# Bike helmets, yea or nay? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 23, 2007, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187 "2007-05-23T05:57:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187/21 "2007-05-23T12:22:55Z")
Wear a helmet. I had an accident several years back where I ended up hitting a utility pole with my head, and it required plastic surgery to fix (It didn’t help – after all that, I still look like me. But at least my head doesn’t loook dented anymore.) Even after that, I didn’t wear a helmet for several years, until I met Pepper Mill and she wore me down. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187/22 "2007-05-23T12:28:22Z")
[QUOTE=DJ Motorbike] I’m in the no helmet camp for the same reason I don’t wear a helmet when I go for walk. [/QUOTE] You walk in the street amongst cars, at 15-20 mph? Me, I’ve just started cycling regularly and I fucking HATE the helmet, and it makes me look like a dork, but I wear it anyway. Surprisingly, it’s pretty comfortable and I have started forgetting it’s there. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187/23 "2007-05-23T12:57:33Z")
I never ride without my helmet. I trust myself, I don’t trust others. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187/24 "2007-05-23T13:18:39Z")
[QUOTE=ScareyFaerie] I forgot to mention, I ride one of [these!](http://home.online.no/~rogtrae/images/motorsykler/Aprilia%20RSV%201000%20R.jpg) Except for the fact that mine’s black, of course. Even if it was only a pushbike, I’d still be wearing a helmet though. [/QUOTE] Well who’d a thunk it…a Hells Angeless 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187/25 "2007-05-23T13:24:32Z")
I wear a helmet 99% of the time I’m on my bike. Sometimes I like the feeling of not wearing one, and I won’t always wear one if I’m doing errands on my bike within a couple miles of home. But, I’m no nazi about it. If you’re an adult, you understand the risks. But, “uncomfortable” shouldn’t be an issue. Mine is snug, comfortable, and light. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187/26 "2007-05-23T13:53:54Z")
Yea. I had a bad concussion, only my hard head saved me when it bounced off the asphalt. ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187/27 "2007-05-23T14:07:24Z")
I wear mine. I feel kind of silly and I’m paranoid that people are laughing at me as I go past, but whatever. I think wearing a helmet is kind of like putting on a seat belt or wearing a bra. It’s kind of uncomfortable at first but after a while you forget it’s even there. One thing I like about wearing a helmet is that it keeps my hair in place when it’s windy (which it often is here). I like not having to worry about strays flying into my eyes. ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187/28 "2007-05-23T14:18:23Z")
I don’t wear a helmet when peddling around in my neighborhood - I’m usually on the sidewalks going slow. Anything over 6-8 blocks or that involves larger roads, I put on the old head basket. I started in mountain biking, where NOT wearing a helmet makes you look stupid and dorky. And I’ve seen too many people saved by their helmet. Buy a better helmet. They can actually be pretty comfortable if you get a good one. (Nothing helps much with the hair, though, sorry.) ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187/29 "2007-05-23T14:20:14Z")
I always wear a helmet. Always. Back in my grad school days, one fellow student gave me grief over this, saying that helmets look stupid. I bit my tongue, but inwardly, I said, “Oh yeah? Imagine how stupid you’ll look with your brains splattered all over the pavement.” ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187/30 "2007-05-23T14:23:33Z")
I can’t imagine not wearing a helmet. That just seems crazy. They’re not onerous in any way. One of my friends just got hit by a car while riding her bike. Broke her wrist, but not her head. (She had to buy a new helmet because the old one cracked … but she didn’t have to go through skull surgery.) ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187/31 "2007-05-23T14:27:17Z")
The best comment I’ve seen on helmet use was by Richard Ballantyne, in his _Bicycle Book_: “Wear a helmet. It is inconvenient, but so is not being able to think or talk because your head has been pounded to jelly.” There are any number of ways your head can induced to make the journey to the ground, often rather abruptly, some of which you cannot prevent. Your head, your call. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187/32 "2007-05-23T14:30:05Z")
I always wear a helmet. Better safe than sorry. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187/33 "2007-05-23T14:45:17Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Me, I’ve just started cycling regularly and I fucking HATE the helmet, and it makes me look like a dork, but I wear it anyway. Surprisingly, it’s pretty comfortable and I have started forgetting it’s there. [/QUOTE] Most people riding bikes look like dorks anyway. Not wearing a helmet isn’t going to make anybody look less like a dork. My helmet-wearing motto is “Life’s hard enough without having to go through it with a brain injury”. You’ll actually NEED a helmet about as often as you’ll actually need the seatbelt in your car. Maybe never. Maybe it’ll save your life next time you go out. Who knows? ---
