Helmets Part 1,489,348 - To Wear Or Not To Wear

newb said:
zombiess said:
Hope I don't kill it in the near future.
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have u considered venting that motor? if u plan to continue to run that kind of power, it might be worth thinkin about.
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Venting Voluntarily or involuntarily through failure lol.

I was thing of taking a 1" hole saw to it. It's dust here but I'd never voluntarily ride in the rain... All 10" a year we get.
 
zombiess said:
Venting Voluntarily or involuntarily through failure lol.

I was thing of taking a 1" hole saw to it. It's dust here but I'd never voluntarily ride in the rain... All 10" a year we get.
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vent it :twisted:

then epoxy in a fine screen to keep out debris.

or do as methods does, run 2" holes and not worry about the rest. :shock:

either way ur a winner, u have ur ventilation. :D
 
Welcome to the club Zombiess, I did the same thing last summer - wish I'd been wearing gloves. Your 'Bell' bike helmet is just for looks at the speeds we go, I always wear a cheapie schwinn helmet just so the cops won't bother me. It's all about "stealth" when you are riding in the "grey zone" 8)
 
Just got back from a 30mph abusive high speed ride and let some friends try it out so lots of hard starts. Averaged 40 wh/mile over 12.5 miles! I'm impressed with how efficient these things are and I wasn't even trying to conserve power. Has lots of range, I totally love it and will love it even more when I relocate the batteries.
 
For many years, I resisted "the helmet".
What finally turned me around, was when a, fully armored, 5 year old biker ... pointed at my head and explained to me ...
"You gonna weck, an you bwain wi faw out!"
 
Visualizing a 5 year old with a New York accent amuses me...

I have never ever fallen off my bike or hit anything until recently. So i had been following the 'well it hasn't happened yet' train of thought. Recently a car slammed on their brakes in front of me leading to a panic stop on my part and i hit their bumper, breaking my fork. A few more mph and i would have been airborne. The rear end did lift up quite a bit.

I hope the helmetless get the wakeup call they need, hopefully one that that isn't painful. I got the wakeup call i needed last week.
 
neptronix said:
...A few more mph and i would have been airborne...


...I got the wakeup call i needed last week.
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Riding bikes and horses sent me flying so many times in my life. But I still resolve to wear a helmet only when I'm deliberately going to fly. :mrgreen:
 
I have this problem, where I don't see the need to wear any protective gear of any kind on my bike. Im going 16-18 MPH for about 80% of the 20 mile commute, but of course there are a few miles of 40+. I've been considering wearing a full face helmet lately, but it might draw a bit more unwanted attention than anticipated, when going 16 MPH on a bicycle.
 
I've managed to hit my head on the ground in three out of the ten or so crashes that I've had on bikes so far. The three would have left me with brain damage if I had not worn a helmet as the helmets were cracked and I had concussion after each. The last two were with open face helmets. The first crash was with a full face helmet. I landed with my right arm to the front (wrong!) :shock: the chin guard was pushed down onto my right collar bone and broke it. :oops: I was out of action for the next 6 weeks. :cry:
As I am old enough now to not be fussed about how pretty I am so I'll take the risk of only wearing open faced helmets. Never again a full faced helmet. They have their own inherent risk to add to total mix.
To not wear a helmet is being just plain dumb.
 
Wow, Howie, that looks nasty...it even scraped the hair off of your entire crown ;) just kidding, I'm the same, more or less.... seriously though, glad you came out without anything more serious.

I can't stand wearing a helmet. I suffer from "hyperhidrosis" - exactly what it says, excessive sweating, and even a well vented helmet has sweat streaming into my eyes. But I realise I need to find a solution, especially with the state of chicago roads and drivers. Maybe a bandana underneath or something.

My wife had an ipod wearing jogger step in front of her last summer on the lake front trail...she didn't normally wear a helmet, but needed to get used to one because she was training for her first triathlon. It was the first time she wore it, and it was destroyed....she blacked out and woke up in the ambulance on the way to ER. When I saw the state of the helmet, it sent a shiver down my spine.....She was ok thankfully, but she wears a helmet every time now.

Just last night I was looking around, and found this website :

http://www.bhsi.org/index.htm#helmets

round up of 2011 helmets:

http://www.bhsi.org/helmet11.htm

It has a lot of info about helmets - testing, different styles, good budget lids, different brands for head shapes etc, etc. The main points I picked up there -

really cheap helmets and really expensive helmets are pretty similar in terms of protection offered.

smooth round helmets are way better than ones with any angles, square bits etc molded into them.

BMX helmets are worth the extra hassle, because they are round and smooth and generally made to motorcycle standards....even though you look like a hollywood bank robber when just commuting.

Dahon actually make a *folding* helmet, lol.

I'm contemplating a full face bmx helmet, even though I think they look OTT. Or maybe I can find a sensible-ish vented downhill helmet. I think the chinguard might help prevent getting bugs in my face - I hit a large cicada a few days ago at dusk, and it felt like a small bird at 30mph... :cry:

EDIT: hmmm reading Ed's post above, maybe the full face is not such a good idea

Double EDIT: Ed, if your helmet was pushed down far enough to break your collar bone, don't you think that collar bone impact might have saved you from a serious neck injury? (with the same crash in an open faced helmet?)
 
ElectricEd said:
I've managed to hit my head on the ground in three out of the ten or so crashes that I've had on bikes so far...

