Do I need a bike helmet if I'm not riding on the road?
March 27, 2023 6:52 AM Subscribe
I have a bike now. I am afraid to ride on the streets or roads here so I will only be riding on the local rail trail, no cars anywhere. Would you still advise a helmet?
Absolutely. I have been on a biking/walking only trail every time I've fallen, including this past week, when I would without a trace of a doubt have been in much worse shape if not for the helmet.
posted by Ipsifendus at 6:56 AM on March 27, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by Ipsifendus at 6:56 AM on March 27, 2023 [7 favorites]
Yes. Gravity exists everywhere, and your head is no stronger off the pavement.
Take care of yourself, you're worth it!
posted by wenestvedt at 6:57 AM on March 27, 2023 [11 favorites]
Take care of yourself, you're worth it!
posted by wenestvedt at 6:57 AM on March 27, 2023 [11 favorites]
Yes because you could still fall. Riding 15 MPH is easily within reach on a bike. Falling and hitting your head at 15 MPH is like falling from 3 stories. Wear gloves too because they're another safety and comfort item.
posted by dlwr300 at 6:57 AM on March 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by dlwr300 at 6:57 AM on March 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
My friend would have died on a leisurely group 'fun ride' on a bike path if she weren't wearing a helmet when she sailed over her handlebars due to someone else's unsafe behavior.
Ok, maybe she'd have survived with massive brain damage, the doctors couldn't be certain.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:58 AM on March 27, 2023 [10 favorites]
Ok, maybe she'd have survived with massive brain damage, the doctors couldn't be certain.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:58 AM on March 27, 2023 [10 favorites]
My older sister suffered a traumatic brain injury from a biking accident on a trail, with only another bicycle involved, no cars, but no helmets either.
posted by wellifyouinsist at 7:01 AM on March 27, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by wellifyouinsist at 7:01 AM on March 27, 2023 [5 favorites]
I ride virtually daily year round. If I'm taking a short, low speed ride in good weather on wide sequestered paths, I don't wear a helmet. My feeling is that, like, Amsterdam is not the head injury capital of the world and that's because people don't in fact constantly get head injuries when they are riding short distances at moderate speeds in good weather on sequestered paths.
Further, our city director of bike share stuff doesn't wear a helmet - she feels that the public health benefits of cycling are such that the barriers imposed by helmets don't make sense. Obviously you are not "public health" and can absolutely wear a helmet if you want to.
There's a variety of research about helmets and head injury (which I can pull up later in the day when I have more time if you want to see it) which basically suggest that, again, riding at moderate speeds in good weather on sequestered paths is in fact quite safe. Interestingly, people who wear helmets tend to have more serious injuries, probably because people who wear helmets take more risks and/or ride in a more professional/faster/more extended manner.
If you're going to be riding long distances at higher speeds on crowded paths (especially if you are going to encounter a bunch of clowns in formation taking up the whole path), then yes, it might be smarter to wear a helmet. If I were riding the incredibly crowded lakeside path I used to ride sometimes in Chicago, I'd wear a helmet. When I'm tootling down the extremely wide, uncrowded, extremely well-maintained sequestered path near my house for a few miles to stretch my legs on a sunny morning, I don't.
I'd suggest getting a nice helmet that you like - I shelled out for a Smith bike helmet in a color I liked after years of wearing whatever cheapo random helmet and the comfort, lightness and adjustability of the helmet plus the nice color made it much less of a fuss to wear on. Also, you can clip it to your backpack/bag/gearbag and ride with the wind in your hair if, again, you move from a crowded path to a clear one.
It's true that anyone might fall at any time and people do occasionally fall while walking on totally clear, safe, dry pavement and hurt or kill themselves, but most people with normal skulls are content to walk miles and miles without a helmet. To me, biking at a moderate speed on a sequestered path in good weather is much more like walking to the grocery store than it is like slamming down an icy hill at rush hour.
posted by Frowner at 7:12 AM on March 27, 2023 [25 favorites]
Further, our city director of bike share stuff doesn't wear a helmet - she feels that the public health benefits of cycling are such that the barriers imposed by helmets don't make sense. Obviously you are not "public health" and can absolutely wear a helmet if you want to.
There's a variety of research about helmets and head injury (which I can pull up later in the day when I have more time if you want to see it) which basically suggest that, again, riding at moderate speeds in good weather on sequestered paths is in fact quite safe. Interestingly, people who wear helmets tend to have more serious injuries, probably because people who wear helmets take more risks and/or ride in a more professional/faster/more extended manner.
If you're going to be riding long distances at higher speeds on crowded paths (especially if you are going to encounter a bunch of clowns in formation taking up the whole path), then yes, it might be smarter to wear a helmet. If I were riding the incredibly crowded lakeside path I used to ride sometimes in Chicago, I'd wear a helmet. When I'm tootling down the extremely wide, uncrowded, extremely well-maintained sequestered path near my house for a few miles to stretch my legs on a sunny morning, I don't.
