THE GREAT DEBATE: To helmet or not to helmet?
http://strawpoll.me/6033737
I ALWAYS wear a helmet, no exceptions. I also believe that people that don't wear helmets are idiots. However, I recognize that it is someone's right to make their own decisions, and I have no desire or intent to force my personal values on other people (however, I would encourage my friends to wear helmets because I care about them).
I match my safety gear to the relative risk of the activity. For road group rides or mountain biking I always wear a helmet, when casually riding to the grocery store (going fairly slowly on quiet streets) I don't.
>>898819
>going fairly slowly on quiet street
Don't mean shit.
You're skull can still crack from a low speed fall on pavement.
Why don't people understand that the brain is fragile?
>>898841
*your
Fuck
>>898841
You can have a low speed fall on pavement on foot. Do you wear a helmet when you walk outdoors?
>>898844
Yes
>>898816
there is an airbag system for cyclists out there which allows you to wear around your neck like a scarf and does not make you look like a spastic retard.
Most of the retards here have been forced by their mommies to wear a helmet everywhere they go or they hurt themselves so of course all the retards here wear helmets all the time.
>>898816
Its a cheap piece of foam I strap to my head when I ride my bike. I don't get into arguments over such insignificant bullshit.
I've always ridden with a helmet but you can't beat the look of the traditional cap
I ride way too recklessly not to. Even if I didn't, not wearing a helmet basically puts your life in the hands of cagers, which is less than ideal.
>>898860
sigh
so tru
>>898851
Actually, unlike helmet wearers, airbag scarf wearers DO look like spastic retards because they don't want people to think they value their heads' intactness.
Wearing a helmet gives me a (false) sense of safery. I don't care whether people wear them or not. I think they're incredibly overrated, yet marginally useful in extreme conditions.
In short, whatever.
>>898861
Bicycle helmets are incapable of absorbing the energies involved in a collision with a motor vehicle.
>>898898
it's not the motor vehicle you crack your head on, it's the ground, after you roll over the vehicle
Concussions are absolute ass and have really spooky long-term repercussions if you collect too many. A helmet can turn a serious concussion from bouncing your head off a tree or a curb into a more or less harmless jostle that leaves you with a clear head to tend to whatever other injuries you have.
There isn't really any debate. Just a difference in behavior between people mature or experienced enough to know that concussions are ass, and people who are ignorant of just how shitty head injuries are and/or think they're invincible.
>>898938
>A helmet can turn a serious concussion from bouncing your head off a tree or a curb into a more or less harmless jostle that leaves you with a clear head to tend to whatever other injuries you have.
Fucking implying as fuck m8. Helmets do fuck all to reduce concussions.
http://crag.asn.au/the-myth-that-bicycle-helmets-protect-against-brain-injury/
>>898819
I only wear a helmet in situations that I would also bring a pump and tools.
If i'm not concerned with being stranded due to mechanical failure, I'm also not worried about the small chance I hit the pavement.
If I am riding in bike lanes or commuting or just going to the grocery store then no.
Mountain biking...fuck yes. My helmet has saved my head from smashing against trees and ground.
Road rides..I don't do this gay shit but you should probably wear a helmet here. I don't think it should be a law though.
>>898816
Always, I don't see a reason not to. Even on an empty cyclepath or w/e, I could easily fall of and hit my head.
>b-but this one study said cars give you less room
Cars give me enough room.
>>898898
Do you think you literally get run over by a car in an accident? Car bonnets are made to send pedestrians over fir example, you'd probably just fly and smash your head on the ground.
>>898876
I forget I'm even wearing one when riding.
>>898844
Yes, because I'm not an idiot.
>>898816
Shitty poll is shitty. There are people who wear them, people who don't.
Then there are circumstances when one or the other might or might not wear them.
I'd have to struggle to find someone who wears helmet like 50% randomly, because they forget to or don't feel like. Mostly it depends on very specific circumstances (e.g. commuting and racing - helmet, training on empty roads or track - no helmet).
To gain a better insight on helmet use you should've specified opinion or motivation (e.g. never except when mandatory, only when anticipating dangerous ride, always except ...).
>>898856
Yeah this.
>>898967
>that pic
kek
>>898898
Great. Let's allow bicycles on sidewalks then.
Why the fuck do people argue about obligatory helmet laws but not ones that prohibit bikes on sidewalks? I can understand situational bans on narrow sidewalks but I would like to be able to ride on some of the wider ones that flank large freeway-like boulevards without having the cops giving me shit for it.
You /fa/ggots need to get your priorities straight.
>>898816
I don't ride a helmet as I mostly ride a long-wheelbase recumbent. it's too long to flip over forward in any expected crash. There is no official injury counts, but the main injuries that recumbent riders suffer in crashes is scrapes to the hips and lacerations to the hands.
