Occasional or regular non-bike helmet cyclist?

[shootingstar]

I'm starting this thread because Oak, wondered who was driving the anti-helmet trend. One of the strong anti-helmet cyclists is Mikail Andersen, the guy for Copenhagenize and Copenhagen Chic: http://momentumplanet.com/videos/mik...r-bike-helmets

It's pretty clear on his first blog which is part of his bike planning consultancy work.

I realize helmet won't fully protect me for all circumstances. But I have 1 life, 1 brain and a full life to live ahead for the next 30-40 yrs., with people who care about me. Let me live my life with the greatest comfort in my mind.

I understand that helmets seem to give an aura of dangerous sport and may put off some people. Hasn't stopped more and more girls playing hockey in North America. Hasn't stopped people from getting a car license, even though alot of drivers may experience even 1 minor accident (fender bender) in their lifetime.

But I am not riding for others to convince them. It's nice if my cycling gets people thinking beyond cars, but really I'm riding for my own physical and mental health, to save money and to have more transport options for myself beyond transit, walking. I'm pretty selfish in my cycling objectives.

Well, what are you? Or are you closet non-bike helmet cyclist but wear a helmet anyway? I know folks have made in clear in the last thread in streetwear vs. cycling clothing here on the forums.

Me:
I'm a bike helmet user all the way. Do I think cyclists should wear helmets, if they are riding on any road? Yes. If it's on a short path....maybe not.

[oz rider]

We really should limit helmets to Fridays ss. Are you talking about the 'anti-helmet' group that wants to normalise utility cycling and thinks helmets make cycling look dangerous, thereby slowing uptake? Or some sort of anti-helmet group that wants no-one to wear helmets? Or the anti Mandatory Helmet Law (MHL) lobby (which is often characterised as anti-helmet but is actually anti compulsion ime)? There is a massive difference. At various points of the compass we have the 'my helmet saved my life' anecdotes, the medical/ABI lobby, the more cyclists = safer bunch and shades in between. Have fun. heheh

[macski]

It's compulsory to wear a helmet when cycling in Australia - the police can (and do) fine you if you cycle without a helmet. But even if it wasn't enshrined in law I would still wear a helmet.

I do however have happy memories from childhood of riding a bike with the wind in my hair long before the compulsory helmet laws were passed.

[Kiwi Stoker]

I think the people supporting this are people who have never had an accident or never had an accident involving their head or face.

I have had two accidents and both times my helmets was involved. I could of lost my eyebrow and fractured my eye socket without it.

No I will ALWAYS wear a helmet not matter where I ride and how slow I am going. A friend had a slo-mo accident and ended up with serious head injuries and he was almost stationary (and no car involved, he just over balanced).

[OakLeaf]

Just yesterday I accidentally left home without my helmet ... long story, but I was really discombobulated, seriously sleep-deprived and NONE of my stuff was where it normally is. I knew something was missing but didn't figure out what it was until I was almost a mile from home. Had to ride back for it - helmets are required on our club ride, but I'd never have considered doing it anyway.

I'm a concussion survivor, no long term effects thank heaven, but hard enough that if I hadn't been wearing a helmet, it would have been very, very serious indeed.

Nevertheless, years ago (just a few years after that bici crash) I used to occasionally ride a motorcycle bareheaded, around town. Never at highway speed. I've told the story before about the last time I rode bareheaded, but it's worth repeating...

DH and I had just started dating. At the time, he lived in a state with a helmet law and hadn't ridden bareheaded in a long time (mostly because that's his preference and only a little because of the law). We went on a camping trip in a state without a helmet law, and one night we decided to ride the motos bareheaded from our campsite to a nearby restaurant, just a mile and a half each way.

The wind felt nice on our heads and all, but each of us was so terrified for the other one, that we've never done it again.

I wear mine for myself, for 100% sure ... but also, I wear it for the ones I love, and who love me.




ETA... anyone who thinks the wind in her hair is such a big deal, has obviously never ridden with the wind in her b00bs. That I probably will never have the chance to do again, but the feeling is seriously worth the risk.

[Catrin]

Last March I had a failed experiment with clipless pedals (no longer a problem but that is a different story). In the course of the many, many falls that weekend, I wound up giving myself a small concussion when my head hit a rock on one of those falls. Got a new helmet out of it - have wondered what might have happened if I hadn't been wearing a helmet.

I do not ride without a helmet, ever.

[Pax]

I wear a helmet some of the time. Same with my motorcycle and scooter.

[GLC1968]

I've known of people who have died from getting hit in the head or hitting their head when standing still (just a simple fall) and have died. As tough as our skulls are, it really doesn't take much to cause life-threatening injuries to our fragile brains. I always wear my bike helmet (and a helmet when rock climbing and probably skiing as well, if I did that anymore), no exceptions. I don't even like test riding a bike in a parking lot without one.

