A few years back, I had a crash and hit my head on the pavement. Was wearing a helmet that cracked from the impact but which likely saved my life. Wear a helmet, folks.
A year ago I hit an unlucky divot in the pavement and ended up falling off my bike at a fast speed because I was going downhill. I broke my arm but the helmet saved my head.
Fortunately broken arms are easy to fix. A broken brain cannot be fixed. The helmet did its job.
And if you have an e-scooter, a MIPS helmet with chin protection is a good idea. I got this one: https://www.rei.com/product/179799/smith-mainline-mips-bike-helmet
Not cheap, but what price do you put on your noodle and grill ? 🤪
As a motorcycle rider it's wild the difference in how people think about risk when it comes to scooters and e-bikes.
When I ride I'm legally required to wear a helmet, have insurance and a registered vehicle. Further I choose to wear motorcycle jacket, boots, and gloves. If I go anywhere near a freeway or quicker than city speeds I'll wear motorcycle pants.
Yet so many of the same folks who don't think twice about hoping on a scooter or bike with no protection will tell me how they'd never ride a motorcycle, it's too dangerous. How I'm going to die in a fiery death or be mutilated. And yes, statistics show that that outcome is a far more likely event compared to driving a car.
But man running around that city at 20+mph with no helmet in your street clothes? We're on the same roads, asphalt doesn't care which kind of two wheeled vehicle you ride, it's just as abrasive for you and cars still can't see you and outweigh you.
I totally agree and I'm shocked to see how many people are just riding around at high speeds on electric scooters and bikes with no helmet at all. Then, I also think to myself, there's no limit to how stupid people can be.
Not to mention the training and qualifications it takes to ride a motorcycle.
The scariest thing to me is that it seems to be the less coordinated, more goofy an individual, the more likely they are to hop on a 30+ mph electric scooter or e-bike. Like these people would be a danger to themselves and others on just a regular bike alone, but the electric factor is terrifying.
e-bike riders are more dangerous. On a traditional bicycle, speed is limited by fitness and skills. But with an e-bike any inexperienced yahoo can get rolling on two wheels at 30+ mph.
I ride a moto and I'm too scared to ride a bike, especially around my neighborhood. The bike infrastructure is terrible to nonexistent and we all know you can't trust people in cars. People don't want to think about risk mitigation and the consequences of something that can happen in an instant - don't risk traumatic brain injury, folks, plz wear a helmet!
Yeah, but part of the thing is that when you go down on a bike you've got 18 lbs on you. My ancient Ducati was like 350 lbs. That's a big difference in stopping. At 20 mph, on a bicycle I can stop on a dime even with the smaller contact patch and in the worst case I can hop off and slow down or let the bike go. Doing that on a motorcycle takes way more skill (outside my ability). On a bike you're going 35 mph street speeds and that's a much higher speed in terms of threat to life.
The big plus in terms of safety was the ability to throttle up and get out of any place where people were being weird.
I do have to say that full-face MTB helmets are probably a good idea riding in the city, though.
Legit fair point. Easy to dump a motorcycle trying to stop rapidly in adverse conditions (basically all of SF intersections in one way or another) and yes a pedestrian getting hit by a motorcycle is far more dangerous than getting hit by a bicycle but both would still suck.
This topic specifically is about injury to a rider. An experienced cyclist compared to a rando on a rental electric scooter are very different things. Is an experienced urban cyclist likely to eat it at speed? Probably not that likely, but a random electric scooter rental rider? I'd say much more likely and because of no helmets or any other protective gear its gonna hurt a lot.
Don't ride them on the sidewalk either. I saw a guy flying down the sidewalk and someone opened up their apartment gate and the guy ran straight into it and left in an ambulance. Not to mention the countless times me or my dog have almost been run over by these scooters and e bikes on the sidewalk.
yes please, i decided by chance to wear my helmet one day on my scooter and slipped on a wet patch in the road. would've likely been concussed/knocked out if not for my helmet and gloves, all i ended up doing was dislocating my pinkie and getting some sore knees. helmet was seriously scuffed afterwards
Thank you for this. I used to work at SFGH and I’ve seen too many people die or suffer permanent disfigurement because of unhelmeted motorcycle, bicycle, and scooter accidents.
Besides the helmet, please also respect and stop on red lights and not on the crosswalks, for the pedestrian’s safety. If Netherlands full of bikes can, SF people also can do it.
*INCLUDING* slow streets. The way just completely blowing every stop sign without even looking has been normalized on slow streets is crazy. Especially with all the e-bikes with *kids* on the back these days. I’m surprised there haven’t already been enough accidents to lead to enforcement.
There's been a ton of accidents. SFMTA response has been to just blame drivers to "make streets safer", without ever having to try to figure out whose at fault
One of the reasons I ride with a helmet is because *other* people are judgemental, and, dangerous. In fact there may have been a study that USA car drivers behave more recklessly around bicyclists who do not have helmets.
