Well, Wednesday was our first evening group road ride of the year since the time change. Great to be able to do these rides. Question is: One of our used to be Pro but know is CAT 1 rider rides these group rides without a helmet. Considering last year we had a few accidents, mainly due to road debri, dogs, and a few poor handlers, why would one consider riding without a helmet these days? How many here in ST goes without a helmet, or if you know someone who does, what is their reasoning? Even with above average bike handling skills, there always can be an unavoidable obstacle.
Count me among the unhelmeted. Why? All the “cool kids” went helmetless. Laziness. Latent suicidal tendencies. I’ve actually crashed helmetless as well. Faceplant on tarmac. No concussion but I needed quite a few stitches on my face.
Did I start wearing a helmet after that. No.
But…
I ALWAYS wear a helmet when I race, or when I commute, or when I ride in the dark.
There is no rationality going on here. No logical consistency whatsoever.
You’re looking for a reason. Stop wasting your time
IMO there is no reason whatsoever to ride without a helmet.
i don’t care who this guy is–apparently he is more stupid than stupid to ride without a helemt.
all it takes is a fall. maybe if you all cracked on this guy–put a little peer pressure on him–he would wear his helmet. If not, and it were me, I probably wouldn’t ride with him anymore, and find another group. That’s a strong stance, but I just wouldn’t be able to deal with it. I can’t even stradle my bike without a helmet.
If one rider shows up to our group ride without a helmet correctly fastened, the entire ride is cancelled.
The administrators of the ride leave the area immediately and it is end of story. IF it happens more than once the ride is cancelled indefinately.
We had to do it three years ago and we pulled down our ride board announcing group rides on our website.
One bad apple spoiled the pot. Riding without a helmet on a group ride is inconsiderate. If the person falls and sustains a head injury, it is (morally and ethically) incumbent on the other riders to administer first aid and summon emergency medical services. If the victim does not survive, they have willfully damaged the public perception of the sport and inflicted significant emotional distress on those affected by the accident fatality.
It is inconsiderate and irresponsible to ride without a helmet. It is not professional, it is pretentious and ill informed.
I know of a very good reason not to wear a helmet, because you don’t want to. And since we are in American & all adults here you don’t have to explain your reasoning to anyone. Why are people care what other wear on there head. Last summer I took my mountain bike for a spin down my block to see how I liked an adjustment I made, my neighbor (an avid road cyclist) chimes in with a “Were is your helmet” I replied, “I called my mom & she said I could go for a ride without it” (I’m 37)
"One bad apple spoiled the pot. Riding without a helmet on a group ride is inconsiderate. If the person falls and sustains a head injury, it is (morally and ethically) incumbent on the other riders to administer first aid and summon emergency medical services. If the victim does not survive, they have willfully damaged the public perception of the sport and inflicted significant emotional distress on those affected by the accident fatality.
It is inconsiderate and irresponsible to ride without a helmet. It is not professional, it is pretentious and ill informed. "
Helmets are a pretty recent thing. When I started bike racing in the early 80’s, we never wore helmets except to race. The helmets that were available were either useless or weighed a ton. Now I always wear one. I would be minus two of my best friends if they didn’t wear helmets. Both of them wrecked hard enough on separate occasions so that they couldn’t tell you how the wreck happened or what they did that day. There is certainly no logic to not wear one.
What’s there to understand? People take unneccessary risks all the time. People drive without seatbelts, speed, ride motorcycles, run stop signs, ride through NYC on brakeless, fixed gear bikes, skydive, smoke cigarettes, take drugs, eat pounds of bacon, do crazy stunts on bikes, skis, skateboards, motorcycles, snowboards, etc…
I don’t think it’s that odd. I always wear mine during our big group rides but there are several who don’t. I think it’s rather risky as there’s almost always a crash, but they’re adults and know the risk. Even today many people just prefer not to wear them. Before the new rules forced them to wear helmets, half the pro peleton went w/o them.
A couple of times a year I’ll go out without one if I’m going out on an easy ride by myself.
It’s all about the individual and what risks that person deems acceptable.
chris, not only is this guy acting irresponsible, but it is irresponsible for you to know his behavior and continue riding with him. be a leader…step up and suggest new rules to the group in the honor of saftey, respect and responsibility. when everyone agrees, and he doesn’t, say ok-here’s an ultimadum. go with the rules, the group has spoken and voted. if you don’t like it then maybe this isn’t the right group for you, after all we’re doing this for saftey’s sake so we can ride today and tomorrow.
be tough and stick to your guns no matter how much he whines. this guy is not just hurting himself by not wearing a helmet, he is hurting the group by listening to music and not being able to respond at a potentially critical moment. so, not only is he jeopardizing himself, but all of you because he won’t hear to respond while on the road.
so, now that you know this–it’s up to you to make the right decision. otherwise you’re just as guilty as he is, because you didn’t speak up, or get yourself out of that situation.
personally, I’d rather ride alone than ride with someone who is doing things (listening to music) to potentially threaten my own life.
