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Well I certainly did not study how much your helmets protects you... But, given the fact that, like I said, virtually everybody here cycles, I'm aware of the f

by SCHiM 9y ago

Well I certainly did not study how much your helmets protects you... But, given the fact that, like I said, virtually everybody here cycles, I'm aware of the fact that nobody in my family ever hit their head in a way that caused any permanent damage. None of my friends ever have, none of my teachers, coworkers or anybody else I know (maybe they died before they met me?). The type of cycling I'm talking about is very close to the speed that our reflexes are evolved to deal with, I know exactly how it feels to fall of a bike and I'm not underestimating anything I'm sure. But going back to the original point: So does a helmet help prevent injuries? Yes I'm quite sure they do. Is it worth the bother to lug your helmet with you everywhere? Nope, not for me, and not for anybody else I know, including my 90 year old grandmother. We might as well wear full body armor on the sidewalks, I also think they'd prevent injury in certain cases, but most of the time it'd just be inconvenient and hot.

dvtv75 9y ago
> I'm aware of the fact that nobody in my family ever hit their head in a way that caused any permanent damage. You do, of course, have professional medical assessment to back this up? Because otherwise this is simply assumption and anecdotal data presented as a fact.
CydeWeys 9y ago
> The type of cycling I'm talking about is very close to the speed that our reflexes are evolved to deal with Yeah, well, I go a bit faster than that, whether it's commuting or fitness cycling. You have to, because you're on the street a lot of the time with fast-moving cars. Cycling in the US is a bit different than cycling is in Europe, so the safety measures you consider appropriate over there are different over here. > Is it worth the bother to lug your helmet with you everywhere? Did you read the part of my comment where I said that I always keep my helmet with my bike? I'm not lugging my helmet with me anywhere ever. It's not a bother, it's just always on my handlebars. And guess what, I also have a Citibike bikeshare membership, and sometimes I don't wear a helmet while riding that because I don't have it with me. Not having a helmet with me won't stop me from riding. By the same token, though, easily having a helmet accessible, which describes most of my riding, definitely will get me wearing it! I should also point out that >90% of all my fellow bike commuters at work, as well as >95% of the fitness cyclists I ride with, wear helmets. Not only does it just make sense as a reasonable precaution you can take (like wearing your seatbelt in a car), but I'd very much stand out if I didn't wear one.
vacri 9y ago
If you want some more anecdata, then of all the people I've known, I've only known two of them to have been in a car accident where they were injured; one of them was before I was born. I guess that means that people don't die in car accidents. > We might as well wear full body armor on the sidewalks Lacerations and broken bones heal. Broken brains are generally for life.
- CydeWeys 9y ago
  I would love to wear full body armor while cycling. It definitely would've prevented the broken ankle I suffered last year. Motorcycle boots would've prevented that. The problem is that full body armor is heavy, quite inconvenient, and you'll overheat really quickly. Plus, all of that extra mass on your feet will really make your cycling less efficient. Body armor simply isn't practical for cycling, so people don't do it except for certain specific high risk cycling activities, like stunt or downhill BMX. But a helmet isn't nearly as inconvenient as full body armor, so there are many more situations in which it makes sense to wear a helmet. For me, commuting daily in NYC traffic, it's pretty much always worth it to wear a helmet.

by SCHiM 9y ago

dvtv75 9y ago

> I'm aware of the fact that nobody in my family ever hit their head in a way that caused any permanent damage. You do, of course, have professional medical assessment to back this up? Because otherwise this is simply assumption and anecdotal data presented as a fact.

CydeWeys 9y ago

> The type of cycling I'm talking about is very close to the speed that our reflexes are evolved to deal with Yeah, well, I go a bit faster than that, whether it's commuting or fitness cycling. You have to, because you're on the street a lot of the time with fast-moving cars. Cycling in the US is a bit different than cycling is in Europe, so the safety measures you consider appropriate over there are different over here. > Is it worth the bother to lug your helmet with you everywhere? Did you read the part of my comment where I said that I always keep my helmet with my bike? I'm not lugging my helmet with me anywhere ever. It's not a bother, it's just always on my handlebars. And guess what, I also have a Citibike bikeshare membership, and sometimes I don't wear a helmet while riding that because I don't have it with me. Not having a helmet with me won't stop me from riding. By the same token, though, easily having a helmet accessible, which describes most of my riding, definitely will get me wearing it! I should also point out that >90% of all my fellow bike commuters at work, as well as >95% of the fitness cyclists I ride with, wear helmets. Not only does it just make sense as a reasonable precaution you can take (like wearing your seatbelt in a car), but I'd very much stand out if I didn't wear one.

vacri 9y ago

If you want some more anecdata, then of all the people I've known, I've only known two of them to have been in a car accident where they were injured; one of them was before I was born. I guess that means that people don't die in car accidents. > We might as well wear full body armor on the sidewalks Lacerations and broken bones heal. Broken brains are generally for life.

CydeWeys 9y ago
I would love to wear full body armor while cycling. It definitely would've prevented the broken ankle I suffered last year. Motorcycle boots would've prevented that. The problem is that full body armor is heavy, quite inconvenient, and you'll overheat really quickly. Plus, all of that extra mass on your feet will really make your cycling less efficient. Body armor simply isn't practical for cycling, so people don't do it except for certain specific high risk cycling activities, like stunt or downhill BMX. But a helmet isn't nearly as inconvenient as full body armor, so there are many more situations in which it makes sense to wear a helmet. For me, commuting daily in NYC traffic, it's pretty much always worth it to wear a helmet.