STOP HELMET SHAMING! It’s ANTI-CYCLIST! DO THIS INSTEAD to promote cycling safety for EVERYONE! 

When you look at places with an excellent cycling culture, nobody wears helmets

For years I didn't wear a helmet. I didn't go too fast, always on a bike path, never around cars, all the excuses, I had them. Started dating a lady cyclist, and one day we decided to ride together. I live closer to the bike path, so she rode over to my place, wearing a helmet. After a little faffing about, we took off, and about a mile into the ride, I noticed that she was no longer wearing her helmet, and that's when it hit me... she wasn't wearing hers, because I wasn't wearing mine. For the rest of the ride my conscience was all over me... what if she has an accident( because we don't get to plan for accidents), what if she gets a head injury... it'll be my fault. I bought a nice helmet the next day. Because I realized that other people watch, and parrot what we do, whether we know it or not. Kids, less experienced riders just getting into the sport who want to emulate us hardened veterans, you never know who's watching and learning from your actions. Two months later, I had a life-threatening accident where my helmet-clad head took the brunt of the force, and I've been left with a lifelong TBI that causes dizzy spells, nausea, noise sensitivity, and keeps me from my main passion of whitewater kayaking, because my balance is now crap, but, I've been told without any doubt that I would not be here today if I hadn't been wearing that helmet. I'll never shame someone for not wearing one, I most likely won't ever even say anything to someone who isn't, because I do think it's ultimately up to the individual, BUT I will share my story whenever someone who's an influencer( yep man, you are an influencer) dedicates a nine minute video to why not wearing your helmet is okay, and why attempting to influence someone to wear one is bad. Love the channel. Stay safe as you wanna be!

I am at the point where I don’t care what I look like or what anybody thinks of me. If my helmet “screams” that I am a cyclist, as does my fluorescent windbreaker, lights and stretchy clothes, so what? Clothes that wash and dry quickly after an all day ride are really quite comfortable. As long as you don’t put others at risk, do your thing.

Unfortunately, I have had multiple head injuries from sports, getting hit by a drunk driver as a pedestrian (TBI), and yes, crashing on my bike without a helmet. I'm not sure how many more knocks my brain can take, so I always wear a helmet. I have no problem with people not wearing one though.

Riding bicycles like you don’t live with the American healthcare system.

I wear my helmet everywhere I go. Crossing the street, shopping the supermarket, sitting in my cubical at work. You never know when you'll come across a Karen. You have to be prepared!

As an American, I wear a helmet but never shame anyone for not wearing one as that is their fundamental right to choose. As a bald man, the helmet not only helps shade my dome but cool it as well. In fact, I want to ride faster on hot days in order to experience that built in feature. The helmet visor helps shield my eyes from the sun as well. When I don my helmet, it does not make me think I am more invincible, rather it serves to remind me to look out for the four wheeling squirrel swerving idiots trying to kill me.

I've ridden bikes since around 1963. I have pitched off my bicycle in all ways possible, except being hit by a car, with the usual scrapes and bruises, but never a head injury. I started wearing helmets in the mid 80s due mainly to the social zeitgeist. I still pitched off the bike with the usual scrapes and bruises. Now in my 60s I usually wear a beret, and ride on bike paths. I enjoy every minute.

"Before you expose me to all this groupthink on youtube, I hardly even thought about it" hits so true about so many things. Had me cracking up!

The F150 in the garage blocking the bike break down is so on point. Also, keep playing Slayer for the local youths \m/

On point! I’m a very experienced on and off road rider. And I did fall on a wet, slick bridge on our local bike paths a couple of years ago. Helmet did its job so I continue to wear them. At the same time, I’m conflicted because I want to promote the lowest barriers to entering cycling to encourage others. I actively avoid racing jerseys, clipped in shoes, etc for this reason. I love surprising the weekend warriors in their spandex as I pedal past them with two baskets full of groceries 😂. But honestly do support riders of all ilks. We have to support each other and not break down into factions which is just unproductive.

I concur. The recent findings on helmet safety as you noted is a good read. Nothing worse than a false sense of security. Your thoughts on bike culture in the US is spot on too. My reliance on bike helmets was softened when I read manufacturer recommendations regarding how often to replace your helmet and if it was subjected to any impact such as dropping it. So I frequently do not use my 15 year old helmet. Furthermore I like your tool wall!

