people thing: Actually wearing a helmet. I've heard from some great people on both sides, but in the interest of a balanced perspective, I would love to hear from some folks who choose NOT to wear a helmet. I've seen some people say it's a vanity/comfort issue, and others who question the effectiveness of the practice.
Whatever the case, I would be very interested to hear your opinions on the issue. I can be reached most quickly at mswasko@tribune.com. Also, if you have comments you'd like to post in the thread, I will be watching.
Thank you all very much for your help.
mick
Views: 4426
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by James BlackHeron on -
I've talked to many people who say that when they forget their helmet they are "super careful" when riding without it.
I say that the helmet is doing them a disservice if they are not "super careful" all the time when riding. The marginal improvement in protection that a helmet gives a rider, for only limited types of impacts to only a very small portion of the head that is actually protected, is NOT a reason to let down one's guard in any way whatsoever when riding.
This is why when studies are done helmets fail to give any measurable protective benifit to cyclists over the long run because of the fact that when they are wearing a helmet it allows them to rationalize taking on more risk than they otherwise would without one. Often this added risk they are taking on is greater than that which the helmet is actually capable of mitigating.
False security.
Kevin C said:+1. People are notoriously bad at assessing risk.
Louis K said:After 30+ years of helmeted riding without any head impacts, I gave it up about 10 years ago. A Dutch friend of mine said that the Dutch almost never wear helmets, and that got me thinking about why I do. I ride slow (12mph), and generally I can avoid crashes. If you look at the leading causes of head injury, falls and automobile accidents top the list. Should I wear a helmet whenever I'm in a car or whenever I'm walking around? Surely that would be safer, but I'm not about to do that.
Obviously if I'm in an accident on my bike I would be better off with a helmet, but I'm willing to risk it. I don't wear shin guards, elbow guards, or knee guards either, although all would come in handy in an accident.
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Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on -
I wear a helmet.
Interesting observation when my wife and I visited both Buenos Aires and Santiago this Spring. Helmet usage was almost non-existent in those cities. Many riders in each city. I saw at most two riders in each city with helmets.
Hmmm...
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Permalink Reply by rb on -
About 90% of the time I wear a helmet, I have a nutcase helmet, and it is a bit better than other helmets that I have owned- still it feels a bit like I am wearing a cooler on my head.
I know that it will not protect me a 100% from head injury if I go down, but I like to have a better chance of not getting hurt if I do.
In addition, it is a pretty obnoxious helmet, I think that it helps me be more visible to distracted motorists, peds and cyclists.
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Permalink Reply by notoriousDUG on -
I ride with a helmet 99% of the time; I never used to and I do now because no matter how slow or safe you ride some kind of random thing can happen in the blink of an eye and you will be lying in the street before you even know you had an accident. Here are 4 reasons I wear a helmet:
1. I had a bike wreck that resulted in a broken hand, a missing tooth and a huge lump on my head. When it happened I went from riding to lying in the street before I even knew I had an accident; there was NO time for me to react. Had I landed different there is a good chance I would have had a pretty bad head injury.
2. I saw a friend get their bars snagged by some construction tape in the wind and they went down, fast. They hit their head and had a concussion even with a helmet on. Having seen their head bounce back up I have no doubt they would have been in an ambulance vs. walking away from it had there been no helmet.
3. A friend broke the windshield of a car with a helmet. The car pulled out in front of them and there was no time to react.
4. A friend crashed on railroad tracks and busted a helmet in half. They had to sit and rest for an hour but they rode away from that wreck; imagine what would have happened to their head if the helmet had not been there to absorb the shock.
All of these stories share one thing in common; they happened unexpectedly and with great speed. The people involved had no time to react or avoid the accident and that kind of thing happens no matter how careful you are.
Helmets are a choice for the individual and I'm not here to tell anyone what to do but I will say this I would prefer it if people, at least the ones I like, wore helmets.
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Permalink Reply by James BlackHeron on
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In science the plural of anecdotal evidence is data.
-oh,no...that's not right, never mind...
;)
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Permalink Reply by SlyRed on -
OK, I'm going to tell the truth and be flamed! I almost never wear a helmet. Why? Because I don't want to and that is my choice. I like having personal choices. But, just for the record, I am not an urban rider.
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Permalink Reply by Davo on -
I also don't wear a helmet. No reason other than I don't want to wear one. I was actually asked the other day by another cyclist on why I don't wear one. I said no reason, he said well it is a nice day. It seems odd to me for some people who don't wear helmets 100% of the time to advocate for helmet use. But thats nothing for me to get cranky about. In my opinion, you should either wear one 100% or not 100% with the only execptions being trail riding, racing, or training.
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Permalink Reply by notoriousDUG on
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Don't be obtuse on purpose just because you enjoy being contrary.
I never claimed science but in three of those four accidents it is pretty difficult to justify the position that the outcomes of those wrecks would not have been worse if the cyclist had not been wearing a helmet. I can think of several other instances where people I know have been saved from far more severe injuries because they were wearing a helmet.
If you don't want to wear one fine but stop getting on people for passively promoting helmets because they have, or know someone who has, been saved from worse injury for wearing a helmet. You'll never hear me insult people like a certain well known helmet advocate or preach about it but when the subject comes up all I say is I would prefer to see people I know wear them.
James BlackHeron said:In science the plural of anecdotal evidence is data.
-oh,no...that's not right, never mind...
;)
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Permalink Reply by Mick Swasko on -
I'd love to talk with you. I'm at mswasko@tribune.com if you could send me your contact info.
Davo said:I also don't wear a helmet. No reason other than I don't want to wear one. I was actually asked the other day by another cyclist on why I don't wear one. I said no reason, he said well it is a nice day. It seems odd to me for some people who don't wear helmets 100% of the time to advocate for helmet use. But thats nothing for me to get cranky about. In my opinion, you should either wear one 100% or not 100% with the only execptions being trail riding, racing, or training.
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Permalink Reply by Cameron 7.5 mi on -
I typically wear a helmet, because it's not very hard to do, and therefore doesn't have to provide much benefit to be worth the minimal effort. While there is a lot of debate about how much benefit a helmet provides, very few people would argue that it provides no benefit.
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Permalink Reply by Zoetrope on -
There have been some really thoughtful replies here, but leave it to RedEye to pick the least nuanced post to use for their story. I don't know why I expected anything different...
Mick Swasko said:
I'd love to talk with you. I'm at mswasko@tribune.com if you could send me your contact info.
Davo said:I also don't wear a helmet. No reason other than I don't want to wear one. I was actually asked the other day by another cyclist on why I don't wear one. I said no reason, he said well it is a nice day. It seems odd to me for some people who don't wear helmets 100% of the time to advocate for helmet use. But thats nothing for me to get cranky about. In my opinion, you should either wear one 100% or not 100% with the only execptions being trail riding, racing, or training.
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Permalink Reply by Mick Swasko on
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I've replied to several people in private, as well. Anyone with comment is invited to email me, but it's tough to send quick messages because I'm not connected to a lot of people. I'm finding all the comments very helpful, honestly.
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