Helmets

[gregger]

I want to get a conversation going about helmets. After a serious endo last week, I feel like I need to ask everyone I run into if they’re wearing one when they ride. At first, I assumed nobody is stupid enough to ride without one; but even within the week I found plenty of people who don’t. I didn’t see much on the topic within the forums, so here it is: do you wear a helmet when you ride? always? why or why not?

Incidentally, check my crash out: http://www.gregcupples.com/wrecked.html

Check the rock-shaped dents in the helmet and the crushed styro–I can’t assume everyone has seen that before. I spent several years working in bike shops, explaining to skeptical folks why helmets are a one-time-use thing; if you wreck, you have to get a new one. So if you haven’t seen a "used" helmet before, take a gander. I was going 27+ mph when i endo’d. Happened so fast, i had no time to do anything other than the instinctual tuck-and-roll that probably saved me from a wheelchair.

[Jeff Barber]

Whoa, those are some gnarley dents on the old brain bucket.

I’ve been using a road helmet on the trails for the past year or two, does anyone know if there is a difference in protection standards between road and mountain helmets? The only difference I can tell is that mountain helmets have (annoying) visors attached to them and road helmets are generally a little lighter weight.

I love my Giro Pneumo by the way, I can barely even feel it once I strap it on.

[Fitch]

I really can’t see the logic behind not wearing a helmet. I’ve only not worn one ONCE on trails, and I was teaching someone how to ride in the woods, maybe topping out at like 8mph.

It costs a lot less to buy a helmet and wear it now than it would to pay for surgery, rehab, and insurance premiums later! 😉

[dauw]

Only once have I not worn a helmet. The other weekend I was in Fruita, and when I got to the trailhead for the afternoon ride I realized I had left my helmet on top of the car after the morning ride. Needless to say, my helmet was gone. Instead of looking for my helmet while my friends rode, I rode without one. Riding without it wasn’t worth it. I didn’t ride half the technical stuff I would have normally because I was afraid of recking my brain, so the ride wasn’t as fun as it could have been. I bought a new one the next day.

I need to stop putting stuff on top of my car after rides 😕

I’ve also seen pictures posted on singletracks with people riding without helmets on technical stuff. At least go to Walmart and by a cheapo – they do sell Bell.

[Rob ✓ supporter]

do you wear a helmet when you ride? always? why or why not?

Always. It’s just one of those things like seat belts. Just do it. I now use a Road-ID also, as I usually ride solo. Someone will know where to return the pieces when I really screw up..,

I can’t assume everyone has seen that before.

I hadn’t before this year. I took a nasty at Devils Backbone earlier this year. Put a nice temple dent in my helmet, although not quite as deep as yours. Did a number on my knee, which took 3 months for the fluid to go completely down. Luckily, it didn’t bother to ride on it. New helmet the next day.

I also picked up a full face helmet. Works great on the cold days and when we get the wind storms around here. Oh yeah, every now and then I also like to be humiliated and go do some lift serviced downhills. Those guys are insane…

[=ChrisB=]

I wear a fullface freeride helmet for everything. DH, freeride, XC, street. ALL OF IT!

[Slyp_Dawg]

when do I wear a helmet? always. it used to be that I wouldn’t wear one on my old bike, until I took a nasty spill into a curb that was nasty enough to take the chain completely off of the freewheel cassette and the chainrings. now I’m freaked out if I don’t have it on. I don’t give a damn if people think I’m laughing stock for not wanting to have to be sent home in a body bag. my friend who rides a BMX bike (a old Kuwahara (sp) bike from 1979.) who doesn’t wear a helmet, and I don’t think that anything other than him crashing and bashing his head on the curb or the rocks is going to make him wear a helmet. I do have a Bell full face, but I don’t wear it that much because it is a bitch to get my distance glasses on with it on. so I wear a regular bell helmet.

[Lancefan]

I was try to wear my helmet, sometimes I forget when I am just riding to school or a friends house, but I never ride on a trail without my helmet.

[Jun_Zuniga]

Always, it’s one of your most important parts. Plus after I bought a family member one, he took a spill after hitting a dog that ended up cracking his melon…luckily, w/ the helmet both he and the dog were okay.

[clparrish16]

I just started riding about 3 weeks ago and always wear a helmet. At first I didn’t think much about it until the other day riding Troy University Dothan Trail and came to a 90 degree turn around a tree and ran head first into the tree. [u:x783y22o][i:x783y22o](By the way the tree didn’t move)[/i:x783y22o][/u:x783y22o] Helmet saved me a trip to the hospital or possibly the grave. It all happened so quick, at first I didn’t know what happened. Had a little headache but was better that stitches or brain damage. I am a firm believer in wearing a helmet on all rides.

