Riding without a helmet

No, not a trolling, nor an attempt to get TJ all worked up. I always wear one on road or off. However, did a Surrey Hills ride today and for the last climb up onto the NDW from Shere, I took off my hat and strapped it to the backpack, on the basis I wasn't going to crash and even if I did, by then I was doing about 3mph so hardly risking much.

What a difference! I never realised how hot your head was even in a decent helmet (Giro E2 fwiw).

And it wasn't even hot today.

I wasn't going to crash and even if I did, by then I was doing about 3mph so hardly risking much.

go an give me tomorrows lottery numbers please?

i smashed a helmet at 3mph falling off sideways on a flat road as a mate rode into my front wheel 'for a laugh'.

I don't care how hot it is or how slow im riding i'd much rather have a warm head than a cracked skull!

i do it all the time. helmet strap fits perfectly over the back of a 50mm stem and lets the helmet sit in front of the bars.

means you dont have to stop to put it back on too.

Sometimes take my helmet off for long road climbs like in the mountains, but other then that its not worth the bother.

But like you say, if you fall off, you're going slowly so it shouldn't matter that much. Unless you smash your head on a rock as you do fall off.

I didn't have any mates with me, and even if i did none of them are ****.

Calculated risk up a field edge at walking pace. By that token why don't you wear one when out walking. You might stumble and trip on a kerb.

Seriously, not meant to be a troll or a discussion on the merits or otherwise. Just a comment I hadn't realised how much hotter my head was when wearing one.

Not really much to do with OP, but at the weekend I saw a couple of blokes riding the black run at Laggan without helmets. I commented to their mates that the black was probably not the place to ride without a helmet.

Their response was….'they'le be ok, they're tough lads'

Don't do it! You'll die!!!!!!

I'd not stopped to think about it before but they are made of one of the best insulating materials I can think off!

Was in Brechfa a couple of weekends ago saw a chap on the Black without a helmet, and later on a couple of girls on the red, neither had helmets, and the following day a chap climbing Whites without one either.

Used to take mine off on longer climbs, can't be bothered these days.
Thinking of getting at least one spare set of pad things to go in it to change at stops where I take it off.

Oh look – I'm about to die….

That photo was taken during tour of the Hebrides. For the first few days, we didn't bother about helmets, but half-way across Harris, it just felt "right" to start wearing them. Funny how the mind works.

I habitually wear one, but I think it's just that: habit.

I recko the onion has the right approach. Don't when you don't want to, do when you feel you should.

THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!

THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!

Yes, have you seen the size of the peak on that cap? Inexcusable! 😉

I broke my femur – just fell off side ways like 'bikechain' at zero mph on a trail. Think what would have happened if that had been my head with no helmet?

Just plain stupid to equate going slow with the need for a helmet. Its there to protect you that one time you need it. I wear mine, always.

why not try wearing it back to front, just for a change like.

Pawsy_Bear – Member
I broke my femur – just fell off side ways like 'bikechain' at zero mph on a trail. Think what would have happened if that had been my head with no helmet?

Just plain stupid to equate going slow with the need for a helmet. Its there to protect you that one time you need it. I wear mine, always.

Do you also wear it while running? Or walking? I regularly walk around 3mph.

What about going up or down stairs – have you thought of the potential for injury?

Please don't hate me for this.
I am ridiculously obsessive about wearing helmets since I saw my mums scalp split from ear to ear and stapled all across the top cos she crashed into a lampost after skidding on some stuff on a road. Sorry, I know it's silly and it's a personal choice etc etc but people who ride with me get graphic details. If they still want to ride without their helmets on, and they crash, I'm not calling 999. End of. I'm little miss softy, except on this subject.

I broke my femur – just fell off side ways like 'bikechain' at zero mph on a trail. Think what would have happened if that had been my head with no helmet?

Do you habitually put your head down below saddle level? Come to that did you actually hit your head at all in that accident?

Actually, based on your evidence and the fact I've never broken my femur riding a bike, I don't reckon I need a helmet at all.

druidh – 😆

aracer – yup I had never broken a bone in my body before that one guess I was just unlucky but I know my helmet has saved my head a few times.

I sometimes wear mine on my head or as a cod piece depending on what I have planned for the evening.

A helmet helmet?

always wear a condom

cycle helmets do protect, seen a chap come off on haldon a few months back , he had no lid on.
I asked if he was ok ,and carried on walking, but why, well tbh , if he couldnt be botherd to wear a lid , why should i have stopped and helped him.lazy ****

I've taken my helmet off for climbs when it's far too hot.
Could never justify not wearing one when going faster though.

