Occasional or regular non-bike helmet cyclist?

[emily_in_nc]

Ok, here's my dilemma. I am an avid helmet wearer, never go without one. However, in Belize, NO ONE wears helmets. I mean NO ONE. Many of the locals don't have a lot of money, and a bike is their only means of transportation. People ride one-speed beach cruisers with bare feet, sandals, or maybe sneakers, no clipless pedals or bike shoes. Everyone rides in normal clothing, not bike shorts/jerseys. Most roads are unpaved (packed sand), and a lot of rides are on the beach, but there are a few paved roads which are driven mostly by golf carts, but there are taxis and a few small trucks on the roads as well as many bikes, pedestrians, etc..

When we are in Belize, do I wear a helmet and thus immediately put a label on myself of "different", "outsider", "ex-pat", "gringo", and, quite possibly "rich"; or do I do ride sans helmet in order to fit in and live as the locals and not appear ostentatious? For safety purposes, a helmet is obviously the way to go; but there are cultural issues at play that are very different from those where I live now.

This is something I've really been struggling with. So far, on our trips to Belize, we have rented bikes and have not worn helmets. We only took carry-on luggage and didn't even have space for them, and bike rental places don't offer them. But what about when we live there?

I honestly have not made up my mind about this. What would you do?

[JennK13]

So far, on our trips to Belize, we have rented bikes and have not worn helmets. We only took carry-on luggage and didn't even have space for them, and bike rental places don't offer them. But what about when we live there?

I honestly have not made up my mind about this. What would you do?

If you would wear a helmet under the same riding conditions back home, why wouldn't you wear it there? I don't think the country you're in dictates whether or not you wear a helmet.

Gary Busey! Advocated no helmet motorcycle laws...had a wreck, hit his head.

Was strange before...is even stranger now

I rest my case!

So if Charlie Sheen got in an accident.....wait....I really don't think it matters - not really a strong case either way!

I balance the risk against the burden, is all. That's the reason that even after my concussion on a bici, I was (for a while) willing to ride a moto without a helmet.

Because of the weight distribution between rider and vehicle (and possibly other factors like wheel/tire size), even "minor" bicycle crashes tend to throw you violently onto your head.

I really think the second part has a lot to do with another piece of equipment that most of use but don't talk about when it comes to injury. Clipless pedals. The mechanics of being clipped in forces you to "catapult" over the handlebars in a 180 and brings you right down on top of your head. Without being clipped in, you would go over the bars, but not in an arch that forces you onto your head - you'd go face first, and land on your outstretched arms/hands (probably resulting in more broken arms/wrists as you try to stop yourself) but not as often on your head.
We also have many posts about the number of falls from our clipless pedals, and many people here cite slow moving accidents where they fall (and because you're clipped in and can't move your leg out to help break the fall, your pedals force you down on the side of your head).
I've been riding seriously for about 2 1/2 years. I've gone down about a dozen times, twice were "accidents". The first I was on platform pedals when I hit a mud slick and slid about 30 feet. The second time was Saturday when a rider went down in front of me and I hit his leg at 16 mph and went over my handlebars while clipped in (I have no idea how, but I happened to land on my elbow). Every other time I've fallen it has been because I couldn't unclip, failed to unclip, or fell the opposite direction of my unclipped foot.
Think about how many times you've fallen and what the cause was. The more you fall, the more chance there is to hit your head. Clipless pedals are dangerous things.

I wish people could simply choose what is best for themselves and their families, and allow others to do the same.

Pax, I'm with you.....

[KnottedYet]

Are Newton's Laws different in Belize?

Is Belize a land with a different constant for gravity?

I'd be making my decisions based on science. I only have one brain. It already got smashed up once. I'd rather not do that again. No matter how funny I look.

If the poverty of other riders really bothered me, I'd connect with a helmet manufacturer and a local hospital and start a helmet program like the one Cascade bike club has in Seattle.

[OakLeaf]

Clipless pedals.

I'm old enough to remember toe clips. Trust me, clipless are WAY easier to get out of.

You describe my toe-clipped concussion just about exactly like my training partner did, and you weren't even there. I don't remember a bit of it of course, but that's how he tells it. Stuck a pedal in a corner (learned THAT lesson! ), ricocheted three feet in the air, jackknifed back to front, pivoted bottom to top, and came down on the side of my head with sparks coming off my Kiwi helmet. (I'd forgotten the brand until Smilingcat mentioned it!)

But here's the second part of it. How my training partner sat by me for 25 minutes while I made nonverbal sounds; when I regained semiconsciousness, checked me over as best I could for neck injuries, and then had to make a decision about leaving me there, alone, injured and with obviously impaired judgment, by the side of the road, for 10 minutes while he went and got his truck ... which he did, but then, not having a backboard, had to physically lift me into his truck, potential spine injury and all.