Within the context of biking near cars, the best piece of safety gear you can put on is probably a wild hawain shirt and a straw hat.

Split a helmet in two once, missing 20 minutes of my life, didn't die though. I'm wearing one, you do you.

Freedom works both ways. People are free to tell you something, as much as you are to listen or not. And I agree, freedom to wear one or not should be left to the individual.

So spot on. I have not hated cars more than since I got a remote job and my truck was more or less just in the way of my bikes, so I started parking it outside the garage. Then bike access became easier and I started using them more. Now, my bikes get more mileage than my truck, I got a e-cargo bike for giant grocery runs and dropping off my kid, road bike for commuting, and mtb's I ride nearly every day :)

Dutch person here. We generally do not wear helmets. I am 45 and ride since I was 4 without side wheels. Never helmet, my parents and grandparents did not wear helmets, my fellow school students, no helmets. I do not know one person that is wearing a helmet. We do have good cycle infrastructure and ever car person is usually also a cyclist. We use our cycles mostly for going to school and work, transport of groceries etc. We have very different bicycles. No use for race or mountain bikes when you need to transport something. We sit more upright so we can see the traffic. We do not usually have an open chain because it will attract dirt.

I'm stealing the caring and Karen line

In a park where the oak trees swirl, Cycled a man past the dance of a squirrel. With a sharp turn and twirl, He sighed, "One less squirrel," As the leaves 'round his wheels did unfurl.

I will always ride harder with a helmet, but I'm also almost always in the street, so I'd much rather keep my helmet on. Goodness, I wish I had a nice lake path nearby to just toodle around sometimes

My take is that I always wear a helmet but I don't give random people crap for not wearing one. The only time I'll give people crap about protection is when someone is mocking a person for wearing too much; then I'll shame the shamer. Wear as much protection as you want/need. It's nobody else's business. Myself, I try not to cycle where cars are allowed. Seems to make it a LOT safer.

1. Wear a helmet or not, your choice. 2. A helmet, without a doubt, saved my life a few years ago on a simple ride 2 miles from my house.

Many many decades ago when I was a teenage speed racer we all hated helmets, especially the dork master Bells that all the touring bikers wore. The only time I ever wore one was at an actual race, where they were required and then it was one of those "Leather Hair Net" jobs. Keep up the great videos Bike Farmer!

Proper bike infrastructure will always be safer than a little bit of foam on your head. That's definitely where the focus should be

I hate my bike helmet. That being said, I chose to always wear one. One reason to wear one is, if you do get a head injury, hopefully it's not so bad that your loved ones have to feed and bathe you for the rest of your life. I also wear highly visible colors and not a cycling "kit". If you ride, it's your choice to wear a helmet or not. It's your choice to pick the colors you like. Have fun out there.

I've seen the various studies that have come out of more cycling-friendly countries (and areas of the US) that have talked about and numerically shown what you talk about in this video. It doesn't surprise me, frankly, and it has forced me to think about the subject. I used to be anti-helmet, when I was much younger. Then one day (still a teenager mind you) I was out bombing around and had an "incident"... one moment I was pedaling along nicely, the next I was admiring how pretty the clouds looked. Once I'd fully come back to reality I discovered I was lying on the road with my head less than an inch from a concrete curb, and my front wheel was a salvador dali painting model. Well that's not good. After picking most of the road gravel out of my wounds, I walked to a nearby house and asked to use their phone (that should date me pretty good! :D) I took that as a wake up call from the universe and started wearing a helmet. Now all of that, is purely my choice. I chose not to wear a helmet, until I didn't. I continue to wear a helmet to this day. I don't live someplace where I can easily get to a "bike friendly" area, by bike. Potentially if I were riding someplace where it was "less dangerous", I might go sans helmet. But as it stands now it personally feels "wrong" to not wear a helmet when I get on my bike. My son has been wearing a helmet since before he was out of diapers (Trek Super Doodle Bug!) He had his helmet replaced twice due to accidents; kids will be kids after all (see my aforementioned story), and he was glad to be wearing his helmet both times. His second crash in fact *DID* see him clip his head on a curb; you could see the dent in the helmet foam. He was fine, just took a downhill turn too wide, got in the marbles, and well physics did what it does best. I think that, adults are and should be free to choose. Kids should be mandated (kids do stupid shit after all.) I have so little faith in humanity I look both ways (multiple times!) before crossing a one-way street. As for "shaming", I do think that, given the above regarding kids and helmets, parents should set a good example. If your kids are wearing one, YOU should wear one.

