Do you climb without your helmet?

Anonymous

I, and several others don't leave their lid on on climbs for safety reasons though, more because it's a faff to take it off, it's all horribly sweaty when you put it back on, we haven't got anywhere decent to keep it in the meantime, and we don't notice it making our head that much warmer.

So, yeah, I wear my lid on long climbs, but not for safety.

welshkev

never take my helmet off, i fell off at cwmcarn the other week on the first climb!! my wheel washed out on a slippery root, fell to the side and banged my head. admittedly it wouldn't have killed me but it would have bloody hurt and ruined the rest of the ride!!

i always wear my helmet 8)

blister pus

Depends where I am. if I'm climbing and it's in a field with different grasses either side of a worn grass path with no rock in sight, then I'll climb and sometimes descend without a helmet, outside of that, always wear a helmet.

joshtp

Daz555 wrote:

Here's question.

Who is safer going around Whites (including the black) for example.

1. The guy with the super airflow XC lid who keeps it on 100% of the time.
2. The guy with the solid full face lid who only takes it off for the long climbs.

I wear a light vented lid but I wager that the guy with the full face is probably taking the safer option even if he does not wear it on long climbs.

you are probably right, no, you are totaly right, but i dont think i would want to tumble down a steep, rocky hill sideways without a lid, so for that reason i would rather have a little less protection, but wear it all the time, its personal.

Anonymous

how steep are these climbs? man!

scotto

always wear mine, have friends who say "on this kind of ride I don't expect to have an accident "

But that's the whole point that if you knew you were going to have one, you wouldn't would you ? !!

The accident which caused me the most injury was the slowest one I have had.

Couldn't ride for 5 weeks.

projectsome

Only time the helmet comes off is when I/we stop in a big open space for a break.

passout

Keep it on all the time for reasons mentioned above.

I always buy a roadie helmet as the vents are good and I hate those XC helmets with peaks.

Actually I think that most MTBing kit, especially those really baggy pants, piss pot helmets or anything 'camo', looks lame on anybody over 18 years old. I'm a grown up cyclist not a flippin extreme skateboarding teenager from California, whose only knowledge of Britain is listening to Iron Maiden on his I-pod whilst p*ssing about on ramps.

And, yes I am grumpy!

King Donut

passout wrote:

Keep it on all the time for reasons mentioned above.

I always buy a roadie helmet as the vents are good and I hate those XC helmets with peaks.

Actually I think that most MTBing kit, especially those really baggy pants, wee-wee pot helmets or anything 'camo', looks lame on anybody over 18 years old. I'm a grown up cyclist not a flippin extreme skateboarding teenager from California, whose only knowledge of Britain is listening to Iron Maiden on his I-pod whilst p*ssing about on ramps.

And, yes I am grumpy!

Good on you! You should become a teacher so that you can make sure this wisdom gets passed on

PS I love camo

miss notax

At the risk of sitting on the proverbial fence - it really is everyone's personal choice isn't it? It's all about whether you're happy with the risk involved...

Pesonally though, if i'm on my bike I wear my helmet. It's comfy (Giro E2) and - to be honest - if I took if off at any stage during a ride I think I would scare the other riders :shock: I have a sneaking suspicion would look a bit like a mad red sweaty witch, which is never a good look :oops:

likewoah

I'm gonna compromise ....and make sure I always carry one of these

King Donut

likewoah wrote:

I'm gonna compromise ....and make sure I always carry one of these

What exactly is it? Fashion accessory?

miss notax

I think I used to have some Christmas decorations that looked like that!!

Tank-slapper

Unfortunately the folding helmet is no longer available:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=20744

xtreem

[b]joshtp/mbukman[/b] wrote:

i always wear mine, you never know what might hapen

The cargo space on an airplane might open, and a fridge falls onto your head.
Imagine what would have happened if you didn't wore your helmet. :shock:






No fence, just a joke.

ccc

Granted it wasn't a climb, but I took my helmet off on the way to my local trails because it was too hot. Some nice person had put barbed wire across the track, I only saw it at the last second, locked up the brakes and went over the bars.

Lesson learned... :roll:

mongoosed

It dosen't matter if i'm climbing or just hitting the trails if i'm on the bike the helmet is worn,you just don't know the minute,better safe than sorry.

GHill

I just leave it on, mainly for the reasons given above: faffing about taking it off/putting it on and that the cold sweat feels awful when I put it back on

Anonymous

passout wrote:

Actually I think that most MTBing kit, especially those really baggy pants, wee-wee pot helmets or anything 'camo', looks lame on anybody over 18 years old. I'm a grown up cyclist not a flippin extreme skateboarding teenager from California, whose only knowledge of Britain is listening to Iron Maiden on his I-pod whilst p*ssing about on ramps.

I'd rather baggies than look gay in (visible) lycra . Anybody who's overweight and especially middle aged or older in lycra looks worse than someone over 18 wearing baggies in my opinion .

With mountain biking especially I just don't get the skin tight body suit lycra stuff. It's not the Tour de France after all, and what performance gain you'd get I don't know.

Anyway, as for helmets. Regular vented helmet is fine for me. Climbing I see no need to take it off anyway, regardless of the safety thing.

Though landing on my face and the more aggressive riding I've been doing has made me consider a full-face helmet. That would be a pain wearing when climbing though. Most people I see wearing these however just ride down the same section of jumps all day. Or more annoyingly gather and sit on the track when they're taking a rest or walk back up it rather than take a side route!

passout

I think that lycra is more comfortable - dries very quickly, doesn't snag on the bike and is very comfortable. Often cheaper than the baggie alternative too, depending on what you go for. I'd say lycra is practical and baggies are just a fashion statement or for people who are too shy to wear lycra.

Agree with you about the full face helmet though - only good for pure down hilling & serious freeride stuff.....so I wouldn't bother myself.

joshtp

Xtreem wrote:

[b]joshtp/mbukman[/b] wrote:

i always wear mine, you never know what might hapen

The cargo space on an airplane might open, and a fridge falls onto your head.
Imagine what would have happened if you didn't wore your helmet. :shock:






No fence, just a joke.

LOL

joshtp

GmanUK101 wrote:

how steep are these climbs? man!

I live in swansea, wales, the hills are, um, steep. some climbes on my local trails are enough to kill any human, I of cource.......

SafeRider

passout wrote:

wee-wee pot helmets or anything 'camo', looks lame on anybody over 18 years old. !

I'm 10 years past 18 years old and I won't wear anything other than wee-wee pot helmets because I think they're a little more protective than a more standard vented microshell helmet but hey... It's all opinion!

Thermo1

Stays on unless I'm off the bike having a break - and even then only in summer.

scotttomo

Only take mine off during breaks and although a lil moist and cold when putting it back on, it doesn't bother me