“That’s ok, I’d rather look like a dufus than actually become a dufus with real brain damage.”
As an adult, I don’t ride bicycles. Horses? Yes. Dirt bikes? Yes. Bicycles? Ummm...no thanks.
As a kid, I rode bicycles everywhere, including off the roof of our house (once). No helmet. Not too much brain damage. Any I had was present BEFORE I tried riding my bike off the roof.
But on a bike path? Only a pansy would use a helmet for riding a girl’s bike on a bike path. GWB wore a helmet, but he wasn’t strolling with his daughter along a bike path...
Well, to be honest, I’m first and foremost a mountain biker. However, my worst accidents have been on the road. Concrete is very unforgiving.
Can’t say I’ve ridden a horse since I was 11 or so, but I do ride dirt bikes, and I always wear a helmet then as well. However, dirt bikes don’t do a lot for my heart and lungs. Everyone should do some kind of cardiovascular exercise, and for me it’s bicycles. I’ll guarantee that the guys who think they’re too manly to ride a bicycle have never done an off-road century. It will definitely separate the men from the boys.