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I wear one when rock climbing, kayaking, snowboarding, skiing, motorcycle, bicycle, skateboard, football, etc. Pretty much any time I go over 8mph. I even consi

I wear one when rock climbing, kayaking, snowboarding, skiing, motorcycle, bicycle, skateboard, football, etc. Pretty much any time I go over 8mph. I even considered one in aussie rules football but they were hard to find in the states. I found that helmets for winter sports are better than hats. They don't soak up sweat like a hat does so do better in cold and are better vented than a hat as well. They also really help with the trees. It's also interesting that they used to be "nerdy" on ski slopes in the US, then several major states required everyone under 18 to wear them. Now 80% (feels like) of kids wear them all the time, so you actually look wierd if you don't wear a helmet. I definitely wear them on bikes and have needed them (and bounced off of them) many times. I tend to tuck when I go off the bike so I bounce the back of my helmet. There's a heart warming sensation of relief when you hear that hollow thunk sound of the helmet taking the blow on the pavement, tree, hardpack, rock, etc, with no bad effects on you. Also on my commute I tend to hit 45 mph multiple times in the first 2 miles (I drop 500 ft in 2 miles and I feel it's safer to do 35 like the cars on the nicely paved winding suburban road than to sit in the bike lane). Finally... I made this guy (who hates helmets) put one on after the kite pulled him up into the goal posts on a previous run. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PGKG5ZFMQg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PGKG5ZFMQg He thanked me a year later.

ricardobeat 10y ago
That's a completely different situation than the average Dutch cyclist faces. First, there are no hills to be seen, so not that easy to pick up speed. Especially on a city bike which is 99% of the fleet. It's unusual to even reach 20km/h. People carry their shopping, kids, furniture and pets in them. They cycle in whatever they are wearing - suits, skirts, jeans, whatever; the fact you can just hop on a bike without having to gear up makes it much more attractive to everyday life. There was also this study from a university in Utrecht showing that [in the Netherlands] cyclists wearing helmets are more careless and cause more accidents, nullifying any safety benefit...
- grogenaut 10y ago
  I'm not talking about Dutchland, I'm talking about where I ride. :)
  - Symbiote 10y ago
    The article is about the Netherlands, and I was referring to Denmark, though I forgot to write that. Most people aren't "sport" cyclists here, and therefore most don't wear helmets. I wouldn't wear a helmet to walk up the stairs, but if I go rock climbing I do. Same difference.
- NetStrikeForce 10y ago
  > There was also this study from a university in Utrecht showing that [in the Netherlands] cyclists wearing helmets are more careless and cause more accidents, nullifying any safety benefit.. Are there any links in English to that study? Someone said only people racing (or with racing bikes) trend to wear helmet in Netherlands. Knowing that it feels like that study confuses correlation with causation, but a university probably knows more than I do, hence why I'd like to read the study. Maybe it's just the press getting the wrong conclusion out of the study for agenda purposes. I don't know. The helmets are not weird nor nerdy. They save lives even though you might not need it ever if you're lucky. I always wear helmet, high viz, reflective vest, lights everywhere... You know, I don't want to be that guy in the statistics.
  - tim333 10y ago
    There's an article here implying drivers cut closer when they wear helmets http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/10866273/Cycle-helmets-are-useless-says-brain-surgeon.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/10866273/Cycle-h...
    - NetStrikeForce 10y ago
      Nice link, thanks. That seems to be another education issue: Drivers think cyclists with helmets are more experienced, so they don't feel the need to leave as much room as they do with "less experienced" cyclists. It is an interesting point and I didn't know about it. Almost unrelated, but I've found this part of the article funny - shows how we have to be careful with grand headlines and look at the article itself: > Henry Marsh, who works at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, London, said that many of his patients who have been involved in bike accidents have been wearing helmets that were ‘too flimsy’ to be beneficial. Well, no shit Sherlock. The cases where the helmet helped don't end up in your hands. Guy's a neurosurgeon.
  - annnnd 10y ago
    But I am pretty sure you don't live in Netherlands. Safety gear depends on the people around you too. :)
kalleboo 10y ago
> have needed them (and bounced off of them) many times Are you doing like offroad biking or something? Otherwise you should probably practice on your riding style...

ricardobeat 10y ago

That's a completely different situation than the average Dutch cyclist faces. First, there are no hills to be seen, so not that easy to pick up speed. Especially on a city bike which is 99% of the fleet. It's unusual to even reach 20km/h. People carry their shopping, kids, furniture and pets in them. They cycle in whatever they are wearing - suits, skirts, jeans, whatever; the fact you can just hop on a bike without having to gear up makes it much more attractive to everyday life. There was also this study from a university in Utrecht showing that [in the Netherlands] cyclists wearing helmets are more careless and cause more accidents, nullifying any safety benefit...

grogenaut 10y ago
I'm not talking about Dutchland, I'm talking about where I ride. :)
- Symbiote 10y ago
  The article is about the Netherlands, and I was referring to Denmark, though I forgot to write that. Most people aren't "sport" cyclists here, and therefore most don't wear helmets. I wouldn't wear a helmet to walk up the stairs, but if I go rock climbing I do. Same difference.
NetStrikeForce 10y ago
> There was also this study from a university in Utrecht showing that [in the Netherlands] cyclists wearing helmets are more careless and cause more accidents, nullifying any safety benefit.. Are there any links in English to that study? Someone said only people racing (or with racing bikes) trend to wear helmet in Netherlands. Knowing that it feels like that study confuses correlation with causation, but a university probably knows more than I do, hence why I'd like to read the study. Maybe it's just the press getting the wrong conclusion out of the study for agenda purposes. I don't know. The helmets are not weird nor nerdy. They save lives even though you might not need it ever if you're lucky. I always wear helmet, high viz, reflective vest, lights everywhere... You know, I don't want to be that guy in the statistics.
- tim333 10y ago
  There's an article here implying drivers cut closer when they wear helmets http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/10866273/Cycle-helmets-are-useless-says-brain-surgeon.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/10866273/Cycle-h...
  - NetStrikeForce 10y ago
    Nice link, thanks. That seems to be another education issue: Drivers think cyclists with helmets are more experienced, so they don't feel the need to leave as much room as they do with "less experienced" cyclists. It is an interesting point and I didn't know about it. Almost unrelated, but I've found this part of the article funny - shows how we have to be careful with grand headlines and look at the article itself: > Henry Marsh, who works at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, London, said that many of his patients who have been involved in bike accidents have been wearing helmets that were ‘too flimsy’ to be beneficial. Well, no shit Sherlock. The cases where the helmet helped don't end up in your hands. Guy's a neurosurgeon.
- annnnd 10y ago
  But I am pretty sure you don't live in Netherlands. Safety gear depends on the people around you too. :)

kalleboo 10y ago

> have needed them (and bounced off of them) many times Are you doing like offroad biking or something? Otherwise you should probably practice on your riding style...