The whole reason the safety bicycle replaced the penny-farthing was that the safety bicycle was supposed to prevent the rider from falling over forwards in a crash.
And now (~100 years later) the main cause of serious cycling injuries is,,,, *STILL* riders flipping over the handlebars and hitting the ground head-first, and suffering head/neck/collarbone injuries.
If you are worried about safety, hows about instead of a styrofoam hat you get rid of the tipsy bike?*
*(will make an exception for MTB, as the extra maneuverability of an upright bike over a recumbent is far more significant)**
**(there have been off-road recumbents sold, and home-built ones as well)
>>899124
Stay in your containment thread.
>>899127
It's learned how to mask its thermal signature and evade our sensors. The marks on the wall were a diversion! It's part upright bicycle!!
>>899124
>,,,,
You dun goofed.
So you can type almost normal, amazing.
>>899156
,,,helmet
>>...,very wear! EVERYDAY!!!,,, all rides, some rides, most rides, no rides?? ,,,,no! ,, ALL!
>>899150
What's wrong with your legs? I see a hand crank but I could have sworn I saw a pic of you standing?
If you go faster than 10mph then you should wear a helmet. If you wear a helmet slower than that you are like one of those retarded people who have to wear helmets so they dont trip over while walking on the sidewalk and kill themselves with a brain injury
>>898844
>Falling from higher up
>Uncontrolled fall when falling from a bike
>direct control of your feet when walking, cycling you are indirectly moving yourself
Just wear the helmet.
It's the easiest thing to do, and while you don't need it 99.9% of the time, you'll be cursing yourself for not having it when you need it.
>>899224
It's easier to crash if you're going too slow, but here is your validation, you're such a big boy!
Obligatory:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfLJ876lXsQ
>>898816
ITT: Under 30 years olds. Generation bike helmet. Pussies.
>>899318
The only cyclists I see not wearing helmets are casuals with their BSO full suspension mountain bikes, and women with their bikes with baskets on.
>>899327
Pretty much this.
>>899285
Rage.exe
>>899327
That doesn't mean they're doing the wrong thing
>>899285
tbf you could probably walk faster than they ride
>>899338
I don't really give a toss about them desu it's just an observation.
I don't care if people don't want to wear a helmet, but the anti helmet brigade are incredibly vocal and autistic and I've no idea why.
>>899333
>Rage.exe
why?
the injury rate there for small children on bikes is way lower than most other 1st world countries, and the average rider experience level is way above most other countries. On what basis would you question the safety of,,,,,,,, kangaroo seats?
(such mad, and yet I bet you did not know what they were even called, didja?)
>>899344
Who cares about terms and in this case low stat rates. It should be zero. If having kids wear helmets saves even one life from death or serious injury it's worth it.
And if you're going to detrip type normal. Fuck, just type normal all together.
>>899252
How about drinking at the bar?
>Falling from higher up
>Uncontrolled fall because of inebriation
>Increased susceptibility to brain injury due to alcohol
>>899333
You should see a shrink about that.
>>899342
>the anti helmet brigade are incredibly vocal and autistic and I've no idea why.
I think you mean the pro-helmet brigade. I find that they resort to name-calling more frequently too.
>>899345
>If it saves even one life…
Mam-tier logic, try this on for size:
>Some people are dissuaded from cycling by an inappropriate fixation on the use of helmets
>Some of those people will go on to develop illnesses relating to obesity resulting from a lack of physical exercise
>These illnesses will lead to death and a decreased quality of life
If reducing the fixation of helmets saves one life, isn't it worth it?
>>899365
>Mam-tier logic, try this on for size:
Nice slippery slope faggot. Honestly, as long the kids are protected ifgaf what the adults do.
My point was kids not adults. Kids don't know any better and deserve a decent chance at at least growing up to not put a helmet on then.
>>899365
>all this autism
>over a $10 piece of foam you strap to your head
Do you sleep in spandex and have a bike saddle shoved up your ass?
Come off of it you prat.
>tfw your helmet is so fucking light and breathable you forget you have it on after you come home and start eating
>tfw one of your renters walks in on you eating a bowl of rice with a fucking SICK helmet on
>>899714
what helmet do you have senpai
Why not wear a helmet? worst case scenario you end up looking like a dork and that's It.
>>899896
The null hypothesis is that additional safety equipment is an unnecessary encumbrance for daily life. The burden of proof is on those who advocate its use.
>>899365
>How about drinking at the bar?
Good thing I'm not a degenerate faggot and therefore don't drink alcohol or go to bars. People who do should probably wear helmets all the time because they are literally retarded.