Wearing a helmet inside a car is safer too!

I enjoy your snarky humor and your perspective. I’m a guy who rides a commuter bike to work and to run errands AND I do the Lycra + fancy racing bike thing, too. Keep the videos coming!

My silly helmet with flashing lights is always on my bean when I ride at night, and usually when I’m sharing the road with the hogs in the daytime.

Perfect - couldn't possibly agree more. When I think of safety on my bike the order of importance is: route selection, paying attention to the road, other users, and especially traffic, riding responsibly, visibility, and. . .if I've done all of that, and I'm going to be riding in a dangerous place, then I'll put on an helmet.

I tend to wear one off road or in traffic, but not flat, wide, off-road trails or neighborhood traffic. They come in handy for mounting a camera or headlight. But actually, how you ride is a better safety feature than what you wear. That said, don't wear black at night with no lights. Remember, safety fourth, after fun, convenience and comfort.

I ride my bike to work without a helmet because it makes my head really itchy and messes up my hair (I have a customer facing job) I’ve had a few comments off people but I just try to use quieter routes and bike paths when I can and adopt common sense riding such as watching out for getting doored/being aware of what’s behind me! I still wear a helmet most of the time on my leisure rides but I do agree when I wear a helmet I will bomb hills way too fast! Funnily enough I just read the helmet chapter in “just ride” by grant Peterson, you’ve both got it spot on 👍🏻

I don't disagree with your points in general. But I believe the injury data misses an important point: myself, my wife and her adult son have all had bike wrecks over our years riding (not involving a motor vehicle) where we cracked our helmets on the roadway. We didn't go to the hospital, as there was no serious injury. My theory is that lots of similar accidents happen where the helmet prevents hospital visits, so the injury is never recorded. That said, I am a firm believer in personal liberty...so you do you!

I got into a crash a few years back from a cable coming down power pole that grabbed my handle bars and slammed me to the ground at 15 mph. Broke in 3 different places in the back. I'll always wear my helmet. I'm 44 and have never even had a drivers license, so no, we all don't drive cars.

You’re preaching to the choir !! I do daily commute all over my small town. We downsize to one gas guzzler, and yes I have a t branded road bike (and a few vintage ). I hardly ever use my helmet. Most of the time I’m on a greenway, sidewalk, sub street. It’s low traffic and low risk. When the risk is high like training days, group rides, county roads highways or when I break out the mtb for single track rides I put it on. In short it’s my head my choice.

in 1978 I bought my first helmet at the Yellow Jersey in Madison. It was the Bell Biker pith helmet and cost $40. The saleswoman said, “now you just have to wear it.” And for the most part in 150,000 miles I have worn it. Wore it when I was hit by a truck and when I got ‘tripped’ by a opossum and when I ran over a rock which threw me to the ground. Not bad, three incidents in 150K miles. Of course I don’t mean that Bell but a new one, lighter and cooler (in more ways than one).

I was a pretty early adopter to the cycle helmet,way back in the late 80's. Mainly so i could look more like my heros in the tour de france. I quickly learned that they simply did not work for me. The reason is that i over heat when exercising. I have tried dozens of them over the years,and none of them have prevented me from having severe headaches,sometimes for several days after a long ride. I sweat far more than the average person as a result of this over heating also. I obviously know that they can prevent serious head injuries in a crash,but i have weighed the risks up over the years,and have decided that the constant readjustment of the helmet due to the discomfort i have from wearing one,is far more likely to cause an accident than not wearing one at all. I had someone just a few days ago shout at me for not wearing one,and i hàve toadmit that really made me furious that a total stranger thinks that it is ok to attack me verbally,when they know nothing about me. I really envy people that can wear one with no discomfort. I also can not wear glasses or gloves either for similar reasons. We are all different❤

When I worked at a shop, if someone came into the shop and said they crashed, our first question was "were you riding on the sidewalk"? A conservative estimate is that 80% would say "yes". How you ride, where you ride and being smart about decisions while riding is the best defense. We never ask about a helmet because it didn't have anything to do with their crash. Also... It's a dumb question. Regardless if you were or not, if the person had head/brain injuries... You don't need to ask. The only thing I think shops should discourage is newbies buying fixies.