I'd suggest getting a nice helmet that you like - I shelled out for a Smith bike helmet in a color I liked after years of wearing whatever cheapo random helmet and the comfort, lightness and adjustability of the helmet plus the nice color made it much less of a fuss to wear on. Also, you can clip it to your backpack/bag/gearbag and ride with the wind in your hair if, again, you move from a crowded path to a clear one.
It's true that anyone might fall at any time and people do occasionally fall while walking on totally clear, safe, dry pavement and hurt or kill themselves, but most people with normal skulls are content to walk miles and miles without a helmet. To me, biking at a moderate speed on a sequestered path in good weather is much more like walking to the grocery store than it is like slamming down an icy hill at rush hour.
posted by Frowner at 7:12 AM on March 27, 2023 [25 favorites]
I think that speed and riding style matter at least as much as the terrain when it comes to wearing a helmet. Someone hits you with a car, a helmet isn't necessarily going to help (however much people like to victim-blame when a non-helmet-wearing cyclist is injured or killed by a driver). On the other hand if you go over your handlebars or your bike slips out from underneath you, you may very well hit your head on the pavement.
I am a nearly-always helmet wearer, but for what it's worth I used to be more casual about helmets - I figured I had been riding most of my life and had never hit my head in a fall off a bike, so was it really worth the sweaty hair? But ever since my helmet saved me from probably life-altering brain injury several years ago I almost always wear one. I was riding down a quiet street (probably no more than 15mph, so fast-ish but nothing outrageous) when my bike slipped out from under me on some black ice and I hit my head on the granite curb. I heard the foam in the helmet crumple. I was shaken up and scraped up, but otherwise fine. Passersby were shocked that I was alive/conscious.
I do still sometimes go helmetless on e.g. big heavy bikeshare bikes or beach cruisers. But if there's any chance I'm going to go more than say 8-10mph, helmet helmet helmet.
posted by mskyle at 7:26 AM on March 27, 2023 [6 favorites]
I am a nearly-always helmet wearer, but for what it's worth I used to be more casual about helmets - I figured I had been riding most of my life and had never hit my head in a fall off a bike, so was it really worth the sweaty hair? But ever since my helmet saved me from probably life-altering brain injury several years ago I almost always wear one. I was riding down a quiet street (probably no more than 15mph, so fast-ish but nothing outrageous) when my bike slipped out from under me on some black ice and I hit my head on the granite curb. I heard the foam in the helmet crumple. I was shaken up and scraped up, but otherwise fine. Passersby were shocked that I was alive/conscious.
I do still sometimes go helmetless on e.g. big heavy bikeshare bikes or beach cruisers. But if there's any chance I'm going to go more than say 8-10mph, helmet helmet helmet.
posted by mskyle at 7:26 AM on March 27, 2023 [6 favorites]
Also, how much riding have you done in the past? If you are in any way not confident about your biking skills, get a helmet.
posted by Frowner at 7:26 AM on March 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Frowner at 7:26 AM on March 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
I expect to crash at least once a year in regular riding. Nothing really serious, it happens - you hit a bump, slip on wet pavement, tall grass at the edge of the trail/sidewalk, etc. A helmet helps.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:37 AM on March 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:37 AM on March 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
There is very lively debate on this topic on every cyclists’ forum anywhere on the internet. You’ll get the full range of opinions, anywhere you ask. Everyone has a view, and they’re all based on some stats or some research or some anecdotes or that time when this one guy that i met once fell off his bike and… whatever.
I’ve read that head injuries are more prevalent in the occupants of cars, in the case of accident, than they are in cyclists. You can make exactly what you like of that statistic - I’m not going to interpret it for you, or tell you what to put on your head. It’s your choice.
posted by Puppy McSock at 7:38 AM on March 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
I’ve read that head injuries are more prevalent in the occupants of cars, in the case of accident, than they are in cyclists. You can make exactly what you like of that statistic - I’m not going to interpret it for you, or tell you what to put on your head. It’s your choice.
posted by Puppy McSock at 7:38 AM on March 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
Yes.
It doesn't matter where you are riding or how experienced or confident you are. If you crash (and if you ride enough, this becomes when you crash) - it will likely be due to something beyond your control - another unsafe cyclist or pedestrian, unstable terrain (mud/gravel/sand), or mechanical failure of your bike.
You only get one brain.
posted by gnutron at 7:49 AM on March 27, 2023 [4 favorites]
It doesn't matter where you are riding or how experienced or confident you are. If you crash (and if you ride enough, this becomes when you crash) - it will likely be due to something beyond your control - another unsafe cyclist or pedestrian, unstable terrain (mud/gravel/sand), or mechanical failure of your bike.
You only get one brain.
posted by gnutron at 7:49 AM on March 27, 2023 [4 favorites]
I was once cycling at a very low speed, hit a bump just right, and ended up going over the handlebars and landing flat on my back. Wear a helmet.