**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187/34 "2007-05-23T14:48:00Z")
I wear my bicycle helmet 99% of the time. If I am just tooling up and down my block to make sure things are adjusted properly I won’t wear it. As soon as I am actuall going anywhere I put it on. I wear my motorcycle helmet 100% of the time when I am riding. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187/35 "2007-05-23T15:02:01Z")
No, no, no! All this talk about helmets saving brains from being mushed? Get a grip, people. What is harder, the human skull, or an inch of polystyrene foam? FACT: bicycle helmets are designed only to withstand very low speed impacts. The most a helmet can do is save you from a bruise on the head. If you think that makes it worthwhile, then fine, wear one, but do **not** expect it to save you from serious injury because it **will not**. The only thing that has happened when countries (eg Australia) have brought in mandatory helmet laws, is that fewer people cycle. The head injury rates have **not** fallen and in some cases have actually risen due to “risk compensation”. I used to think bike helmets were worth wearing. I don’t any more. Read [http://www.cyclehelmets.org/](http://www.cyclehelmets.org/) and you might not either. What is even worse is that helmets seem to be seen as some sort of universal panacea to make cycling safer. Wrong wrong wrong! If a vehicle hits you at any speed, it makes basically no difference whether you are wearing a helmet or not. At an impact speed of 20mph you may as well not be wearing a helmet because the helmet will disintegrate. Instead of pushing helmet use, governments should encourage people to learn how to ride their bikes properly, and encourage drivers to pay attention. So many times I see cyclists riding six inches from the kerb (encouraging motorists to overtake unsafely) but thinking they are safe cos they have a silly foam hat on. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187/36 "2007-05-23T15:03:22Z")
[QUOTE=The Cocky Watchman] Its an interesting question though, right now many mountain bikers are wearing full-face helmets (like a motorcycle helmet) and body armour as standard for the trails. This makes no sense to me, but if it makes you a more confident rider, then its probably a good thing. [/QUOTE] If they’re doing “bomber runs” down a narrow, twisty, rocky trail then it’s definitely a good idea. If they’re just riding up a fireroad, then it’s overkill, but to each his own. And to the o.p.: yeah, wearing a bike helmet is always a good idea, for all the reasons mentioned above. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187/37 "2007-05-23T15:06:20Z")
[QUOTE=Stranger On A Train] And to the o.p.: yeah, wearing a bike helmet is always a good idea, for all the reasons mentioned above. [/QUOTE] No it isn’t. Read my cite. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187/38 "2007-05-23T15:08:16Z")
I don’t bicycle, I ride a horse, but I always wear a helmet when I ride. On my old mare sometimes I wouldn’t, but then I once was (by chance) wearing my helmet because I was jumping. I got down from my horse and crouched beside her to take her bell boots off and she reached forward and kicked me in the temple. She could’ve killed me, but I was okay. There’ve been other falls, where I’ve hit my helmeted head on hard surfaces, etc., but this one could easily have killed me. Wear your helmet - brain injury is worse than death. StG ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187/39 "2007-05-23T15:09:54Z")
[QUOTE=StGermain] I don’t bicycle, I ride a horse, but I always wear a helmet when I ride. On my old mare sometimes I wouldn’t, but then I once was (by chance) wearing my helmet because I was jumping. I got down from my horse and crouched beside her to take her bell boots off and she reached forward and kicked me in the temple. She could’ve killed me, but I was okay. There’ve been other falls, where I’ve hit my helmeted head on hard surfaces, etc., but this one could easily have killed me. Wear your helmet - brain injury is worse than death. StG [/QUOTE] For horse-riding, it makes sense. Horse-riding hats are hard and do the job. Cycle helmets are made of foam and do virtually nothing. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187/40 "2007-05-23T15:17:11Z")
Rewgarding **Colophon** ’s cite, consider this one by way of response: > **[Bicycle Helmets](https://helmets.org/henderso.htm)** > > Bicycle helmet info: safety, standards, brands, laws, testing, more. Consumer-funded. I don’t think anyone’s citing helmets as a panacea, and any remedy can be “misused” by people who think they’re getting universal protection, but that doesn’t mean that the helmets are useless or pointless. And this study is backed up by biomechanical analyses and comparisons of injuries with and without helmets that seem to be controlled for other factors. It’s hard for me to believe that not having an impact-absorbing shell around you won’t lesseen or prevent injuries, even if it’s not universally effective. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bike-helmets-yea-or-nay/405187.md?page=3)