I think that cycling on road (not road racing) should be safe enough not to need a helmet; if it does, I don't go on that trip. If I cannot safely use a bicycle around town without a helmet it means a child cannot ever use a bike safely.
Offroad I voluntarily take moderate risks, so I always wear a helmet and gloves (gloves are more for comfort) and sometimes an enduro "light armor" to protect me from tree branches on a single trail. But the equipment I wear is 100% my decision and I want to stay that way.
I appreciate that response. The only thing I have issues with is this statement.
> I think that cycling on road (not road racing) should be safe enough not to need a helmet; if it does, I don't go on that trip.
Would you say the same thing about seatbelts in a car? I just can't figure out how to wrap my mind around not taking a trip if you need safety gear with one mode of transportation and not another.
Fully agree about it should be each person's individual decision.
And nice to run into another cyclist on this site!!
Well, the seatbelt is a complicated situation; I ride motorbikes at 100 mph (160km/h) with no seatbelt (in places where that speed is legal) and I don't feel the need for one, but I wear a seatbelt in the car at 50 km/h. Why? The seatbelt is just there and it has almost zero inconvenience for me to put it on, so I do. Not because I feel safer with a seatbelt at 50 km/h - I do appreciate airbags at that speed.
Bicycle helmets, on the other side, can be inconvenient; also you don't have one with you at any time, like any car has a seatbelt. Bikes are relatively slow, so having a helmet "just in case" mandatory at all times does not make sense for me, maybe for small children to some extent. Just ask yourself: what is next, helmets, balistic armor and knee protectors mandatory by law for pedestrians just because they may be hit by a car, bicycle or fall on the ice? There should be a limit and for me the limit is the mandatory helmet on a bicycle. Yes, I encourage beginners to wear helmets on bicycles on the street, but I would not mandate it, that gives the wrong message that the streets are not safe.
Offroad I voluntarily take moderate risks, so I always wear a helmet and gloves (gloves are more for comfort) and sometimes an enduro "light armor" to protect me from tree branches on a single trail. But the equipment I wear is 100% my decision and I want to stay that way.