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 7:49 AM on March 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 7:49 AM on March 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
I think at the very least you should while becoming familiar with the trail and get to know it well enough to understand the risks there, especially since you're still in a place where you think helmets are because of cars. After you've gotten to know the trail in various weather/post-weather conditions, understand what kind of wildlife might interfere with your path, see how much other bike/running traffic you're likely to encounter, you might decide there are certain conditions you want to forego a helmet, but your risks come all the way down to simple mechanical failure on your bike, which is something that could happen every single time you're on it.
It doesn't take all that much to throw a cyclist forward or sideways, and any ground that can support a bicycle in the first place is going to be hard enough to crack a skull.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:58 AM on March 27, 2023
It doesn't take all that much to throw a cyclist forward or sideways, and any ground that can support a bicycle in the first place is going to be hard enough to crack a skull.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:58 AM on March 27, 2023
My father-in-law, a surgeon, likes to make a bad joke that there's really no point in wearing helmets in traffic. If a car hits you at anything over 25mph, you're going to suffer significant injuries whether you're wearing a helmet or not.
Flipping that, it actually then makes *more* sense to wear a helmet when you're not riding in traffic, because the injuries you're likely to suffer on a bike path are the kinds of injuries a helmet would actually be useful for.
posted by kevinbelt at 7:58 AM on March 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
Flipping that, it actually then makes *more* sense to wear a helmet when you're not riding in traffic, because the injuries you're likely to suffer on a bike path are the kinds of injuries a helmet would actually be useful for.
posted by kevinbelt at 7:58 AM on March 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
Yep! I fell on an empty road once and had blood gushing from thw side of my head like in those cheesy horror movies.. and that was with a helmet (a rented one that didn't fit perfectly) . I'm sure it would have been more than a small concussion if I wasn't wearing a helmet... and possibly no blood if thr helmet fit properly.
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 8:03 AM on March 27, 2023
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 8:03 AM on March 27, 2023
yes, of course, your brain is your most valuable asset.
posted by theora55 at 8:24 AM on March 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by theora55 at 8:24 AM on March 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
Yes. (this is #19 now?)
My first helmet ever lasted exactly 1 ride. I was in a local park on a brand new mountain bike. I found the one divot on the isolated but maintained dirt trail and went over the handlebars, landing square on my head. The helmet was cracked wide open. I walked away and then called my parents from the nearest pay phone (this was the late 80's).
Sans helmet, I'm sure somebody would have found me. Eventually.
posted by SegFaultCoreDump at 8:26 AM on March 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
My first helmet ever lasted exactly 1 ride. I was in a local park on a brand new mountain bike. I found the one divot on the isolated but maintained dirt trail and went over the handlebars, landing square on my head. The helmet was cracked wide open. I walked away and then called my parents from the nearest pay phone (this was the late 80's).
Sans helmet, I'm sure somebody would have found me. Eventually.
posted by SegFaultCoreDump at 8:26 AM on March 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
Unless you are conducting a personal scientific investigation into the effects of a concussion on a human adult, then, yes, you need a helmet.
posted by Thorzdad at 8:44 AM on March 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Thorzdad at 8:44 AM on March 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
I'm going to pipe in here with a "do what makes you comfortable". The major risk for cyclists comes from cars. The Dutch don't have a culture of helmet wearing, because they have infrastructure and culture that protects them from drivers. There are all sorts of ways to slice up statistics to show what is or isn't risky, but a number of people have sliced those in ways that suggest that walking can be more dangerous than cycling.
Of the likely concussions I've had over my life, several were while wearing a helmet, and I'm pretty sure my childhood, where I was the weird kid in the '70s and '80s whose parents made him wear a helmet, was marked by a lot of compensation for the fact that I had a helmet on, so I went further and faster and crashed harder.
And it's been pretty well shown that helmet advocacy reduces cycling rates such that we're less healthy because of helmet advocacy, because it makes people think cycling is more dangerous than it is, and they miss out on exercise they'd otherwise get.
And aside from a tumble or two while mountain biking, where my reflexes kept my head pretty much out of harms way anyway, I haven't cracked a helmet since I turned 30.
Having said that, I do wear a helmet pretty religiously, so this isn't an anti-helmet rant, it's more a "don't let the helmet arguments keep you from biking on protected trails" rant. The health advantages you get from biking on protected trails are much more positive than the decision to wear or not wear a helmet.
And if you do wear a helmet, rest assured that the helmet is part of automobile infrastructure, not biking infrastructure; for toodling around at 15MPH it's definitely there because of drivers and hazards, like bollards, and curbs, that are there to to protect cyclists from drivers and automobiles. So wear it with attitude and anger and the additional danger that's imposed on you.
posted by straw at 8:44 AM on March 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
Of the likely concussions I've had over my life, several were while wearing a helmet, and I'm pretty sure my childhood, where I was the weird kid in the '70s and '80s whose parents made him wear a helmet, was marked by a lot of compensation for the fact that I had a helmet on, so I went further and faster and crashed harder.