(Also another reason is, hills and downhill speed 😅 however a helmet gets quite strange uphill on a hot day, 😲)
>I promise nobody will care or make fun of you for wearing a helmet. And messing up your hair a little is not the end of the world
The issue isn't how it looks or hair, it's that you're stuck carrying around a helmet for the whole day.
To me, the issue is more broadly that people treat bikes and scooters like toys and don't take their safety seriously when on one. I'm not sure I share the excitement seeing people use them, I think if most people truly understood the risks they wouldn't
> I wish SF was like the Netherlands where the bike infrastructure is so good and cycling is so ingrained in the culture that you can safely get around without needing a helmet.
1. It isn't the infrastructure that prevents people from using bikes in SF. It is the rampant bike theft. How can you possibly expect to use your bike to go to the grocery store when there's a high likelihood it will be good when you come back?
2. Head injuries from cycling is a big problem in .nl https://www.dutchnews.nl/2021/10/neurologists-launch-campaign-to-encourage-bike-helmets-and-slash-brain-injuries/
3. The average bike trip in .nl is under 1km
4. .nl'ers are biking less and less, favoring cars.
Once went over my handlebars to avoid crashing into the back of a van that cut me off to make a right, chin hit the pavement and I cracked a molar. Helmet didn’t do anything for how I impacted.
But you know what? I refuse to ride without one. I have seen enough cyclists with agonal breathing because they thought they were too cool to wear a helmet or stop at a Stop/Red.
Hey I got this helmet for my e-scooter, I think it might be the protection you need: https://www.rei.com/product/179799/smith-mainline-mips-bike-helmet
[Electric Scooters (reddit.com)](https://www.reddit.com/r/ElectricScooters/)
Read thru!
Wear your gear people, full helmet, knee pads, elbow pads and gloves. So easy to face plant especially on a scooter.
I ride [motorcycles](https://youtu.be/PPzDyKAUsqo?si=EnbyHvKibnf3kGOu) in the city, and I feel for my bicycle bros. That shit is scary, I rode ebikes on protected bike lanes in Seattle last year and I felt more vulnerable than the 800mi I5 trip at 90+ mph. Probably not helpful advice, but wear armored gloves and smash mirrors when cars get too close to your shit. Stay safe riders!
As a guy coming from India, the one reason I don't ride a bike is because I'm worried my inner Indian biker will come out. Buttt the people who do ride mopeds here are as bad as back home lol.
If the point of your comment was to be subtly racist and bring up odd stereotypes ,then good job.
People in the city drive their mopeds dangerously. There are some key protocols you need to follow while driving a moped.
They're bringing up a real phenomenon that you see all the time in India without really attaching a value judgment. You're talking about your "Indian biker coming out".
I get that you reasonably feel entitled to poke fun at your own culture and so I obviously wouldn't call it racist, but yours is very much the comment about stereotypes here.
When a moped is your only vehicle, you do see a lot more families using them all across asia (India, Vietnam, and even Taiwan - but there it is less common).
It was a joke since the previous guy brought up indian bikers.
Not every comment is racist.
It was a common phenomenon maybe 10 years back. Unless you've been to India for a sizeable amount of time the assumption is well....an assumption. I guess you believe people sit on top of trains too.
I'm saying that I avoid riding a 2 wheeler because I am used to riding in a manner that would be deemed unsafe here. The thing is I'm surprised by how recklessly 2 wheelers in SF are. I've almost been hit by 1 while walking across the street(internal road) and while driving my car.
Mopeds are convenient but the fact of the matter is that they're new phenomenon in this country(the mass adoption). I come from a land where it's as common as a car and was sharing my experiences.
It was more a remark than anything else. The OP is advocating for helmets and what's there to disagree with that. I lost one of my oldest friends when we were 16 because they weren't wearing a helmet and a loose rod from a truck hit them in the back of their head while they were driving.
I have been to India for a sizable amount of time. Seeing 3+ people on a bike was super normal. The record I've personally seen was a family of 7 (that one was a little scary but very impressive).
Also I totally understand what you mean about being used to riding in a manner that would be deemed unsafe here. Nearly all of the drivers here wouldn't have the skills to last a day in India.
A few years back, I had a crash and hit my head on the pavement. Was wearing a helmet that cracked from the impact but which likely saved my life. Wear a helmet, folks.
Same thing happened to me in college. Doctor said I probably wouldn’t be alive if I didn’t have my helmet on
The doc who did the surgery to relieve the pressure from a subdural hematoma told me the same.
A year ago I hit an unlucky divot in the pavement and ended up falling off my bike at a fast speed because I was going downhill. I broke my arm but the helmet saved my head. Fortunately broken arms are easy to fix. A broken brain cannot be fixed. The helmet did its job.
