[cwtrials]

Originally Posted by SprocketGirl

thank goodness she(mom) has no idea how many more risks i take on my bike on trails in the hills than i do on the way to work.

haha... moms will be moms. In high school I used to stop by a friends house to wash off all the blood before going home so my mom wouldn't freak. My riding buddy and I wouldn't come home till something broke, our bikes or us.

On that note. I ride trials all the time alone in the city. I have a list of about 20 different lines that I think I can do but really want someone there in case I kill myself.

[SprocketGirl]

Originally Posted by cwtrials

haha... moms will be moms. In high school I used to stop by a friends house to wash off all the blood before going home so my mom wouldn't freak. My riding buddy and I wouldn't come home till something broke, our bikes or us.

On that note. I ride trials all the time alone in the city. I have a list of about 20 different lines that I think I can do but really want someone there in case I kill myself.

good to have a riding buddy for sure, someone to help get your body back home.

[cwtrials]

Originally Posted by SprocketGirl

good to have a riding buddy for sure, someone to help get your body back home.

Yeah. If I have the chance I'll drive pretty far to ride with someone else. Normally I tell my wife about where I'm riding and when I'll be back. It kinda sucks being the only trials rider in the whole city. My wife wants to try it this year!! On her own initiative!! I've got a rig all built up for her

She's the bomb.

[SprocketGirl]

that is cool, i hope she likes it...

[camilo]

Bike helmets aren't designed to provide meaningful protection in bike vs. car or other high speed impacts.

Anecdotes are just that, no matter how you feel personally. We can come up with similar anecdotes about people ringing their bell or being actually seriously hurt when tripping on the sidewalk, slipping on ice or falling in the home.

Why don't those anecdotes cause us to say "well, I don't care what the statisticians say, I'm going to wear a nice looking lightweight helmet all the time because I know so-and-so was helped by one or you never know".

It's because the sport of cycling has been unreasonably dangerized because (a) we have an irrational assessment of danger and (b) it suits commercial purposes.

It is indeed to the detriment of the sport because - whether you agree with it or not - it causes people to forgo cycling because (a) they have been brainwashed into thinking it's actually dangerous in some meaningful way when it really isn't and/or (b) they don't like wearing a helmet for whatever personal reason they have.

I personally am very pleased when I see people - adults and kids - just riding their bikes casually w/o helmets, tooling around getting some exercise and fresh air without worrying about something that shouldn't be worried about. They are the realistic thoughtful people, not the helmet nannies.

[Poolie]

I guess this thread started before I found 2Spoke. My take on helmets stems from being a life long motorcycle rider/racer. As a teenager I raced dirt bikes and in my late 20's and 30's moved to racing on asphalt. I've wrecked more times that I can remember, occasionally at speeds over 140mph and in many of those wrecks my helmet did make contact with the ground. So for me, helmets are just second nature whether motorcycle or bicycle. I'm sitting at work now with helmet hair.

I'm also a live and let live kind of guy, so I really don't care whether you guys wear one or not. Life is all about risk assessment and management. Helmets have saved my life many times on two wheels so I wear one. It's your choice.

[sikabk]

Wear one or don't that's okay by me! Never had a helmet as a kid...I don't think it was invented yet, but now, when I'll get on a bike in a week or two after 30 years... I'll be sporting a nice little helmet!

[cyclingclare]

I've cracked a few helmets and I'd rather the helmet than my head. Therefore I will always be seen sporting a helmet.

[sandmangts]

I ride quite a few trails with low branches. I have hit my head several times on them. The visor keeps the sun off my face and out of my eyes. When I mountain bike I will be keeping my helmet on. Although the author makes several valid points. I do agree cars should come with warning labels.

[photosbymark]

I think it was Hack that had a link to a fatal a while back where it was basically a tommy tip over that hit in just the wrong way. IIRC the guy was barely moving. It is your head. Protect it or not, but its your choice.

Still for me I can think of absolutely no situation where a helmet does any harm at all. I can think of a lot of attitudes that can do harm, but not a helmet. Until I can pick the day I crash, I will wear one