To me, they all look rather stupid.

 

To me, that is a very bad reason. In fact, even though I stopped wearing them before I stopped riding a bike, I never even thought about what they looked like. The reason I stopped wearing one is because in 15 years I had fallen twice, both times my head came nowhere near the ground. And about a year after I stopped wearing a helmet, biking became too painful to bother with, so I stopped that too.

I used to, but now I can't be bothered. I only bike for short distance transport, so I feel that any reasonably likely injuries aren't going to happen to my head. Besides, it's a natural instinct to make sure the head is the last thing that impacts with a hard surface if I fall off, but I suggest wearing one if you're doing something a bit more hazardous like mountain biking.

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Having worked in a bike shop for the last 2 years in the middle of Dublin, meaning I see commuters and bike couriers daily, all I have to say is not using a helmet is [developmentally delayed].

 

 

 

I had a customer about 3 weeks ago, bought a commuting bike, I tried to sell her a helmet, she said she wanted to look "cool" on her bike. She came in 3 days ago, the top of her head and her arms covered in cuts and stitches, she'd swerved to avoid hitting a car, hit a curb and went through a bus shelter head first. Was in the ICU for 2 days and in a normal hospital ward for 8 days after that due to the bloodloss, she finally had decided to buy a helmet :roll:

 

 

 

And a bit of professional advice, the vast majority of helmets under say 50$ offer very little protection, it's nothing more than a layer of plastic over your head a lot of the times, if it doesn't fit properly, then egg shells would probably be more effective. The higher up the scale you go, the better quality of helmet and the safer they are and many of the top brands have a half-price replacement scheme for when you do eventually crash, it is your noggin your putting inside it after all.

 

 

 

Most importantly, helmets are only good for 1 crash where they get hit, not countless ones over and over as they work on compression zones. If it's compressed from a crash, it will offer no protection at all.

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Which is why I'm not bothered to wear an helmet. Spend 75 dollars on a helmet? That is un-reusable once crashed? No thanks.

 

 

 

How many crashes is your head good for which would mean a helmet needing replacement?

 

 

 

That logic is seriously flawed, if you think it's highly unlikely you'll ever fall and cause your head some serious damage, then doesn't it operate on the same scale with a helmet? I.e if you're not going to wreck your head, what makes you think you'll wreck a helmet?

To me, that is a very bad reason. In fact, even though I stopped wearing them before I stopped riding a bike, I never even thought about what they looked like. The reason I stopped wearing one is because in 15 years I had fallen twice, both times my head came nowhere near the ground. And about a year after I stopped wearing a helmet, biking became too painful to bother with, so I stopped that too.

 

 

 

Of course it's a bad reason, but it's a very common one. It's just like how people don't wear seat belts. People seem to think style outweighs the small but deadly risk of getting into an accident.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8058771.stm

 

 

 

A doctor in Australia used a household drill to bore into a boy's skull and drain it of blood clots as his local hospital lacked the required tools.

 

 

 

Dr Rob Carson performed the procedure on Nicholas Rossi, 13, after the boy fell off his bike and hit his head.

 

 

 

The doctor had never attempted the surgery before, and had to be talked through the operation by a Melbourne neurosurgeon.

 

 

 

The boy's father said the doctor's improvisation had saved his son's life.

 

 

 

But Dr Carson told reporters: "It's not a personal achievement, it is just a part of the job."

 

 

 

Wonder if the boy was wearing a helmet...

Here in Holland, it's not usual at all to wear a helmet while biking/skating. It's one of the most used forms of transport and it's fairly safe as long as you watch out (i.e. don't just bike around not watching out for cars etc.), and helmets do look pretty silly.

 

 

 

I can understand people wear helmets if they're not used to biking. Last time when I was on holiday in Germany there were a lot of people who looked like they'd never used a bike before, in that case wearing a helmet would probably be a good idea.

I wear a helmet if I'm biking far distances or on like the main road, but not just to the dairy for something. And i don't wear a helmet when i skate.

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Having worked in a bike shop for the last 2 years in the middle of Dublin, meaning I see commuters and bike couriers daily, all I have to say is not using a helmet is [developmentally delayed].

 

 

 

I had a customer about 3 weeks ago, bought a commuting bike, I tried to sell her a helmet, she said she wanted to look "cool" on her bike. She came in 3 days ago, the top of her head and her arms covered in cuts and stitches, she'd swerved to avoid hitting a car, hit a curb and went through a bus shelter head first. Was in the ICU for 2 days and in a normal hospital ward for 8 days after that due to the bloodloss, she finally had decided to buy a helmet :roll:

 

 

 

And a bit of professional advice, the vast majority of helmets under say 50$ offer very little protection, it's nothing more than a layer of plastic over your head a lot of the times, if it doesn't fit properly, then egg shells would probably be more effective. The higher up the scale you go, the better quality of helmet and the safer they are and many of the top brands have a half-price replacement scheme for when you do eventually crash, it is your noggin your putting inside it after all.

 

 

 

Most importantly, helmets are only good for 1 crash where they get hit, not countless ones over and over as they work on compression zones. If it's compressed from a crash, it will offer no protection at all.

[/hide]

 

Which is why I'm not bothered to wear an helmet. Spend 75 dollars on a helmet? That is un-reusable once crashed? No thanks.

 

 

 

How many crashes is your head good for which would mean a helmet needing replacement?

 

 

 

That logic is seriously flawed, if you think it's highly unlikely you'll ever fall and cause your head some serious damage, then doesn't it operate on the same scale with a helmet? I.e if you're not going to wreck your head, what makes you think you'll wreck a helmet?

 

I was just going to the extreme. If the pro-helmet folks are saying luck can strike against you at any moment, I'll turn the table and say luck can aid me at any moment.

I can't honestly say that I do many activities involving a helmet, but if I did I would likely wear a helmet. I get the feeling that the one time I don't wear my helmet I will run into something and kill myself.

I have always worn a helmet (and I bike to school). Everyone I know who bikes to school like me uses a helmet at least some of the time. It's probably out of habit; the last time I remember falling off my bike was 4 years ago...

Not unless I'm on something that has a motor, obviously not a boat or a car, but I'm sure you get it.

Don't wear a helmet skateboarding, yet I do not go that big down something like a 12 stair on a skateboard. Snowboarding I don't wear one either and I usually do bigger stuff like rainbow rails and 25' kickers. Never really worried about it on the snowboard even though I have gotten a bad concussion from it -.- .

No, im hardcore.

iRipStik

 

And no, I do not wear a helmet, sorry Mom! :ohnoes:

I dont skateboard

 

Rollerblading: nah,

 

Bike: sometimes.

 

 

 

The falls from bikes are much worse than inline skates.

No, im hardcore.

 

 

 

Please tell me that was a joke :-# .

Nope.

 

I'm too cool.

 

 

 

But I do wear a helmet in dodgeball...

 

PE teacher makes us lololololololgasm.

No, I don't think I even own a helmet anymore. I can't remember the last time I fell/crash.

Of course I do. I value my life over being fashionable.

No, im hardcore.

 

 

 

Please tell me that was a joke :-# .

 

 

 

No, i am hardcore to the eXtreme.

I don't wear a helmet on my bike. Nobody does here. I don't think it's necessary either.

Nope. ^_^

No, not on anything except a motorcycle. People will beat you up and call you a [bleep] if you do :D

I just wear a cap when riding a bike. I don't think I ever have worn a helmet..

No, not on anything except a motorcycle. People will beat you up and call you a [bleep] if you do :D

 

Those beatings can't be bad if you're wearing a helmet. ;)