Yea, to get the upsale at the bike shop I worked at we would say "every cyclist needs a helmet 🪖⛑️ but when you use it is up to them. Is it a dangerous ride? Then maybe wear one, like the skatepark. Is wearing a helmet going to stop you from a leisurely ride around a city park? Then you can maybe skip the helmet. It's up to you but yea, if you get hurt cycling, some Karen's are gonna say "did you have a helmet on? You should have had on a helmet." I told ya so bs.

Your comment about helmets discouraging casual riding, is shared by most folks in Amsterdam. The only people who wear helmets in Amsterdam are kids under 6 and... Americans. They told me that harping about potential injuries and safety equipment made people reluctant to take a bike to work. Their answer is to socially frown on riders who are reckless. You won't see a dude cutting around families on the sidewalk and blasting down the street. Hotdogging is just not done. Everybody rides along together, mostly. You want to zoom? Save it for the weekend rides in the country. The reason most Amsterdam bikes are step-through frames, is because you often are moving along with pedestrians and a top tube makes that much tougher.

Thank you for such a great no nonsense video. You points are all valid and supported by lots of research! I absolutely love your youtube short that normalized a casual daily ride. I'm dismayed and disgusted that you were subjected to flack. I've found that people think it's totally fine to blame the victim, throw out the "did you wear a helmet? " line rather than do the incredible work required to do necessary to get REAL bike/pedestrian safety in the form of safe bike infrastructure. Thanks too for referencing Tom Babin's Shifter channel which is one of my faves along with yours and The Path Less Pedaled. You will never find me helmet shaming! For all the reasons you outlined. That said, I've had enough wierd shit happen (no, not a squirrel ) and my helmet saved me, so I will keep wearing it. In fact, I wear it into grocery stores here in Hamilton Ontario, to normalize biking and make the point that I chose the bike over the car. I also have a REALLY IRRITATING daytime rear flashing light strapped to the helmet and those drivers who are actually looking (not texting/are drunk/busy eating/doing their hair etc.) give me a wide bearth and that's just fine with me! Thanks for such a down to earth video! Love the content and your channel !

According to our neurosurgeon we lose elasticity as we age, including our noggins. For those of us over 50 even a "minor" bump on the head can lead to concussions and brain bleeds. Ask me how I know. I've always hated wearing a helmet, but decided to give one a try, soon finding (without much effort and expense) one that fits comfortably well. After the ER episodes I've taken to wearing it more often, but still not all the time. Old dog. New tricks. I don't preach. Nor do I listen to it. But I like to learn. ATB

I've had two nasty bike accidents, i.e. ones where bones were broken. A helmet wouldn't have been a factor in either of them. However, BOTH of them happened because I was doing (or trying to do) something stupid. In my defense I was 8 and 13, but both experiences taught me to be more careful. I'm 45 now and I have a bicycle helmet. I think. I haven't seen it in a while, but I don't often ride in traffic.

It's like the motorcycle thing. You can wear one or not no shame. Myself I wear one a helmet saved me from serious injury twice. The first time my crank snapped on a steep climb and it sent my head into the handle bars and put a deep dent into the helmet. The second time I wiped out on black ice. My head bounced of a heavy iron railing it destroyed the helmet but I walked away. I would not shame but suggest wearing one just because you never know.

I finally found a helmet this year that fits my weird head (doesn't look like a mushroom), and It feels so nice that I often forget that I have it on, it even has MIPS! Guess I'm a helmet guy now. Totally justified since I'm now old and addicted to riding a fixed gear without brakes for some reason.

Also, thanks for being a cool youtuber, and thus, a “public figure”, that can be seen for all time, anytime, worldwide by kids and adults of all ages. We appreciate you doing the right thing and being a decent advocate for bike safety🎉 PS: My kids and I rode our bicycles to the crazy legs classic in Madison yesterday (we did the 2-mile walk) and a person admired my 1994 Trek 930, and mentioned he sold tons of them years ago at a Middleton bicycle shop. Now he likes refurbishing bikes for friends (and or profit?). I told him a little about your history/shop/bike van and suggested he definitely check out your RU-vid channel❤🖖

I wear a full face in the woods because it’s confidence to send it even harder. However I don’t really wear a helmet around town, because my primary risk isn’t slamming into a tree sideways at 20mph, it’s getting hit by a car. A helmet won’t stop me from getting pancaked by a ford explorer. A helmet will stop me from getting permanent brain damage from hitting a tree at 20mph. Different gear for different rides. My safety gear when rising around in town is going slower and trying to avoid the road entirely.