[aabiking ✓ supporter]

When my friends at work finally talked me into mountain biking I bought a cheap Walmart bike and ordered a Giro Hex helmet off the web. My helmet did not make it in on Friday and I told them that I would not be riding with them the next day. They kept telling me that I would be okay and that I should go. All afternoon they never stopped. I finally told them that it was no use asking any more because I was not going without a helmet. Someone finally found a used helmet that I could wear so I went on the ride. I was having a great time riding at Explorer Park in Roanoke VA ( a good trail to take a beginer). About halfway through the ride I came to a rock drop that was about 2.5 to 3 ft and tried to roll down it. Before the front tire hit the ground the back had already bounce on the rock and when the front tire hit, I flipped. I landed on the top of my head on a huge rock and cracked the helmet cover from one side to the other. I was a little dazed for a minute but I got up and kept right on riding. I was hooked after that day. And just think if I had not insited on wearing a helmet or not going then my first day of Mountain Biking could have been my last. I wear a helmet even when I take a friends bike for a spin in the parking lot. You can never be too safe. 💡

[GreenGiant]

I rode the other day with a guy who forgot to bring a helmet and I thought he was nuts. Fortunately, the first part of the ride was tame singletrack. When it started getting technical, he bailed.

I for one, would never ride without a helmet. Especially after the fall I had two years ago which almost separated my shoulder and gave me some pretty contusions and scrapes on one side of my body. I am not sure I would be hear today if I didn’t have a helmet on.

While on the trail, if I come across people riding without helmets, I ask them to wear one next time.

Not only do I wear a helmet, but if I go on technical rides, I also wear armor. Last year I smashed my knee and developed a blood clot after that, so I don’t take any chances.

[Coachnh]

I had the unfortunate experience of being in the hospital the night a co-worker of mine was there because her son was hit by a car while riding his bike.

He succumbed to the head injuries he sustained due to not wearing a helmet and passed away that night. He was 9 years old!

I myself have been hit by a car when I was younger, while I wasn’t on a bike, I can relate to what it feels like.

If someone decides to not wear a helmet while riding, that is their decision, but they might as well right their death notice because at one time or another it will catch up with them and most likely when they least expect it.

[bonkedagain]

I’ve rapped my head while wearing a helmet enough times to consider it worth it — I never ride w/o a helmet.

A big motivator for me is a friend of our’s kid – he fell while skateboarding many years ago. Of course he wasn’t wearing a helmet, and to this day he has to take medication to prevent seizures due to a bit of scrambling of the brain matter. Man, what a shame… 😢

[aabiking ✓ supporter]

I have to argue with my son all the time about wearing a helmet. He always wears one when On trails with me but when it comes to riding on pavement he thinks that there is no need. I try to explain that asphalt will do just as much damage as a rock or tree but I still catch him without his helmet on all the time. He will put it on after I say something but I am not always around when he starts to ride. It drives me crazy.

[timd]

4 words bro: Thank God For Helmets! 💡

[aabiking ✓ supporter]

Thank GOD for Bikes and Mountains.

[kb-biker]

I just started riding, and I took my first ride(fairly technical at that) without a helmet, thankfully I was okay, but a guy on the trail really warned me not too. So I went out and bought one a couple days ago.

My question, how many people wear knee/shin guards or elbow pads while riding intermediate trails?

[Sweetlife]

Hey KB, Welcome to the forum.
I always wear a helmet, but I don`t wear elbow and knee protection. I guess if I was trying "North Shore" type of stuff (which I don`t plan to) I would consider it. I guess I`m just wondering what you consider "intermediate. I live in an area where the glaciers stopped, and left a lot of boulders and rocks. To me, this is what I call "hike a bike" areas, and when I am riding there I do not wear protection…but then again, I`m not dropping off 12` ledges either. I hope you find some good people to ride with in your area. I started MTB riding in 1993 and quite a few of the people I started with are still my friends today. Once again welcome, this is a great sport! 😃

[kb-biker]

hey Sweetlife, thanks for the reply.

Well I call it intermediate since thats what a lot of people say it is at this link [url:2plyb80v]http://www.singletracks.com/php/trail.php?id=949[/url:2plyb80v], but to sum it up, some decent climbs and down hills, lots of roots, a few stream crossings, and some rocks here and there.

