31 ms·

What possible reason is there to not wear a helmet when riding a bike?

by chrisbaker98 4y ago

kypro 4y ago
Same reason for not wearing one in a car, bus or when crossing the road, I guess. Some people just like to take risks.
- fjfaase 4y ago
  I do not like taking risks and I think i am a risk avoiding person. Here in the Netherlands, I guess that my risk for getting involved in an accident, is not any higher than walking and other forms of transportation. I am not using an e-bike and I usually bike at a speed of about 15km/h. I do not use a racing bike, but a bike where you sit in an upright position allowing you to look around easily. I also take care of using routes that are safe. Here in the Netherlands, where are more bikes than cars, and biking is an important means of transportation for daily commutes and doing shoppings. We have good infrastructures for bikes.
0_____0 4y ago
I wear a helmet 99.9% of the time on a bike. They are not zero hassle. If you live somewhere where stuff gets nicked in public and you’ve got a nicer helmet, you bring it inside your destination with you. They mess up hair too. They’re not GOOD reasons but let’s not pretend there aren’t any at all.
airza 4y ago
What possible reason is there not to wear a helmet when driving a car?
- chrisbaker98 4y ago
  Seatbelts, airbags, crumple zones.
blahedo 4y ago
Several of the reasons are shown elsewhere in this thread, but here's one I haven't seen here yet: Because I like my head not freezing when it's ten degrees below freezing? When I bring this up, sometimes people tell me about thin membrane caps that fit under the hat, but they don't work when it's actually really cold out. Helmets absolutely do not fit over warm-weather hats (or any hats, really). (Other people have said "why would you be biking if it's below freezing", which shows that they don't understand the entire conversation.)
- wl 4y ago
  I've got a thin balaclava I've worn under a bike helmet down to 0°F that's kept me warm enough. Let out the band on the helmet a few clicks and it fits perfectly.
- Sharparam 4y ago
  I think I might be quite warm naturally but those thinner caps that fit below the helmet work just fine for me when I bike in cold Sweden in the winter. -10 °C and below. The helmet itself gives some wind protection which helps as well I think.
hombre_fatal 4y ago
Having to carry it around. People who say you can just clip it to your bike haven’t lived in any city I’ve lived in.
walthamstow 4y ago
I'll chip in with my main reason, as a London cycling veteran of nearly 10 years: shoulder checks. I whip my head back and forth over my right shoulder constantly to check the state of traffic behind me. Before I maneuvre, I check, check and check again. Always checking. Always fully aware of what's behind me. Having something attached to my head makes it harder and less comfortable to do these rapid checks. I think this makes me less safe overall.
3nf 4y ago
Helmet hair. Once my hair gets compressed by a helmet, nothing other than a shower can fix it, and we don't have showers at work [not an issue as I'm remote now]. I live less than a mile from my former cubicle, and my old commute was mostly through a park with two road crossings. There was no reason to wear a helmet. If I'm on a longer road ride, or riding off-road, I religiously wear a helmet. If I'm riding lift-assisted downhill, I wear a full-face helmet.
anenefan 4y ago
Though for many people wearing a cycling helmet would not change their present riding practices, there's an expectation children / people on small profile bikes would benefit the most from wearing one, (ie safer,) however there are good reasons not to make them mandatory. As already mentioned it can interfere with constant checking habit for extra safety, as well as cold weather appropriate headgear. Personally I gave up cycling once compulsory helmet laws were introduced in Australia since for sun protection I had an already heavy enough wide brim weather proof hat. It's probably not that common, but I have a weakened neck from a poorly treated bad whiplash (forced over the edge of road on a bicycle with a wooden road marker being right at the spot my head / neck area would land.) Additionally trying a helmet (not all helmets are the same and possibly there are brands out that have addressed certain problems) I found the straps sitting proud interfered with other distant road noises, not an issue in town traffic, but it would certainly drown out vehicles approaching from behind driving on non urban roads, with many drivers not looking for cyclists sharing that road.

