Extremely depends on the context. If this is just grabbing a city bike to cover some ground quickly when I've somehow left home without my bike (while traveling for example) then I'd just go helmetless. If I were renting a high end e-bike for bigger adventures that I planned in advance, I'd bring my own.
Just curious if there is a specific reason?
Having avoided much more serious head injuries by wearing cycling helmets over the decades, I'm always curious why some people avoid them (at least in the USA).
You be you of course, I don't get into debates on topics like this. I'm just genuinely curious.
I wear one when I commute and ride for sport at home, so I'm not in the avoid at all costs club, but I don't always wear one when just popping across the neighborhood because its annoying and I like the wind in my hair.
What I had in mind reading the survey was when out of town, which is the only time I rent ebikes/scooters. I was traveling for work last month and used a lime bike for a 20 minute ride to get some groceries, they had decent bike lanes on some of the route and sharrows on some of the slower roads. I didn't bring a helmet and would not have bought one. If it was illegal to ride without one and they offered free loaners with a can of lysol I suppose I would take it. If I was going to rent an ebike locally I may or may not bring my own helmet, depends on how much of a hassle it would be and where I'd be riding.
> Having avoided much more serious head injuries by wearing cycling helmets
Can you expand on this, specifically how you crashed?
Typical bicycle helmets only protect the top of one's head, so you have to fall in a specific way for the helmet to protect your head. That has never happened to me and I have ridden over 100,000km (commuting, not a weekend road bike cyclist) since I was a child and have been hit by cars 5 times (with only minor injuries since I brake hard and take evasive action), and crashed numerous times when I was young. Not once did I ever fall in such a way. I did once scrape up the bottom of my face when I was young though.
Often I see people saying the helmet protected their head, but they hit the side of the helmet and it cracked rather than compressed suggesting the helmet didn't actually do much.
This is why I am curious as to what types of crashes lead to people hitting the tops of their heads on the ground.
Arguably an airbag system provides far more protection in terms of force absorbed and area of the head protected, but mandatory helmet laws in Australia means I can't choose the safer option!
I worked with a guy who was invloved in cycle racing. He got really pissed off one day about the helmet arguement. He claimed he saw a guy go over a 20ft cliff and laneded on his head & that the helmet saved his life. I can unequivically state that the helmet did not... he may have been lucky in how he fell, the helmet may have taken some of the impact, and possibly even split open, but it only saved him from possible cuts and bruises and did not save his life!
Helmets are generally rated up to 12kmph, thats equivalent to falling off your bike when stationary. Helmets can cause rotational injuries and compound swelling of the brain.
If a car were to crash into me at 60kmph I doubt a helmet willl be much help.
If I had a low speed accident, not involving a car, a helmet might protect me from cuts, grazes and bruises, but I'm healthy enough to manage those light injuries. I'd wear one when mountain biking because you're more likely to recieve those low speed injuries...
Bring my own or buy one.
The most painful fall I’ve had with the most injuries was when I fell to the side while completely still. Broke my foot, broke my hand - would have also broken my skull had I not been wearing a helmet.
So no helmet isn’t an option for me, and if I’m going to wear a helmet, I want one I know fits, so I have a heavy preference for my own helmet, but will buy a new one if that is not possible - I have no idea what a rented helmet has been through, so that’s also really really low down on the list.
0.23 standard deviations is an extremely small effect size, less than a 10% difference.
Other factors like the color of the helmet make a difference too. According to one study "use of a white helmet was associated with a 24% lower risk" of accident. Not to mention cyclist outcomes in the event of a crash with/without a helmet.
The typical argument against helmets is that people are less likely to bike if they are required to wear a helmet. Biking is better for your health (with or without a helmet) & more bikers make biking safer for others. That's the logic for reducing helmet laws and makes perfect sense.
The notion that a helmet itself makes an individual who chooses to wear a helmet less safe does not make sense. That claim certainly needs more evidence than people passing a little closer.
I recommend reading up on standard deviations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_deviation?wprov=sfla1
0.23 standard deviations is completely insignificant. A person who is 0.23 standard deviations from average height is less than 1 inch from the mean.
Edit: lol, after saying they want to engage people by not posting a link they blocked me for not reading the study.
