The Chainlink

Feeling Naked

I forgot my helmet twice this week.

I felt naked, irresponsible and embarrsessed. I almost stopped every cyclist I saw to say "I wear a helmet, I just forgot it today, I swear".

Anyone else feel that way or am I the lone crazy one?

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Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on June 30, 2009 at 8:41pm
where were you sunday??? we missed you!

h3 said:
I have gotten comfortable with short slow rides close to home, on very hot days without one. I ride much differently and make different choices than I would if I was wearing one-- none of that "vehicular" stuff.
Plenty of people on bikes around my neighborhood, almost none with a helmet . . . not sure who I'd be apologizing to. I remember the first few times I rode without one-- the first might have been at the Pride Parade two years ago-- I was on a stubby bike riding slowly pulling a heavy sound trailer and not tolerating the heat (due to my neck injury)-- I felt kind of like you described.
Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on June 30, 2009 at 9:07pm
As I told you Sunday, I just feel weird being on my bike without my helmet. Something just doesn't feel right.
Permalink Reply by justJason on June 30, 2009 at 9:20pm
I didn't put on my helmet for my around-the-hood errands early this afternoon, thanks to drippy sweat from the day's earlier ride. But when I got the UPS store (had to overnight some jive to my new landlord), I realized I had forgotten the paper with the mailing address on it. So I jetted home, grabbed the paper and MY HELMET (BTW, it had just started sprinkling a bit), then rode back to the UPS store feeling as daisy-fresh and confident as if I were blessed with some Summer's Eve. ;-)

Or something like that!
Permalink Reply by Reddog (Cliff) on June 30, 2009 at 9:45pm
I did the April CCM without one, because I left the apartment in a hurry. I felt naked and stupid.
I almost always wear my "brain bucket" because as someone on the Chainlink (another thread) once said " I like the privacy of being able to wipe my own ass."
Permalink Reply by yaj 7.4 on June 30, 2009 at 9:58pm
Like most of you, I feel naked without my helmet too. I picked up my bike last week at On the Route (they had it for 3 days and I missed it!). I forgot to bring my helmet to work that day, since I wasn't riding a bike on my way in. I rode home 3 miles without my helmet and I felt horrible.
Permalink Reply by Chuck a Muck on June 30, 2009 at 10:41pm
Whats the helmet for? Are you in a war? Jumping out of an airplane? Doing a tactical assault on a drug house? Or are you riding bike cause its fun but bought into the helmet corporations fear tactics?
SUCKERS!!!
Permalink Reply by Chuck a Muck on June 30, 2009 at 11:07pm
Learn to fall of your bike! 40 years riding with out a helmet and have yet to crack my head once!
Oh, that 6 six years as a ice cream bike worker in the late 70's early 80's and 2 years as bike messenger in the early 90's!

M.A.R.K. said:
Ha!

While I am sort of with you being a helmet less rider and all, I can't help but to think of the head injuries that occur in low speed crashes, or at least the possibility of.

I felt a tad naked today as I forgot to wear underwear and to XYZ(or XMZ in this case)before I left the house.

Chuck a Muck said:
Whats the helmet for? Are you in a war? Jumping out of an airplane? Doing a tactical assault on a drug house? Or are you riding bike cause its fun but bought into the helmet corporations fear tactics?
SUCKERS!!!
Permalink Reply by BalloonBiker on June 30, 2009 at 11:47pm
I forgot mine a couple of times in the winter when I wore my balaclava. I made it all the way to work once and went to take the helmet off and was shocked to find it missing.
Permalink Reply by Meghan on July 1, 2009 at 3:36am
I hated wearing my helmet and never did until a few weeks ago when I go hit for the first time by a car (made out lucky). Now, I can't even imagine not wearing a helmet. I made it a few blocks away one time and turned around to go back and get it. Helmet-hair be damned!
Permalink Reply by Greg Coleman on July 1, 2009 at 8:15am
I've made it out a few times without a helmet and rode pretty anxiously.
When I was a kid, I put my head into a metal gate, and that was the reason I did not ride for many years. When I took up riding again a few years ago, the first accident I got in involved me going over the handlebars and my helmet skidding along the wall that was next to the road (along Chicago just north of the Chicago/Evanston border).
I've had enough concussions and contusions to tempt anymore.... :)
Permalink Reply by RodimusPrime on July 1, 2009 at 10:26am
A friend of mine was in Iraq, came back, went to school, tripped and hit his head juuuust right and is now in one of those wheelchairs with all of the weird instruments on it. he was in a coma for a year or so. Now while he wasn't biking, i mean, just take that into consideration. I can't imagine letting just one screw up/mishap/someone else's fault mess my life entirely just because i didn't wanna be a dork and not wear a helmet.

as for when i forget my helmet (which i do sometimes) i always turn back to get it. I also just leave it in a spot where I can't not pick it up on the way out.
Permalink Reply by yellow jello on July 1, 2009 at 11:24am
helmet wearing - its my anti-drug.

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