There was a hospital five miles away. This was 1987, there were no cell phones, and the nearest pay phone was no more accessible than the hospital.

Five months ago I went over the bars at 20 mph and landed on my chin. Again, potential neck injury and obvious apparent chest wall injury - thank the powers that be that I escaped both times with my spinal cord and internal organs intact. This time was way different. My training partner pulled his phone out of his jersey pocket, called 911, and the medics were strapping me to a backboard inside of five minutes.

Should we penalize people who ride without cell phones?

[JennK13]

I'm old enough to remember toe clips. Trust me, clipless are WAY easier to get out of.

Five months ago I went over the bars at 20 mph and landed on my chin.

Should we penalize people who ride without cell phones?

A friend of mine broke his ankle because he couldn't unclip while mountain biking - the bike went one way into a boulder; his foot was attached to the pedal, and ankle went a different way. OUCH!

Landed on your chin....great potential for a spinal cord injury, extreme loss of quality of life or death even, and we don't wear helmets on our chins. Again, I wear mine most of the time, but a lot of injuries are not preventable or made less severe by a helmet, even when you land on your face/head.
(And, glad you're okay Hugs!)

I know a lot of people who ride without phones. It's like a getaway for them. I've happened upon strangers on the side of the trail and have let them use my phone on several different occasions for both injuries and mechanical issues. I don't ride without my phone!

[OakLeaf]

A friend of mine broke his ankle because he couldn't unclip while mountain biking - the bike went one way into a boulder; his foot was attached to the pedal, and ankle went a different way. OUCH!

I guess back in the days of toe clips, CX was almost unknown in the USA, and early mountain bikes used flat pedals. So there aren't too many off-road cyclists here who ever had to deal with toe clips.

If your friend had been using toe clips, would he have had time to reach down and loosen the strap? The procedure for getting out of a clipless pedal is ALWAYS quicker and safer than getting out of a toe clip, simply because it doesn't involve your hands! Obviously with either system, there are times when someone doesn't or can't get their foot out fast enough, but being able to keep both hands on the bars to brake and steer makes clipless a whole lot safer.

IAE, it sounds like he didn't land on his head at all, and I'm glad for that. Hope his ankle is healing/has healed well!

[shootingstar]

emilync: When we are in Belize, do I wear a helmet and thus immediately put a label on myself of "different", "outsider", "ex-pat", "gringo", and, quite possibly "rich"; or do I do ride sans helmet in order to fit in and live as the locals and not appear ostentatious? For safety purposes, a helmet is obviously the way to go; but there are cultural issues at play that are very different from those where I live now.

Emily you will be noticeable as a non-local --no matter what you wear....how you walk, your skin colour, your speech, etc.

A rule of thumb: If you were moderately injured does your health care insurance cover yourself? Is there excellent, comprehensive medical care in Belize for significant injuries, surgeries or would you have to be flown back to the U.S. My siser, ER doctor worked in the tiny Carribbean island of Dominica for 4 months as part of program for medical care in daveloping countries, where it's very rugged and local medical care very sparse. Not enough good road access.

Then I would wear my helmet if I knew I could not get the same level of comprehensive care as I would get in a major city in Canada.

If people think I sound whatever...this what I personally know:
a cousin, a strong swimmer who drowned off the coast of California at age 18 yrs.
a sister of a close, long-time friend who drowned by a beach in Acapulco --a rip tide pulled her out as she walked along a beach
her 55 yr. mother hit and died in car accident as a pedestrian

and so on. Of course I hear some stories from ER sister-doctor.


I don't get paranoid but I value my life and its quality long-term.

[emily_in_nc]

Thanks to everyone who posted about my helmet dilemma. Many good points were raised and some I had not really considered before. To clarify, this would be riding a beach cruiser bike, single speed, slowly, mostly on unpaved roads or beaches, totally flat. But I could certainly be hit by a car when riding on the road, even though there are many fewer of them than on the US roads I ride.

I've actually been on web sites looking at urban helmets, which I think would be less conspicuous, but the problem that a couple folks alluded to is that they are barely vented, and Belize is hot and sunny. The ideal helmet would probably have many vents and be white, but also have a brim to help with the sunshine.

I agree with those who say that I should not attempt to convert the locals, and I won't. That's not my style, and attempting to bring in or import a boatload of helmets would be difficult in a third-world country as well. We'll be on an island, and helmets aren't even sold in stores there. I also think, like crankin's experience, that the locals might reject them out of course. It's just not part of their culture.

Yes, I know I'll look different even without a helmet, but wearing one just increases the level of perceived difference.

Shootingstar's point about medical care in case of an accident is a very important one. The medical care in Belize is fairly basic, and serious injuries could require a trip to Mexico or even back to the US. That might be reason enough to override all else and wear a helmet no matter what the down side.

Thank you all!

