Riding without a helmet

I think some of you have an unrealistic understanding of risk and the protection that a helmet provides.

Helmet wearing ….

Boarding – always
cycling – usually
skiing – sometimes

As has been said, far more head injuries from pissed people but that is probably because there are far more people falling over pissed than there are riding bikes + reflexes are impaired after a bevvy.

TBH I much prefer most activities without a helmet 😉 especially on a motorbike abroad. Stupid ? Probably but it's my choice and my head.

I don't like wearing helmets.

To me, the possible increase in risk due to not wearing a helmet is more than offset by the health benefits of cycling, and the increase in enjoyment.

I wonder if those who ware vehemently pro helmet, to the point of thinking that people who aren't wearing lids are tossers / not calling 999, walk around thinking "He's having a fag. Tosser", "He's increasing his risk of XY&Z by eating white bread instead of brown. Tosser".

It's personal choice. You know the pros/cons, you decide.

It's not the speed that you're travelling at (I know faster is worse) but the height of your head above the ground. Drop a ball from head the same height as your head and it'll hit the ground at about 30mph.

+1 to Woody, motorbike and no helmet is amazing, I still wear one though.

Jeez, how many people actually read the OP before ushering this thread off in the direction it usually goes (and for once it wasn't intended to)

I was riding in granny gear at walking pace up a field edge. It was hot. I stopped and took my hat off, and then continued. i remarked on how much cooler my head was as a result. As soon as I reached the NDW at the top, I put it back on; when you're travelling 'at speed' the vents work!

I washed out sideways 5m's from my house on unseen black ice. I was on the floor and on my head before you knew it. Helmet saved me.

However, on EVERY climb in summer my helmet comes off.

Mate of mine stepped wrong on his stairs- broke his ankle and needed surgery/pinning. Should I wear a helmet traversing stairs in the house?

No Hora – your normal weekend attire keeps you quite safe for most activities

The no helmet Darwinian knuckle dragger's will have cooler heads! And here's the theory

To me, the possible increase in risk due to not wearing a helmet is more than offset by the health benefits of cycling, and the increase in enjoyment.

Come on, healthy benefits outweigh the risks 😆

I always stop for rider down incidents, dont care if you do or dont wear helmet. Always good to see the flat earth crowd try to prove the opposite to common sense.

I always wear mine, have done for years now. I can't remember what wind in the hair feels like – I might have to try it one day. TBH the helmet never feels uncomfortable or too hot so I've never had the urge to remove it even when climbing.

As for accidents while going slowly, many years ago I was skiing with a group of friends. One of the chaps in the group was an off-piste, black run, mogul master. We were in awe. Until we heard at lunchtime on day one he had been taken to hospital 😮 He'd had a tumble skiing on the level snow to get into the queue for the lifts and did a nasty injury to his collar bone and shoulder area. Ouch. Nobody expected that. Not even the Spanish Inquisitidors!

And I always wear a helmet when ascending / descending stairs at home. And when mowing the lawn. 🙂

Friend of mine fell off her bike at 5mph, hit her head on the curb, lost her memory for 2 years, she had to learn who we all were again, along with all the other stuff in life. always put your helmet on when riding,Doc,s can fix most things but your head is another matter, I also cannot get my head around parents that dont use helmets when cycling but make their kids, so if they fall off and bang their head who sorts them out.

to the OP… I found myself in a quiet section of trail earlier today and removed my clothing to ride naked…

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I was actually less hot without my clothes!
A mate of ours came off very unspectacularly on his daily commute on a quiet bit of road in a quiet bit of town.. smashed his head into a wall.. three month coma.. permanent brain damage.. metal plate.. blind in one eye.. slight loss of speech.. not so good at darts these days..

a helmet might have helped

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 suspect wilfully leaving someone in peril is a criminal offence. Also strikes me as a very strange moral code.
I'd love to be a fly on the wall whilst you're explaining it to the relatives of the injured that you've just abandoned.

Pawsy_Bear – Member
always wear a condom

On your bike?

Went over the bars and landed on my head, knocked out for good 10 minutes (i'm told) had concussion for 8 weeks, took me a year and a half to ride as good as i did before i fell – that was with a helmet on! Dread to think what might have happened if i didnt wear one that day.

I will always try to encourage people to wear one but its their choice and at end of day anything can happen to anyone at anytime.

I once had an off at around 20mph with no lid, smacked my head on the ground, carried on round to my mate's flat and woke up with concussion the next day.

Head injuries are funny like that. Sometimes people die falling over at the traffic lights, other times people will survive daft things.