Not wearing a helmet is like not wearing a seat belt. Are we all adults responsible for our own level of safety? Yes, but you are assuming risk on the part of others that may cause harm to you unintentionally. Like if I hit a car and the driver could have been saved by a seat belt, he is still dead because my car hit his, same if I bump a guy in a group ride while avoiding road debris and he is hurt or killed as a result of not wearing a helmet, it is still my fault (after all I did not have to swerve to save myself - I have the protection of a helmet).
Bottom line the guy is an idiot, and I would not want to ride with him.
I know of a very good reason not to wear a helmet, because you don’t want to. And since we are in American & all adults here you don’t have to explain your reasoning to anyone.
Exactly. I’m so sick of people trying to lecture other adults on what they do with their lives. It can be about pornography, smoking, drinking, whatever - there’s always someone ready to tell you what you should or shouldn’t be able to do with your life. I wouldn’t do a group ride without one, but I’m certainly not going to lecture the guy about it or refuse to ride with him.
Usually it is the Cat 1 guys that go helmet less. In our hilly group ride around here everyone is wearing a helmet. I would say there is one or two people that show up a couple times without a helmet, but they don’t hang around long.
Now the fast flat group ride, there are usually a few Cat 1 guys that don’t wear helmets. Even after having a guy end up in a coma and other accidents on that ride, they still don’t.
I always wear one. ALthough I have been know to ride around the block after doing work on my bike without my helmet. I try not to, but it has happened.
Ultimately you are right and were I live you don’t have to wear one riding a motorcycle either. I love to see the guys with the helmet strapped to the back, priceless. Here is the thing, I think that insurance companies should state in the policy that you may choose to ride without a helmet but they will choose not to cover your injuries sustained while engaged in the stupid behavior. It just doesn’t seem right that people should have to indirectly pay for people who choose to not take basic safety seriously. Especially bike helmets that are so light, cheap and easy to use.
My brother took a puck to the nose playing hockey a couple years back because he was a tough guy with no face mask. He figured he was playing with a bunch of “old guys” so no need. Well, a broken nose and reconstructive surgery later he has changed his mind about the face mask. What is stupid is his insurance paid the bill for what is essentially a nose job so if you want a nose job just get your nose broken doing something dumb and you can get it paid for I guess.
I fall off my bike all the time. No way I leave home without one.
Last week riding Paradise Loop in Marin 3 people in our ride almost t-boned cars that pulled out in front of us…and one idiot who made a right trun straight through our group on the bike lane on his inside.
I almost had to drop my bike in Sausalito when a lady pulled out in front of me. I was going 25mph and I looked her straight in the eye as she sat at the intersection and she justy hit the gas…and then of course stopped in the middle of the road as soon as I started screaming JEEEEEEEESUUUUUUUSSSSSSS. I was a split second away from going through the rear passenger window of her Camry and landing on the kid in the baby seat.
As someone who used to work in the outdoor rec industry, I will be ‘to the day I die’ aware (paranoid) of liability. I couldn’t tell from the message what sort of affiliation the group rides have, but that organization should probably have a set of enforced rules to deflect whatever liability you can. The legal system can destroy an organization/company even if there is no decision against you.
And, it’s an approach to the problem that allows the ride leader to deflect some of the resentment that may come from riders who prefer to go helmetless. “sorry, but these are the new rules and I have to enforce them” instead of “you can’t ride with me without a helmet.”
He’s not just putting himself at risk (which wouldn’t concern me), but he’s also opening you to consequences. That is what needs rectifying.
I’m a risk taker, but I try to minimize what I see as “low reward” risks.
I’ve got over 600 sport parachute jumps, most without a helmet, but I always use a $1,200 dollar automatic opening device in the event that I am unconcious. Almost 30 years of SCUBA diving, and I frequently go to very dangerous depths and very dangerous places (caves, current, etc), but I always adopt every possible safety precaution. I ride a motorcycle (with helmet… most of the time :)) and I race cars (on a closed track with a helmet, harness and other safety gear). I ALWAYS wear my bicycle helmet and use a flashing red light on my seatpost.
HOWEVER, I use safety gear and adopt safe practices BY CHOICE and I will fight for other’s rights to CHOOSE NOT TO. It’s America, damnit, and having the freedom to take risks is what MADE (not “makes”) this country great. I am sick and tired of personal injury attorneys, insurance companies and federal, state and municipal governments turning us into a nation of cry babies. As long as someone is not risking the safety of others or creating a financial burden on society, we should embrace their right to act differently that we might.
Obviously, if the ride is sponsored and the sponsor requires helmets, that is a different story. That, too, is the sponsor’s CHOICE and participants should abide or be banned. Likewise, if members of a group ride do not want helmetless, iPod wearing riders (the iPod clearly creates a safety hazard to ALL riders in the group) in their group, then that is their choice and they should have the freedom to act on it.
It’s America, the land of freedom (by God!), and we should embrace others’ right to be different.