I just picked up a nice set of gloves and some generic helmet from Dicks to make my next ride a little more fun(and safe). But I can’t wait to get started! Sadly I’ve started so late in the season, I only have about an hour of light left by the time I get off work.

[Sweetlife]

Hey KB, I checked out the link you provided, and if I were to travel to this trail and ride it, I personally would not feel the need for elbow or shin pads. Having said that, if you feel like it would set your mind at ease, I wouldn`t hesitate to buy a set. It`s just that I`m a minimalist when it comes to riding, I don`t even like having a camelbak on unless I absolutely have to have it (epic rides). Hopefully someone with a different opinion will post, and then you can get two sides to the story.

[kb-biker]

Hey Sweetlife, I am the same way, I don’t like to take much with me. I am just gonna stick with the helmet for now. Especially since I know a guy who broke his wrist on the same trail, but hey, if it were safe where would the adrenaline rush be right? I do keep a water bottle with me, that clips on to the bike frame, which has so far stayed in place pretty well.

I may get a camel pack or small back pack to carry a spare tube/hand pump/tools ect. in, haven’t decide on that yet though. I am still working on acquiring the basic gear(shoes, shorts, glasses, ect.)

thanks for the insight!

[flip4life7]

I always wear my helmet. I’m always careful when I ride but you never know when something might go wrong. I feel more confident having my helmet which makes the ride much more enjoyable since I dont have my mind on falling. Although, a helmet may not be a total guarantee you won’t get hurt it greatly reduces the chances.

[spazjensen]

I had really nasty crash coming down a killer DH about three years age. It was caused by the rear derailleur braking in half on a rock I slid into and then flying into the spokes of the rear wheel and locking it up. Somehow, my bike got thrown forward and I went with it. I dislocated and took a massive chunk of skin out of my shoulder, had a little more than mild concussion from slaming my head down on solid ground, and quite a bit bleeding from cuts, and some really big bruises. I think that the only reason that I had the concussion is because I wasen’t wearing a helmet. Now, I have a scar on my left shoulder the size of a softball, and a funny looking bald spot on the side of my head. However, after that I still didn’t wear a helmet till about a month ago when a buddy of mine got clothes lined by a downed tree around a blind corner and broke his face basically. Now I use a SixSix Full Face Comp helmet. I say that you can’t ride if you can’t see what’s in front of you. 😮 😀

[salsa_29]

I allways where a helmet.
Two weeks ago I was riding at Bradbury Mountain, a trail I ride often and pretty well. My rear rear tire caught a rock and kicked out slightly so I swerved to avoid a painful crash and instead hit a tree at about 12-15 mph and broke my helmet in two spotts. No injuries, just the embarassment 😳

[FinsFan]

I always wear a helmet, rather be safe than sorry

[Toggles]

I usually wear a helmet unless I’m climbing on trials that I know very well.

[steve32300]

I wear my helmet,cant afford another concunsion.got three of them now.Not at the top of the list here,but man do those thing’s make your head feel like there’s somthing going on that aint right.

[steve32300]

I swear that tree just jumped right out in front of me!

To be honest,(not that I tryed to lie)but one of those concunsion’s came at the ice rink when I wasnt wearing my helmet,still dont remember a thing to this day except for a foggy instant when the ambulance crew wheeled me outside into the cold that started to bring me around enough to remember the I.V.’s and O2 mask and being wheeled into the ambulance,and once I was in the ambulance and the cold air went away I was out to LaLa land once again till I finally woke at the hospital in the cat scan machine.
But yeah,my brain felt like it had it’s own air conditioning and the condensation drain line in the back of the brain.Swear to god,it felt like somthing was draining down my throat for 3 month’s and it was cold like chilled water.
No one seen a thing and I dont remember a thing,somone just found me there on the ice I guess.

[steve32300]

Wow, that really is messed up! I was thinking possibly cranial fluid running down your throat, but it would of been warm and a somewhat bitter taste

Have you tasted cranial fluid Mongoose??I cant seem to explain what it tasted like,kinda like a antifreeze fluid I guess.????

[steve32300]

I mentioned it to my doctor giving me a physical one year,although I am going to the doc tomorrow so I’ll run it past the doc again tomorrow.

Excuse my nerve mongoose,,,,,,,,,but,,,,,,,,what was your career ending injury if you dont mind sharing.

Thank’s for the inside info on the brain drainage dude.I appreciate it.

[steve32300]

Considering were talking about our brain fluid’s here,doesnt bother me to know a few a thing’s about ya.hahahahaha.

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