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why you should wear a bike helmet

wmmk

wmmk

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Mar 28, 2006
2,414
0
The Library.
hello all!
it's been a while since i've posted. to be honest, i have no idea why i'm posting this here. i suppose i just need to vent. then again, it's a good reminder to anyone who is a serious cyclist to wear a helmet! anyway, last monday was Colombus Day in the US so school was off. i went out to ride my bike on a nice trail, as it was a beautiful autumn morning. on my way home, i'd just "stood up" (you know, when you take your rear end up off the seat to get more leverage on the bike pedals) and shifted in to 3rd and 7th gears on my ragleigh mountain bike as a little chipmunk darted in front me. because i'd just shifted gears, my hands weren't on the brakes, so i swerved (bad move:eek: ). ahead was a pile of leaves which had a pothole under it. my wheel got stuck and i flew forward, hitting my chest on the handlebars and losing conciousness. a couple who coincidentally live near my family found me two minutes later and called my home (thank goodness i programmed my cell phone with I.C.E.) and my mom drove my to a local E.R. anyway, i got out of the hospital thursday and i have a fractured T-1 vertebrae (which is near the top of the spine), a braised C-4 vertebrae, and tons of abrasions on my face left arm, knees, shoulders, knuckles, and left ankle. i have to wear a fairly obtrusive cervical collar 24/7 for the next two weeks which totally sucks. i'll also probaly miss the first couple weeks of basketball season. anyway, i'm feeling better, and i wouldn't be posting here right now if i hadn't been wearing a helmet.

WEAR A BIKE HELMET!!! ONE SAVED MY LIFE!!!!!
 
You're lucky that you didn't become paralyzed when you broke your T1 vertebrae. What hospital did you go to in the Chicago area? And what trail?
 
Warbrain said:
You're lucky that you didn't become paralyzed when you broke your T1 vertebrae. What hospital did you go to in the Chicago area? And what trail?
Click to expand...
i was at Evanston and Children's memorial and i was on the green bay trail.
 
Wow, that's quite a story, i always wear a helmet, first because i'm under 18 and its the law where i live, and 2nd because it looks like it just saved your life, and could save mine if the same thing should happen to me.




wait, you get the day off on Columbus Day? Why is chicago so special? I didnt get the day off school :(.
 
Yeah I know 4 people that have been hit by cars over the years (my dad being one of them). That's why I always wear a helmet.
 
Helmet hair...........


I know I know, I'm in the market for one, but part of me just can't stand haveing my hair ruined everytime I cycle.
 
Glad to hear you're feeling better, wmmk. I wear a fancy red helmet, but I need a new one as this one's more than 3 years old. I think I'm going to get one of these because they look all cool and stuff :p :

661-mullet-main.jpg

I reckon it's worth spending the money on if you feel comfortable wearing it, as you're more likely to wear it then. Like Mord, they do mess up my beautifully sculpted hair, though. ;)
 
I always tend to wear a helmet as well - seeing how many people drive around here makes me shiver and fear for my own life :(
 
Glad you're okay. I've always worn a helmet around here, riding on the road. Even when there are bike lanes, most people don't notice. Stay safe and feel better.

Mord said:
Helmet hair...........


I know I know, I'm in the market for one, but part of my just can't stand haveing my hair ruined everytime I cycle.
Click to expand...

Better helmet hair than having your head shaved for surgery.
 
Glad to hear that you are okay wmmk. :)


Your experience is most certainly a good testament about why you should always wear a helmet when cycling. :)
 
You guys don't wear helmets?

It's been illegal here to ride a bike without wearing a helmet for I think about 15 years.

Everybody just wears their helmets, saves lives and if you don't like wearing helmets, tough. Suck it up and wear one, whinging about helmets is just yet another sign that you're soft.
 
i had a friend who was run-over by a car. get this as unbelievable as it sounds the car ran right over his head. most would say instant death. not this guy. his helmet saved his scull from fracturing. and he lives to this day. his only injury was a broken arm from the fall not the car. the car was a Mitsubishi sigma. from that day on i never went anywhere on my bike with out my helmet.

his nick name is bull@#$%. because nobody believes his story.
 
quigleybc said:
It's illegal to not wear a helmet here too.

But, my helmet should be illegal, it's so stupid looking.

:mad:
Click to expand...

Some look worse than others. As long as you're not wearing a Hello! Kitty helmet, you should survive.

I believe that the county where I live now passed a law about 9 years ago so that anyone 14 years old and under had to wear a helmet but that's all. Even so, a lot of them wear it loose, so it doesn't help anyway.
 
what a horrible story but at least you found were wearing a helmet. I hope you fully recover soon and can get back on the bike.

I also always wear my helmet.
 
Oh man, I'm glad you're ok. Hope you get well soon, and biking again soon after! My helmet's saved my head and my face before, and I refuse to ride without one. Heck, last week by the lake I saw an middle-aged lady on a large, slow cruiser who had gotten hit by a jogger and fallen off of her bike. She wasn't wearing a helmet, and her head was cut up and there was blood on the trail. Ugh. Wear a helmet, no matter what!
 
Chundles said:
It's been illegal here to ride a bike without wearing a helmet for I think about 15 years.

Everybody just wears their helmets, saves lives and if you don't like wearing helmets, tough. Suck it up and wear one, whinging about helmets is just yet another sign that you're soft.
Click to expand...

Here in the US people will file lawsuits claiming that helmet laws violate their Constitutional rights. Trust me, it happened in Illinois when they tried to do it with motorcycles. Regardless of the fact that the government is trying to save your life, but whatever...
 
medea said:
ever try the really cool game russian roulette? you should try it.
Click to expand...

No, but I've had my nose cut off playing hockey (wearing a helmet). Riding without a bike helmet is not that dangerous in the grand scheme of things, and comparing it to Russian roulette is an exercise in hyperbole. That said, I am an advocate of helmet usage. I have a slight distaste for helmet evangelism.

I sometimes ride without a patch kit, pump or tube also. There are much worse things in the world than not preparing for the worst.
 
I've been bad about not wearing a helmet in the past...had a few lucky escapes in my time.

Lately I've been better about it though.

Funny that you mention the chipmunk. I once had a similar thing happen on a narrow path in a wooded area, but I didn't swerve - given the choice I'd rather destroy a rodent (and feel slightly guilty) then break bones in a lonely place where I wouldn't be found for days. Fortunately for all involved the animal escaped my tire anyway.

Glad to hear you're still relatively intact.
 
I've read with interest the helmet debate on some cycling websites. Not taking any sides here but if you wear a helmet while cycling you should also consider wearing one in a car, as a pedestrian and when in line-skating. Apparently, in an accident, all of these have higher head injury rates than cyclists.

Source was probably the cycling plus forums.
 
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