And it's been pretty well shown that helmet advocacy reduces cycling rates such that we're less healthy because of helmet advocacy, because it makes people think cycling is more dangerous than it is, and they miss out on exercise they'd otherwise get.
And aside from a tumble or two while mountain biking, where my reflexes kept my head pretty much out of harms way anyway, I haven't cracked a helmet since I turned 30.
Having said that, I do wear a helmet pretty religiously, so this isn't an anti-helmet rant, it's more a "don't let the helmet arguments keep you from biking on protected trails" rant. The health advantages you get from biking on protected trails are much more positive than the decision to wear or not wear a helmet.
And if you do wear a helmet, rest assured that the helmet is part of automobile infrastructure, not biking infrastructure; for toodling around at 15MPH it's definitely there because of drivers and hazards, like bollards, and curbs, that are there to to protect cyclists from drivers and automobiles. So wear it with attitude and anger and the additional danger that's imposed on you.
posted by straw at 8:44 AM on March 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
It’s less the frequency of the problem than it is the magnitude. By that, I mean that head injuries on non-street bike paths might not happen at an alarming rate but when they do happen, the size of the problem can be immense. It’s an easy thing to do to prevent an injury that could cost you your quality of life for a long time—wear the helmet.
posted by corey flood at 8:46 AM on March 27, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by corey flood at 8:46 AM on March 27, 2023 [4 favorites]
Unexpected bicycle accidents can happen even without cars:
a) a small child runs out in front of you
b) a dog runs out in front of you
c) a pedestrian unexpectedly steps in front of you
d) bicycle vs bicycle
e) hazards on the cycle path itself - potholes, broken glass, nails.
Concussions are nasty and take a long time to heal from.
Acquired Brain Injuries are even nastier, and can last for life.
It's worth wearing a helmet to protect your brain.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 8:47 AM on March 27, 2023
a) a small child runs out in front of you
b) a dog runs out in front of you
c) a pedestrian unexpectedly steps in front of you
d) bicycle vs bicycle
e) hazards on the cycle path itself - potholes, broken glass, nails.
Concussions are nasty and take a long time to heal from.
Acquired Brain Injuries are even nastier, and can last for life.
It's worth wearing a helmet to protect your brain.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 8:47 AM on March 27, 2023
How old are you? I don't land like I used to, I recently fell from a stationary skateboard and the video of my head bouncing off the ground makes me thankful I was wearing a helmet.
Do you have kids? Wouldn't want to be spoon feeding my dad cos he didnt want to wear a helmet. I bloody love the feeling of the wind in my hair, and am considering getting a hövding inflatable collar.
posted by Iteki at 8:48 AM on March 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Do you have kids? Wouldn't want to be spoon feeding my dad cos he didnt want to wear a helmet. I bloody love the feeling of the wind in my hair, and am considering getting a hövding inflatable collar.
posted by Iteki at 8:48 AM on March 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
To add to the chorus, I broke my wrist and cracked my helmet (but not my skull!) on a park bike trail...when an unleashed puppy ran out of the bushes in front of my bike and as I swerved and braked I went over the handlebars.
I was also racing my husband who was on roller blades so I was going probably too fast for a multiuse trail. But I pretty much always wear a helmet now. Unplanned use of bike sharing is the only time I don't.
I love biking; don't let any of the war stories deter you.
posted by warriorqueen at 8:55 AM on March 27, 2023
I was also racing my husband who was on roller blades so I was going probably too fast for a multiuse trail. But I pretty much always wear a helmet now. Unplanned use of bike sharing is the only time I don't.
I love biking; don't let any of the war stories deter you.
posted by warriorqueen at 8:55 AM on March 27, 2023
Also: sadly, it is not unheard of to encounter motorcycles or mopeds illegally using dedicated cycle paths.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 8:56 AM on March 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 8:56 AM on March 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
Only thing my bike helmet has saved me from, in decades of riding, was just scraping my face on the ground and maybe breaking my glasses. It was nice to just get up and keep going.
posted by flimflam at 9:14 AM on March 27, 2023
posted by flimflam at 9:14 AM on March 27, 2023
Unless you are conducting a personal scientific investigation into the effects of a concussion on a human adult, then, yes, you need a helmet.
Bicycle helmets do not protect you against concussions.
Bicycle helmets are designed to reduce the risk of skull fracture during a fall from roughly 5-6 feet on to hard ground. If that is a concern to you, then you should wear a helmet. You should also make sure it's worn properly, the straps are fitted, and there's no wobble when it's on your head.
Two more things to be aware of: if you hit your head while wearing your helmet for any reason, replace the helmet. Even if it looks fine, it's trash at that point. Also, helmets have expiration dates of around three years. An old helmet is not guaranteed to do anything except look like a foam hat. Replace your helmet after three years.
Bicycle helmets do not protect you against concussions.
posted by backseatpilot at 9:27 AM on March 27, 2023 [9 favorites]
Bicycle helmets do not protect you against concussions.
