I don't usually wear a bike helmet. Does that make me an idiot?

[ichitan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhzH6mEpIps

[ReapThaWhirlwind]

Helmets are great protection. You'll certainly be glad you have one if the time comes.

Most bails or collisions are certain to smack your head. It can leave you paralyzed.

I don't wear one either, and probably never will.

I find it can be a thing of habit. If you never did, you're less inclined to start. But if you happen to start, then it becomes normal to wear one all the time.

[jeffg]

I only wear a helmet when riding with someone. Most rides are solo, thus I rarely use a helmet. I see a lot of folks riding without helmets so I suppose there are a lot of us idiots out there, but we are happy, free, and willing to be independent at the risk of social scorn.

[ichitan]

(10-18-2022, 06:24 PM)jeffg Wrote:  I only wear a helmet when riding with someone. Most rides are solo, thus I rarely use a helmet. I see a lot of folks riding without helmets so I suppose there are a lot of us idiots out there, but we are happy, free, and willing to be independent at the risk of social scorn.

In some places, the law says you must wear a helmet. In other places, there is no requirement to wear a helmet. Some countries in Europe, for example, don't require people to wear a helmet, as it discourages people from cycling. They believe, the benefits of more people getting fit on bicycles, far outweighs the harm of the very rare accidents, where people have head injuries.

I just started a new topic. Has anyone ever been charged by the police for traffic violations on a bicycle?

https://forums.bikeride.com/thread-8145.html

I think it is a waste of police resources, when they go after cyclists not wearing helmets, while they don't have time to deal with some real crimes.

[SPINMAN]

The only time I don't wear a helmet is on my Spin bike. It's a simple form of protection, low cost, not restricting or constricting, and a possible life saver. Or at least may prevent a TBI. If you ride with cars, wear a helmet. Jeff, you wear a helmet when you ride with someone but don't wear one when you ride alone. I can't figure that logic. Are you immune from injury when you ride alone? When I ride and see someone without a helmet I call out "get a helmet!" I don't care if it's not the law, wear a helmet. In Florida you don't have to wear a helmet for motorcyclists but the majority do. I don't understand those who don't. Oh, yeah, the freedom thing! Being alive is being free.

[jeffg]

(10-28-2022, 01:54 PM)SPINMAN Wrote:  The only time I don't wear a helmet is on my Spin bike. It's a simple form of protection, low cost, not restricting or constricting, and a possible life saver. Or at least may prevent a TBI. If you ride with cars, wear a helmet. Jeff, you wear a helmet when you ride with someone but don't wear one when you ride alone. I can't figure that logic. Are you immune from injury when you ride alone? When I ride and see someone without a helmet I call out "get a helmet!" I don't care if it's not the law, wear a helmet. In Florida you don't have to wear a helmet for motorcyclists but the majority do. I don't understand those who don't. Oh, yeah, the freedom thing! Being alive is being free.

When riding alone I don't need to concern myself with the position of another rider, all I have to do is concentrate on the road before me and the traffic around me when it is present. Bike riding is not as dangerous as the peddlers of helmets and the press makes it out to be. I have had run ins with a motor vehicle twice. First time I was rear ended by a car doing 40mph. My head never touched anything. The second time was a pickup truck that side-swiped me. The truck ended up in the ditch doing 45-50mph, and I stayed on the road without incident. Head never touched anything.

For some crazy reason I don't find a helmet comforting or necessary. The freedom comes from being able to make my own decisions on what works for me. A billion people around the world ride a bike every single day and most do not wear a helmet, yet there are few major head injuries related to falls from bicycles amongst those billion people. My decision is to not wear a helmet, and I will never tell you as I pass by to "take your helmet off" because it is none of my business what you wear on your head. I know, I must be crazy.