Use bicycle helmets!!!

[GeneralZed]

How in the hell do you fall off a bike ?

I went to school by bike for the past 7 years and never something ever happened, apart from slipping on curves because of ice on road in winters.

 

[kingjoshi]

crap happens. That's like. My brother-in-law survived a crash because of his helmet. My sister has been preaching the value of helmets since then.

Maybe it's more in the US. Drivers just don't respect cyclists.

 

[Rhymes]

I ride about 4000km a year on my bike so I try using a helmet.
But since its my main hobby my biking gear is really top of the notch. Hardly looks stupid. It saved me from serious injuries at least 2 times in the past.

Though I admit that when i was younger, the helmets I could aford matched with how I dressed would really have gotten me kicked in the face by whoever would have seen me.

 

[Rhymes]

How in the hell do you fall off a bike ?

I went to school by bike for the past 7 years and never something ever happened, apart from slipping on curves because of ice on road in winters.

When you ride in traffic and a stupid parked car opens his door right at the moment you pass by him. Happened to me twice. there is nothing you can do to prevent it unless you slow your speed down below 20kmh to have time to check inside every possible parked car you pass, which is out of the question for me.

 

[carlosMM]

yup, car doors are bad.
or curbs - in low light conditions I once missed a (low) curb - simply didn't see it ! My front wheel hit it at an angle, the bike flipped sideways - off I went! Lucky me I didn't crash into anything, just slid/rolled along the ground.

 

[Till]

I love biking but i hate helmets.
Tried it once and it felt uncomfortable. Having to carry it around all the time took the fun out of biking for me.

These days i only use my bike for 2 minute trips to the grocery store and long rides in areas with no traffic. If i had to bike in city traffic on a daily basis, i'd probably bite the bullet and wear a helmet.

 

[EdwardTking]

I wear one if cycling through towns. Cycling in the country is far too hot and sweaty to allow for a helmet (and the danger is minimal).

Quite. Helmets only help in a limited range of circumstances; and compulsory helmets puts people off cycling so they travel by car, get fat and die of heart attacks. New Scientist magazine calculated that the consequent excess heart attacks could exceed the reduction in fatalities.

 

[Leonel]

When you ride in traffic and a stupid parked car opens his door right at the moment you pass by him. Happened to me twice. there is nothing you can do to prevent it unless you slow your speed down below 20kmh to have time to check inside every possible parked car you pass, which is out of the question for me.

Another way you could fall off your bike, especially in Portland, is have your bike wheel fall into the trolley tracks downtown. I've seen it happen a couple of times (all thankfully not actually falling off) and the wheel will get jammed into the opening where the trolley wheel's will go through.

 

[nonconformist]

I've cycled for years, and have only ever crashed a few times.

 

[amadeus]

I don't ride a bicycle, so I don't have a need for a helmet.

 

[Irish Caesar]

I learned to ride wearing a helmet, and now find it more difficult to balance without one.

 

[joycem10]

Safety bubbles for everyone.

 

[Zwelgje]

I've never worn a helmet on my bike in my life and I never will.
It's not needed in my country due to aware car-drivers and seperated bicycle paths.

Same here. But I think the difference is that in the Netherlands people use a bike as a form of transport and thus don't cycle very fast so helmets are just not that necessary.
I know that when you're making a sport out of cycling it becomes a lot more dangerous, I would wear a helmet if I would be going 40 km/h but at 15-20 I don't see the point.

 

[Zwelgje]

I don't have brains, so I don't have a need for a helmet.

True.

 

[Zelig]

I usually wear a helmet while cycling, I think I've broken 2 in crashes in the past year.

I always wear a helmet while snowboarding, it's far more common there, and resorts don't allow people in terrain parks without helmets.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

Falling is something that I don't do very often but every couple of months it happens. I have never been hurt before. I say people who drive should respect people who bicycle more!!!

 

[Zwelgje]

You guys fall often, it's amazing...
I cycle every day for all of my life. Last time I fell was like 10 years ago when it had frozen. I saw it coming because I had to take a corner and I fell at about 2 km/h. Needless to say nothing seriously happened.

Perhaps you guys should work on your cycling skills cause this is just pathetic. And about falling in trolley tracks: we've got them as well, just crosse them at a 90 degree angle and nothing can happen, it's easy to avoid such falls.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

I bicycle 15km a day! SOmetimes through snow. The accidents per kilometer are very low.

 

[Zwelgje]

I see, you live in Sweden with long and snowy winters, that makes things different I guess.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

I can be bad. I bicycal all year round. In the snow, inthe rain, in the slush.