I was always the guy without the helmet and then I finally got my first helmet last year after riding bikes for decades.

I wear my helmet everyday and its saved my life more then once so people who wont wear helmets riding bikes are just folly fools thinking nothing can happen to them....trust me it can and does. Thats my two cents and use it anyway you like.

It’s always been interesting to me. I’ll jump on a motorcycle and roll down the highway at 80mph and know body says a word. Go for a ride on a gravel path on my bike and everyone looses there mind 🤦🏾‍♂️

I live in a area where it gets hot for most of the year and I found that wearing a helmet helps keep me cool in the heat.

I never shame anyone out riding these days. As for me, I have worn a helmet every ride since the day I flipped over the bars on a sidewalk as a teen. I was OK save for some scrapped knees. Then I looked at the helmet. It had a horrible road rash. That would have been the side of my head if not for the helmet. That was enough for me. I also use it for sunglasses to go over my regular glasses and in place of a sweat band. But you are right about it not being enough. Defensive riding is just as important.

I've skipped out on group rides before because halfway there I realized I forgot my helmet and didn't wanna hear the hassling.

Agree. A few observations; 1. I think you're right about the chasm between experienced bicycle riders and regular people. We ignore this at our peril. 2. Easiest to make wearing a helmet you don't think something about. Just put it on automatically. 3. Bike safety is best of wirh the "Swiss Cheese model" (actual name). Each safety step is additive. Safer when helmet is combined with good infrastructure + skills + bright jacket + route selection (away from cars) etc. Probably too much to a new rider, but good for long-term riders.

I use to get hassles for not wearing one on group rides. Once I was in front riding 2 across and a bee bounced off my hat and got caught in my buddy’s helmet, stung him and we had to call an ambulance. His helmet almost killed him.

I SO agree with your stance on casual cycling! Most people riding bikes aren't what Americans think of when they hear "cyclist", they're just regular people going from A to B. We need cycling to be simpler and easier so more people can use bikes instead of cars. And shaming everyone into wearing helmets is not the way to go. I'll use myself as an example- I restarted cycling at the age of 21, and wanted to get into all the tech, but then I realised that the tech, specific clothing and stuff like that made me like cycling less. It became a hassle, and I rode less because of that. Now, my bikes have no gears, I never use Strava or anything like that, I ride in everyday clothes with only my Chrome bag and a chain around my waist. Simplifying my riding and making it more convenient to do everyday tasks on a bike made me ride more. Hell, just today, I rode to the post office to grab a package- if I had to put on lycra, a helmet, specific bike shoes and whatever other garbage, I probably would've just taken my car there, but since I could just grab my bike and go, I rode there. Most people want ease of use, and if we want to make cities nicer to live in, we HAVE to make cycling more easily accessible.

I used to not wear a helmet until I came too on the the road with a woman wiping blood from my head and then the paramedics arrived, I had been unconscious for about 1/2 an hour my teeth were loose, I'd hit a pothole and lost control of the bike and smacked my head on the curb stone but I don't remember any of it, was a cabbage for a few weeks but by the grace of God, I recovered to get back on my bike so I nearly always wear a helmet now.

Wow! Interesting view from your perspective. Love your sarcasm and broad minded view!! Working in a bike shop myself in a 2 million citizen city in Germany ( guess which one) , there's only a minority of people wearing no helmets. People feel safe putting a helmet on, it's routine to do it. Wearing no helmet may cause comments from my colleagues, so on faster rides in a group I'm wearing one. Morning ride with the dog? No. Wearing helmets and all that safety thing came from Scandinavia to us if I remember correctly. Now we're making lots of money with blinking led s helmets in our shop

Years ago a friend who takes his dog out for a run every night while he rides, he didn’t’ have his helmet on. He looked back to see where his dog was and all he remembered was crawling to a door and a woman answered and she almost passed out. He had a gash on his head that required over 40 stitches and a tube sticking out of his head to drain the swelling. What happened was, when he turned to look at his dog his front wheel went off the road and he went over the bars and went I to the edge of a drainage culvert in a ditch at someone’s driveway. As someone else said, especially after that, I always wear my helmet regardless of how long or shirt the ride is.

Of all the bad injuries you could sustain in a bike accident, a skull fracture is the worst (after instant death), and the easiest to prevent.