What possible reason is there to not wear a helmet when riding a bike?

kypro 4y ago

Same reason for not wearing one in a car, bus or when crossing the road, I guess. Some people just like to take risks.

fjfaase 4y ago
I do not like taking risks and I think i am a risk avoiding person. Here in the Netherlands, I guess that my risk for getting involved in an accident, is not any higher than walking and other forms of transportation. I am not using an e-bike and I usually bike at a speed of about 15km/h. I do not use a racing bike, but a bike where you sit in an upright position allowing you to look around easily. I also take care of using routes that are safe. Here in the Netherlands, where are more bikes than cars, and biking is an important means of transportation for daily commutes and doing shoppings. We have good infrastructures for bikes.

0_____0 4y ago

I wear a helmet 99.9% of the time on a bike. They are not zero hassle. If you live somewhere where stuff gets nicked in public and you’ve got a nicer helmet, you bring it inside your destination with you. They mess up hair too. They’re not GOOD reasons but let’s not pretend there aren’t any at all.

airza 4y ago

What possible reason is there not to wear a helmet when driving a car?

chrisbaker98 4y ago
Seatbelts, airbags, crumple zones.

blahedo 4y ago

Several of the reasons are shown elsewhere in this thread, but here's one I haven't seen here yet: Because I like my head not freezing when it's ten degrees below freezing? When I bring this up, sometimes people tell me about thin membrane caps that fit under the hat, but they don't work when it's actually really cold out. Helmets absolutely do not fit over warm-weather hats (or any hats, really). (Other people have said "why would you be biking if it's below freezing", which shows that they don't understand the entire conversation.)

wl 4y ago
I've got a thin balaclava I've worn under a bike helmet down to 0°F that's kept me warm enough. Let out the band on the helmet a few clicks and it fits perfectly.
Sharparam 4y ago
I think I might be quite warm naturally but those thinner caps that fit below the helmet work just fine for me when I bike in cold Sweden in the winter. -10 °C and below. The helmet itself gives some wind protection which helps as well I think.

hombre_fatal 4y ago

Having to carry it around. People who say you can just clip it to your bike haven’t lived in any city I’ve lived in.

walthamstow 4y ago

I'll chip in with my main reason, as a London cycling veteran of nearly 10 years: shoulder checks. I whip my head back and forth over my right shoulder constantly to check the state of traffic behind me. Before I maneuvre, I check, check and check again. Always checking. Always fully aware of what's behind me. Having something attached to my head makes it harder and less comfortable to do these rapid checks. I think this makes me less safe overall.

3nf 4y ago

Helmet hair. Once my hair gets compressed by a helmet, nothing other than a shower can fix it, and we don't have showers at work [not an issue as I'm remote now]. I live less than a mile from my former cubicle, and my old commute was mostly through a park with two road crossings. There was no reason to wear a helmet. If I'm on a longer road ride, or riding off-road, I religiously wear a helmet. If I'm riding lift-assisted downhill, I wear a full-face helmet.

anenefan 4y ago

Though for many people wearing a cycling helmet would not change their present riding practices, there's an expectation children / people on small profile bikes would benefit the most from wearing one, (ie safer,) however there are good reasons not to make them mandatory. As already mentioned it can interfere with constant checking habit for extra safety, as well as cold weather appropriate headgear. Personally I gave up cycling once compulsory helmet laws were introduced in Australia since for sun protection I had an already heavy enough wide brim weather proof hat. It's probably not that common, but I have a weakened neck from a poorly treated bad whiplash (forced over the edge of road on a bicycle with a wooden road marker being right at the spot my head / neck area would land.) Additionally trying a helmet (not all helmets are the same and possibly there are brands out that have addressed certain problems) I found the straps sitting proud interfered with other distant road noises, not an issue in town traffic, but it would certainly drown out vehicles approaching from behind driving on non urban roads, with many drivers not looking for cyclists sharing that road.