>>900212
>literally
>>900212
Which goes on top: the bicycle helmet or the fedora?
>>899911
I wrote that post as a justification as to why I use a helmet. It doesn't affect me In any shape or form If someone does os does not wear a helmet so I don't think there Is any reason to force people to use them.
>>899911
>The null hypothesis is that additional safety equipment is an unnecessary encumbrance for daily life.
>making up a hypothesis
>claiming it as null hypothesis
Are you fucking retarded?
>>899911
>The burden of proof is on those who advocate its use.
Except I don't give a third of a fuck if you are incompetent enough to not wear a helmet and then pay the price. I don't give half a fuck about proving the importance of helmets to you. I wear a helmet because I value my life. If you don't value yours I don't give a fuck.
>>900255
This desu
God I hope the mandatory helmet laws in Australia are repealed soon.
The bike shares are complete failures because of mandatory helmet laws.
if you are going for a casual ride under 20 mph no need. Anything over that better be wearing one or I'll be the one laughing when I see someone bleeding out from the head.
>>900525
Crashing at even 10mph can cause brain damage.
>>900525
If you are going to ride in traffic, wear a helmet. If not, don't.
Assuming the anti-helmet folks are correct, what about motorcycle helmets?
Are they of any use, and if they are, what makes them superior?
>>902081
Motorcycles are masculine and sexy. Lycra isn't.
>>902081
Motorcycle helmets save lives end of discussion.
ATGATT
>>902081
Motorcycles travel at much greater speed than the typical cyclist.
Motorcycle helmets are constructed to a far more demanding standard than bicycle helmets.
Motorcycling is a very risky activity, and this is borne out by the accident statistics.
>>902081
Motorcycle helmets are also kinda necessary, aside from the crash protection feature. Mine comes off at the Montana border just for the novelty, but after half an hour of noise, wind, and bugs it stays on for the rest of the trip.
>naked GL1000, fancy BMW lid.
>>>/o/
Would not ride today without my toasty snowboard helmet, again for both crash protection and comfort. But for a casual summer coasting down the MUPs I would not say the naked noggin is really that big a risk...
>>899033
This. SO much this.
In a bad cyclist-pedestrian collision, you could break someone's limbs.
In a cyclist-auto collision, just a broken limb is considered a lucky outcome.
>>898816
When I started out riding after college I never wore a helmet or any sort of cycling-specific gear because I wanted a certain aesthetic.
Around the time I started getting more serious, I also started commuting so a helmet became a necessity. For the longest time I preached that you should wear a helmet for EVERY RIDE no matter how short.
These days I still wear a helmet when I commute or go joy riding, but I leave it at home for trips to the corner store, cafe, etc in favor of being able to put my hood up in the winter.
I still think everyone should wear a helmet, but I accept it as a personal choice after meeting so many cool and respectable people who have their own reasons not to.
The real question is why would you not wear a helmet.
>>902081
I never wear safety equipment when cycling.
I always wear all safety equipment when motorcycling (although I wear thick denim instead of proper pants).
A bicycle helmet provides little protection Intuitively (and I don't have statistics to back this up), I feel like the coverage provided by a bike helmet will hardly make a difference. It's not worth the aesthetic and logistic sacrifices.
advantages of wearing a bike helmet
- you'll be more safety conscious because you'll be reminded about safety whenever you think about your helmet, so you'll make more conservative decisions
advantages of not wearing a bike helmet
- car drivers will think you're an idiot and give you more distance, making you safer
Motorcycles are entirely different, IMO. In addition to wind noise, bugs, etc., it's actually practical to wear 20+ lbs of safety equipment because you don't pedal. The protection is on a completely different level. If you lowside going 50 mph in full leather, assuming you don't bounce, you should be totally fine.
>>902316
I actually make more conservative decisions when not wearing the helmet, and I don't think that drivers around here really drive differently when I'm helmeted vs unhelmeted. They're mostly very polite either way.
The last time I crashed hard, the foam mushroom cap at least helped keep my scalp intact, so that's something. Whether or not it kept my severe concussion from being brains splattered everywhere is up to conjecture. It did properly compress in three places (I pogoed on my head down a street) without cracking.
>>899033
Because cyclists are in more danger on the sidewalk. Cagers can't be bothered to check sidewalks before they make turns or even approach an intersection.
>>902380
That has absolutely no bearing on whether or not cyclists should wear helmets.
>>899156
bacon your holster is empty
did someone steal your gun?
>>902081
one plus of a motorcycle helmet is that it is extremely easy to mount a camera and/or lights, because many motorcycle helmets have mounting brackets built-in.
>>904878
Plenty of bicycle helmets have that feature too.
