On Oct 27, 9:24 pm, Dan O wrote:
On Oct 27, 8:08 pm, datakoll wrote:

It really hurt.

(Glad I was wearing a helmet.)

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yeah I got that with a heavy FM receiver right thru muh loweer lip.

but fo you, wearing a helmet will not reduce accidents infacto may increase accidents.

?

Hmm... it's possible, but I don't think so. I'm aware of it up there
(use the brim to shield my eyes from headlights and the sun, hear the
rain on it and see it dripping off the brim, other reasons), but never
think of it as protective - just there. I certainly never think of it
as magically or super protective. I absolutely do *not* count it to
prevent head injury; I just know that's its purpose, and believe it
has the potential to do so. I've crashed enough to know that I can't
control the parameters to keep them within the capabilities of the
helmet.

I routinely wear my helmet for commuting, because it's a long trip,
making the overhead (ha, ha) of dealing with it small; exposure is
going to be extensive; and I use the brim to shield my eyes from
glare. I usually don't wear it close to home bopping around on my
bouncy, flouncy whjeelie bike (except for that one time I was setting
out to attempt some Evel Kneivel thing).

I tend to ride with more abandon on the whjeelie bike. Sure I get
downright radical to break the monotony of commuting, and *maybe* I'd
consciously tone some of it down a bit if I was bareheaded, but that's
only part of a total stance of due caution. I do *not* count on a
helmet to prevent any injury, but it would be stupid to think that it
can't.

The helmet may actually be part of a total precautionary stance that
*does* reduce chances of a crash. Sounds contrary to conventional
wisdom, I know; but I've reflected deeply on this, and I honestly
think I have a pretty healthy grip on affairs. The lapses are
probably more likely when I'm carefree, but by the same token I ride
hardest when my blood is really pumping and I'm hauling ass (standard
commuting). I won't discount the risk compensation phenomenon, but
nor do I ever feel the least bit like, "What the hell, I've got a
helmet on" (except maybe riding through light, low hanging foliage -
tactile engagement of which is kind of a thrill).

Oh, the data: I haven't recorded it, but I definitely crash more
often - unhelmeted - on (er... off) the whjeelie bike - in much fewer
hours and much fewer miles of riding (hard to say which gets more
trips - depends on the weather, I guess). Bouncy, flouncy - fun, fun,
fun...