[Cataboo]

When we are in Belize, do I wear a helmet and thus immediately put a label on myself of "different", "outsider", "ex-pat", "gringo", and, quite possibly "rich"; or do I do ride sans helmet in order to fit in and live as the locals and not appear ostentatious? For safety purposes, a helmet is obviously the way to go; but there are cultural issues at play that are very different from those where I live now.

Erm. Aren't you already going to stand out as different, an outsider,an ex-pat, a gringo, and rich? I mean, you don't look like a Belize native. Your bike is probably also way nicer than a native's.

But... Maybe you should buy a bunch of helmets and give them out to natives that can't afford them... and then there will be a few other people wearing helmets.

[Crankin]

Emily, I understand how you feel, completely, but I would still wear my helmet. I rode a cruiser on the beach in Hilton Head sans helmet a few years ago, and I complained and felt uncomfortable the whole time. Since I am not so great at making transitions to a new style of bike, I felt there was a higher probability that I might fall. I did not want to fall even on hard sand without a helmet.
I think the point that you already are different by virtue of your skin color is well taken.
A few years ago, I arranged for the local police dept. to give out free helmets at the middle school I taught at. The population included a lot of children of immigrants and other groups who do not use helmets. At the end of the day, the free helmets were thrown all over the parking lot, left by the kids who didn't take them. I was pissed, but I knew I couldn't change the thinking of a whole group of people. I continued to leave my helmet dangling from the handlebars of my bike, when I rode to school, and left my bike in the classroom.

[lph]

Interesting timing - just today I read an article where a Norwegian doctor - also leader of his local cycling association - maintained that helmets made little difference in cycling injuries in adults. It didn't say a lot, but his opinion was basically that helmets could give a false sense of security, while only a smallish percentage of real injuries from cyclist accidents in traffic actually were head injuries. One could posit that that was precisely because they were wearing helmets, but I assume he was smart enough to factor that in and meant injuries/blows taken to the head region including helmet. Just another opinion, and as such anecdotal, but still from a medical professional with more than one anecdote to relate.

I'm surprised he didn't say anything about the relative danger of head injuries vs other injuries, though. Breaking both legs is painful and a serious injury, but it still won't kill you.

However he also said that helmets were very useful in preventing injury to children, as they tended to have the kind of accidents where helmets made a difference - low speeds and short falls.

I don't think he in general wanted to make a point against wearing helmets - it's fairly uncommon to not wear one here - but a point against thinking a helmet will keep you "safe" - and not least that getting people to cycle at all would have many more positive health effects than insisiting they wear helmets.

I think these discussions are interesting because while I personally may want to ride with a helmet at all times, I might think differently if I were doing large-scale cycle planning.

[lph]

Ok, here's my dilemma. I am an avid helmet wearer, never go without one. However, in Belize, NO ONE wears helmets. (...) Most roads are unpaved (packed sand), and a lot of rides are on the beach, but there are a few paved roads which are driven mostly by golf carts, but there are taxis and a few small trucks on the roads as well as many bikes, pedestrians, etc..

I can understand not wanting to look too weird in a foreign country. Many reasons to want to blend in as much as possible, for safety, better communication, to show respect. If I were you I'd think over the riding conditions and typical speed, think over how you should change your riding style if you were to not wear a helmet, and then depending on what you land on, either go buy a neutral matte helmet, or skip it. If you do feel unsafe without - wear one, and use it as a conversation starter.

[OakLeaf]

I wear running shoes while traveling in Europe. No "real" shoes even come close to fitting my feet, and if I'm going to be walking miles a day, I need to wear shoes that won't have me in agony after an hour. I wear non-designer jeans, and put my hands in the pockets, too. People can spot the American from a mile away.

I totally get what you're saying though, Emily. Being a tourist is one thing; living there and expressing an unspoken disdain for the way the locals live and raise their children is another. I'm reminded of the scene at the beginning of "Babel" where Brad Pitt's character's wife won't drink non-bottled water, and slathers her hands with alcohol gel any time she accidentally touches anything. I don't think the question is as simplistic as some here have expressed. People in the US are as a group wildly averse to a small set of risks pushed by the media (germs! ), that in many ways alienates us even further from the realities of life, both here and in the rest of the world.

Using your helmet as a "teaching opportunity" to turn the locals into little North Americans is an order of magnitude more culturally insensitive than just wearing your own. Few things IMVHO are more distasteful than an uninvited missionary (viz. the recurring cracks about Jehovah's Witnesses in "Dear So and So" and other threads).

I say think about it and do what makes you most comfortable, but if you choose to wear your helmet sometimes, you might get into risk assessment for each ride. Will you be on pavement or softer ground? Will you be doing downhill mountain biking, or lower speed riding without a lot of obstacles? Will you be riding a road bike, or a heavy upright bike that's less likely to throw you on your head? I agree with choosing a helmet that's more hat-like and less sporty in appearance ... even if it might be less ventilated in the hot weather.