No Helmet Advice

ROK ON

Hi
I do not want this to turn into a helmet debate, I am not interested in the pro's/cons.

I presently wear a helmet, but hate it. I started cycling at the age of 8 and never wore a helmet up till about 4 years ago. Now it is like a security blanket, and I cant stop wearing it.

Have to say, I have a good helmet, but on long rides they are very uncomfortable/very hot and cause me to sweat a lot more. (Does this mean I am losing hydration quicker?)

Anyway, I am going to give not wearing it a try, and just wear my lovely Rapha cap. Has anyone else managed to just stop wearing helmets - if so, has your behaviour (particulalry on descents changed at all).
I would be interested in finding out.

Again, please dont post about the merits of helmets ( Iam aware of them, I wear a helmet).

TinyExplosions

I come from the point of view of being a 'sometimes' helmet wearer...

I find that on descents, with no helmet on, there is slightly more of the "if I come off now, I'm fuked", but it's quickly tempered by "even if I was wearing a helmet, if I come off now at (glance at speedo) 70kph+ I'd still be fuked"

I'd say give it a go, and see what it does for ya!

Raam

mebbe you need more vents in your current helmet to try offset the sweating?

DirkVoodoo

What helmet have you got?

Generally the more expensive helmets will have loads and loads of vents without compromising safety. I have a Giro Ionos and I find it great in warmer weather, lots of ventilation.

Muller_1

I find wearing a head band or cap under the the helmet wearing one much more comfortable, they soak up the sweat and keeps the helmet in better nick as you can wash head band/cap easier than helmet.

I'd try this first before going helmet-less

petethedrummer

I only wear one if I think I'm gonna be in a large tight group and the chances of clipping a handlebar might be high.

Maintain your gears. I fell off about 2 years ago on a bike with slipping gears. out of saddle. pushed down hard on pedal. gear slip. over the handle bars. broke fall with face. Required 6 stitches in my chin.

Other than that eh... don't fall off. You're not racing anyone so take it handy going down hills.

Caroline_ie

admit it ... you just want to show off the Rapha head to socks look ye hipster

ROK ON

I have a Giro Athmos. Light and well ventilated, and fits properly.
But uncomfy climbing, (so I often take it off and strap to my bars) - which I dont like as it is way to unEuro.

Really just interested in hearing from folk who have worn helmets, but sometimes dont - just to gauage has it had any impact on your cycling style at speed or on a descent.

Thanks anyway folks.

ROK ON

petethedrummer wrote: »

You're not racing anyone so take it handy going down hills.

I am racing. I race against meself all the time.

Thanks though, I get the general drift.
When I am out for a spin, it is usually solo or in a very small group.

interested

ROK ON wrote: »

Hi

Anyway, I am going to give not wearing it a try, and just wear my lovely Rapha cap. Has anyone else managed to just stop wearing helmets - if so, has your behaviour (particulalry on descents changed at all).
I would be interested in finding out.

Again, please dont post about the merits of helmets ( Iam aware of them, I wear a helmet).

Id a MET helmet ... that I placed carefully on the roof of my car after a long day out and prompty forgot it .... have a Giro Atmos ... lots of vents, super light, forget Im wearing it alot. Wondering 'what if' on descents is a bad thing whether you're wearing a helmet or not ...

Id like to say that it wouldnt change how I descend but I reckon instinctively it would. I caught a tail wind coming down the wicklow gap last weekend and hit 87.2kph ... I was more concerned about mavic QA than I was my helmet but suspect Id be braking more if I was sans helmet.

At similar speeds Id be in trouble if I hit the deck whether I was wearing a helmet or not though.

Morgan

Why not just wear the helmet under the cap? Also, try to go for rides in cold weather - you'll sweat less.

blorg

Nothing wrong with strapping your helmet to your bars while climbing. Probably worth finding something that works for you as you will have to wear one during any sportives you want to do (Wicklow 200 etc.)

ROK ON

Morgan wrote: »

Why not just wear the helmet under the cap? Also, try to go for rides in cold weather - you'll sweat less.

Honestly, its not about the cap. More about how people become conditioned. I started cycling to school when I was 8 yrs of age. That involved a 5mile cycle across Limerick. Now 28 yrs later (and only wearing a helmet 4yrs) I think that i would feel vulnerable w/o one.
I mean this is crazy surely.

Have to say that in very cold weather the helmet bothers less. Keep head nice and toasty.
It's just since temp has increased.
Big thing is that I sweat anyway, so I need something around my forehead to catch the sweat. Helmet dont to this, which is why I have started wearing caps.

Lumen

ROK ON wrote: »

I think that i would feel vulnerable w/o one.

This is precisely the reason why the risk tends to equalize, provided that there is a correlation between feeling vulnerable and acting more carefully.

On our last spin (when I was unhelmeted) you descended faster than me and took more risks at junctions.

The problem is that if there are truly unavoidable accidents, you are almost certainly better off with a helmet since your behaviour is irrelevant.

Do whatever makes you happy, and make sure you have decent life insurance.

rottenhat

I think it's safe to say if the Giro Atmos is too hot for the man, he's unlikely to find one that will keep him any cooler.

Raam

It must be very uncomfortable if you are considering ditching it altogether. I don't know anything about your profile, but possibly if you are a larger gentleman, you are struggling on the climbs too much, lending to a lot of sweating. As you get fitter and possibly lighter you won't need to go so hard uphill. So my suggestion would be... stick with it. One more thing... do you have a lot of hair on your head?

ROK ON

No RAAM, I do not have a lot of hair. I used to have Blorg like locks as a youngster, then i turned curehead, no out of necessity I have a crewcut to disguise my gradual hair loss.

As a big bloke (for my height) I do have to pace myeself climbing (but thanks to improving fitnees and advice on this site, my climbing is getting better).

My issue is (1) weather is heating up, and it is not comfy and (2) I am annoyed (mildly) that I have become conditioned to my safety blanket so to speak.

scottreynolds

Raam wrote: »

As you get fitter and possibly lighter you won't need to go so hard uphill.

What Raam says is true. I find I sweat more when riding hard. As I get fitter the sweat stays away. You may be wearing to many clothes as well, I always sweat more when wearing too much -- of course.

I ride with a helmet all the time. However I have found myself occaisionally removing it lately on longer ascents merely cause its warmer. I'm going to buy a new helmet soon with more ventilation and see how it goes this summer.

On the cap / hat thing..... A hat isn't going to ventilate your head much more maybe just soak up the sweat more. Most people wear the little caps underneath to soak up the sweat, or look cool. I'm going to buy some and see if it works for me.

scottreynolds

ROK ON wrote: »

My issue is
(1) weather is heating up, and it is not comfy and
(2) I am annoyed (mildly) that I have become conditioned to my safety blanket so to speak.

(1) -- I'd figure out why your not getting enough ventilation then. Its not comfy becaise your sweating too much not because a helmet is uncomfortable.

(2) Thats purely psychological. This is nothing to do with a helmet really its more up to you treating it as a safety blanket. as I said I ride with a hlmet all the time but don't ride any differently when I forget it etc. I ride no slower nor faster. I still look at every car for people turning etc.

Húrin

Try cutting your hair short, and that will cool you down.

I don't wear a helmet for commuting, or on spins most of the time. I only really feel that it's necessary if I'm on a long, fast descent.

rottenhat

ROK ON wrote: »

I have a crewcut to disguise my gradual hair loss.

Húrin wrote: »

Try cutting your hair short, and that will cool you down.

More attention needed down the back....

the_syco

TinyExplosions wrote: »

I find that on descents, with no helmet on, there is slightly more of the "if I come off now, I'm fuked", but it's quickly tempered by "even if I was wearing a helmet, if I come off now at (glance at speedo) 70kph+ I'd still be fuked

If you come off, there's a chance your head will either go splat, or it won't, but your body will keep going, and either break your neck, or you go into a coma.

If you have a helmet on, your head will slide better along the ground, and if you get a few knock to the helmet, your helmet will get damaged, not your head.

As for the cooling of the head, get a different styled helmet. The one I used to have made my head hot, but the newer one would ensure my head is cool, as it has better ventalation.

Lumen

the_syco wrote: »

If you have a helmet on, your head will slide better along the ground, and if you get a few knock to the helmet, your helmet will get damaged, not your head.

Alternatively, the extended shape of your helmet will cause your head to rotate more violently and cause injury to the base of your brain.

It's better to not crash.

petethedrummer

Helmet debate.

Esroh

Rok On

This is all about as you say conditioning.Anyone over 30 prob grew up without helmet and we never thought about it. Most people restart riding cause they have been encouraged by friends or are aiming at an event. Told to get helmet with the bike so we wear it as we are conditioned to.
I reckon you will find that u'll slip back into riding without it easily but when you least want to be uncomfortable (during sportives etc ) you will have to wear it.
Have you tried a buff under it.(may not be Euro) Much lighters than most hats or headbands and will soak up the sweat on the days when you have to wear helmet

Civilian_Target

I am an occasional helmet wearer, usually for greasy roads, and find I do take the descent easier sans casque.
Going up is also less sweaty, until the unstylish moment where your hair saturates with sweat and forms a blob on the head that looks like a dead animal... but you shouldn't have that problem.

bcmf

When out around the back roads in wet greasy wether i wear it but then its only if I feel like it and As Pantani said "I dont wear a helmet as it traps my thoughts"