Bicycle helmets are designed to reduce the risk of skull fracture during a fall from roughly 5-6 feet on to hard ground. If that is a concern to you, then you should wear a helmet. You should also make sure it's worn properly, the straps are fitted, and there's no wobble when it's on your head.
Two more things to be aware of: if you hit your head while wearing your helmet for any reason, replace the helmet. Even if it looks fine, it's trash at that point. Also, helmets have expiration dates of around three years. An old helmet is not guaranteed to do anything except look like a foam hat. Replace your helmet after three years.
Bicycle helmets do not protect you against concussions.
posted by backseatpilot at 9:27 AM on March 27, 2023 [9 favorites]
a) a small child runs out in front of you
b) a dog runs out in front of you
c) a pedestrian unexpectedly steps in front of you
d) bicycle vs bicycle
e) hazards on the cycle path itself - potholes, broken glass, nails.
f) wildlife. I knew someone who collided with a deer on his way home one night.
posted by aniola at 9:36 AM on March 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
b) a dog runs out in front of you
c) a pedestrian unexpectedly steps in front of you
d) bicycle vs bicycle
e) hazards on the cycle path itself - potholes, broken glass, nails.
f) wildlife. I knew someone who collided with a deer on his way home one night.
posted by aniola at 9:36 AM on March 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Yes, my partner went flying into a field off of a bike/pedestrian path and came out of it with a concussion and a broken collarbone despite wearing a helmet. On preview, to backseatpilot's point, it would have been much worse without the helmet.
posted by HotToddy at 9:49 AM on March 27, 2023
posted by HotToddy at 9:49 AM on March 27, 2023
You should probably wear a helmet.
I think the scientific consensus is that they help somewhere between a little and somewhat. They don't seem to hurt much. So on an individual level, you might as well wear one, assuming you can afford one and it fits well. (At a public policy level, requiring helmets does seem to hurt overall, but that's a different question)
The "common sense" answer will depend on who you ask - Americans will tell you it's common sense that helmets are needed, while Dutch folk, (who cycle more and have a much lower national injury rate) will likely tell you the opposite.
If you don't wear one and still ride a bike, you probably won't die, especially since you're already avoiding cars, which are the largest cause of cyclist injury in the States. I'm guessing you do other risky things like drive without a helmet, walk around on icy sidewalks in the winter, and you will probably someday grow old and have poor balance and weak bones yet still walk around without a helmet, despite the statistical likelihood of a slip and fall. So if you arrive at the bike path and realize you forgot your helmet one day, I would say still go for that bike ride.
For links to studies on this rather than anecdotes, see previous askMe's or FPP's here and here. Be warned though that because the question of helmet safety often comes up in the context of a law mandating them, so discussions get contentious and studies are selectively quoted and decontextualized.
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 9:49 AM on March 27, 2023
I think the scientific consensus is that they help somewhere between a little and somewhat. They don't seem to hurt much. So on an individual level, you might as well wear one, assuming you can afford one and it fits well. (At a public policy level, requiring helmets does seem to hurt overall, but that's a different question)
The "common sense" answer will depend on who you ask - Americans will tell you it's common sense that helmets are needed, while Dutch folk, (who cycle more and have a much lower national injury rate) will likely tell you the opposite.
If you don't wear one and still ride a bike, you probably won't die, especially since you're already avoiding cars, which are the largest cause of cyclist injury in the States. I'm guessing you do other risky things like drive without a helmet, walk around on icy sidewalks in the winter, and you will probably someday grow old and have poor balance and weak bones yet still walk around without a helmet, despite the statistical likelihood of a slip and fall. So if you arrive at the bike path and realize you forgot your helmet one day, I would say still go for that bike ride.
For links to studies on this rather than anecdotes, see previous askMe's or FPP's here and here. Be warned though that because the question of helmet safety often comes up in the context of a law mandating them, so discussions get contentious and studies are selectively quoted and decontextualized.
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 9:49 AM on March 27, 2023
Purely FYI, there is this Jan. 2023 Slate article that went into a lot of detail on this question, though when I read it I didn't find some of the arguments against helmets to be convincing at all.
posted by forthright at 9:56 AM on March 27, 2023
posted by forthright at 9:56 AM on March 27, 2023
Yes. Wear a helmet.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 10:09 AM on March 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 10:09 AM on March 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
Yes, and please wear it properly. Remember, you want the helmet to hit the ground before any part of your head does.
posted by dawkins_7 at 10:20 AM on March 27, 2023
posted by dawkins_7 at 10:20 AM on March 27, 2023
Up to my 20s I pretty much never wore a helmet. Never had any accidents to speak of either. Nowadays I'll wear a helmet almost every time unless I'm really just cruising around at a little more than walking speed. Wearing a helmet is the safer choice so I guess it depends on how strong your factors against wearing a helmet are.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 10:48 AM on March 27, 2023
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 10:48 AM on March 27, 2023
Oh my gosh, this is a huge debate within cycling and beyond. The Slate article linked above is an excellent review. You *will* get hassled if you don't wear a helmet. Like literally, people will yell at you, "Wear a helmet." That doesn't mean it's safer. A lot of what we perceive as "safe" isn't really factually true (people get head injuries in cars all the time and no one yells at you for not wearing a helmet driving to the grocery store).
