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I Always Wear A Helmet


Razors Edge

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...on road, gravel, and MTB rides. Always.  I don't when canoodling around through a campground or such, but any real effort on the bike will have me wearing a bike helmet.

On the flip side is my friend who I went riding with this weekend.  He sometimes wears a helmet, sometimes not.  He has reasons and excuses, and I have pretty much given up pestering him to wear one - especially since he rides without me quite often.

Anyway, we get to the trail for a 9am kick-off, and as we are headed to the trailhead, he says, "I didn't bring my helmet and I'm sure I will get yelled at." :)  or  :( Anyway, about to pop onto the trail, we pass another local group that is about to head out too - the type-A sort - and immediately, one guy spots us and says to my buddy, "No helmet? Really?" to which my buddy responds with a simple "Not today", but then you hear from that group them chattering all about helmets as we slowly pull away.  Too effing funny. I wonder if this is something motorcycle folks encounter?

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2 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

I sometimes forego the helmet on casual beach rides but that’s about it.  There is a local roadie who is older dude, full kit, nice road bike and usually no helmet.  He’s about the only serious rider I ever see without one.

Yep - we have a couple of those guys I recognize regularly.  95%+ of roadies are wearing helmets. Club rides have a no helmet/no ride rule as well.  I'm still - luckily - in the not yet needed the helmet to "save" me category, but I am so used to a helmet, it's just "automatic".

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14 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

I don't when canoodling around through a campground

Coworker was riding his bike in a campground two weeks ago. Going down a small hill and his hat flew off. Without thinking about it he reached up to grab it and ate shit....hard.

He told me and our resident tri guy....and got the same response: “How did your hat get out from under your helmet?”

No sympathy.

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5 minutes ago, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said:

Coworker was riding his bike in a campground two weeks ago. Going down a small hill and his hat flew off. Without thinking about it he reached up to grab it and ate shit....hard.

He told me and our resident tri guy....and got the same response: “How did your hat get out from under your helmet?”

No sympathy.

Did he smash his head?

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17 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

I wonder if this is something motorcycle folks encounter?

In my previous incarnation as a motorcyclist, I never said anything. I just figured “Anyone who doesn’t wear a helmet doesn’t need one”. But I would never ride with someone who wasn’t wearing one.

250,000 miles, 21 different states and two provinces of Canada....and not one mile without a helmet, even in states that don’t require them.

The one time I used a helmet for its intended purpose, I can’t say for sure if I would have been ok without it, but I know I would be even uglier than I am without a full face - the chin bar was ground all to shit.

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6 minutes ago, BR46 said:

What you do is your choice. If it doesn't effect me in any way I don't care. 

I wonder about skiing and snowboarding as well.  I now always wear a helmet if skiing (I don't snowboard) and I have seen some epic wipe-outs by skiers & snowboarders, but I don't think I ever told a stranger to wear a helmet.

I honestly can't imagine not wearing a helmet for most activities like these, but I also can't imagine me telling others - I don't know - to helmet up!

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I resisted getting a helmet for a long time. I rode by myself on trails and low traffic roads. Why would I need one? Then one nice day I was riding on the trail at a pretty good pace. There was a notch in the concrete so the curve wasn't totally round. My rear tire dropped into the dip and some freshly watered grass. Next thing I knew, I was laying on the ground with the bike in the air still between my legs! Somehow my head hit the soft ground and not the concrete. I bought a helmet before I rode again. 

I used to be more active to non-wearers. Now I just figure they will learn the hard way. Someone wants to ride with me, though, they are wearing a helmet..

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Heh.

A few years ago, I was riding with the local MTB group. We stopped to take a break at the foot of a long, steep downhill, where it emptied into a wide open, flat area.

While we’re standing there, these two idiots come careening down the hill - muddy, rooty and steep - flailing all over, on the ragged edge of control. I have no idea how they didn’t eat shit in a spectacular fashion.

They stopped, where we were and all I could think was “Beavis and Butthead”. “Whoa! Dude! That was insane!”

One of the guys said to them “y’know, you guys might wanna consider helmets.....”

”Oh, no, we don’t need helmets! We’re just beginners!”

🤦‍♂️

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2 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

I wonder about skiing and snowboarding as well.  I now always wear a helmet if skiing (I don't snowboard) and I have seen some epic wipe-outs by skiers & snowboarders, but I don't think I ever told a stranger to wear a helmet.

I honestly can't imagine not wearing a helmet for most activities like these, but I also can't imagine me telling others - I don't know - to helmet up!

We’re not big skiers but went on a really fun trip in Tahoe about 10 years ago.  I rented a helmet as I figured it eat shit a few times and I did.  

I had gone down this intermediate trail several times and there was a really tricky off camber turn I couldn’t get down & kept wiping out on.  On the last day of the trip it was snowing so the snow was really tacky & slow and I finally made the turn!  Except some dude plowed into the back of me taking us both out... I get up and see blood all over the snow, dude smashed his face on the back of my helmet!  

Probably saved myself a concussion that day!

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I always wear a helmet. The rare occasion where I've forgotten and my head feels very naked while on bike.

I had another cyclist crash into me on a bike path 5 yrs ago...only a few blocks from home.  I've mentioned about this concussion on this forum before.  I had to learn to walk in lst wk.  My dizziness was real /serious..that I could not move around at home at all for several wks.  So in bed while dearie did everything chores, housework. Everything.   The back of my bike helmet was crunched. I was on disability leave....for 5 months. It truly was a disability.

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