Gasmantle Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 What's your opinion on helmets? I have a full face Steelbird helmet that I really like and wear probably 90% of my riding time but I still do think it kinda kills the freedom feeling of riding an EUC and chose not to wear sometimes. Clearly helmets are an important feature of safe riding and potentially protect you from a serious injury but isn't life sometimes about taking a calculated risk and just hoping nothing goes wrong? Do you sometimes take a risk in the pursuit of extra riding enjoyment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotchtape Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 It's all fun and games until it's not. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post gon2fast Posted December 15, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted December 15, 2020 I always wear a full face helmet. I feel naked without it. I wish that I could feel that way with the rest of my protective gear... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..... Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 (edited) Helmets suck... Really nice ones just suck less. I always take more risk if the enjoyment is more. Can't easily smoke with a helmet on. More weight atop my head. Can't hear as well. Visibility is mitigated, have to remember to grab the damn thing. Have ot put in on. I grew up when it was customary to wear flip flops and shorts while riding bicycles and skateboards. I learned to ride a street bike in a no helmet law state. I abhor seatbelts and don't recall having a child safety seat growing up. Helmets have their place, but when spur of the moment and pure phyiscal comfort is the goal, the helmet gets left on the shelf. Having said that, there are times when COMFORT isnt the main agenda for the day. Sometimes it seems more freeing to be fully suited and removed from the elements. I reserve my right to choose to wear one or not, based simply on my own preferences.. Yup, can't get much more freedom than that! Edited December 15, 2020 by ShanesPlanet 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post redfoxdude Posted December 15, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted December 15, 2020 (edited) You can certainly choose to not wear one if you want. I'm used to wearing my helmet - I too almost feel naked without it and my other gear, ha! A lot of the horrible accidents I've seen have been from mundane activities - familiar route, short distance. The risk of not wearing a helmet is not worth it to me. You just never know what might happen. Especially with the terrible roads and drivers around here. I can't help but remember that Russian(?) guy that was doing some routine riding without a helmet, along with some backwards riding, and ended up falling, hitting his head and dying, leaving his wife and child behind. That was really sad. Edited December 15, 2020 by redfoxdude 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tawpie Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 (edited) This was a pro-helmet billboard back when they were working to pass laws that motorcyclists had to wear helmets: “you don’t need a helmet if you have concrete for brains”. (think about it for a sec, it’s actually pretty good!) And yes, helmets do diminish the experience. And yes, the billboard is correct. But, you should do you, it’s certainly not my place to insist otherwise. Edited December 15, 2020 by Tawpie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I_Must_Bust Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 (edited) I always wear one unless I'm just practicing at low speeds away from cars. Grassy fields, unused tennis courts, and whatnot are acceptable risks to me. 20+mph rides on hard surfaces near other people/cars aren't. Edited December 15, 2020 by I_Must_Bust 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post redsnapper Posted December 15, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted December 15, 2020 when it's -20C and I am riding at 30kph, I'm mighty happy to have a full face with shield. Otherwise my eyeballs would be ice cubes! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mrelwood Posted December 15, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted December 15, 2020 Luckily there are so many different kinds of helmets available, one should always be able to find one that matches one’s hopes for the level of restrictiveness. Earlier this year I had a pedal hit the edge of a path at a slow jogging pace, which moved my foot to the front of the pedal. We all know what happens when the weight of the rider is at the very front... The MSX took off throwing me into a comics accurate banana peel fall. I hit the back of my helmeted head on the ground hard enough to actually see sparks or stars for a second. The importance of a helmet does not go away, no matter how slow you go. Luckily I have a helmet that matches my expectations for how riding should feel, so I use it happily every time I ride. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gasmantle Posted December 15, 2020 Author Share Posted December 15, 2020 I guess it is one of those cost / benefit situations that mathematicians earn a living from number crunching. The fact is helmets are good and can save you from serious injury. It is also a fact (in my case) that riding without a helmet is far more fun. I reckon I have approx 1000hrs of riding experience and only had 1 fall that I could say caused any pain (it happened before I bought my helmet), the injury was minor and a helmet would have made little difference. Bare with me here I'm having a pint of the dark stuff and thinking aloud - with 1000 hours of riding and so far no injury that a helmet would have any appreciable benefit we can conclude significant injuries are comparatively rare, the down side is 100s of hours of diminished fun owing to helmet use that served no purpose. It is fair to assume that after 1000hrs of riding without injury statistically I'm likely to be ok if I ride another hour 'sans helmete' and gain added enjoyment in the process - if I fall and suffer an injury then dependent on the severity it may be the price to pay. We don't know the likelihood of the (anticipated) injury or it's severity but we can at least quantify the added pleasure of riding minus the helmet I now need to figure out how to draw a graph of injury probability multiplied by injury severity divided by non helmet enjoyment. Beer is