Originally Posted by
InTheRain
they are only necessary if you crash and your head (or helmet) make contact with the ground. Other than that, they are a decoration only. But, I hear that brains don't heal quite as well as arms, shoulders, ribs, etc. I've only found my helmet necessary for about 5 seconds in all the time that I've ridden bikes. But, I'd rather wear the helmet, in all it's "uselessness", than be spoonfed and have my diapers changed for the next 50 years.
It's interesting you should make the "spoon fed and diaper" comment. Whenever I tell my wife that I'm thinking of starting to ride helmetless she always comes back with something like:
"Sure, fine. Go ahead. But just so you know, if you suffer a head injury, I'm not going to wipe your ass and give you sponge baths for the rest of your life. I'll either have them pull the plug or stick you in a home. Have a nice ride!"
Really though. Even though I think about it occasionally, I don't think I'd ever actually stop wearing a helmet. Being in the habit of wearing one and then making the conscious decision to stop wearing it ulitmately just seems stupid to me. I've never heard a compelling argument for
not wearing one. And I've heard several compelling arguments
for wearing one.