Do you climb without your helmet?

Naveed

More and more rider are taking their helmets off on the climbs where I ride. It's 'cos of the hot weather, but I'm tempted to follow suit because this heat is a killer especially when going uphill.

I'm sure loads of you do the same, but being the safety freak that I am is it safe?

delcol

you only need to bang your head once and it could be fatal or cause seriuos injurry

i always leave my lid on no matter how hot going up or down, in my eyes its not worth the risk , it's tempting fate and fate dictates the minute you remove your helmet the crash is going to happen....

it's your head so do as you feel,... i personally would not risk it.....

nicklouse

it comes off when i am off the bike.

Naveed

Agreed

Johnny Napalm

My mate tends to take his off while climbing, but I don't. I can't be bothered faffing around taking it off and putting it back on, if I'm totally honest.

Anonymous

I hate taking it off when I'm still riding, even if I stop for a 15 minute breather.
Once i take it off, the sweat in the helmet cools down, which means when you put it back on, it feels 'orrible. So I'd rather just leave it on my head.

It's never made my head feel any warmer to be honest.

allthegearnoidea

mine only comes off at the end of the ride! mostly because once its off i have to put it backon with wet head pads! hmmmn, nice!!!

lid goes on when i get on the bike and comes off when done simple!
like said up a bit, only takes one knock on the head!

geordiefreerider

I find in really sunny weather the helmet keeps the sun off my head anyway and the visor keeps it out my eyes !

cgarossi

I take mine off when we have a break. My mates and I compare how much sweat is saturated into the pads

Speckled Pants

My helmet stops on untill im back at the house or in the car, due to a branch snapping off a tree and landing on my head recently

Steve Legend

It's fun to squeeze the sweat out of the pads, smells funny though, never have I washed them! :?

I sometimes take it off if the climb is a fire road but for nothing else! If I fall off going up a fire road then I deserve a bang on the head! :shock:

el loco pollo

I usually leave it on but it depends, if I have my FF with me it's usually too warm on the climbs.

anto164

I never take mine off, unless i've stopped.

Get a decent helmet, i have a giro Xen, and it feels like you're not wearing one...

keeko

Personally I take mine off when I`m on a serious climb. Whats the worst that can happen? You stop? Its not as if you`re going to keel over and smash your head to bits is it?
Anywhere else, its on but for granny ring specials it off.

stevieboy

I'd rather warm my head slightly than dent it, i'm ugly enough already

If people are removing their helmets for climbs they aint going fast enough

kitenski

keeko wrote:

Personally I take mine off when I`m on a serious climb. Whats the worst that can happen? You stop? Its not as if you`re going to keel over and smash your head to bits is it?
Anywhere else, its on but for granny ring specials it off.

The worst that can happen is you fall off sideways smash your head and end up dead.

xtreem

kitenski wrote:

keeko wrote:

Personally I take mine off when I`m on a serious climb. Whats the worst that can happen? You stop? Its not as if you`re going to keel over and smash your head to bits is it?
Anywhere else, its on but for granny ring specials it off.

The worst that can happen is you fall off sideways smash your head and end up dead.

Then I think 100m sprint athletes should wear one, because 20mph is a very high speed,
I rarely achieve it on flat on the bike, let alone on uphills. Taking uphills with 10mph is
premium for me.

But everyone should do what ever they want. It's their safety.

Grimy

I've thought about taking it off for some of the most mundane fire road climbs, where tbh I'm travelling at little more than walking speed. I never do, because Id have to faff about strapping it to my bag or something and well, for the most part I forget I’m wearing it. But in those conditions, I'd have zero concern about falling off and hitting my head. Its all about your personal risk assessment, and a lot of common sense. If you ever did a proper risk assessment on something as simple as a set of stairs, you'd condemn them as to dangerous.

Graydawg

Stays on .... until I'm off the bike.

Dancake

I do 75 percent of my falling off attatched to spds at Omph. (usually while bricking it or climbing) Wouldnt want to fall from that hight and bang my head on a rock without a helmet...

Grimy

I leave my helmet on all the time. I wear it on the way home in the car. Wouldnt want to crash and bang my head on the dash. I wear it going up stairs! wouldnt want to slip and bang my head on a nasty step edge. I wear it when I walk to the shops because if I trip on an uneven pavement I could bang my head on a rock or garden wall. I definatly wear it to cross the road and your all stupid if you dont! better safe than sorry hey!! :roll:

Surf-Matt

Get a 2D or similar - absolutely brilliant ventilation.

plasma_man

I often take my helmet off to climb. Only when it is really warm (over 30 degrees which is quite often) and when the track is an open forest track with no obsticles. There is no danger involved or added risk. It's often impssible to stay cool with it on when the temps are high and the climb is tough one.

snotty badger

If its a hot day and the climb is long and not techinical I'll take my lid off. Too much faffing to do it for every climb though..

Chaz.Harding

If I have to push up - helmet off. If not, then it stays on. No matter what.

SafeRider

Nope, absolutely not. If I'm on a bike then I have a helmet on, always, regardless of what I'm doing or how far I'm riding. As someone else mentioned already, I keep it on during breaks as well. Once I leave the house on my bike my helmet rarely, if ever comes off my head until I'm back home again.

Naveed

I agree with you all. I've started wearing a headband under my helmet to ensure sweat doesn't get into my eyes when climbing. Now there's no excuse for me to remove the lid. Still I see so many people climbing without lids down the Surrey Hills it does make me wonder.

marinman1

i usually push up climbs with my helmet off, but this is because i dont do XC, maybe the guys you see taking off their helmets for the climbs are wearing FF?

Naveed

Hi there,

No they're all trail riders like me.

kitenski

Xtreem wrote:

kitenski wrote:

keeko wrote:

Personally I take mine off when I`m on a serious climb. Whats the worst that can happen? You stop? Its not as if you`re going to keel over and smash your head to bits is it?
Anywhere else, its on but for granny ring specials it off.

The worst that can happen is you fall off sideways smash your head and end up dead.

Then I think 100m sprint athletes should wear one, because 20mph is a very high speed,
I rarely achieve it on flat on the bike, let alone on uphills. Taking uphills with 10mph is
premium for me.

But everyone should do what ever they want. It's their safety.

It's nothing to do with the speed, I haven't seen many pointy rocks, tree stumps etc on 100m sprint tracks recently.....

As you said though, it's personal choice.

Regards,

Greg

Gobs

For those of you that do take them off, where the 'eck do you put them :shock: