[skierscott]

For the past couple months, I've thought about John Gruber's stance against helmets. After thinking it over, I'm inclined to believe it matters what type of biking you're doing. Your helmet usage should vary if you're riding in the Tour de France or taking a NiceRide bike (rent by hour deal) around town. Ditto for riding in an area that very bicycle conscious (bike lanes, many bikers) vs not (busy street, curbed, etc).

If you're just beginning cycling, please use roads that are bicycle friendly. Use a road with a wide shoulder or a bike lane and slow traffic. Don't use the busiest curbed downtown street.

I speak as a severe traumatic brain injury survivor. I don't take any unnecessary risk, explicitly to avoid the chance of re-injury. Growing up around helmets as the son of two ski patrollers, wearing a helmet is a part of life. It does not inhibit my riding and while drivers might be less careful around me, I won't take that risk.

> Children and toddlers on foot are far more likely to receive traumatic brain injuries than cyclists

A traumatic brain injury is, at best, a severe concussion[1] and worst case can result in death or a coma that lasts for months. I would just like to make that clear.

[1]:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traumatic_brain_injury#Severit...

[andrewfong]

> After thinking it over, I'm inclined to believe it matters what type of biking you're doing.

You should wear a helmet regardless. It's easy to misjudge. I remember seeing a cyclist at U.C. Berkeley laying on the ground with blood pooling around his head. No helmet. From what I can tell, he was zipping downhill and hit a water fountain. You might think that the middle of a college campus is a fairly safe place to bike given the lack of cars, but in truth, it can get dangerous pretty quickly. Lots of student walking around not paying attention and, in Berkeley's case, steep hills.