[Closed] Occasionally, its nice to doing something stupid....

did it not feel weird?
I ride on the road sometimes without a helmet, if I'm just pootling, but I can't imagine what it would be like offroad.
I'd be most worried about clipping my head on trees - I normally only throw helmets out because of branch damage!

🙂 But its not stupid - you didn't die did you

It is nice isn't it

Did you feel vulnerable on the trickyer bits?

TJ - I know we cross swords too often, but I did have a little smile thinking of you out there today. Funny that!!

Brakes, yes my main concern was avoiding branches on the (ahem) cheeky bits though firs and rhoddies. Caught one sharp branch on the arm which was a bit of a wake up though.

Didn't feel vulnerable (even on one fast, bouncy descent) but felt more aware - I was actually thinking that this feels like solo rock climbing (which I did in my youth), or a solo run in the fells, or a solo swim in a lake. I actually rode faster and freerer than normal, not sure why? Not really advised but feels great for a change.

BUT, I have had enough crashes to know that the helmet is a good idea most of the time. 😉

Had one strange thing though. I was trying to have a zen-like climb up a narrow section with lots of roots. I wanted to keep a very smooth cadence and a steady slow speed and just ease up. It was going fine until the back wheel (I have a basic HT) skidded on a root and forced me to a halt with quite a shock. Not much of a zen moment!!!

I do feel more vulnerable / more cautious without a helmet - I do really have too different mindsets tho depending if its a helmet on or off ride

But its not stupid - you didn't die did you

Oh the irony!

I feel naked without a lid, and my head gets cold too.

I always wear one, but I do have two mindsets depending on whether or not I am on my own (or at a trail centre where I'll likely be discovered if I get into trouble).

I'd love to go back to the carefree days of my childhood and ride without a helmet.

But last wednesday night a bit of cack handed kerb hopping saw my lid break my fall, and left me with what felt like whiplash for 2-3 days. I may not have died without the helmet, but that fall rather damaged my rose tinted specs....

I'd love to go back to the carefree days of my childhood and ride without a helmet.

I was flicking through the Mountainbike Britain book, and there's a pic of Chris Moran in there, riding without a lid, it actually gave me a warm feeling along those^ sorts of lines!

I fall into the TJ camp of "safety benefit of helmet is outweighed by wind in your hair benefits [i]on some rides[/i]", llthough I have to admit I crossed the line by some way at New Year.

I took a look at my helmet before a trip up Snowdon. It's getting on a bit and I noticed a number of cracks throught the polystyrene. It was very cold and windy up top, so I figured a wooly hat would be the better protective option, given the dangers.

We didn't get all the way up the Llanberis path, turned round at the halfway house, had an absolute ball on the way down, didn't feel vulnerable until I went otb. 1st time in ages I'd not been able to skip over and land on my feet. (a sneak too fast and steep?).

As I fell towards the ground, my thoughts turned irrevocably to my lack of helmet, and how to fall to protect my head. I managed to tuck it in and roll on my shoulders, managed to severely bruise my knee, and nothing else hurt at all. Felt pretty shaky, though (probably less shaky than the girl who I'd proposed to the day before watching from behind), and it was easier to ride the rest of the way than walk.

So new helmet on the shopping list for when the knee heals up. And I'll check it a bit more regularly this time!

Occasionally, its nice to doing something stupid....

This actually reminded me of an article by Brant years ago in MBsomethingorother that was all about exactly how nice it is!

He was on about getting bored of his local 30/40 mile loops and how he'd got his ladyfriend to drive him 40 miles away to ride home. He talked about how the main difference was the lack of safety net - you can usually bail on a loop and not be more than 10 miles away from home, 40 miles away is a big difference.

Paraphrasing: It's great to do stupid things once in a while because it raises your self-confidence. Once you've had to walk 4 miles back from the pub in the snow with no shoes on; the next time, when you've got one shoe and it's only raining, you'll laugh it off as easy.

Really stayed with me, that has. Cheers, Brant!

But its not stupid - you didn't die did you

Doesn't this follow the same vein as "My lid saved me - if I hadn't had one I'd have died"... 😀

Meh. I only wear a helmet when I ride with others, mainly to stop them asking 'Why haven't you got a helmet on?'.

In the winter a beanie style thing is much easier than faffing with some under helmet thing, and I can carry an extra beanie if the first is too thin or gets too sweaty.

In the summer, a cycling cap keeps the sun off my bonce.

Each to their own.

I used to ride my 24" cruiser around without a lid quite a bit. Never with a lid on it, in fact. On account of it making me look even more 'special' than I did anyway.

On my own personal stupidity scale, not wearing a lid won't even stand a chance of making it into the top 100 🙂

Riding a big motorbike without a lid? Now that's stupid! And also great fun! And, as I found out, it's only an on-the-spot fine and no points 😀

On my own personal stupidity scale, not wearing a lid won't even stand a chance of making it into the top 100

+1 😀

Bit disappointed, I was hoping for something far more stupid like trying crack.

But its not stupid - you didn't die did you

It is nice isn't it

Maybe you did?

Now put the helmet back on.

