Originally Posted by
rando
I think you don't need a helmet, but if people wear one I really don't care, but Like closetbiker I am against false information being spread about them.
I wore a helmet for years before I decided to remove it and I can respect anothers choice if they want to wear one.
I may have an argument with some of the reasoning people give for wearing helmets, but I wouldn't denigrate another just because I don't agree with them.
Denigrating others doesn't help people understand an issue; more often it fosters alienation, feeds ignorance, and makes things worse.
That's a good point.
Frankly, though, people posting things like (and I paraphrase here) "I'm likely to injure myself through incompetence, so I think helmets are great!" really yank my chain. I grew up racing in an era and place where cyclists were a rare and elitist bunch. We prided ourselves on being as thoroughly competent as we could and we worked hard on improving ourselves. Now cycling is a common activity, and the average cyclist is, well, pretty average. That in and of itself doesn't bother me too much, but when those folks start holding forth on how things should be done, I tend to forget what few manners I have.
Whether cyclists decide to wear or not wear helmets is truly none of my business, but there is a pretty fine line between "I wear a helmet because I think it's a good idea" and "so I think you should wear one too" - especially when posting on a thread like this one.