I'm always amazed at the sheer bravery exhibited on helmet threads, mountain bikers who ride in spite of the fact that the only thing standing between them and serious injury or certain death is a polystyrene hat….

Heart warming, it really is.

They're very brave… Taking on such a dangerous pastime, it's gnarly and rad and everything, doncha know…

Taking on such a dangerous pastime

Cycling isn't dangerous.
Base jumping dangerous, free diving is dangerous, solo rock climbing
is dangerous, sticking you tong in the electric socket is dangerous.

(loulouk)"I'm not calling 999. End of. I'm little miss softy,"or then again not . 😯

wearing a condom on your bike is essential helmet protection obviously 😯

LouLouk -Sorry about your mum, but:

people who ride with me without their helmets on, and they crash, I'm not calling 999. End of.

That's disgusting, I hope it's hot air.

Please don't hate me for this

I'm trying hard not to but no promises. That really is a horrible attitude

I never take my helmet off during hot climbs. I remember when I first started wearing a helmet as a kid, resisted the urge to take it off whilst climbing.

Now I don't notice the helmet, last year it was suggested to me that I could take my helmet off (4 hour fireroad climb/winch up an Alp ahead) but I declined. Last thing I want is to start wanting to take it off whenever I'm going uphill!

I wouldn't want to turn into "I absolutely hate wearing helmets so tend to take mine off/at least undo the straps where I can"

Only take mine off if I'm walking with the bike, such as some of the more difficult Merida climbs.
Apart from that I'm adamant that helmets remain on the head. Period.

I saw may parents out this w/end with their charges.
They put the kids in helmets (some don't even bother – clearly they must be less valuable than other families children I guess!) but they think the adult bread winners are somehow exempt. Stupid.

TBH I much prefer most activities without a helmet especially on a motorbike abroad. Stupid ? Probably but it's my choice and my head.

Spot the future organ donor! That's got to be the most ignorant thing I've read on STW; possibly ever. I used to race a Ducati at Club level (New Era), so I have some idea just how stupid that statement really is.

Oh, and my Sister's partner lost his 21yr old son in a m'cycle accident on Sunday; they buried the lad on Friday. The father, her partner, is inconsoleable. I hope you don't have family with that cavalier, selfish, ignorant attitude.

They put the kids in helmets (some don't even bother – clearly they must be less valuable than other families children I guess!) but they think the adult bread winners are somehow exempt. Stupid.

Spot the future organ donor! That's got to be the most ignorant thing I've read on STW; possibly ever. I used to race a Ducati at Club level (New Era), so I have some idea just how stupid that statement really is.

This is the problem with looking at risk in an unscientific manner.

Motorbikes have triple the death rate of pushbikes per km. I'd be amazed if the average motorbike owner didn't cover more distance than the average cyclist. Cycling is in fact on a par with walking in terms of deaths/distance.

You've also completely missed the issue of risk compensation – safety devices often change user behaviour, to the point that their effect is reduced. Nobody has actually proven conclusively that helmets make you safer.

Are you now going to go around ranting about what irresponsible idiots motorcyclists with families to support are?

Spare me the lecture Ti29er. I might just have a little more idea of the consequences of coming off a motorbike than you both personally and professionally.

Tell you what, why don't we fit speed limiters to all vehicles say max 30 mph and once we've done that you can go to any climbing/DH track/race circuit etc. and stop anyone going on there unless they are a childless, partnerless, orphan. And while you're at it, you really should go back to 26" wheels and reduce the level of impact you might get from falling that extra 1 1/2" 🙄

I in the always wear a lid camp if I am honest only take it off when walking with the bike if at all. Had some issue with feeling too hot in the summer but got a more vented lid for the proper xc stuff ie meridas etc. Other wise I have a Xen.

I have seen my mate stack and snap his lid clean through on the bit above his ears and some of the vents after a drop went wrong, lid must have done something there.

Agree with the risk thing though I dont think that wearing a lid or pads makes you safe from everything but it helps in most cases I think. I know a chap who rolled his car as a teen ager and got thrown out of the open window as the car rolled and burned if he had worn a seat belt he more than likly would have died now he never wears a seat belt I just cant see that this is a good thing.

For me the pros of a lid out weight the cons and I have looked at this a lot look at journals etc on the web. so I choose to wear one, if you dont well I think your daft, but its your choice if some one stacks I'll always ask if they are ok, help if I can. The I wont help as you didnt wear a lid is shocking mate. By that thinking if you were wearing spd didnt clip out in time and fell and hurt yourself could I ride past thinking well cant use them properly so F88k em??

Either way hope we never need to use our lid or skulls in a crash related incdent!