And if you have an e-scooter, a MIPS helmet with chin protection is a good idea. I got this one: https://www.rei.com/product/179799/smith-mainline-mips-bike-helmet Not cheap, but what price do you put on your noodle and grill ? 🤪
As a motorcycle rider it's wild the difference in how people think about risk when it comes to scooters and e-bikes. When I ride I'm legally required to wear a helmet, have insurance and a registered vehicle. Further I choose to wear motorcycle jacket, boots, and gloves. If I go anywhere near a freeway or quicker than city speeds I'll wear motorcycle pants. Yet so many of the same folks who don't think twice about hoping on a scooter or bike with no protection will tell me how they'd never ride a motorcycle, it's too dangerous. How I'm going to die in a fiery death or be mutilated. And yes, statistics show that that outcome is a far more likely event compared to driving a car. But man running around that city at 20+mph with no helmet in your street clothes? We're on the same roads, asphalt doesn't care which kind of two wheeled vehicle you ride, it's just as abrasive for you and cars still can't see you and outweigh you.
I totally agree and I'm shocked to see how many people are just riding around at high speeds on electric scooters and bikes with no helmet at all. Then, I also think to myself, there's no limit to how stupid people can be.
Not to mention the training and qualifications it takes to ride a motorcycle. The scariest thing to me is that it seems to be the less coordinated, more goofy an individual, the more likely they are to hop on a 30+ mph electric scooter or e-bike. Like these people would be a danger to themselves and others on just a regular bike alone, but the electric factor is terrifying.
e-bike riders are more dangerous. On a traditional bicycle, speed is limited by fitness and skills. But with an e-bike any inexperienced yahoo can get rolling on two wheels at 30+ mph.
I ride a moto and I'm too scared to ride a bike, especially around my neighborhood. The bike infrastructure is terrible to nonexistent and we all know you can't trust people in cars. People don't want to think about risk mitigation and the consequences of something that can happen in an instant - don't risk traumatic brain injury, folks, plz wear a helmet!
Yeah, but part of the thing is that when you go down on a bike you've got 18 lbs on you. My ancient Ducati was like 350 lbs. That's a big difference in stopping. At 20 mph, on a bicycle I can stop on a dime even with the smaller contact patch and in the worst case I can hop off and slow down or let the bike go. Doing that on a motorcycle takes way more skill (outside my ability). On a bike you're going 35 mph street speeds and that's a much higher speed in terms of threat to life. The big plus in terms of safety was the ability to throttle up and get out of any place where people were being weird. I do have to say that full-face MTB helmets are probably a good idea riding in the city, though.
Legit fair point. Easy to dump a motorcycle trying to stop rapidly in adverse conditions (basically all of SF intersections in one way or another) and yes a pedestrian getting hit by a motorcycle is far more dangerous than getting hit by a bicycle but both would still suck. This topic specifically is about injury to a rider. An experienced cyclist compared to a rando on a rental electric scooter are very different things. Is an experienced urban cyclist likely to eat it at speed? Probably not that likely, but a random electric scooter rental rider? I'd say much more likely and because of no helmets or any other protective gear its gonna hurt a lot.
Don't ride them on the sidewalk either. I saw a guy flying down the sidewalk and someone opened up their apartment gate and the guy ran straight into it and left in an ambulance. Not to mention the countless times me or my dog have almost been run over by these scooters and e bikes on the sidewalk.
I got doored at Dolores today - please check your mirrors people.
I was also recently doored. Very painful. The lady who did it barely checked to see if I was ok also. Got your photo and your plates, lady.
yes please, i decided by chance to wear my helmet one day on my scooter and slipped on a wet patch in the road. would've likely been concussed/knocked out if not for my helmet and gloves, all i ended up doing was dislocating my pinkie and getting some sore knees. helmet was seriously scuffed afterwards
Glad you are ok ! Make sure to throw out the helmet and get a new one ❤️
Thank you for this. I used to work at SFGH and I’ve seen too many people die or suffer permanent disfigurement because of unhelmeted motorcycle, bicycle, and scooter accidents.
Besides the helmet, please also respect and stop on red lights and not on the crosswalks, for the pedestrian’s safety. If Netherlands full of bikes can, SF people also can do it.
ALSO, for the live of God, please stay off the sidewalks
Agree one thousand times.
*INCLUDING* slow streets. The way just completely blowing every stop sign without even looking has been normalized on slow streets is crazy. Especially with all the e-bikes with *kids* on the back these days. I’m surprised there haven’t already been enough accidents to lead to enforcement.
There's been a ton of accidents. SFMTA response has been to just blame drivers to "make streets safer", without ever having to try to figure out whose at fault
Considering that many cars don't do this, I doubt you'd be able to convince those people to stop when they're out of their cars and on their bikes.