That said, a girl I know from another forum rides with a helmet that is SUPER cute! It's looks kind of like a hat and she even has an adorable and stylish looking flower on it. Oh, wait...I can link to her blog so you all can see it...it's so cute!

http://www.annacyclestoparis.blogspot.com/

Scroll down just a bit and you'll see her pics...

I think that for a lot of people, they just don't like to be 'told what to do'. I have a close friend who's father road a Harley without a helmet his whole life (even for the brief time in FL when it was law to wear one). He ended up being killed in an accident only a mile from his home - while he wasn't moving. Someone hit him while he was straddling his bike waiting for a light to change. And the doctors were pretty certain he would have survived had it been wearing a helmet.

[Crankin]

I won't ride one pedal stroke without my helmet on. I could care less about the wind in my hair. I did a lot of stupid stuff when I was a kid that I wouldn't do now; since there were no bike helmets when I was a kid, the analogy I can make is that I never wore a seat belt, even though they were put in cars in the early 60s. I went through the windshield in a one car accident, cause unknown, when my mom was driving when I was 15. I never, ever have been in a car without a seatbelt on since. And that was not common in 1969. No one is allowed in my car unless they put it on.
It is hard to understand why a helmet would make someone think riding is an activity that only "pros" do. That is really distorted thinking.
And taking neuroscience is only making me feel more strongly about this.

[warneral]

I like to read lovely bicycle blog. But I get a little jealous of how cute she looks on a bike! I personally wear the spandex and chamois and the ugly helmet b/c comfort and safety are more important to me. I believe she won't allow helmet talk on her comments even! I don't get it TTYTT

[Pax]

The choice to wear or not wear a helmet is based on each persons risk tolerance. For some people the act of riding a bike at all is too dangerous, for others riding is an acceptable risk as long as certain precautions are taken.

I've always found it interesting that more people don't opt to wear helmets in a car, it would definitely cut down on head injuries in car accidents... but it's never brought up or discussed as an option... and many more people drive cars every day that ride bikes/motorcycles.

[trista]

I usually wear one... because it "feels" wrong not to. Like riding in a car w/o a seatbelt. I have ridden around the neighborhood occasionally without one, but only because I either forgot or i'm just cranking my pedals after oiling the chain.

We see a lot of people without them... generally Latinos commuting to/from work, and when I see a helmet-less rider I don't think twice. Most likely, they will be fine without it.

I can see some of the rebellion against them though. When I started cycling, I was told all the things I HAD TO HAVE when I bought my bike, by my hard-core cycling friends to facebook friends to even my husband. And in the end, I realized that a lot of those things, I really didn't NEED or even want. Of course I agreed that I needed a helmet, wanted a helmet, but I can see a very rebellious person rejecting even that, just to go against the grain of the HAVE TO HAVE people.

[Bike Writer]

I've known of people who have died from getting hit in the head or hitting their head when standing still (just a simple fall) and have died. As tough as our skulls are, it really doesn't take much to cause life-threatening injuries to our fragile brains. I always wear my bike helmet (and a helmet when rock climbing and probably skiing as well, if I did that anymore), no exceptions. I don't even like test riding a bike in a parking lot without one.

That said, a girl I know from another forum rides with a helmet that is SUPER cute! It's looks kind of like a hat and she even has an adorable and stylish looking flower on it. Oh, wait...I can link to her blog so you all can see it...it's so cute!

http://www.annacyclestoparis.blogspot.com/

Scroll down just a bit and you'll see her pics...

I think that for a lot of people, they just don't like to be 'told what to do'. I have a close friend who's father road a Harley without a helmet his whole life (even for the brief time in FL when it was law to wear one). He ended up being killed in an accident only a mile from his home - while he wasn't moving. Someone hit him while he was straddling his bike waiting for a light to change. And the doctors were pretty certain he would have survived had it been wearing a helmet.

I love how the internet works I followed your link and boy-oh-boy that is one nifty helmet, just darling! The blogger had an email so I emailed her and she bought it in London at this website http://cyclechic.co.uk/ however she also said that they have a US website also at this link http://www.thebicyclemuse.com/. So I am now emailing the contact person on that site to see if they have the helmet in the desired color. Whew. What a hunt, but well worth it if I can find the helmet in glossy white or red. I LOVE the look of those round helmets! but then again, I am kind of a retro person.

[marni]

Picture an egg.

Now picture an egg on asphalt.

ETA: Any questions?

My favorite illustration of why one should always wear a helmet. I volunteer to take myself and my shattered helmet from a fall several years ago around to various schools to show and tell the kids why they should always wear a helmet.