In the winter a beanie style thing is much easier than faffing with some under helmet thing

I have a really thin hat that doens't require any faff. I also have a really thin balaclava for when it's really cold.

Where did you ride ? I think we live in the same part of the country (Surrey/Hants borders).

I "cheated" with a buff worn as a headband - hair was open but ears hidden from the nip!

TJ

I do feel more vulnerable

That is risk compensation.

feel vulnerable = be more careful
Feel invulnerable = be more reckless

The theory is you modify your behaviour to give the same total risk that is an acceptable level to you. So if you reduce risk in one way yo tend to increase it in another. One oft quoted study looked at cars on the motorway and braking distances / speeds in the wet. cars with ABS the drivers drove faster and left smaller breaking distances ending up no safer that drivers of non abs cars

Its not a deliberate decision making process - its something you do without thinking

I bet 90% of people would ride more cautiously without a helmet

No, TJ then I would lose the rush of wind in my hair!!

I understand your point though although quite the opposite effect for me yesterday - although totally unscientific conclusion as could have simply been the fact that the bike had just been serviced and felt great!!!

Rewski - not a chance. Stupid yes, suicidal no!

Thats why I asked you teamhurtmore - as a habitual helmet wearer it would be interesting to see your reaction

I ride on the road with a beanie on if its very cold 😉

I did not use to where a helmet at all until i became a father now i would not risk the chance of nobbing it all up for the sake of a ride.

Well TJ I only became a habitual helmet wearer for two reasons:

1. Triathlon rules forced me to be
2. Rational analysis 😉 of my own Mtb crashes encouraged me to be

But every now and again it's nice to be irrational!! The added risk added to the fun rather than the other way round. Of course that becomes a completely selfish attitude if I expect others to have to deal with and pay for the consequences if my choice proved to be flawed! But that's a whole, new can of worms!

I bet 90% of people would ride more cautiously without a helmet

This is quite true, but really it's other people I am more worried about. The ones in the cars mostly.

Like others on here, I feel naked without a helmet. It's just part of my routine - camelbak, keys, phone, gloves, glasses, helmet ... etc

If I'm going to crash or be knocked off my bike I'd rather not bang my head if it can be avoided. At the very least it just flipping hurts!

Riding a big motorbike without a lid? Now that's stupid! And also great fun! And, as I found out, it's only an on-the-spot fine and no points

Do tell Binners. I sometimes take my XR600 for a quick blat in the fields with no lid on. Fair concentrates the mind!

I rode my VF500 from Kent into central London for a MAG rally with no lid on. I was young, stupid, lacking in self-preservation instincts, and making a statement appeared more important than not dying horribly in a bloody mess. Though actually, in this case the statement appeared to be nothing more complicated or political than "I can do what the * I like, and who the * are you to stop me"

Got all the way into London before I got pulled too. The copper who then pulled me went absolutely ballistic. Fair play. Not big and not clever. Fun though 😀

A long time ago there was a fairly well known website that was just a stash of shocking pictures. One of the worst was a pretty good advert for full face motorcycle helmets... Shudder.

I usually wear a helmet on the road despite [url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/somerset/5334208.stm ]this study that suggests it's counter productive[/url] because I've hit my head quite hard falling off roadies.

Until recently I'd never hit my head hard on an MTB despite throwing it down the trail in all the usual ways and sometimes dragging myself home broken and bleeding. The recent head bang (which hurt my neck more than my head) was ducking under a tree blown over in the gales, if I hadn't been wearing the helmet I wouldn't have hit the tree!

I put the difference down to clicky pedals BTW. I bale with flats but go down with the bike head first with clicky pedals.

From the BBC article referenced above;

Wig wearing

To test another theory, Dr Walker donned a long wig to see whether there was any difference in passing distance when drivers thought they were overtaking what appeared to be a female cyclist.

While wearing the wig, drivers gave him an average of 14cm more space when passing.

😆 maybe this is the answer, plus a couple of melons down the front of my cycling jersey just to make it look more authentic.

Interesting Edukator - I have never hit my head off a road bike, but have done it several times on a mtb. Most recently on the slippy bridge at the back of the Whinlatter blue. Smashed my helmet so thank goodness I was wearing one then.

Molgrips, "I love my Harley" perchance?? That one sticks with me! Although not as much as the one of the guy tombstoning into a harbour that goes very, very wrong.. That ones not for the faint hearted I tell thee!
I understand what THMs talking about but have fallen off and been knocked off enough times to realise that instead of the helmet cracking on impact it might have been my head. And that's enough to persuade me to wear one all the time..

Ps, I really mean it about the tombstoning vid!

I've not been bothering with a helmet on my commute.

It is 99% off road on nice flat tarmac paths - so I really don't feel the need. Yeah it does oddly remind me of hooning around on my Raleigh Striker back in the day, though sadly I don't really have enough hair left to feel the wind in it 😀

I did get a cracking ice-cream headache the other morning though - despite wearing a beanie. 😕

What is a little surprising is how many non-cycling friends/relatives have commented on how daft I am for not wearing one. The idea that you'll definitely die without one is very prevalent.

A long time ago there was a fairly well known website that was just a stash of shocking pictures. One of the worst was a pretty good advert for full face motorcycle helmets... Shudder