Helmets, Why Do You Torment Me?

Putting up a post that I thought had little to do with bicycle helmets actually spurred a bit of a reaction more specifically relevant to helmet use then I believed it would. While I had no intention of discussing helmets, nor whether or not one should use them, I was recently trying to find a good one, so it seems like as good a time as any to delve in.  Personally, I've read entirely too much regarding both pro-helmet use and about those who oppose it, but it's always fascinating to me to hear why people wear or don't wear one. As a brief background, I'm sharing my story about helmets and their (lack of) use in my life. It shouldn't be construed as either an argument for or against helmets, but rather just as one persons story.

As a kid, I never wore a helmet. Of course, we also didn't have to wear seat belts in the car because it wasn't the law, so I never wore that either (for the record, I do wear a seat belt now when in a car). I believe there was a helmet law at the time for kids under 12 or so (which changed in the mid-90s in California to anyone under the age of 18, but I had already reached adulthood at that juncture). Apparently it never phased anyone in my family enough to make me wear a helmet. I rode my bicycle up until I was about 15, or so, and never recall actually owning a helmet, let alone wearing one. When I started riding a bike again in adulthood, I felt this sort of peer pressure to get a helmet and use it. I hated wearing it, and most of the time didn't wear it, but I had one and if I needed it, it was available. A couple of years passed and I thought perhaps the reason I wasn't wearing the helmet was because I didn't like the helmet, so I got a different one. Honestly, it did little to improve my use, and if anything, I found I didn't want to wear it because it had few vent holes (or not large enough venting areas) and I was always dripping with sweaty hair when I arrived wherever I was headed (particularly in summer months, but it happened year round). It felt confining and even though I had (have) fallen off a bicycle more than once in adulthood (I'm klutzy, what can I say), I have never hit my head on anything and decided that wearing a helmet wasn't a necessity as long as I feel safe.

The Bern helmet, while comfortable, is extremely hot in summer months

Over the past several weeks, I've been riding more long-distance hauls, and somewhat frequently on busy streets and highways. Speed has increased fairly significantly from my normal "watch the grass grow" pace, and the helmet thoughts have returned to the forefront of my mind (particularly since I will have to wear one in an upcoming organized ride). I've also heard more than my fair share of stories in every day life recently about people who either crashed hard, weren't wearing a helmet and barely survived, or people who say that a helmet absolutely saved their life in a bike crash. I believe that things happen for a reason, so when all of a sudden these people are entering my life, I can't help but wonder if there's a message for me in all of it.

I still believe there are times when it's perfectly acceptable not to wear a helmet, and for some people in some places, maybe that is every day in every situation. For others, it may mean that they wear a helmet every time they roll out on their two wheels. However, I do not believe in fear-mongering, and I do not think that a helmet will save anyone from stupidity, nor will it somehow miraculously make an individual a safer cyclist.  A helmet doesn't make the rider safer, it's simply a safety precaution in case of an unforeseen event. You may, or may not agree with me - and that's completely okay.

As for me, I know I will have to wear one soon and want to get used to it before the ride at the end of the month, so I've been using it on my training rides to get used to the feel. I'm not thrilled about it, but maybe there's a reason that I should be wearing the helmet. I recently picked up a new one with larger vent holes, but I'm still not in love with it (but perhaps that's just the relationship I have with helmets). Do you have a favorite helmet? How do you choose from the masses of options out there? Is price the only factor, or are looks a part of your decision?

A Day of Firsts

Today I decided to ride to the grocery store. It wasn't the first time (nor will it be the last) that I've done so, but normally when I go it's only to pick up one or two items that are easy to carry on a bicycle. I always figure there's no reason to drive the 2.5 miles to the store if I can ride for just a couple of items. Today was different though, because my hope was to be able to carry everything that we actually needed without the use of a car.

I got to the grocery store and intended to take a picture of my bicycle all locked up (merely because I just like taking pictures of it), but when I pulled out my point and shoot camera that I carry in my purse, I realized the battery was dead (guess that's what happens when one doesn't check these things before one leaves the house). I went through the store picking out the items we needed, and as I got toward the end of my shopping, a bit of panic swept over me. What if I couldn't actually carry all of the groceries on my bike? As the clerk was checking me out, she asked if I had another bag, or if I'd prefer that they stick everything in together. I told her it was fine to just put it together because I was on my bicycle. You would've thought I just said that I had shot my brother and my dog out in the back forty with the look she gave me, and then she said, "You're on your bicycle? ... And, you're going to be able to carry all of this?" In my head I was thinking that it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was when I'd been shopping, but I assured her it would be fine. I joked, "Hey, maybe I'll have to leave a bag and come back for it." She just kind of looked at me strangely and said, "Do you have a car?" I just smiled and said, "Yes, I have a car, but I like riding my bicycle." Things like this amuse me. It's as though some people think it's some great feat to be able to peddle a couple of miles with some bags on your bicycle.

The great thing was, this actually gave me an opportunity to test out my new Wald rear baskets, and I have to say that they did quite well. The ride home was a bit squirrelly, but it wasn't too bad at all!


As you can see, I don't think much more would've fit on the bicycle, unless I strapped it to my back, and I think I'm starting to understand why some people have cargo bicycles to haul things around, but it is absolutely doable, even with an every day bicycle.

Another cool thing was that I had the opportunity to try out my new Bern helmet. I have to admit, I am not at all a fan of bike helmets, but I think enough people have scared me into wearing one now, as I spend a lot of time riding on the busy highways. Plus, we're taking our camping/bicycling vacation in just a couple of weeks, and goodness knows what the laws are throughout the various states we'll be hitting. So, better safe than sorry, and I might as well get used to wearing it now.

I also wore a skirt for the first time riding today, and while this is a horribly unflattering picture, it's not easy to take a picture of oneself without using a tripod. Unfortunately, I got a lot of splash back on me because of all the rain over the last few days that hasn't quite dried completely. While I realize wearing a skirt is no great accomplishment, I just thought it was an interesting and different experience, though I could've done without the wind while I was riding. I felt as though I kept having to pull the skirt down. Ultimately, I just ended up letting it do what it wanted to, and finally became comfortable with the idea.

Overall, grocery shopping was a success. I think it's something I can handle on a regular basis, which definitely makes me happy. I think that I realized that if I don't build things up to be a bigger deal than they are, things will go just fine. Happy riding!