fantastic stuff - a few pints and you can contemplate this kinda nonsense 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Zopper Posted December 15, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted December 15, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Gasmantle said: It is fair to assume that after 1000hrs of riding without injury statistically I'm likely to be ok if I ride another hour 'sans helmete' and gain added enjoyment in the process - if I fall and suffer an injury then dependent on the severity it may be the price to pay. I've not yet needed my helmet on EUC, but I had an accident on a bicycle a few years back. A driver in a parked car didn't look around and tried to turn crossing over a double full line without even putting out a blinker. His front wheel pinned down my front wheel and I slammed my head on the bonnet pretty hard. Luckily, my bike didn't had the high bar like mountain bikes do have, or it would break my leg. And if I didn't had a helmet, it would be even worse. I couldn't do anything to prevent - he just made an unexpected (and illegal) action. It doesn't matter how skilled rider you are, it doesn't matter that you don't make mistakes. It's enough if someone else does them. Even if you don't want to wear a full face helmet, it's good to have a light cyclist one. They barely weight anything, don't limit your vision in any way, don't prevent the wind in your face, but still make a hell of a difference when something happens. Edited December 15, 2020 by Zopper 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrelwood Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 1 hour ago, Gasmantle said: It is also a fact (in my case) that riding without a helmet is far more fun. Sounds like you have a wrong kind of helmet. @Zopper laid out great points above. Statistics matter very little when one of the worst causes for injury is perfectly random and having nothing to do with your experience. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..... Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 (edited) 33 minutes ago, mrelwood said: Sounds like you have a wrong kind of helmet. @Zopper laid out great points above. Statistics matter very little when one of the worst causes for injury is perfectly random and having nothing to do with your experience. Statistics matter even less when the focus of importance is biased towards fun. Of course its always fun until it isnt. Once I don a helmet, it doesnt lose its fun, it becomes more a detached and serious brand of fun. Embracing the superman syndrome a helmet provides me, is also fun. Not sure of injury stats as there's WAY too many variables, when you consider the gear influences perceptions and how I make decisions. Typically I request a helmet and say something like "I need a helmet, this is going to get VERY stupid". A more laid back approach happens when Im in just street clothes.. Edited December 15, 2020 by ShanesPlanet 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Seba Posted December 15, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted December 15, 2020 6 hours ago, Gasmantle said: Clearly helmets are an important feature of safe riding and potentially protect you from a serious injury but isn't life sometimes about taking a calculated risk and just hoping nothing goes wrong? This summer I had an unexplained cut-off. Something that everyone is afraid of and that you have to be prepared for. If you ride a lot, sooner or later something like that will happen. And believe me, when it happens, there is no time to react. You will realize the fact that something has happened when you're already on the ground. I fell down and hit the road surface with left side of my head. I was riding slowly (no more than 25 km/h) and carefully, it was one of my many touristic cross-country rides. I ended up with a slight concussion, abrasions and contusions. Nothing serious. However, if I hadn't had a helmet on my head then, I would now be lying six feet underground. The road I was riding on was covered with stones. When I took my helmet off after the fall, I found two deep dents there. I do not even want to imagine these dents in my brain. Definitely - if I were riding without a helmet, it would kill the fun. Forever. PS. It wasn't full-face helmet. It was Fox Metah, enduro open face helmet. Did a great job. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Montpetit Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 I have a beautiful carbon fibre Lazer with the windswept back. I bought it new for paragliding about 18 years ago. It is in mint condition, still glossy and scratchless after all these years. I quit paragliding after 10 years of flying. The helmet sat in a closet until 6 months ago when I bought a KIngsong 18XL. I feel very comfortable in that helmet, safe, secure and protected. For me a helmet is essential gear, it gives me the confidence to ride. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DjPanJan Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 6 hours ago, Gasmantle said: What's your opinion on helmets? I have a full face Steelbird helmet that I really like and wear probably 90% of my riding time but I still do think it kinda kills the freedom feeling of riding an EUC and chose not to wear sometimes. Clearly helmets are an important feature of safe riding and potentially protect you from a serious injury but isn't life sometimes about taking a calculated risk and just hoping nothing goes wrong? Do you sometimes take a risk in the pursuit of extra riding enjoyment? My answer. I am on video: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rawnei Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 Why would they ruin the fun? My summer/spring full-face helmet is comfortable, light and barely noticeable, my winter motorcycle helmet has a great FOV, it's warm, cozy and protects my face from rain with the visor, seems like they only add positive things to my personal experience. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_bike_kite Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 1 hour ago, John Montpetit said: I have a beautiful carbon fibre Lazer with the windswept back. I bought it new for paragliding about 18 years ago. It is in mint condition, still glossy and scratchless after all these years. I quit paragliding after 10 years of flying. The helmet sat in a closet until 6 months ago when I bought a KIngsong 18XL. I feel very comfortable in that helmet, safe, secure and protected. For me a helmet is essential gear, it gives me the confidence to ride. I'd be careful, a lot of the protection from helmets is from the internal foam and it's supposed to become ineffective after a few years (they say 5 years). Of course that might just be the helmet manufacturers wanting more sales but there's probably some truth in there as well. You're also supposed to replace them after a crash - again because the foam can compress after taking an impact. The outer shell rarely cracks even in quite hard impacts (I've done a lot of personal testing over the years). I remember riding a motorbike around the states and tried riding without a helmet for a while but I just couldn't stand listening to the constant wind noise and all the squeaks and rattles from the bike. I found it much more pleasant with the helmet on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomOnWheels Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 My biggest concern is about how to store helmet when shopping, walking or at office. So I got this one: It's just perfect for my usage and is not killing fun :-) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rawnei Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 2 minutes ago, TomOnWheels said: My biggest concern is about how to store helmet when shopping, walking or at office. So I got this one: It's just perfect for my usage and is not killing fun :-) I solved that with a nylon strap and a snap hook that I loop through the helmet and my backpack so the helmet just hangs off the backpack and I can walk around hands free. 😁 Works with any helmet! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
null Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, mike_bike_kite said: I'd be careful, a lot of the protection from helmets is from the internal foam and it's supposed to become ineffective after a few years (they say 5 years). Of course that might just be the helmet manufacturers wanting more sales but there's probably some truth in there as well Indeed, it is probably the case (plastics becoming brittle and such) but I'd like to know how much. If a helmet is 90% efficient after 5 years I'd still prefer seing it used for a bit more, even if the manufacturer can't guarantee the optimal specs. An ageing curve would be interesting. To get back to the topic: Riding naked would be yet more fun, but sadly safety balance takes what it takes.. My helmets (Fox proframe & TSG Pass) are light and fairly unobtrusive. Edited December 15, 2020 by null 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bracky72 Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 Sometimes I need to check to make sure I’m wearing my helmet. It’s that unobtrusive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Montpetit Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 2 hours ago, mike_bike_kite said: I'd be careful Thanks for the head up, but I've had the inside refurbished and it's good to go! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhpr262 Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 They dont kill the fun for me. As soon as I got my first "real" wheel after my 350W leaner wheel I also bought a good bicycle helmet. Now I wouldnt feel safe anymore without the helmet, just like I would be feeling anxious if I had to drive my car on the freeway without a seatbelt. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UniGrad Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 (edited) 14 hours ago, Gasmantle said: What's your opinion on helmets? I have a full face Steelbird helmet that I really like and wear probably 90% of my riding time but I still do think it kinda kills the freedom feeling of riding an EUC and chose not to wear sometimes. Clearly helmets are an important feature of safe riding and potentially protect you from a serious injury but isn't life sometimes about taking a calculated risk and just hoping nothing goes wrong? Do you sometimes take a risk in the pursuit of extra riding enjoyment? I used to ride without a helmet but things have changed. I was going down a hill at 50km/h on my 16x and a cop pulled me over. He said "geez mate you were flying down that hill on that thing, you're gonna kill yourself". He had never seen or heard of an EUC before so he didn't say anything about the legalities of riding them. But he gave me a warning for not wearing a helmet. No fine. Since then I started taking my helmet on every ride but you would often find me holding the helmet in my hands as I speed past on my Sherman. Once I even almost dropped the helmet and then nearly fell off the Sherman trying to catch the helmet. How stupid and ironic would that have been if I fell and hit my head. My god. But then slowly I started to put the helmet on my head. The helmet is a full face downhill mountain biking helmet. I found that with the helmet on I would go faster on the Sherman and feel better about it. Feel less paranoid. I was using the helmet more and more. And now I use it stringently when going fast. I will often still take off my helmet but I always slow down to jogging speed first. Then I put it on before speeding back up. I do this very strictly. So strictly that if I ever do try to ride fast with no helmet I feel very strange. I start to picture all of the ways that my face could interact with the road. So many possibilities. Helmets do take away from the feeling of freedom though. It's literally like putting your head in a cage. But get a nice light one and it makes a big difference. Don't use a motorcycle helmet. They are so heavy that they will affect your ability to do rapid head turns when checking for cars behind you. And the weight makes them very uncomfortable. What I recommend is to take off your helmet often during rides and enjoy the slow paced riding. Enjoy the nature trails. EUCs are fun for that. And when you're ready chuck that helmet on and shoot off like a rocket. You'll have a blast riding like this and you'll be safe. Oh and by the way, back when I used to ride with no helmet. I would ALWAYS wear knee pads and wrist guards. ALWAYS Because I never fall on my head. I always fall on my hands and knees and I've had lots of falls. So I was playing the odds. But now I just feel like an egg shell playing the odds if I ride fast with no helmet. And it's gotta be a full face helmet for me now. Edited December 15, 2020 by UniGrad 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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