I see you riding pretty much everyday in the Encinitas area. Always in a light blue cycling kit and NO helmet. You ride up and down the coast, sometimes alone, sometimes with one other person. I’m amazed that people chose to ride with you, as I for one couldn’t take the chance of seeing a friend’s head broken open because they decided not to wear a helmet. Everytime I see you, you give the cycling wave, I never respond, because I think you’re stupid not cool. Maybe you don’t want to mess up your neatly feathered hair or maybe you are just stupid? I know it will never happen to you, right?
Anyone in North County know of the dude I’m speaking of!? He’s ALWAYS riding, same kit and no helmet.
I caught a buddy doing intervals without a helmet on a flat stretch of road all the triathletes train on in Atlanta. I turned around and rode up next to him.
I said “I want you to imagine your wife telling your two little girls that daddy is going to be a drooling moron for the rest of his life. Go get your helmet.”
He went and put his helmet on. He later thanked me and said that he would never do that again.
My favorites are the guys who say it is too hot for a helmet, but believe they are cool enough for a doo-rag. And remember, friends do not let friends wear doo-rags. Ever!
no not really, it’s not like I’m yelling at him or anything! Actually I drove past him last night and gave him lots of room as I didn’t want his brains on my windshield! I’m more sad for him than anything!! I just don’t understand really.
I am sure your intensions are good Kerri but it ain’t none of your business.
Life is full of risks some would think you are a moron for just riding a bike. What do you say to those people that base jump, tow in surf at Mavericks at 25 feet, rock climb, mountain climb, kick box…etc etc. Everyone makes a decision about the level of risk they are willing to take in their life. It’s not for us to judge their actions.
I wear a helmet on every ride. Would not leave home without it. My choice.
I say that everyone takes personal risks. Some drink too much, some smoke, some don’t wear helmets, some race Ironmans so hard that they end up in the med tent, some ride their bikes to work, some drive their car to work, some take the bus to work, some fly down alpine switchbacks at 80 kph with 2000 foot ravines, only inches away, some swim in openwater alone, some don’t do up their seat belts.
Aside from smoking, I think I have done all of the above at some point in my life. I am 40 and for the first 20 years of my life, helmets pretty well did not exist. I wear one all the time for the past 20 years, but I can’t really harp on a dude who wants wind flowing through their hair.
Mavericks is COOL!! Big wave surfing totally fascinates me!!! I’ve been to Mavericks once and I was lucky as it was going off so from the cliff I was able to see some cool stuff!! Scary stuff like that fascinates me, not wearing a helmet, not so fascinating, just dumb!
Maybe if you wave back, he will respond with a more enthusiastic wave… causing him to lift one hand a little too high… just as a wind gust comes along… and he loses control… and without the helmet…
I think everyone is overreacting. The state I live in has no helmet laws for motorcycles. I see people doing “wheelies” and “supermen” on their sport bikes going 80mph on the expressway. I was totally impressed when a guy did a wheelie going 75mph next to me on my way to the bars one Friday night. Then I was totally frightened when I saw a pack of riders weave through traffic like balls down a pin maze while we were going 50 and they were going 80. Maybe saw 3 helmets out of 20 in that last group.
Our city probably has a mortatilty rate of at least one to two deaths per weekend during the summer. Scary part is, I mentioned all of the stupid stunts above by sport riders, and there are still alot of deaths from people in the “Harley” crowd, who totally shun helmets. Those people are deemed higher at risk because it’s typically some older guy in his 40’s-50’s who purchase a trophy “Harley” and has little experience riding.
I think it’s silly to actually go up to a person and tell them that they should be wearing a helmet. I personally think that doing that is stepping out of your bounds and you should be minding your own business.
If you need to say something, I think the effort should be spent telling that drunk person not to get into the car, that meatloaf not to suck down 3 Whoppers at lunch, or on that idiot who insists on talking on talking on the cellphone while driving 80mph in a construction zone.
Think about the children? Please! How many people have been widowed or orphaned because of a drunk driver or a heart attack/stroke or a worker killed by a reckless driver? Do something better with your time and effort and combat those problems instead of worry about 1% of th cycling population.
I will only allow you to flame me if you can document to me that you belong to MADD, or any other program that has made an effort to combat these more important, pressing issues.
I’ve been to Mavericks once and I was lucky as it was going off so from the cliff I was able to see some cool stuff!! Scary stuff like that fascinates me, not wearing a helmet, not so fascinating, just dumb! 