Helmets as an Accessory?

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Permalink Reply by S.Presley☠ on August 30, 2011 at 10:35am

I took mine off a couple times on the lake front when I am at a slower pace and just enjoying myself.  Then Yesterday I saw a guy riding towards me on the path near Irvingpark and the lake front.The left side of his face and left shoulder was scraped bad, but he was still at a brisk pace. I pulled over and put my helmet on...I might still get scrapes,but I won't chance a head injury.

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Permalink Reply by chixieonfixie on August 31, 2011 at 9:03am

Carly - thanks for sharing your story and speaking out about it.  I am glad to hear you're covered and recovering well enough to write about it.  I also hope your story encourages others at your job to wear a helmet as well.  

Carly said:

I recently had a severe bicycle accident which I do not remember anything of; the head trauma was that severe. One minute I'm just cruising along like normal and the next I'm waking up in an MRI machine.  I have no memories between those two particular ones, and those two particular memories are 48 hours apart.  What's perplexing is that there is ZERO damage to my bike and besides my head I only had a bruise and a few scabs from road rash on my right arm.  NO broken bones and NO broken components. I landed squarely head first.  Up until the accident, my entire cycling career consisted of thousands of hours and many more thousands of miles for the past 2 years.  I did deliveries for Jimmy Johns and was very attentive and skilled at my job, never had any sort of accident at work except I slipped on ice once.  I rode in 40mph winds, negative 15 degree temperatures, and up to 4 inches of snow (on 23c tires!), not to mention monsoon rains and killer traffic.  I could handle anything, but I couldn't handle whatever caught me by surprise and caused me to land head first.  Even though my situation is extremely rare, it did happen.  Luckily, workers comp has me covered and all that shit is taken care of.

Why wasn't I wearing a helmet, you ask? Peer pressure mostly.  The other delivery guys don't wear helmets.  And I know it's silly, but I'm the only girl driver so why should I?  I always wear a helmet at all other times except while working.  I really thought cycling was safe enough, but now I know otherwise.  If I had worn a helmet, I would've just been able to walk away.  I regret that I didn't wear one, and now I always will.  Whenever I see a cyclist without a helmet, it makes my skin crawl. sorry guys.     

 

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Permalink Reply by Dan Korn on August 31, 2011 at 9:21am

Chicago law requires courier companies to supply their bike messengers with helmets, but doesn't require them to be worn.

http://lawyerjimfreeman.com/blog/2009/05/11/messenger-helmet-laws-c...

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Permalink Reply by mike w. on August 31, 2011 at 1:08pm

The ones i see doing this sort of thing are usually middle-school aged kids, boys mostly. i think that their parents send them out with the helmet on and as soon as they get 'round the corner they take it off. Maybe it's peer pressure, maybe it's because the helmet's uncomfortable (most people in general seem to have ill-fitted helmets,) or just adolescent rebelliousness. Dunno. i ususally tell them as i pass that the helmet won't do their handlebars any good.

As a teen, my older daughter so absolutely refused to consider wearing a helmet that she just gave up riding altogether.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Korn on August 31, 2011 at 7:01pm

mike w. said:

As a teen, my older daughter so absolutely refused to consider wearing a helmet that she just gave up riding altogether.

This is precisely the problem with mandatory helmet usage laws and rules.

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on August 31, 2011 at 7:11pm

Fewer riders on the street and we are all in more danger because of that.

 

Helmet laws actually make us more UNSAFE in the end.

Dan Korn said:

This is precisely the problem with mandatory helmet usage laws and rules.

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Permalink Reply by Anthony James on September 1, 2011 at 1:30pm

I agree that it's a matter of personal choice. I do question the personal choice of not wearing a helmet, though.

 

Several years ago my dear friend Erik slammed into the broadside of a delivery van at high speed when it backed quickly out of an alley without honking or stopping. He shattered his helmet and spent the next week in the hospital with brain tissue bruising. Thankfully, he made a full recovery. Had he not been wearing a helmet, he'd have had a tarp over his body when his stretcher was lifted into the ambulance. That was enough to convince me to wear my helmet religiously. Accidents like that don't happen often at all, but it only needs to happen once to kill you. Though it's not absolute protection, I'd rather take the small step of wearing a helmet in order to at least give myself the best shot in a worst case scenario.

 

It paid off for me a few weeks ago when I got doored at high speed on California at Belmont. I flew over the door about 10 feet and landed on my chest/face. The brow of my helmet hit the pavement, rather than my nose/teeth/jaw.

 

If you're going to carry a helmet, why not put it on? What is there to lose? Just my two cents.

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Permalink Reply by Jason W on September 1, 2011 at 3:15pm

Maybe they got hot and took it off?

 

*end 2 pages of over analysis*

Len Krietz said:

Please help me understand.  I know the arguments for riding with and without a helmet and believe its a riders choice - no judgements.  What I have a hard time tyring to undersatnd is why someone would ride without a helmet but carry one attached to their bike, pack or person (not on head).  I continue to see riders in traffic (where I would suppose a helmet may be most important) riding without one but carrying one.  What makes a helmet an accessory and under what circumstances would one want to don it after riding and carrying it around?  Just curious.

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on September 25, 2012 at 9:48am

Mass is full of yahoos that often haven't ridden a bike in a LONG time before getting the urge to try riding the last friday ride. 

Twice this year I've hit other riders who have crashed RIGHT in front of me.    The first time was earlier this summer riding with Gerry G and this girl came zooming in at a high rate of speed from our right at about a 65-degree angle to the road and the rest of the riders.  Just as she got in front of us she somehow got tangled-up (pedal-strike on the front wheel maybe?)  and did a faceplant RIGHT in front of us.   I dodged left as fast as I could into Gerry and he was doing the same but my pedal (clipped into my foot) still barely touched one of her wheels as she passed under it.   Gerry was confused as to what the heck had happened.   I assumed that alcohol must have been involved.

Last month I was following this guy who decided to give someone at the side of the road a high-five.   The gal who gave him the high-five really pulled his arm back and he went into a really bad handlebar wobble and lost it RIGHT in front of me.  I slammed my brakes on as soon as I saw he was in trouble but still ended up stopping right up against his torso on the ground.  He wasn't hurt and I didn't go down (I don't bring my eggbeaters to mass any more unless I'm going to CCM after a long ride.)   But it was really close.

Like I said last year when this thread was new, some folks feel that CCM is more safe, I'm not so sure about that.  At least the speeds are down a little -although I clocked 20+ a few times last month in the slinky near the back. 

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