So, to be clear, there isn't a right or wrong on this. There is a lot of moralizing, and a lot of confidence among people who tell you to wear a helmet. I too have smacked my head on the ground while wearing a helmet, but how on earth can I say what would have happened if I wasn't wearing a helmet? Maybe I would have ridden my bike differently.
And, the biggest danger is cars, and yet helmets don't really protect you when an F150 barrels you down. A helmet can maybe protect you if your bike skids and you bonk your head.
I wear a helmet most of time, including on car-free paths. Basically, it comes down to this: it might help, and it probably won't hurt too much, and, if I do get injured, I don't want the newspaper article to say that I wasn't wearing a helmet, or the fact that I wasn't wearing a helmet to interfere with an insurance claim of any kind. So that's partly the risk I'm mitigating.
posted by bluedaisy at 10:49 AM on March 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
So, to be clear, there isn't a right or wrong on this. There is a lot of moralizing, and a lot of confidence among people who tell you to wear a helmet. I too have smacked my head on the ground while wearing a helmet, but how on earth can I say what would have happened if I wasn't wearing a helmet? Maybe I would have ridden my bike differently.
And, the biggest danger is cars, and yet helmets don't really protect you when an F150 barrels you down. A helmet can maybe protect you if your bike skids and you bonk your head.
I wear a helmet most of time, including on car-free paths. Basically, it comes down to this: it might help, and it probably won't hurt too much, and, if I do get injured, I don't want the newspaper article to say that I wasn't wearing a helmet, or the fact that I wasn't wearing a helmet to interfere with an insurance claim of any kind. So that's partly the risk I'm mitigating.
posted by bluedaisy at 10:49 AM on March 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
Helmets are risk reduction, and sticking to trails is risk reduction. I'm not in favor of mandatory helmets for adults, but if you are worried about the risks to begin with, be aware that a helmet will reduce them. I was personally a late adopter (they weren't a thing when I was a kid) but I'd wear them even on a trail these days.
FWIW no fall from my bike in my adult life involved traffic directly. Turning while my front wheel hit a zero-friction patch of gravel on a paved road, wet brakes, skidding on a metal manhole cover, that sort of thing.
Note: The Slate article linked a couple times is clear that helmets do make you safer. "Experts I spoke to were unanimous about what these flaws don’t mean: that helmets are useless. They all believe you should wear one." The issue of debate is around helmets as a public policy matter, prioritized above other factors.
posted by mark k at 11:24 AM on March 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
FWIW no fall from my bike in my adult life involved traffic directly. Turning while my front wheel hit a zero-friction patch of gravel on a paved road, wet brakes, skidding on a metal manhole cover, that sort of thing.
Note: The Slate article linked a couple times is clear that helmets do make you safer. "Experts I spoke to were unanimous about what these flaws don’t mean: that helmets are useless. They all believe you should wear one." The issue of debate is around helmets as a public policy matter, prioritized above other factors.
posted by mark k at 11:24 AM on March 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
I feel a helmet might make MORE sense on a trail, depending on the level of maintenance and quality of surface. Especially if you are an inexperienced rider who might come a cropper on a drift of wet leaves or some loose gravel.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 12:22 PM on March 27, 2023
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 12:22 PM on March 27, 2023
I don't want to advise a hard line one way or the other. You should have a helmet, and when it makes sense, you should wear your helmet. But safety isn't the ONLY factor to consider when you want to make biking part of your life! It's so healthy and environmentally friendly and it's very fun and nice!
If you want to bike fast, if going fast is part of what you like about biking, on a road bike or a mountain bike, then I agree with everyone and you should wear a helmet. I call this "cycling".
If you want to use your bike to go some places and when you get there, look like a normal person who didn't necessarily bike to the location, then you don't wear a helmet. But you're also wearing street clothes in this scenario, so you're not going to bike fast because you don't want to sweat or make your eyes water, etc. I call this "biking" or "bike trip".
I never wear a helmet for Bike Trips, and I include my daily commute in that - I average around 20 hours a month on my bike, and I bet 2-4 hours are Helmeted Cycling (for fun and exercise) and the rest are Bike Trips (sometimes I even wear heels and dresses and such on Bike Trips!).
It would be pretty hard to go over your handlebars at Bike Trip speed - I have probably fallen down 10 times on bike trips because I'm fairly klutzy and I have never once felt in danger of hitting my head, and I have had children and unleashed dogs dart in front of me and had to do full 100% stops.
posted by euphoria066 at 1:02 PM on March 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
If you want to bike fast, if going fast is part of what you like about biking, on a road bike or a mountain bike, then I agree with everyone and you should wear a helmet. I call this "cycling".