I also cannot get my head around parents that dont use helmets when cycling but make their kids

I don't know if you've noticed, but kids tend to not be quite as good at riding a bike as adults. They also don't have fully 'hardened' skulls.

they also often want to emulate their parent's behaviour..

When I was 9 I was knocked over by a Triumph Dolomite and landed on my head on the kerbstone.

Got up, dusted off and I was fine. I put that down to my Mum drinking alot of milk whilst pregnant with me and me drinking milk from a young age.

I have a very hard scull

I know we've done all this a million times before but what the hell…

People who have a dogmatic belief that helmet=safe and no helmet=dangerous have a seriously distorted perception of risk. And I'm saying this as someone who almost always wears one.

And not calling 999/helping people if the don't have a helmet, WTF!? By that token no-one else should ever help injured mountain bikers at all seeing as they are needlessly endangering themselves.

Surely if you fell off sideways at 3mph you'd just put your arms out to take the impact

And dislocate your shoulder… Sideways fall judo style is the safest to do.

I don't know if you've noticed, but kids tend to not be quite as good at riding a bike as adults. They also don't have fully 'hardened' skulls.

I dunno, Ive seen kids with much better bike handling skills than a lot round here.

Those healthy young men who prefer to ride helmet-less. Please make sure you carry you donor cards. 😀

Imminent death!

Note the preponderance of scary rock gardens and drops. Note the big air, note the high speeds! Danger danger all around!

Many of you have zero idea about relative risk and how to assess risks. Many of you seriously overestimate how dangerous cycling is and how much protection you get from helmets.

Experienced riders riding below their limits the risks are millions to one. Literally millions to one on any particular ride. Thats a risk I am prepared to take!

Wandering around the hills I see no need whatsoever for a helmet, blasting round trail centres I wear one to reduce the minor injuries that are likely.

There is no evidence that stands scrutiny that helmets reduce serious injury.

Wearing helmets all the time increases the incorrect perception that cycling is dangerous and discourages people from cycling. There is so much bollox on this thread.

I've worn one for the 24 years I've been riding a mountain bike. I have yet to hit my head while riding. There are plenty of times when riding when I do not need it, at which point I look for a convenient place to put it. So far the best place I've found is on my head.

I've started to notice a lot more people riding on the South Downs without helmets. They are just people out for a stroll on a bike, they are not in any more need of a helmet than someone out for a walk or a run.

If you feel you need one then wear one and if you don't then don't.

I crash my bike regularly as I freely admit to having less bike handling skills than a child.

These frequent crashes have resulted in two caved in helmets and in both instances I can honestly say that I'm glad that it was my helmet that took the damage and not my flesh or bone. In neither instance did I suffer any neck, spinal or nerve damage caused by deflecting the impact from my head to other parts of my body.

i always wear my helmet regardless of whether i am on the road, on the trails or riding around with my kids. i know my head is protected and also it gives the kids a message that i wear one and so do they. now they automatically get their helmets before getting their bikes or skateboards. Can't be too careful with injuries, especially the head. Everyone has their own opinion and own way of doing things, that is my personal view. I have no objection to people riding without helmets, at the end of the day everyone makes their own choices

Wearing helmets all the time increases the incorrect perception that cycling is dangerous and discourages people from cycling.

Really, I mean really?? I dont think so I think a lot of people who rode as kids dont see the need now and another majority of people who MTB think actually this is a good idea. Not I'm wearing a lid threrefore I am protected in all situtations.

I agree with your a lid is not a fix for all situtations POV mate but I think you are playing down the benifits (sp) quite a bit more than is true and on balence they are worth wearing. I would also agrue that to be at risk of rotational injuries you need to be still alive and the lid will help towards that.

Either way no issues with you not wearing one mate 😀

funkyhooda –

Can't be too careful with injuries, especially the head

do you wear a helmet walking back from the pub? Getting out of the bath? Both places where head injuries are at least as likely as cycling.

Wookster – there is clear evidence that that is so. People ( as can be seen on this thread) think cycling is dangerous and are put off doing it by the "danger" Wearing helmets reinforces that view.

I would also agrue that to be at risk of rotational injuries you need to be still alive and the lid will help towards that.

Nope – one mechanism of rotational injuries is a diffuese axon injury – this is more severe form of head injury. Its in this situation that the injury is worse with a helmet.

In actual fact the health benefits of cycling more than outweigh the risks.

do you wear a helmet walking back from the pub? Getting out of the bath? Both places where head injuries are at least as likely as cycling.

I'm yet to attempt to exit a bath travelling at 20mph surrounded by granite boulders. A completely ludicrous comparison.