The argument I use for the "you're not wearing a helmet?!" crowd is simple: If the main danger to a bike rider is being hit by a motor vehicle, then is that the primary risk to a pedestrian as well? Where's the outrage when people choose to walk without a helmet? For that matter, why not wear a helmet to climb a ladder or take a bath, two activities that can lead to head injury.

My chain broke while I was out of my saddle, and I went down quick, I see the helmet as the game changer in that case

Great video!! I’m 51 been riding since I was 7. Raced bmx in the 80s and navigated the congested New Jersey streets and never had a helmet. My parents never put me in a baby seat in our station How am I still alive?

I joined my town bicycle club years ago. The worse fall I had was in this club. There was a turn that leads to a path. I somehow fell over the bars and landed on the ground. Lucky I had my helmet on as I hit my head on the grass. The leader didn’t want me to get up and check to see if I was ok.

I dont like wearing hot crap on my head when im exerting energy and running hot.

I believe in each individual’s right to choose what they do as long as it is not putting others at risk. That said, I’ve gone from rarely wearing a helmet when I was young to now wearing one every time I’m on a bike and I’ll probably continue to make that recommendation to others. What they do from there is their own choice.

THANK YOU! What makes me sad is how many children have been deterred from cycling because they don’t want to wear a goofy, hot, uncomfortable helmet for no good reason. But their parents, especially millennial parents, would never think of allowing a little Johnny to ride his little bike (with training wheels) that’s only 2 feet off the ground without a helmet. 🙄

as a live long cyclist my biggest safety tip is to learn how to bunnyhop. being able to hop over things that i otherwise would have ran straight into has save me so many times. also probly lots of flats as well. a few rides ago i had to hop a very scared and confused rabbit on a dirt path. i probably wouldnt have crashed but it would have made me very sad. bunnyhops save bunnies.

Dude, my wife listens to you while I watch and you are definitely hitting your mark. (She: Trek 7300 Me: Giant Boulder, bunch-a-Treks) She's from central MN, I'm from Waukesha. The Lake Wobegon trail is great but I still miss ridin' the Glacier. Harv

I loath wearing a helmet & always have. Gravity doesn't work that way in most scenarios anyways. I ride significantly *worse* on anything wearing a helmet from ATV to Bike. Only exception due to necessity is the motorcycle.

I still have a bony lump on my skull from when i was a kid and riding a schwinn 10 speed down a dark storm drain with water flowing and no helmet. I felt very sleepy afterward probably should have went to the hospital. But to be fair I should have known not to do anything stupid ever when I first became alive.

Thank you! I have recently pulled my 20 year Trek out of storage and bought a Schwinn for my girlfriend because she mentioned she wanted to ride bikes. I used to ride every day for years. Now I find out the city I live in mandates helmets in their ordinances 😡 I just wanted to ride up and down the bike path! I actually tried a helmet when I used to ride and it's way too hot for me. I'll never wear one. I survived all those years, AND as a youth, without one

Funny you brought up squirrel, nearly hit one on my bike last month. I was only goin prolly 8mph but he was so desensitized to loud car tires he didnt even know i was coming but i never slid a tire goin so slow. He moved but wasnt overly fearful of me due to being a town squirrel.😊

I'm a roadie that lives on a main road and I have two kids I need to set an example for. I don't go anywhere without my helmet and I'll happily tell anyone I care about to do the same. It isn't about shaming, it's about caring. If I don't care about you I won't mention the helmet or lack thereof.

There was a time when I didn't wear helmet like ever, but my riding was relatively slow pace and we have pretty good bike infra here. Since I started riding faster I accustomed myself wearing a helmet and now it feels a bit naked to not wear it. Just yesterday crashed by simple steering mistake, and my forehead would've taken very nasty scratches from asphalt. Very glad it was my helmet that took those scratches instead.

The Dutch almost never wear helmets. I wonder what their stats on injuries are?

I had a skull fracture when I was a kid,. Skateboarding. I almost died. Pretty sure I was hit by a car ( i have inferred) but I don't remember any of it. I wear a helmet every time out cause I don't want another skull fracture. The logic that it doesn't protect you from all the danger is just...it's just not bright. It protects your skull. Which really is a lot.

A helmet saved my life once. Long story short, I was going about 20mph & my front wheel was suddenly spun all the way to the right. I was thrown onto my back (which was saved by a backpack style hydration pack that was full) at high velocity & my helmet was cracked instead of my skull. That said, self righteous moralizing about anything is not the way “work well & play with others” which we were all supposed to learn how to do by the end of Kindergarten.