If you want to use your bike to go some places and when you get there, look like a normal person who didn't necessarily bike to the location, then you don't wear a helmet. But you're also wearing street clothes in this scenario, so you're not going to bike fast because you don't want to sweat or make your eyes water, etc. I call this "biking" or "bike trip".
I never wear a helmet for Bike Trips, and I include my daily commute in that - I average around 20 hours a month on my bike, and I bet 2-4 hours are Helmeted Cycling (for fun and exercise) and the rest are Bike Trips (sometimes I even wear heels and dresses and such on Bike Trips!).
It would be pretty hard to go over your handlebars at Bike Trip speed - I have probably fallen down 10 times on bike trips because I'm fairly klutzy and I have never once felt in danger of hitting my head, and I have had children and unleashed dogs dart in front of me and had to do full 100% stops.
posted by euphoria066 at 1:02 PM on March 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
I don't know about how the ground works in your location, but where I am, the ground is famously both extremely hard and extremely unforgiving. If you hit it with your head, the ground will win. Always.
Your life is yours to do with as you will, so please don't take this as hectoring or as a command, but speaking as a cyclist myself, if I were you I'd wear a helmet.
posted by pdb at 2:44 PM on March 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Your life is yours to do with as you will, so please don't take this as hectoring or as a command, but speaking as a cyclist myself, if I were you I'd wear a helmet.
posted by pdb at 2:44 PM on March 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
I almost always wear a helmet when riding. It's mandatory here, but I'd wear one anyway. I never did as a kid and I think I've used up my lifetime supply of cycling luck after landing on the roof of a car once and hitting the road head-first twice, plus numerous other mishaps. I don't think a bike helmet is going to help you much if you get hit by a car, but it will definitely help if you slip on gravel and go down in a screaming heap, which is fairly likely if you're riding on rail trails.
Do what you want, but at least have a helmet and wear it when you feel there is enough risk to do so.
posted by dg at 3:02 PM on March 27, 2023
Do what you want, but at least have a helmet and wear it when you feel there is enough risk to do so.
posted by dg at 3:02 PM on March 27, 2023
Having seen the state of my partner's helmet after he crashed in an empty park a block from our house: wear the helmet, you don't want those dents in your skull. (I have never hit my head while cycling, but I have fallen over twice from a dead stop.)
I would also recommend gloves, for the comfort of your hands and so you don't have to pick gravel out of your palms if you crash. (Credentials: I live in the US and bike in the city regularly.)
posted by esoterrica at 3:18 PM on March 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
I would also recommend gloves, for the comfort of your hands and so you don't have to pick gravel out of your palms if you crash. (Credentials: I live in the US and bike in the city regularly.)
posted by esoterrica at 3:18 PM on March 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
The Dutch don't have a culture of helmet wearing, because they have infrastructure and culture that protects them from drivers.
It's not just "protection from drivers". If you've even ridden a bike in Amsterdam during commute hours, it's very hard to go fast or do wild maneuvers because you're in a sea of bikes. Most of the time the pavement is very good. People are aware of bikes and don't suddenly dart into your path (something that happened constantly when I road a rented bike in Brooklyn, in the "bike lane". People just wandered in and stood there!)
It would be pretty hard to go over your handlebars at Bike Trip speed
This is dependent on more things than speed. Wearing a backpack so that your center of gravity is nice and high, on a bike with a short distance between the center of the bottom bracket to the front axle, and leaning forward just a little too much when your front tire suddenly stops* and a rider can easily go over. Physics is more than velocity. There are probably instances where someone going faster was thrown further and landed more safely than someone cruising serenely.
*sudden deflation, stick in the fender/wheel, patch of sand, patch of mud, deep hole, bump, rut, chain locking up, wheel locking up, loose fender, sudden braking, hitting an animal/cyclist/pedestrian/object.
posted by oneirodynia at 3:31 PM on March 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
It's not just "protection from drivers". If you've even ridden a bike in Amsterdam during commute hours, it's very hard to go fast or do wild maneuvers because you're in a sea of bikes. Most of the time the pavement is very good. People are aware of bikes and don't suddenly dart into your path (something that happened constantly when I road a rented bike in Brooklyn, in the "bike lane". People just wandered in and stood there!)
It would be pretty hard to go over your handlebars at Bike Trip speed
This is dependent on more things than speed. Wearing a backpack so that your center of gravity is nice and high, on a bike with a short distance between the center of the bottom bracket to the front axle, and leaning forward just a little too much when your front tire suddenly stops* and a rider can easily go over. Physics is more than velocity. There are probably instances where someone going faster was thrown further and landed more safely than someone cruising serenely.
*sudden deflation, stick in the fender/wheel, patch of sand, patch of mud, deep hole, bump, rut, chain locking up, wheel locking up, loose fender, sudden braking, hitting an animal/cyclist/pedestrian/object.
posted by oneirodynia at 3:31 PM on March 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
So there I was, cruising home along my local rail trail after spending a few glorious hours on some twisty, turn-y, root-y single-track. I was happy and tired and full of endorphins and loving life when, out of absolutely NOWHERE, some asshole tree snapped off one of its own branches and hurled it right down upon my unsuspecting head.