I broke my femur – just fell off side ways like 'bikechain' at zero mph on a trail. Think what would have happened if that had been my head with no helmet?
Just plain stupid to equate going slow with the need for a helmet. Its there to protect you that one time you need it. I wear mine, always.

Surely if you fell off sideways at 3mph you'd just put your arms out to take the impact? It's a natural reaction, that way your head doesn't get smashed up.

I absolutely hate wearing helmets so tend to take mine off/at least undo the straps where I can. Wouldn't ride down hills/singletrack without one, though.

Stupidly I sometimes jump without a helmet, not really sure why there's just some days I really can't be doing with wearing something so uncomfortable!

I hate wearing a helmet but I do it to stop me braining myself on things, call me stupid but I'm under the impressionn that the pros well exceed the cons, oh and get one with good vents if you have a hot head!

Each to their own. I've absolutely no problem with anyone riding around with no helmet. It's their head.

Me? I'd not take my stereo down a rough rocky trail at 30 mph unprotected and my head is infinately more valuable to me than my stereo.

I've never had issues with my head getting hot though. I ride indoors a lot at a very high output where helmets are mandatory, still don't really notice having one on.

I rarely wear one when commuting but always do when mountain biking. It's all about risk or perception of the risk. Yes you could have a freak accident but I see it as when I mtb I am expecting to fall off so wear protection. When I ride to work only a freak accident is going to crush my skull like an egg shell just the same as walking or running.

I wear one often, but not all the time, and I do like to pootle along with the wind in what's left of my hair…

But then again, I also sometimes rock climb without a helmet, and you know what, sometimes I even do it without a rope!

But then I also do winter climbing, where I do wear a helmet, but the risks involved in that, even with the helmet, probably far outweigh the risks when I am riding without a helmet!

As for people who say they wouldn't help someone who had fallen off and hurt themselves just cos they weren't wearing a helmet… have you really thought about what you are saying?

I think its pretty odd how its considered mandatory to wear a helmet whilst cycling but most people would never consider wearing any kind of head protection while travelling in a car at 60-70pmh.

ive seen some (plural) nasty head/neck injuries by my (good, sensible) friends while drunk but i bet none of you would consider wearing a helmet in a pub?!?!. . . . life is a ride , and you only get one go around so stop stressing and only use 'protection' if you think the false confidence will make you ride harder.
you cant live in a cotton wool world, if a bus doesn't get get you cancer might so live free and enjoy life while you can. if the wind in your hair makes you feel good then just ride. ..
helmets offer no protection to your spine! can you imagine what it would feel like to have your head intact but no use of your body? my mate is in this situation and he says live every minute with the wind in your hair!!!

I wear a helmet religiously irrespective of how hot it is. Had a serious crash years ago – regained conciousness in hospital totally blind and paralysed down one side of my body. That lasted for about 6 hours. Had migraines daily for 2 years afterwards and had no recollection of the accident for 6 months. I'll be sticking with my lid.

nickc = "Was in Brechfa a couple of weekends ago saw a chap on the Black without a helmet, and later on a couple of girls on the red, neither had helmets, and the following day a chap climbing Whites without one either."

ALL THE GEAR-NO IDEA

why not shop around on the internet for helmets instead of actually riding your bike?

the amount of people who are commenting on this thread that they take their helmet off for road climbs but wear it for singletrack baffles me, the road is extremely dangerous, cars with stupid drivers come from no-where, its just you and the trail on a track, especially a trail centre

my mate is in this situation and he says live every minute with the wind in your hair!!!

nearly 52 alas no hair 😥

i'm happy to see non-helmet wearers. darwin stated the obvious…

Another angle :

I used to take mine off for long climbs on hot days, now I realise that the absorbtion material in the helmet prevents sweat from running into my eyes (I ain't got no hair to absorb it, which BTW, I tell my children reduces the wind resistance by 10%). Now I can see properly most of the way up and have stopped eyeing up sweat absorbing headbands… although a nice 80's tennis head band would look soooooooooo cool on my bike.

Do what you want!

I've smashed a couple of helmets in crashes in the past & reckon I wear one about 80%-90% of the time I'm out on a bike

Those of you that think it's never an acceptable risk to go without a hat when on a bike [regardless of conditions] need to have a bit of a re-evaluation of things & get some perspective