That is really wacky. Why are they monkeys?

This study, among others, suggests that cycling is not that dangerous, with or without helmets.

If you remove drunks, the results show, per 1 million miles traveled, there are 0.13 pedestrian deaths, 0.15 bicycle deaths, 19.6 motorcycle deaths, and 0.78 in cars.

As the second commenter says, helmets are not effective until you need one. Whether you will need one while cycling is a hot debate.

Then again, as another poster points out, there is no downside, except maybe looking like a dork.

One proud dork here!

Wear a helmet!

JR, do you wear a helmet while in a car, or drunk walking?

The point is, there are risks in everything we do. If the risks of riding a bicycle are the same or less than other activities where nobody wears a helmet, then why pressure me to wear a helmet?

Just because it doesn't hurt is not reason enough. If wearing a helmet while talking on the phone was fashionable, would you do that too? No. There needs to be a positive reason.

Until then, I will remind people that cycling is not dangerous.

Cycling is as dangerous or safe as you want it to be. Just like a lot of other sports.

I ride to work every day. I love cycling. But I believe it's up to me to keep myself safe. I ride thousands of KM every year. I know I'm never going to wear a yellow jersey, by the same token, I do feel that I am a competent cyclist.

That being said, it only takes a second for something to happen. Might not be my fault. Maybe a car cuts me off. Maybe I run over a shard of glass and pop my front tire. If looking like a dork is the insurance I need to pay to keep me from spending the rest of my life sitting in a chair drooling because of some brain injury, then so be it.

I too am a proud dork.

Wear a helmet.

Funny enough, that Treehugger carried this story that happened right near my street.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/05/cyclists_head_r.php

That was enough for me. If there is anything I can do to prevent becoming a vegetable, I will do it. I look extremely dorky.

Yes, you never know, and we all take risks, and anything can happen, but these helmets are awesome if you end up falling on your head, or maybe getting your head run over.

I used to live in MN and biked all year round. I never once got hit by a car while walking. I did however get hit by a car while biking (driver pulled right into me) and came out of it with a small bruise on my calf and a huge dent in my helmet.

I also wiped out on the ice. Came out of that one consirably more hurt (lost a fair amount of skin and my bike was trashed). Actually cracked my helmet in two on the curb but again had no damage to my face or head. I am a proud dork with a helmet on.

-Matt

The problem with helmet use is that there is also some negative sides to their use. Risk compensation is one of them. If you are only slightly less careful when you put on a helmet, that can increase your chance of injury more than the helmet reduces it. It's one theory as to why seatbelt laws have sometimes caused an increase in the number of cars that hit cyclists or pedestrians, even as they reduce the danger of being in the car.
One study has shown that the more professional you look on your bike, the closer cars will pass by you. In this respect, the safest was to have women's clothing, a wig and no helmet, and the most dangerous was to wear a helmet and biking shorts.
Also, if helmet laws or pressure to wear a helmet cause some people to not bike, this makes biking more dangerous for all who do, because motorists watch out for cyclists more when they encounter cyclists more often.
So, the dangers of helmet use are perhaps not direct, but are present nevertheless, and are not as simple as just looking silly.