Why I Wear a Helmet
It is a selfish thing, I guess. I will spare you the reasons that most people give for and answer to the old, "why should I wear a helmet" question.
It comes up once in a while. Either someone shows up to ride with me and forgets a helmet, or someone rides up next to me sans lid, and they wonder why I give the reaction I give. I usually offer the extra helmet that I typically carry in the truck, or I ride away from them and refuse to ride near them.
Some people get upset by this and ask why I am such a dick about it. The truth is I am really selfish about this one.
See last year, I was riding with a guy that was somewhat of a friend...and he died on the ride. It had nothing to do with a helmet...it was his heart. Regardless, I had the un-pleasurable experience of watching a fellow rider that I cared about expire on a ride, and I do not feel the need to see it again. I believe that refusing to ride with someone that is not wearing a helmet will increase my chances of not seeing a fellow rider go down, never to get up again.
So you see it is a selfish thing...but it is my rationale.
Please be safe out there, and have fun.
Search
 |
Good Photo
Did you take that? It looks wicked.
Agree that it is not an enjoyable experience to see someone expire next while with you on a ride. Hasn't happened to me although one of my weaknesses when racing is I stop or slow down when there is a crash. Most of the fast guys actually speed up!
No, I stole it...
Someone posted it up on the net, and I copied it. You can bet I would not hang out to take a picture of someone jumping a MTB without a helmet.
I know that I have posted up pics. in the past of me as a youth catching air sans-helmet. That is sort of hypocritical...but hey, we all evolve, right?
Makes me want to scream
I couldn't agree more with your position. When I see someone out riding w/o a helmet I always get an urge to yell out at them to put a helmet on.
But then on this site I imagine this is just so much preaching to the choir. The daddies taking the day off to go ride with the little ones probably don't read much here.
Oh, and one other thing...
Yeah, sure. Maybe when you're in the parking lot or at the coffee shop. It takes some serious fitness and skill to catch you on the move.
I don't yell....
I understand your urge. I usually repress it. I could be a real jerk and say I don't attempt to educate, and let Darwin's law take its course, but I am not that cold. I have just learned that people don't like to be educated while recreating.
I could start a list of stories though....
Like the Boy Scout pack leader on the Katy trail that made all the Scouts don lids, but choose no hat for himself...
Or the child hood friend of mine that rode a skate board into a wheel chair...He walks now, but his parents still wipe his backside.
Sure I am preaching to the choir here...I am not sure what I hope to share or show with this...nothing really.
But if you have a friend that wants to ride with you and has no helmet, you have a chance to change their mind. I called a guy's wife once (when he showed up, had forgotten a lid and wanted to ride anyway), I handed the phone to him and said, "get her permission to ride bare, your opinion does not matter". He thanked me later.
---Rant mode off.
Thanks for the kind words...lots of guys can roll up on me though. Tonight, I expect some fast guys will be in attendance. Ought of be a deep sore after this one.
OMG Here's One
So the cool thing in Warrensburg is to not wear a helmet. I swear 1 out of 1.5 people do not wear a lid. But heres a kicker...
I passed a dumbass yesterday who had his helmet with him, but attached to his housing on the front of the bike. What an idiot, it's like hey, look at me, I brought my helmet but I'm not going to wear it.
Again last night, a semi-pro TT racer was riding with us with no lid. O well, I'll continue to look goofy because like most of you I've had my life saved by helmets. No joke, I've head butted at least a half dozen trees and if it wasn't for the lid I'd be a gonner.
Now here's what another rider said to me on a ride the other night. He said for the road it won't matter because your just gonig to be hit by a car and it wont help save you. Ya right, I told him. What if the car hits you, you manage to break a few bones but you land on your head to concrete on the way down? Then what? Would the helmet save you? You bet your arse I told him. Just cause you think you look cool with your bandana doesnt make you smart...
Post new comment