Corey’s latest crash and Ty’s post about playing traffic got me thinking. Should we all wear helmets? Or, perhaps more importantly, why don’t we all wear helmets?
Personally, I make the choice to wear a helmet for commuting through London. No matter how good a rider you are – whether you ride brakeless or not – sometimes you’ll never be able to avoid that car door opening or little old lady stepping off the curb.
But for some reason I don’t feel the need to wear a helmet at the weekend. It’s stupid. I know. The risks are the same, the traffic is just as bad and the drivers just as dangerous. I don’t know if it’s because I feel I’m riding more leisurely or that “hey! it’s the weekend” and I deserve to feel the wind through my (very short) hair.
And what about FGFS? Surely falling off is part of doing tricks. So hitting your head is almost inevitable. I know – a helmet may not have made a difference in Corey’s case. But stairsets and gaps are getting bigger in fixed gear – and from those heights, if your head hits the ground before the rest of you – well, that’s going to be pretty serious.
So why don’t a lot of people wear helmets? Is it because they don’t look cool? Is it because a lot of sponsored riders in videos don’t wear them? Should they be setting a better example? I don’t know.
This isn’t a lecture as that would be hypocritical, and there are loads of blogs and websites arguing the pros and cons of wearing a helmet. I definitely don’t think it should be compulsory to wear one, the choice should come from the rider. So, on that note… do you?
Heal up soon Corey.
After taking a spill in August (victim of toe overlap) and getting 8 staples in my head along with a broken collar bone, I now always ride with a helmet.
I do wear a helmet. I used to not wear a helmet and never fell. Then riding home, literally right in front of my house I went over the bars smashed my face. Permanent hearing loss. I always wear a helmet but I definitely don’t feel my way is the only way. I’ve just had a series of unfortunate circumstances that made me want to. I also took a fall alone on a street not doing anything stupid or crazy and fell, hit my heat and broke a helmet. What would have happened to my head without it? I might be no more. So for me, I wear a helmet. For my ove I have for myself my friends and family, and the love they have for me.
ALWAYS WEAR PROTECTION 🙂
http://fixiegc.com/2012/01/19/always-wear-protection/