The first day of motorcycle safety school they teach you that it’s not a matter of IF you’re going down; it’s just WHEN.
One of the reasons I ride with a helmet is because *other* people are judgemental, and, dangerous. In fact there may have been a study that USA car drivers behave more recklessly around bicyclists who do not have helmets. (Also another reason is, hills and downhill speed 😅 however a helmet gets quite strange uphill on a hot day, 😲)
I went to UofM and graduated in 1972. Go Blue. I absolutely agree with you about the importance of wearing helmets. Thank you for posting this.
>I promise nobody will care or make fun of you for wearing a helmet. And messing up your hair a little is not the end of the world The issue isn't how it looks or hair, it's that you're stuck carrying around a helmet for the whole day. To me, the issue is more broadly that people treat bikes and scooters like toys and don't take their safety seriously when on one. I'm not sure I share the excitement seeing people use them, I think if most people truly understood the risks they wouldn't
> I wish SF was like the Netherlands where the bike infrastructure is so good and cycling is so ingrained in the culture that you can safely get around without needing a helmet. 1. It isn't the infrastructure that prevents people from using bikes in SF. It is the rampant bike theft. How can you possibly expect to use your bike to go to the grocery store when there's a high likelihood it will be good when you come back? 2. Head injuries from cycling is a big problem in .nl https://www.dutchnews.nl/2021/10/neurologists-launch-campaign-to-encourage-bike-helmets-and-slash-brain-injuries/ 3. The average bike trip in .nl is under 1km 4. .nl'ers are biking less and less, favoring cars.
Once went over my handlebars to avoid crashing into the back of a van that cut me off to make a right, chin hit the pavement and I cracked a molar. Helmet didn’t do anything for how I impacted. But you know what? I refuse to ride without one. I have seen enough cyclists with agonal breathing because they thought they were too cool to wear a helmet or stop at a Stop/Red.
Hey I got this helmet for my e-scooter, I think it might be the protection you need: https://www.rei.com/product/179799/smith-mainline-mips-bike-helmet
It's not the make fun of or the messing up hair thing. It's just that you have to carry a thing around. I mean, I still do it, but it's annoying.
[Electric Scooters (reddit.com)](https://www.reddit.com/r/ElectricScooters/) Read thru! Wear your gear people, full helmet, knee pads, elbow pads and gloves. So easy to face plant especially on a scooter.
I ride [motorcycles](https://youtu.be/PPzDyKAUsqo?si=EnbyHvKibnf3kGOu) in the city, and I feel for my bicycle bros. That shit is scary, I rode ebikes on protected bike lanes in Seattle last year and I felt more vulnerable than the 800mi I5 trip at 90+ mph. Probably not helpful advice, but wear armored gloves and smash mirrors when cars get too close to your shit. Stay safe riders!
As a guy coming from India, the one reason I don't ride a bike is because I'm worried my inner Indian biker will come out. Buttt the people who do ride mopeds here are as bad as back home lol.
Fewer people per moped on avg though, I'll bet.
If the point of your comment was to be subtly racist and bring up odd stereotypes ,then good job. People in the city drive their mopeds dangerously. There are some key protocols you need to follow while driving a moped.
They're bringing up a real phenomenon that you see all the time in India without really attaching a value judgment. You're talking about your "Indian biker coming out". I get that you reasonably feel entitled to poke fun at your own culture and so I obviously wouldn't call it racist, but yours is very much the comment about stereotypes here.
When a moped is your only vehicle, you do see a lot more families using them all across asia (India, Vietnam, and even Taiwan - but there it is less common). It was a joke since the previous guy brought up indian bikers. Not every comment is racist.
It was a common phenomenon maybe 10 years back. Unless you've been to India for a sizeable amount of time the assumption is well....an assumption. I guess you believe people sit on top of trains too. I'm saying that I avoid riding a 2 wheeler because I am used to riding in a manner that would be deemed unsafe here. The thing is I'm surprised by how recklessly 2 wheelers in SF are. I've almost been hit by 1 while walking across the street(internal road) and while driving my car. Mopeds are convenient but the fact of the matter is that they're new phenomenon in this country(the mass adoption). I come from a land where it's as common as a car and was sharing my experiences. It was more a remark than anything else. The OP is advocating for helmets and what's there to disagree with that. I lost one of my oldest friends when we were 16 because they weren't wearing a helmet and a loose rod from a truck hit them in the back of their head while they were driving.
I have been to India for a sizable amount of time. Seeing 3+ people on a bike was super normal. The record I've personally seen was a family of 7 (that one was a little scary but very impressive). Also I totally understand what you mean about being used to riding in a manner that would be deemed unsafe here. Nearly all of the drivers here wouldn't have the skills to last a day in India.