Glad I wore a helmet.

[scap]

So today was my birthday. Naturally I took off work and rode trails all day. Along the way I didn't see a low hanging branch and hit it quite hard with my head. I would have easily gotten a concussion or worse had i not had a helmet. I was also riding alone. Please be safe and wear gear you never know when it will save your butt. 

 

 

 

[Darrell Wesh]

Umm it’s well known that your peripheral vision is less with full face helmets on as is spatial awareness. 

You would have definitely seen the branch without a helmet and ducked. 

[Old Glider]

I wonder if those big peaks, as nice as they are for blocking the sun, help to hide branches.

I’ve had some “near misses” while wearing my helmet with a good sized peak.

Glad you’re alright!

Edited February 26, 2020 by Old Glider

[scap]

34 minutes ago, Darrell Wesh said:

Umm it’s well known that your peripheral vision is less with full face helmets on as is spatial awareness. 

You would have definitely seen the branch without a helmet and ducked. 

While I don't doubt that the peripheral vision is less, here is central Texas our trails have a lot of "chunk", i.e. rocks. I was going up a hill and focused on the "chunk" i.e. the ground. Even without the helmet I would have likely been looking down and not seen it. I rode it backward on the way out and because it was at the top of the hill it I saw it and did duck. I don't think you  can say with certainty that I would have seen it without the helmet and ducked. Plus this was 25 miles in and I was getting kind of tired and wasn't on my A-game. I don't think I will ever ride on trails without my full face helmet but I do value the freedom for you to make you own decision. I don't feel like my helmet really impedes my vision too much and it doesn't bother me while riding on extended rides. While I definitely mean to encourage the use of safety gear I respect peoples freedom to choose what gear is right for them and their situation. 

[scap]

1 hour ago, Old Glider said:

I wonder if those big peaks, as nice as they are for blocking the sun, help to hide branches.

I’ve had some “near misses” while wearing my helmet with a good sized peak.

Glad you’re alright!

I was wearing the giro disciple helmet. The peak on the helmet is barely noticeable to the point that when I ride into a setting sun I am pulling my helmet down angled lower than it should be to help. It definitely hides a little bit more vision than my normal bike helmet but I can see things coming up that aren't coming from above without issue. 

Edited February 26, 2020 by scap

[PLEASE_DELETE]

Deleted.

Edited March 18 by PLEASE_DELETE

[LanghamP]

12 hours ago, Darrell Wesh said:

Umm it’s well known that your peripheral vision is less with full face helmets on as is spatial awareness. 

You would have definitely seen the branch without a helmet and ducked. 

The first time I rode with other mountain bike people I was taken aback at how much faster they went, and like a light bulb "oh, that's why we have a visor on our helmets".

It's hard for most to look at both ground and for branches at the same time, but as you tilt your head downward to look at the ground obstacle your visor/shield comes down and stops those tree branches.

I think if you ride with others and going just a bit too fast to safely see ahead (I do), then wearing a visored helmet is great for not getting smacked around by branches, but if you ride alone at slow speeds then you probably don't need a helmet (I don't wear a helmet when riding alone on mountain bike paths, or indeed any protection whatsoever).

[AtlasP]

4 hours ago, /Dev/Null said:

Nope, I think that is false if you have a well fitting DOT helmet.  Motorcycle accident research is pretty thorough on this. If you are wearing your a non-dot helmet YMMV.

Sorry, anytime anyone mentions DOT helmet certification I have to link them to this: 

 

Edited February 26, 2020 by AtlasP

[Darrell Wesh]

8 hours ago, /Dev/Null said:

Nope, I think that is false if you have a well fitting DOT helmet.  Motorcycle accident research is pretty thorough on this. If you are wearing your a non-dot helmet YMMV.

https://www.chapmoto.com/blog/2015/07/12/5-myths-motorcycle-helmets/
https://www.bikersrights.com/what-are-some-common-myths-about-motorcycle-helmets/

 

Lol what? Wrong study, He’s not wearing a motorcycle helmet he’s wearing a mountain bike helmet with a visor that sticks out. Not to mention the lack of spatial awareness with the increased volume of the head.
You may think you missed the branch (if you can even see it) only to wack the helmet on it because your body doesn’t know the dimensions of the helmet. 

