Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with helmets

Staying dry on two wheels.

2or3whiskeysodas — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:10:12 -0800

I need to find the best gear for riding my scooter in the rain. My scooter is my sole form or transportation, and if I have my way I'll never own another 4-wheeled vehicle. But alas, the days of having my girlfriend drop me off at work on the way to hers are over, and my daily commute has just increased significantly (15-20 minutes each way on neighborhood thoroughfares, never above 35mph). And man, has it been raining here recently.

So I need suggestions for remedying the following problems:

• Bad visibility once it's really coming down. Are there specific helmets, visors, goggles you'd recommend? Would applying Rain-X to any of those help?

• General dryness. I'm okay with packing a change of clothes and drying off once I get to work, but I'm also okay with staying as dry as possible. Are there any particularly badass suits or coats you like? Has anyone had experience with one of these silly-looking things? I'm willing to spend some money under the circumstances.

Please help me not be doomed to my city's horrible public transportation system on rainy days! Thanks!

Help me locate this photo of atmospheric scientists in dorky helmets

mjbraun — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 06:23:32 -0800

I'm trying to find a quality version of this poorly-scanned picture of two atmospheric scientists in zany helmets. My understanding is the photo was somewhere in a 2007 "Discover" magazine, but I can't find it online. At a minimum, a link to the Discover page would be nice, but if I can get a link to the original, that would be superb! BTW: the caption reads "Atmospheric scientists in the 1930s, when their kind proudly donned white lab coats and rigorously designed helmets" Thanks for any help!

Cyclists reasons for not wearing helmets?

thelost — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 11:30:30 -0800

Why are cyclists so scratchy about being asked why they don't wear cycle helmets? OK, I'm on a bit of a personal crusade concerning cycle helmets.

I live in Bristol UK which is a cycling city. A great deal of people don't wear cycle helmets, some of these people happen to be my friends.

My problem with my friends not wearing helmets is that I have already lost one friend to a cycle accident. When I was younger he got hit by a car without a helmet on, and to this day is still in a coma.

When I ask my friends or indeed any cyclist why they don't wear a helmet, they always react as if I've asked them a dirty question. They treat the whole topic as a joke, and seem to find it impossible to answer it seriously. The best answer I can get is that "they[cycle helmets] look silly".

I started counting recently to see what percentage of people in my city wear helmets and I have to say that it is under 50%. This % will of course change the more cyclists I see so it's certainly not final, but still kind of disturbing.

If you are a cyclist who does not wear a helmet what is your reason? The only one I could ever imagine is that you can't afford one.

My strongest concern for people who don't wear helmets is not actually them, but all the people who care about them. Aren't they concerned about how it would make their families and friends if that person were killed because they weren't wearing a helmet?

I'm not looking for a discussion on whether helmets work or not, or comments from car drivers who always like to chip in with their comments on cyclists as they love to do.

So *why* are cyclists so defensive about not wearing helmets, what is it that makes them turn it into a joke and refuse to take it seriously?