Sunday Morning RIDE: The great debate rages on...

Harry sent out word of this weekends ride, as well as a bit of discussion over the issue of HELMETS. As one of the big never-ending debates in the cycling world, the usefulness/requirement of helmets seems to be a regular topic of conversation 'round these parts, and if you've ever wondered Harry's take on things, well wonder no longer:

A TEMPEST IN A TEAPOT

In a recent post, Bikesnob noted that the January/February issue of Bicycling contained ads that featured bigshot cycling coach Chris Carmichael and a person identified as the Development Director for Transportation Alternatives in Brooklyn. BS pointed out that both riders were wearing helmets in such a way as to render them useless. (The helmets, not the riders. Seems to me that the relative usefulness of Chris Carmichael is an individual judgement call.)

The fact that a couple of such presumably cycle-savvy personages wouldn’t know how to properly wear a helmet was surprising to me, and it made me wonder if these guys really wear helmets at all. Maybe those helmets were just throw-downs provided by some alert ad agency person to ensure the appearance of safety-consciousness.

I’m not really sure how the “issue” of helmet/not-helmet came to be a subject of such passionate debate. It’s a personal choice, not really much different than a thousand personal choices that everyone makes every day. Choosing the peppermint mocha latte over a regular cup of joe probably isn’t going to rock your world. Jumping out of an airplane without a parachute probably will, albeit for a relatively short time. The importance or non-importance of those choices really comes down to a question of probability and outcome.

NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration) tells us that 100 million folks are riding bicycles in the US of A, give or take a dozen or so. In 2007, the last year for which complete statistics are available, 698 cyclists were killed and 44,000 were injured in traffic crashes, i.e., collisions with motorists. (Note that these numbers do not include incidents in which someone just fell from the bike. It happens. A lot more than you might think.) You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that the more you ride, the greater your chances are of hitting something or getting hit by something. Still, what these numbers are telling us is that on any given day, for any given rider, the probability of being injured or killed is minute. So much for the probability aspect.

The other side of the coin is outcome. That miniscule probability is no consolation if you happen to be one of the unlucky riders whose head comes into contact with something a lot harder than your cranium. In a way, the prospect of sustaining a head injury while you’re riding is a lot like winning the lottery – it ain’t very likely to happen, but if it does the consequences can be life-altering, to say the least. It’s hard to imagine just how life-altering if you haven’t had any firsthand experience with head injury.

There is no rational argument for not wearing a helmet when you ride. They’re cheap, they’re readily available, and they protect your head from injury. That being said, human beings are not by nature very rational creatures, and how boring would the world be if we were? There are a lot of totally irrational and completely valid reasons for not wearing a helmet. I don’t wanna wear a helmet because it looks stupid. I don’t wanna wear a helmet because it isn’t cool. I don’t wanna wear a helmet just because. I can agree to disagree with any of those reasons.

A somewhat stickier question is that of instituting legal mandates to wear helmets. Those efforts are usually championed by folks who have had firsthand experience with head injuries, and they sincerely believe that if one individual or family is spared the consequences of a head injury, the blanket mandate is justified. Dissenters assert, quite rightly, that their personal liberty is infringed upon by such a mandate, although I can assure them that Herr Hitler did not initiate his era of darkness with a mandatory helmet law.

Of course, as with any other “issue” there are countless splinter sects, each with its own unique dogma. The Helmet Good/Law Bad adherents declare that they are offended by a legal mandate to do that which they willingly do anyway. The Age Selective sect apparently holds that children require helmets but adults do not, as evidenced by family rides that I see routinely several times a week. The Situational Requirement sect seems to believe that helmets are necessary at some times and not at others – I occasionally see these people riding with their helmets dangling jauntily from their handlebars. Still others adhere to the Helmet as Fashion Statement sect. On a recent ride I observed a woman who was wearing her helmet on the side of her head in a seemingly gravity-defying feat.

For those who do wear helmets, I point out that the helmet doesn’t work if it isn’t fitted correctly. Here’s a link to a guide that will help you do just that ( http://www.bhsi.org/fit.htm ).

As always, our Sunday morning ride will be helmet-optional. Join us on our regular weekly foray. We’ll launch from Clown Dog at 10:20 on Sunday morning. Route TBD. Bring some ideas.

Those of you who have ridden with us before know how we roll. For those who haven’t, please read the blah-blah below. It’s important. Really.

• Some of us are down with the fixed gear deal, but mostly we’re just about riding. Bring whatcha got and ride with us.

• Every cyclist is responsible for his or her own safety and well-being. We assume that everyone is familiar with basic rules of cycling safety and has enough hours in the saddle to feel comfortable with his or her ride. Use of helmets is optional (but highly recommended). Use of headphones, earbuds, Blue Tooth headsets or any other form of electronic distraction is discouraged. (It’s a SOCIAL ride, dammit!) All traffic laws and rules of right-of-way will be observed. Here’s the deal:

SAFETY FIRST!!!!!

If someone gets killed, it ruins the ride for everybody.

• This ride is 25-30 miles long through mostly urban and suburban areas. We do a convenience

store stop at about the halfway point for anyone who needs snacks or drinks.

• There is no SAG support on this ride. Bring a spare tube and something that will inflate it.

• The purpose of this ride is for everyone to have a good time and (we hope) to become better cyclists. We ride at a variable pace, according to the group on any given ride, and all skill levels are welcome. This is a 25-30 mile ride over typical Central Texas terrain. If this is consistent with your riding experience, or is perhaps slightly more challenging than what you’re accustomed to, you should have no problem going the distance.

Wearing a helmet should be like voting. Do whatcha think is right and shut up. But I’m covering my cocoanut. Just in case.

It’s time to ride.

10:20am at Clown Dog is the time and place, the helmet decision is up to you, but no one will give you shit either way on this ride, just like I like it.