[PLEASE_DELETE]

Deleted.

Edited March 18 by PLEASE_DELETE

[.....]

I would argue that a well fitting helmet of ANY quality is more a focus than certification. We are talking EUC's with a typical accident speed of less that 30mph right? I spent a MINT on a very well balanced and well known helmet brand for my motorcycles. Out of dozens of helmets over 30 years, it is the ONLY one that fits just right. It DOES decrease spatial awareness, it decreases how much I hear of my surroundings and it does add dimension/weight and danger to my neck during a fall. However, at motorcycle speeds, it needs to be heavy enough to take the hit. At highway speeds,  wind noise negates audio awareness and actually increases mental strain anyhow.  IN the world of slow crashes, I think that we may be trading in too much weight and loss of sight, to protect us against falls we will never encounter. I lived in helmet law states and no helmet states. I typically rode helmets on my dirtbikes, but the standards were low, as i didnt need the same qualities in a helmet, as I do on the street.  For an EUC helmet, I would worry more about something light, comfortable and doesnt piss you off to wear it. More MAY be better, but at one point, more is just more and can endanger your vision and your neck. Honestly, a foam bicycle helmet of questionable brand, could probably succeed in taking enough impact to help in a low speed fall. Find one with a BS visor and youd have small limb protection too :). Looking down at the trail= you WILL get smacked by overhead limbs, helmet or not.  I'm totally for people choosing to wear gear that suits their needs. I see both sides of the issue. Wear a helmet and you lose perception, dont wear a helmet and a minor bump becomes a bigger issue.  I go helmet free and dangerously in the street, as I choose to accept the risk and think its worth hearing the creek and feeling the wind. If i was trail blazing and focusing on adrenaline, id suit up. I also think its a little overkill to wear a full riding suit designed for 60mph+ slides, on a 30mph euc.  At the end of the day, it boils down to preference. Dont fool yourself into thinking that ANY gear will save you, if the dice roll comes up wrong.  Fwiw, I tended to ride WAY more dangerously on my motorcross bike, when fully suited, vs when I just had boots and a simple brain bucket on. I also noticed that a simple kidney belt added to my kit, made me ride MUCH more dangerously on my sport bike. Obviously a little kidney belt wouldnt be of ANY help in a knee dragging off the mountain slide at 60mph. In this scenario, adding more protection lulled me into a false sense of safety and therefor became a danger, not an assistance.

[AtlasP]

4 hours ago, /Dev/Null said:

No offense, but I've had a dot helmet save my life. 

Regardless it's going to be way better than a mountain bike/bicycle helmet.    Also:  All dot helmets are NOT identical.  DOT is a minimal standard.  Generally I buy my helmets that are DOT certified as well as do well on the sharp UK test: https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/.  Studies here consistently show wearing a full face motorcycle helmet (DOT or better) helps in crashes.

Also: Pictures in OPS post doesn't mention what type of helmet it is.

Of course just because a helmet is DOT doesn't mean it's shit--but the point is being certified DOT doesn't mean it's NOT shit either which is where the problem lies. If both good and terrible helmets all pass DOT cert, then the cert itself is meaningless. Ultimately then there are much better certs someone should be looking for in a motorcycle helmet. (Although again, for EUC helmets that difference is probably less important/even a shitty motorcycle helmet is probably more than adequate/overkill for EUCs. )

Edited February 27, 2020 by AtlasP

[.....]

1 hour ago, AtlasP said:

Of course just because a helmet is DOT doesn't mean it's shit--but the point is being certified DOT doesn't mean it's NOT shit either which is where the problem lies. If both good and terrible helmets all pass DOT cert, then the cert itself is meaningless. Ultimately then there are much better certs someone should be looking for in a motorcycle helmet. (Although again, for EUC helmets that difference is probably less important/even a shitty motorcycle helmet is probably more than adequate/overkill for EUCs. )

Theres also 'snell' certifications. Most of this is politics and paid off testing. Most of the top tier companies conduct their own tests and furnish results. Id hate to admit it, that most of these in house tests (tho biased) are WAY more demanding than DOT and SNELL. Motorcycle helmets are WAY more demanding that euc needs. Unless you get hit by a car doing 60mph, or fall off a cliff, you will likely not see impacts that EVER contain the amount of energy as those involved in 150mph+ racing. I have owned tons of cheap helmets and the ones that fit better, worked better. It wasnt until I stepped into the big boys at $600+ for shoei and arai, that I realized what real quality and safety are all about. Even so, I wouldnt dare wear my racing shoei on an euc. It was wind tested for speeds higher than that and is made to be replaced when impacted. WOuld you want to replace a $600 bucket each time you bumped the ground at walking speed on an EUC? A good helmet for an euc rider is one that is light weight, comfortable and inexpensive.  All this cert stuff is a little much. I personally LOVE my olympia bicycle jacket with armor. Would i trust it at 60mph skating down asphalt? NO! its mesh! WOuld I wear a hot and heavy leather outift on a EUC? No, its miserable.   I'd imagine that a simple skateboard helmet that fits (not dot), is plenty for most. Of course theres nothing wrong with buying a nicer helmet, but lets be honest, until you spend a LOT, you are paying for small differences. All the cheaper helmets are light and cheap. If you find one that you like the field of view, you actually wear it, and it looks cool... piss on the certs and screw paying too much. I still have a nutshell dot helmet here. TBH, it has never been worn as its so thick and looks like a jewish cap. Worse is it puts weight at just the top of my head.  The reality is that my non certified skate helmet is safer as I will even wear it and its not heavy on my neck. Heavy helmets with no neck support = bad idea. All this reminds me... i do need a new skate helmet....$65 should be fine, coupled with some dollar store shades. You wear cheap helmets with stickers, maybe it mitigates how fancy the wheel makes you look. The richest looking of the group is usually the first victim of robbery.

Edited February 27, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[Ben Kim]

smashed my head at 30 mph losing traction on black ice, helmet saved me. cutout at 42 mph on my Nikola, helmet didn’t have a scratch. 
 

Moral of the story, you’ll never know when it’ll save you, but you’ll be glad you have it when you need it.

Ps: Peripheral vision is SUPER important on an EUC. I have a motorcycle full face that i absolutely hate wearing because of that reason, yet an open face helmet with bubble shield doesn’t impede my peripheral vision. Heck, even a skateboard helmet would be a good compromise. I dislike the TSG pass (which most NYC guys swear by) for that very reason. 

[GothamMike]

You only have one brain, and it rarely repairs it self. Wear a brain bowl!

[bigwave]

On 2/27/2020 at 12:58 AM, ShanesPlanet said:

It wasnt until I stepped into the big boys at $600+ for shoei and arai, that I realized what real quality and safety are all about.

 

On 2/26/2020 at 7:53 PM, ShanesPlanet said:

Fwiw, I tended to ride WAY more dangerously on my motorcross bike, when fully suited, vs when I just had boots and a simple brain bucket on.

@ShanesPlanet makes a couple of very good points. Like everything, usually higher quality items come with a higher price tag. Shoei and Arai plus several other top tier helmet manufactures are more than adequate , most likely over kill for EUC. I have a couple Arai MX helmets and use my Shoei VFX MX helmet when on the EUC. Would I buy one of those for EUC, not a chance. But I have em so I use them. Any certified MC helmet will do the trick on a EUC.

The second point has to do with a feeling when armoured up of a bit invincibility . Hence, you push it a bit more. In MX , if you have all the gear on twist that throttle! EUC, maybe you'll lean into harder.

Another thing about helmet usage is the factor of being comfortable with a helmet on your head. If you have a strong motorsports background that involves Motorcycling, MX racing Car Racing ,Kart Racing etc. You're comfortable wearing a helmet(real helmet, not bike/snow/skate). If you never have worn a helmet ,then I can understand the issues they cause.

It all comes down to choice. Your decision.