by Leon Li

Created on: August 14, 2009   Last Updated: August 16, 2009

You often hear of fatal motorcycling accidents on the road, and you've likely heard a story of where a person wasn't wearing a helmet. In any sport with a risk of head injury, it's almost a universal rule to wear helmets. Football, hockey, baseball, skiing, auto racing, and yes, mountain biking.

Mountain biking is something that you can do for a relaxing day out, or you can do it competitively in wet and dangerous conditions for the thrill. In both cases, it's not only a good idea to wear a helmet, it can save your life.

What is a helmet? It's something that protects your head. In more specific terms, it's a hard covering for your head, that will evenly distribute the pressure from an impact all over your head to absorb some of the energy, as well as prevent any sharp rocks or pointy branches from breaking your skull. Even with a helmet, a hard impact can sometimes cause a concussion, so what if you aren't wearing a helmet when that happens?

Whenever you are biking, and not just mountain biking, you have to protect your head at all times. Particularly with mountain biking, there's always a severe risk of injury when you fall, because when you fall from a bike, it's going to be in an awkward position, one where you can't maintain your balance or you simply get violently thrown off. Because of this, if you lose control of your bike and the front wheel turns sharply, you will get thrown off, and if you're in a wooded area, you may get thrown into a tree, probably from the side. If you are not wearing a helmet, any branches may gouge out or severely damage your eyes, you will get several scratches and bruises on your face without a doubt, and at worst, you may fracture or break your skull.

If you're riding downhill and suddenly can't control the speed of your bike and you crash into a rock, you'll get thrown off from the front, either flipping or shooting head first into the ground. Assuming your arms aren't sufficient enough to prevent your head from landing in the ground, that sort of impact may break your nose, and again, damage your eyes.

There are several types of helmets that mountain bikers use. Cross-country helmets, which are the same type as road helmets, which have the benefit of being light and comfortable, particularly for long journeys with lots of perspiration. There are skateboard-style helmets, that look like thick baseball caps, are cheaper and more durable than cross-country helmets, but are generally heavier and have less ventilation, so they should be used for shorter rides.

The BMX-style helmet provides the most protection, covering the entire head, and they are excellent for extreme conditions and rough terrain. It's recommended that you wear goggles, especially if you're riding in wet weather or in wooded areas, because rain will get into your eyes and pose a safety hazard, and an low branches won't damage your eyes.

Wearing a helmet, no matter what type or style, is of utmost importance when you're mountain biking. They may be a little expensive, but no amount of money is worth putting your life in danger.

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