I was really glad to be wearing a helmet that day! Embrace your own rail trail, watch out for asshole trees, and find a helmet approach that helps you to enjoy all the biking your heart desires!
posted by Hellgirl at 5:01 PM on March 27, 2023 [4 favorites]
I was really glad to be wearing a helmet that day! Embrace your own rail trail, watch out for asshole trees, and find a helmet approach that helps you to enjoy all the biking your heart desires!
posted by Hellgirl at 5:01 PM on March 27, 2023 [4 favorites]
Yes. Please.
This from an old paramedic who has always found caring for people with healthy bodies and a nonfunctional brain to be the most depressing part of the job.
posted by wjm at 11:52 PM on March 27, 2023 [4 favorites]
This from an old paramedic who has always found caring for people with healthy bodies and a nonfunctional brain to be the most depressing part of the job.
posted by wjm at 11:52 PM on March 27, 2023 [4 favorites]
You have to compare the short term minor pleasantness of not wearing a helmet to the unlikely, but potentially life altering consequences of a traumatic brain injury.
posted by kms at 12:46 AM on March 28, 2023
posted by kms at 12:46 AM on March 28, 2023
While wearing a helmet might not save you in a catastrophic incident, it can keep a minor incident from being more major. I once got tangled up when I was new to clipless pedals. I fell over and rolled to keep my body from hitting the ground too hard and tapped the back of my helmet against the concrete. Now, if it had been my head, maybe just a bruise or a goose-egg but maybe stitches or hitting hard enough to pass out...maybe a concussion? Thing is, concrete has no give to it. Go gently lay your head on a sidewalk...it doesn't feel great. That's why I wear a helmet. Even though I'm pretty convinced by those people who say that riding without is statistically as safe. I just feel like I have more safety options with it on. I also feel that way about cycling gloves–I hate skinning my hands!
posted by amanda at 9:53 PM on April 4, 2023
posted by amanda at 9:53 PM on April 4, 2023
We need you here. We want you here, the whole of you. I hated helmets -- They're hot, a pain in the ass for headphones and eye protection*, no one has ever made one that doesn't look dorky, they suck, et cet and et cet.
*Eye protection is a real deal. Not just sunglasses but also clear or amber lens for riding at night. I can show you a photo of an amazingly scratched/scuffed lens, had I not been wearing it I'd have lost my left eye. I was not wearing a helmet, case could be made that had I been wearing a helmet I'd have broken my neck, as the helmet holds my head about an inch off the pavement. As it was I broke a bunch of bones in my face, ripped rotator cuff tendon right off the bone, big-time concussion, blah blah blah. I got the msg, wore a helmet a couple of weeks then said "Fuck this candy-ass jive." and on the very next ride I went down, smacked my head hard, no concussion but I was yet again a bloody mess. I got the msg. I wear a helmet. No matter what or where or why. Please wear a helmet.
And it's really true -- ppl who work in ER see horrific things, so many of them get rid of motorcycles FAST because you're shooting dice, not just on your talent but on everybody else on the road. A friend just *gave* me an electric bicycle, as I was learning it I had one of the worst wrecks I've ever had. I was in the ER a few days, collapsed a lung, unreal sore. I was wearing a helmet but it would have made no difference had my head been 20 inches to the right, I could have had 14 helmets on and still I'd be dead as Dillinger.
We need you here. Please wear a brain bucket.
posted by dancestoblue at 1:02 AM on April 15, 2023
*Eye protection is a real deal. Not just sunglasses but also clear or amber lens for riding at night. I can show you a photo of an amazingly scratched/scuffed lens, had I not been wearing it I'd have lost my left eye. I was not wearing a helmet, case could be made that had I been wearing a helmet I'd have broken my neck, as the helmet holds my head about an inch off the pavement. As it was I broke a bunch of bones in my face, ripped rotator cuff tendon right off the bone, big-time concussion, blah blah blah. I got the msg, wore a helmet a couple of weeks then said "Fuck this candy-ass jive." and on the very next ride I went down, smacked my head hard, no concussion but I was yet again a bloody mess. I got the msg. I wear a helmet. No matter what or where or why. Please wear a helmet.
And it's really true -- ppl who work in ER see horrific things, so many of them get rid of motorcycles FAST because you're shooting dice, not just on your talent but on everybody else on the road. A friend just *gave* me an electric bicycle, as I was learning it I had one of the worst wrecks I've ever had. I was in the ER a few days, collapsed a lung, unreal sore. I was wearing a helmet but it would have made no difference had my head been 20 inches to the right, I could have had 14 helmets on and still I'd be dead as Dillinger.
We need you here. Please wear a brain bucket.
posted by dancestoblue at 1:02 AM on April 15, 2023
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by dobbs at 6:53 AM on March 27, 2023 [37 favorites]