Great thoughts. I spent my whole life with no helmet. Then about 10 years ago had an officer follow my everyday for a week, every time I saw them would cross street or duck into trails. At that time I finally got a helmet just to avoid being fined.

You tell it like it is. That's what I love about this channel. That said, I wear my helmet every time. It's just a habit or routine. No judgement on those who think otherwise. Keep up the great work man

I have a question: How has the incidence of head injuries vs shoulder injuries changed since people started wearing helmets? If helmets do anything, the ratio should decrease significantly. If they don't, the ratio should remain constant. I have tried to find this data, but have been unsuccessful. Does anybody have access to this data? Have I missed some important paper? Anybody?

My subtle flip of the bird is my white Lumos helmet that i wear commuting to work on quite cycling UNfriendly streets in San Antonio TX. I get honked and yelled at while they pass me, but i know that im seen as i smugly grin while passing them at the stop light

I agree with every point you make. I wear a helmet partly because twice In two years I had two crashes involving my head wearing a helmet. One of them caused minor permanent neck injury and 15 minutes of arm paralysis. It is also state law. The police don't care either way and there is a super abundance of illegal off road vehicle traffic on the road as well. No lights on at night at 40 to 60 mph, no problem. There is a balance between personal freedom and lawlessness. If violating the law places non participants at risk, that's where I draw that line. Personal freedom should not mean acting a total ass on the road for anyone.

I almost always wear a helmet on my bike rides especially if I'm going to be on any long stretches of public roadway but today I wore a running hat with a bill on it because of possible rain showers. Somehow, I survived. When I ride my motorcycles however, I always wear a full-face helmet along with armored jackets, pants or kevlar lined jeans. I wish people would wear all the gear all the time but even I can't do it constantly so I'm not about to shame anyone in any level.

I have four helmets. Whether or not I grab one depends on the circumstance. If I ride in a group, I'd grab one, and it's likely mandatory on anything organized. If I volunteer with a local youth cycling program, I will certainly grab a helmet by way of example. Yesterday I went for a 66Km jaunt on lightly traveled roads at a low traffic time, and for this all I had on my head was a rolled up bandana and anti-bug glasses. Both sweat and bugs are a necessary part of the ride. If I'm riding solo and exercising due care, a crash shouldn't be.

You got it right. We need safer infrastructure for bicycles and pedestrians. Demand it and make sure your local officials hear from you. I always wear my helmet because of where I have to ride, even though I hate the straps on bicycle helmets too. Who designed those crazy straps anyway? I also think wearing bright clothing is essential to survival when on a bicycle or walking at night. All of you riding with dark clothing on a dark rainy night, expecting those of us with aged eyes to see you and avoid hitting you are nuts, or suicidal. Please, go get a cheap bright reflective fluorescent vest that weighs nothing and wear it so that I can see you! I even wear a bright jacket to drive to the grocery store, just to be safer walking through the parking lot at night. Don't be that squirrel and try to cross the road with a dark brown coat on! Your channel is great, thank you!

I love this so much! I now live in a jurisdiction with helmet laws for EVERYONE. On ANYTHING which wheels. Skateboards scooters etc. The same weirdos who wanted to defund these police are also the same weirdos who like creating new laws. Perhaps instead of defending the police, we could just get rid of really stupid laws. And anytime some prediabetic video game addict speaks to me about the collective cost on our healthcare system , I don’t tell them to stop eating so much and perhaps get a bit of exercise. Maybe I should.

I once had a squirrel decide to challenge my front wheel. That critter was Yeeted to the next county.

Thanks for this video! Im so tired of the programming.

Love it. I use my bike for short errands and sometimes I wear a helmet, and sometimes I don't.

one time I crashed, cracked my helmet, and blacked out. I like that it has a built in visor since I wear glasses since I have bad eyesight. Also keeps the sun off my black hair which soaks it up and cooks me in the summer.

There is some recent data coming out of Europe comparing Denmark with Netherlands. The Danes have been promoting helmet use and have less fatalities than the Dutch despite similar biking culture. I’ll look at your data but it may be survivor bias as falls saved by helmet are unlikely to be reported in accident data.

