Originally Posted by
surgeonstone
But here is something to consider. As our head is "hurtling" to the ground, Our brain is gearing up to protect this head, we curl into a ball, our shoulders are wide enough to protect us from contact with the ground and all of these survival mechanisms are altered with strapping on a helmet. Our " head "(+helmut) is now larger, increasing the likelihood of head(+helmut) contact that otherwise may not have occurred. So is it really helping us or is it perhaps not so clear at all and in fact , may be hurting us.
I wouldn't wear a helmet if I would just slide on the flat ground. The reason I and a lot of other riders wear helmets is for cases when you hit a tree or a car head first (for instance on a fast descent). Things like these happen every year in the hills, when either a car brakes unexpectedly or the bike tire fails/slides. How on earth would someone "curl up" when he is flying like a superman towards the obstacle?