It's definitely a weird kind of embarrassment, I won't pretend it doesn't exist. But it's one of those hurdles that are so small in retrospect, you wonder how you ever let it stop you from experiencing all the benefits of a cycling rich life. I think it's because until you've experienced it, you don't realize how much is on offer on the other side of the fence.

In my own city I wouldn't ride without one, but in a more shared space friendly city, like famously in many cities in Japan, I wouldn't be as inclined to wear one. If I'm riding at 30kmph right next to traffic, you bet I want a helmet. But < 20kmph in and out of foot traffic, or properly shared slower roads, then I wouldn't worry about it.

I used to feel the same. Then I was with my 8 year old son, me running alongside him cycling on a path in a green be grassy park. He lost his balance and slowly rolled over and banged his head on the only damn rock in the entire path. Fortunately he had his helmet on.

I am somewhat similar. The irony is that when you're riding next to traffic, a helmet offers little protection against being hit by a car. The biggest gains are solo crashes against the asphalt, with no cars involved. So if I'm riding a city bike for fun or chores, I may not wear a helmet (especially a shared bike). But if I'm riding the hills for sport, helmet on every time.

Anecdote incoming: I was hit by a car while bicycling home one night about ten years ago. I was knocked over and broke my collarbone in two places. I remember thinking at the hospital, "It's amazing I didn't hit my head. A broken clavicle really isn't that bad." (it's basically nature's crumple zone)

Only a couple days later did I think to check my helmet. It had a huge crack on the outside and two smaller ones on the inside. I absolutely smashed my head on the pavement. That helmet saved me from serious head trauma, if not worse.

From a random stranger on the internet: Please wear your helmet while bicycling. There are many ways to end up hitting your head after a bike crash, and all of them are bad.

I second this. A car pulled out in front of me once - I went over the handlebars, landed on my hip and my head whiplashed onto the tarmac. If I hadn't had my helmet on it's very likely that I would have fractured my skull, including all of the attendant risks of serious brain injury.

> The irony is that when you're riding next to traffic, a helmet offers little protection against being hit by a car.

It may save you from head trauma as a result of a car hitting you, either from your head hitting the pavement or the car.

> a helmet offers little protection against being hit by a car

This doesn't seem true? A lot of people who get hit by a car end up falling to the ground, where they can hit their head on the concrete.

on a tangent: the effect described there that a helmet hinders taking up biking certainly applies to me. A friend gifted me a bike helmet (i always cycle 20km to him) and when I tried it out, it sucked all my joy out of biking and I thought: huh, taking the train would be more fun. I realized that it doesn't make sense to take the train just because I don't like the helmet and went on biking without it. However, I also don't like headsets with noise-cancelling and there must be something with my head/ears or something that's different from most (?) people so my suggestion for everyone else: at least try a helmet. But if you don't like it, don't stop biking just because (unless your city has no respect for bikers, then don't bike at all).

You get used to it. Only have tried it once doesn't seem like giving it a fair go - if you spent the whole ride concentrating on the helmet I'm sure it felt annoying, but if you wear it for every ride for a month you'd likely forget it was there. It may also have been the wrong size, and there's a wide variety of weights / styles out there to choose from. It took me a while to find one that I actually felt comfortable in.

I used to wear helmet regularly and it still discourages me from riding. Stopped wearing it after one season. If I rode only for sport, it would not be that much annoying, but if I ride for transport (to work or store) it is super annoying to have to deal with it.

Can you elaborate on how the bike helmet sucked all the joy out of biking?