Your head is very valuable to you. But you're cheap by nature. Should you buy an expensive bike helmet?
It’s still 3:00 in the morning. I’m not changing clothes. Time to get perky!
In California we make laws for just about everything. Because it’s important that we protect ourselves from ourselves. Boy do I sound like a libertarian. A sarcastic libertarian. Anyway, somewhere around 2003 Gray Davis upgraded the bicycle helmet law to include any kid under 18 riding anything with wheels. More or less. Since that time helmets have been selling like mandated hotcakes. Most states have a helmet law in one form or another. We know we have to buy them… the question for this show is which one should you buy?
Helmet price can very substantially. You can go to Walmart and drop 10 bucks on the cheapest piece of foam noggin padding you can find… or you can go all out and order a $200 custom work of protective art; that you’re positive will not only stave off potential head injury, but is guaranteed to make you go faster than you ever thought possible… because it costs so much. I mean, it’s got to be worth it, right?
This is where the classic conflict arises. Is this one of those situations where you get what you pay for? I mean, I like my head. And it has a certain intrinsic value to me. Wouldn’t a high quality protective device be worth the purchase? But at the same time, I’m cheap like that and I don’t want to blow money on something that I will likely never use. At least I hope I’ll never use it.
We looked around on this secret thing called the internet to find out… uh… the crash rating tests for these helmets… and to chart bike speed courses? I’m just making this up as I go. There is a site called helmet.org with an entire page long study… of a study… result thing, that they… It’s 3:00 in the morning.
They took several different models with a large range in price and subjected them to both low and high velocity impacts.
[Hitting helmet with wooden hammer] Low. High.
The results are fantastic. [Hitting helmet with hammer again] Ouch. They are so close to identical it’s astounding. Identa-what? Yeah, you heard right. They are same! At least so close it really doesn’t matter. They call that statistically insignificant… difference. A statistically insignificant difference.
This is good news. While the study wasn’t complete – it didn’t include different variations like wet conditions or people with bad hair – it was done with ASTM/CPSC testing. I don’t really know what that means. But it sounds official. And it makes me feel good in justifying my cheap-ness. $10 replacement helmet, here I come. That’s it. I’m done. Can I go to bed now?
Still three in the clock [sigh] [laugh] It’s still three in the clock in the morning. Urgh! It is.
Links for the show
http://www.helmets.org/testbycost.htm
http://www.bhsi.org/mandator.htm
http://www.astm.org/
http://www.cpsc.gov/
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30 Comments
Meandering {207}
I like the low and high velosity test you did to yourself. I hope there is no permanent damage.Whovian007
Was sent a link to one of your videos on YouTube... ....2 1/2 hours later..... Having watched multiple videos, gone to your ...Minnasha
Ummmm.... and why are you up at such a horrid hour?Perrygirl
If anyone knows ANYTHING about whats going on please inform! I love love love the show but thats about it ...Pheonix
You can't leave! :'( I'll never know what I need to again!BinxBlack
Wait, am I missing something? You moved? (as in moved offices)russdpipes
It sucks you gotta move. Did you hit hard times again?Perrygirl
PLEASE COME BACK!!! I just jumped on your band wagon a week ago and have watched all your videos! I ...PicoDeRyo
Is this some sort of conspiracy to encourage me to watch old episodes, I think I have watched every episode ...BinxBlack
We need a new video! (If you don't have any ideas, I have some great ones. :) Check the suggestion ...Ingrid [22]
Come on you guys! :P Don't fall off the map again! There was supposed to be a big thing happening ...lobe
Three in the morning is clearly the ideal time to hit yourself in the head with a hammer...And to subsequently ...dongkyun
Honestly, I don't think a helmet would provide protection against the crazy drivers in Korea. You would need a full-body ...CrazyDave
So, having been in multiple bike crashes...(It's not 3am, but go with me here)...the helmet isn't what saves you...unless you're ...Jennifer McKenzie
LOL!!!! 3am. Best time for official mandated goodness. And I knew there's a reason I loved you. You're a ...Curtis [22]
Is the mallet a new insomnia remedy? I guess I'm going to have to start checking in at 3am ...pkw
california helmet story- My cousin was chased on his bike and hit over the head with a baseball bat while ...tomboy
why do you keep making shows at 3:00 in the morning? you need your rest because it takes a lot ...nikmn
You guys are great. I feel all warm and fuzzy inside.Ingrid [22]
The Netherlands is probably one of the biggest bicycle countries in the world, and here we hardly wear helmets. Mostly ...chancemuse
Still 3? What a marathon, feeling the love guys. If you still haven't slept and are feeling woozy and generous... ...suesaw88
I never knew that wearing a bicycle helmet was the law, so I looked up information on specific states helmet ...Moongazer27
The real question i'd like answered is your odds of actually getting into trouble for not wearing a helmet.Butterfly
I think the important thing is that you actually wear the helmet, not just let it gather dust in the ...Jair
Go to sleep. You deserve it.Scott
It's the WYOTK 3 am Marathon!!Teagan [22]
*US! I meant US!Teagan [22]
Wow, you guys really do love you. I should have never doubted you.Samuel
Love all the new shows!nick
good show, it's still three in the clock in the morning. And also I am definitely enjoying the frequency of ...