Originally Posted by
buzzman
That makes sense.
In fact, I think that many situations the average non-racing cyclist might encounter are the kinds of situations "likely to produce the kind of impacts against which bicycle helmets do a reasonable job". Like riding on bike paths, dirt road riding, mountain bike riding, riding on residential streets with little traffic but the possibility of pedestrian collisions, getting knocked off the bike by a dog, hitting a pothole or similar road hazard.
Maybe. But again, the key is that the decision should be left up to the individual. I'm not qualified to judge what an "average" rider might be and I don't think anyone else is either. So if Joe Cyclist feels the risk of riding in the situations you mention justifies the benefit of the helmet (and, hopefully, understands the limitations of the helmet) then more power to him. I just hope he keeps his mouth shut about it when other people come to different conclusions.