...To not wear a helmet is being just plain dumb.
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I agree, you definitely are of the "head first" type. :mrgreen:

I'm 64, and never hurt my head in hundreds of falls off bikes, horses, and even a few bulls in my young years. I collected many scars and broken bones though, but my legs and shoulders took them mostly.

Some say it's gonna happen to my head sooner or later and I tend to believe them, but if I ever hit a tree head first, I'm not sure that I would want to remember it. :D
Oops! Maybe I did and just can't remember it... :shock:

Something else to think about: I wear a helmet to jump, for it is mandatory most of the time where I jump. My helmet accumulated many scratches in falls over the years, maybe its weight or size makes me more head prone. :idea:
 
jonathanm said:
Double EDIT: Ed, if your helmet was pushed down far enough to break your collar bone, don't you think that collar bone impact might have saved you from a serious neck injury? (with the same crash in an open faced helmet?)
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Hi Jonathon,
I was heading for a face-plant and the natural response is to put your arm(s) out to ward off damaging your face. I tried rolling toward my right side, when I struck the ground my head carried forward with the momentum, swung downward and the lower edge of the helmet came against my collarbone. Afterward I had a mark in the skin across the break that matched the edge of the helmet.
The broken collarbone was so painful that I reckon it could be considered a serious injury. If it had been an open helmet I reckon I would have received an impact to the side of the head which would have been partially supported by the helmet and not result in a neck injury. I'd just be a bit more stupid than now than I presently am. :wink:
It's really a bit hard to know what else might have occurred with an open face, a bit of gravel rash to the cheek I suppose.
 
When I decided to wear a helmet, it wasn't enough reason ... to help in the event of an accident.
It must help prevent accidents!
So ...
file.php


Rear view mirror is a cheap handle bar end slight wide angle. Useless on the bar, but wonderful off the visor.

Top light is a 260 lumen LED with zoom-wide focus ability.
Velcroed - to allow break-away during impact.
I normally keep it in zoom mode.
During the day I use strobe mode, and look towards people who don't notice me.
At night I use high mode and sweep for potholes further ahead than my bar light can show.
I also have another of these lights, on my bar, in wide mode, Strobe during the day, and high at night.

On the rear is a 5 led flashing light-reflector.
 
Back in Feb I was lying in the street waiting on the ambulance, after being hit by a car, when I noticed that the only thing that didn't hurt was my head. The helmet was badly crushed and fragmented but my head didnt hurt at all.

In my younger days I had a couple of motorcycle accidents and one thing I have learned is that helment are a blessing to mankind. I wear mine anytime I sit on my bike. Even in the driveway. Especially now that I have two little boys who copy everything I do. I don't want them to learn the hardway about wearing a helmet
 
My dad recently fell off his ebike going about 10-15mph, wearing a helmet that got fully crushed. He spent 2 days in the hospital's intensive care unit. He does not remember what happened, even before the wreck. He thinks he may have passed out before. After the wreck he was knocked out for about 20 minutes. He hit his right temple to his jaw. Makes Howie's pictures look innocent. The side of his head, near his temple was swollen out about 2 inches. And since he wears glasses, there was a creepy line that indented the swollen area. He's 65 yo. He has had headaches since it happened about a month ago and still sees signifcant floaters in his right eye. I'll see if he has any pictures and post them.
 
DrkAngel said:
When I decided to wear a helmet, it wasn't enough reason ... to help in the event of an accident.
It must help prevent accidents!
So ...
file.php


Rear view mirror is a cheap handle bar end slight wide angle. Useless on the bar, but wonderful off the visor.

Top light is a 260 lumen LED with zoom-wide focus ability.
Velcroed - to allow break-away during impact.
I normally keep it in zoom mode.
During the day I use strobe mode, and look towards people who don't notice me.
At night I use high mode and sweep for potholes further ahead than my bar light can show.
I also have another of these lights, on my bar, in wide mode, Strobe during the day, and high at night.

On the rear is a 5 led flashing light-reflector.
Click to expand...
I highly recommend the light "on the bar", strobe mode during the day, it really gets you noticed.
Most every motorist claims "I never saw him", after he hits a biker.
Especially "in town" having a flashing light aimed at their rear view mirror, helps door kickers take notice!

Motorists act differently!
I can tell, within a few minutes, if I forgot to turn my light on!
"Why did that car pull in front of me? Oops! Forgot my light!"

Also, the helmet mirror is great, without ... even a 2 block ride to the bank, leaves me feeling naked and vulnerable!
 
I heartily second the flashing strobe light. My MagicShine on strobe really gets notice in the daytime and I have had motorists stop in the street to let me ride across. I have to refuse if I am at a stop sign and always wave them on. Ya never know!
otherDoc
 
docnjoj said:
I heartily second the flashing strobe light. My MagicShine on strobe really gets notice in the daytime and I have had motorists stop in the street to let me ride across. I have to refuse if I am at a stop sign and always wave them on. Ya never know!
otherDoc
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As long as you don't shine it at anyone with epilepsy, lol..
 
You don't have to be going fast.

I was going up a gutter at about 5km/h and snagged a bit of metal and just landed on my elbow.

Snapping my elbow clean off my bone and having to have surgery to have it reattached... not fun...

34610_467835819017_665889017_6292806_2893938_n.jpg


34772_468102339017_665889017_6298824_5666439_n.jpg


37724_468219699017_665889017_6301500_6203659_n.jpg


34622_469840304017_665889017_6341748_5176395_n.jpg


38623_474065554017_665889017_6456004_6038189_n.jpg


My constant reminder that you don't frock around.
 
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