When I got put on a blood thinner, (Warfarin) a year ago because of a mutant genetic tendency for pulmonary embolism's, I was warned that cycling might be dangerous due to a massive brain bleed if I struck my head on the pavement, so I guess I'll just have to keep wearing my helmet. Back when I had a ten mile commute to work, there was a place where I could catch a little air at a jump in the sidewalk. I came down a little poorly and smacked the side of my head on the pavement pretty hard. I shook it off and kept riding but it definitely occurred to me that the helmet saved my ass that day. I have my rearview mirror attached to the helmet so wearing it is instinctive to seeing what is coming up behind me. Riding across southwest Ontario, I came across a couple from England who weren't wearing helmets or rear view mirrors. That part of Canada, people were exceedingly nice so they had no problems. Once I crossed the border into that third world country known as USA, it was a little different. But yes of course to each his own. I don't think vehicle drivers make some kind of judgement on helmet versus no helmet as whether or not to be assholes to us.

I had a helmet in the 1980s, the original Bell Biker. I did not ride with it all the time, but I did have it on the evening I got hit in an intersection. I broke my wrist, but my head was okay. The helmet had a skid patch that cut through the surface into the styrofoam liner. I'd say that time the helmet saved me from a serious head injury. I've been a believer ever since. I'm not calling anyone out for not wearing helmets, but I do make the offer of a helmet when I'm selling a bike. YMMV.

"There's a fine line between carin' and Karen" is one of the best lines I've heard in a while, thanks for that unexpected laugh. While I don't see why you wouldn't wear a helmet if you own one, and you probably should buy one if you don't, I do get your point about it being better overall for the proliferation of cycling that people aren't shamed for not wearing one.

The BikeFarmer has put in 10,000 hours into bikes. I have put 10,000 hours into the field of research methods. I hope he respects that as well. I am subbed and enjoy the BikeFarmer. Just some info-to clarify. Sit in a chair-in an office. Then put a helmet on your head(that has a camera attached to it that is pointing to your eyes). Then play a video game. You will take more risks IN THE VIDEO GAME with the heavy camera helmet than the no helmet group. This sounds like something the BikeFarmer would mock.(now you know). (I still agree with most of your points). FYI a large body of great high-quality research that has been replicated does not exist-to prove/disprove either case. Physics and 16 years working as a trauma nurse gave me a highly concentrated dose of reality-and fate is capricious. Now I actually feel free and relaxed when I use my helmet. (never thought I would experience that) Don't worry about how you appear-you WILL look like a nerd. Yeah, I've got long flowing locks like the BikeFarmer :( Do yourself a favor, buy a Brim and lean into it. It is all smiles.:) :) :) You make a great point about hip injuries. I'm 56. I wear downhill Hip pads under my sweats. Hip fractures often change people's lives. If I see you with or without a helmet-you'll get 🤘and a smile from me. Best wishes to all in your cycling adventures.

The Bike Farmer is well spoken. He made the statement that wearing a bike helmet may encourage more risky behavior. Does putting on a helmet encourage more risky behavior? As someone who has worn a hardhat for 40 years, I hope not. About 30 years ago, I hit a car with my bike. I flew over the hood and my head hit the pavement. I had a helmet on. I broke my collarbone but not my head. I will put the helmet on. It's so light I forget it's there.

The main feature of the helmet I find useful is... the peak/visor. So that I don't get blinded by the sun and hit by the odd low hanging branch in the face. Some other people wear sunglasses, I can't. I do have a heavy helmet with a chinguard for the heavy terrain purposes and experiments. And a bunch of motorbike safety gear. But that's for test riding. I do wish they made comfier safety clothes that do not scream "cyclist" at everyone.

I bicycle commuted for years. I rode a city bike at moderate speed on side streets in good conditions. And I didn’t wear a helmet. I didn’t have a place to carry or store it, and the safety gains were negligible, as you point out. But, always wore a helmet when road riding.

In '73 i rode across canada without a helmet. In '74 i was a bicycle messenger in NYC - over the years i had a few spills. No serious damage. In '15 , a distracted driver went through a stopsign and splattered me on a busy street. I had a helmet on, i landed on my forehead , which scratched my helmet ( also stove up my hip and a few ribs). My daughter's friend came to me crying after they went on a bikeride ' i had insisted they wear helmets. She had fallen off the bike going down a steep hill. She was crying because she broke my helmet. I hopefully explained to her that was OK, etc. But, i proscribe to everything you say. Its unfortunate that USA is so behind in cycling. What ou fer them black bickups!