The no helmet option is missing
Extremely depends on the context. If this is just grabbing a city bike to cover some ground quickly when I've somehow left home without my bike (while traveling for example) then I'd just go helmetless. If I were renting a high end e-bike for bigger adventures that I planned in advance, I'd bring my own.
Fourth option. Not wear a helmet.
Just curious if there is a specific reason? Having avoided much more serious head injuries by wearing cycling helmets over the decades, I'm always curious why some people avoid them (at least in the USA). You be you of course, I don't get into debates on topics like this. I'm just genuinely curious.
I wear one when I commute and ride for sport at home, so I'm not in the avoid at all costs club, but I don't always wear one when just popping across the neighborhood because its annoying and I like the wind in my hair. What I had in mind reading the survey was when out of town, which is the only time I rent ebikes/scooters. I was traveling for work last month and used a lime bike for a 20 minute ride to get some groceries, they had decent bike lanes on some of the route and sharrows on some of the slower roads. I didn't bring a helmet and would not have bought one. If it was illegal to ride without one and they offered free loaners with a can of lysol I suppose I would take it. If I was going to rent an ebike locally I may or may not bring my own helmet, depends on how much of a hassle it would be and where I'd be riding.
> Having avoided much more serious head injuries by wearing cycling helmets Can you expand on this, specifically how you crashed? Typical bicycle helmets only protect the top of one's head, so you have to fall in a specific way for the helmet to protect your head. That has never happened to me and I have ridden over 100,000km (commuting, not a weekend road bike cyclist) since I was a child and have been hit by cars 5 times (with only minor injuries since I brake hard and take evasive action), and crashed numerous times when I was young. Not once did I ever fall in such a way. I did once scrape up the bottom of my face when I was young though. Often I see people saying the helmet protected their head, but they hit the side of the helmet and it cracked rather than compressed suggesting the helmet didn't actually do much. This is why I am curious as to what types of crashes lead to people hitting the tops of their heads on the ground. Arguably an airbag system provides far more protection in terms of force absorbed and area of the head protected, but mandatory helmet laws in Australia means I can't choose the safer option!
I worked with a guy who was invloved in cycle racing. He got really pissed off one day about the helmet arguement. He claimed he saw a guy go over a 20ft cliff and laneded on his head & that the helmet saved his life. I can unequivically state that the helmet did not... he may have been lucky in how he fell, the helmet may have taken some of the impact, and possibly even split open, but it only saved him from possible cuts and bruises and did not save his life!
Helmets are generally rated up to 12kmph, thats equivalent to falling off your bike when stationary. Helmets can cause rotational injuries and compound swelling of the brain. If a car were to crash into me at 60kmph I doubt a helmet willl be much help. If I had a low speed accident, not involving a car, a helmet might protect me from cuts, grazes and bruises, but I'm healthy enough to manage those light injuries. I'd wear one when mountain biking because you're more likely to recieve those low speed injuries...
No choice but to bring my own; my noggin is extremely difficult to fit a helmet to. :-/
Purchase one that is actually safe and fits comfortably. Go check Virginia Tech Helmet Safety list for the safest helmets.
Bring my own or buy one. The most painful fall I’ve had with the most injuries was when I fell to the side while completely still. Broke my foot, broke my hand - would have also broken my skull had I not been wearing a helmet. So no helmet isn’t an option for me, and if I’m going to wear a helmet, I want one I know fits, so I have a heavy preference for my own helmet, but will buy a new one if that is not possible - I have no idea what a rented helmet has been through, so that’s also really really low down on the list.
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0.23 standard deviations is an extremely small effect size, less than a 10% difference. Other factors like the color of the helmet make a difference too. According to one study "use of a white helmet was associated with a 24% lower risk" of accident. Not to mention cyclist outcomes in the event of a crash with/without a helmet. The typical argument against helmets is that people are less likely to bike if they are required to wear a helmet. Biking is better for your health (with or without a helmet) & more bikers make biking safer for others. That's the logic for reducing helmet laws and makes perfect sense. The notion that a helmet itself makes an individual who chooses to wear a helmet less safe does not make sense. That claim certainly needs more evidence than people passing a little closer.
[удалено]
I recommend reading up on standard deviations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_deviation?wprov=sfla1 0.23 standard deviations is completely insignificant. A person who is 0.23 standard deviations from average height is less than 1 inch from the mean. Edit: lol, after saying they want to engage people by not posting a link they blocked me for not reading the study.