Comment 65612

By d.knox (registered) | Posted July 06, 2011 at 09:00:13 in reply to Comment 65609

There is a good reason for opposition to helmets: they are a disincentive to cycling. If there was an overwhelming body of evidence that helmets improved cyclist safely, then cyclists would have to accept helmets as part of cycling. But there isn't.

Meanwhile, many, many people are choosing not to cycle because of helmets. Nobody looks good in a helmet. Helmets make your head hot. Helmets are a nuisance to wear and a nuisance to carry around once you park your bike.

If we want bicycling to become a more normalized part of people's daily life, then we really have to stop treating cycling like a sport that requires special equipment. Wear normal clothes and pedal at a reasonable speed. Get a good chain guard to protect your clothes from chain grease. Get a bike that lets you sit up instead of hunched over like you are competing in a race (fortunately these are becoming popular again). Use hand signals for changing lanes and ride on the road. Lobby for better bike lanes and use side roads if you aren't a confident cyclist. And enough with the freaking helmets.

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