No, I dont really ever wear one.
But I've got things to do for the next couple of days, and, together with the other Dawkins-style skeptics, am not sure even I want to do this again so soon after the last stushie! 🙂
I wear one all the time, it's my choice and to be honest it feels strange riding without it. However it is *NOT* a legal requirement and as such is up to the individual.
Wear one all the time now on both road/off road, after a friend of a friend got knocked off and now needs to be fed, possibly could have got away with it if he had been wearing a helmet.
Yep if im riding seriously or in some anger I will. But if im out on like a family ride where im not going faster than like 15mph I havent used one. I didnt feel comfortable with out one though
Please, if you have to answer this thread, just answer the original question with a 'yes' or a 'no'.
And please, please, for the love of all that is unholy, don't get all huffy and try to justify your position to other people who WILL NOT change their position no matter how amazingly well-structured, and backed-up with peer-reviewed evidence collected over the course of the last six millenia of helmet use, your arguement is.
Snow, ice, slippy tarmac, bad weather conditions, I hope you, Dimmadan are protecting the most valuable part of your body when you are driving, or even walking .
(The most valuable part of my body is probably my bank card.)
Because thats just the way it happened. I was riding on the road, decades before I started this off-road malarky and didn't wear a helmet then. No body around my town did, you only saw riders in helemts on TV, back in the day.
🙂
Back in the 70s helmet thingys made you look like your were balancing a bunch of bananas on your head and were strictly the preserve of the weekend warrior, pro racer.
Its all been pre-determined anyway.
As they say,
"wear a helmet if you wish, but you won't live one moment longer".
OK, I am now REALLY worried. This thread has been open an hour or so and TJ isn't here.
SEND OUT A SEARCH PARTY!
Don't worry – I am here now. I was in the pub
I wear a helmet when appropriate. Wheels off the ground = helmet – wheels on the ground no helmet.
Cycle helmets are good at protecting you from the one in thousands minor injury ( scalp lacerations etc) They are not so good at protecting you from the one in millions chance of a major injury.
I wear one when appropriate – if the risks of crashing are high. cycling is a safe pursuit – so I only wear one when cycling dangerously
Recently I have been wearing one a fair amount – even with studded tyres my chances of crashing must be higher right now.
So – no helmet required.
So – offroad I probably wear one 50% of the time – depending what I am doing. On road perhaps 25% of the time. Look at the risks. Look at teh science. Understand how to assess risk. Then make an informed decision based on reasonable parameters
Mostly off road, I've smacked more low hanging branches than i care to remember. On road, rarely, in Winter I prefer a beanie, and in Summer I just find them too uncomfortable. Although I will when riding in a group
Everyone to there own, but after you've had a high speed crash and broken a helmet, it soon makes you think its a good idea. Broken helmet/skull. I know which i prefer
if i am going to the pub i wont – there is a much higher chance of the helmet getting damaged, under the table/ on the bike/ fall off the table then there is me crashing.
if i am going for a ride i wear it.
could say it goes with outfits – if i am going for a ride wearing riding gear helmet goes on – if i'm in jeans and trainers it'll be at home – not cos i'm vain mind 😉
Jeremy – I'm not saying that you should wear a helmet, just from my own experience, i wouldnt go without one.
I dont think the science in contradictory. If you wear a helmet you have protection in case you have an accident. If you fall off and slam your head on a rock, like i did, then i'm sure the helmet saved me a greater injury.
Its probably more the case that people feel "safer" wearing a helmet, and therefore take more risks, therefore more accidents.