I bike commute almost everyday, I'm tired of people in the office asking "where's my helmet" then followed by a snide comment that it is dangerous and I should protect my brain.
Here are my reasoning for not wearing helmet:
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I need my noise-cancelling headphone. The loud sound of cars is giving me more brain damage.
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I've been cycling since I was 4, and I've never got hit by a car. I know road rules and not an aggressive cyclist when commuting.
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I wear helmet when cycling for exercise, mountain-biking, when I could be distracted by either maintaining my rpm or cycling on difficult terrain. I don't cycle that fast when commuting.
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Helmet-checking is victim blaming. Cars are predominantly at fault in car-cyclist crash, it is almost always car who is not paying attention, texting, had eyes going elsewhere, dozing off, going off lanes. You cannot doze off when on a bike. Cyclist had everything to lose in a crash and tend to ride conservatively, regardless of what you believe. The only exception to this rule is gig economy delivery driver who are always in a rush, and it is always the fault of delivery company to impose such ridiculous time rule that endanger their workers.
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The cycling lane is for everyone. Wearing helmet creates an image that cycling on shared public road as method of transportation is inherently dangerous, and as a result, especially in North America you only see young adults cycling to commute. People go into debt to maintain their car, just because they perceive cycling as inherently dangerous. Having only fit young adult cycle also gives an excuse for your local municipality for not upgrading the public cycling infrastructure and make it safer.
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Finally, it's not your business. It is considered rude to tell people they shouldn't smoke, drink alcohol, eat meat, eat ultraprocessed food. Everyone knows they are bad for you, but people still do it. Driving cars kill the planet, it is bad for every living being, but people don't get scolded everyday for car-commuting. Sure, after everything I mentioned, it is still safer to wear helmet, but it is rude to scold me on my bad habit.
10 mph! How can you stand to ride so slowly?
I like biking. It's just a pleasant physical activity. I cannot fathom being ok moving so slowly though. When I've been in a rare 10mph zone it feels just miserable trying to go so slow and it's so incredibly easy to exceed that speed without even trying.
Yes, that's the thing. People who cycle simply for transport don't sweat at all and don't bother doing any physical exertions. This is why the most common commuter bikes in Denmark are the 3 speed internal gear hub upright bike with coaster brakes. You chat and joke casually with your friends on a bike lane riding side by side just like how you would chat on a car. Everyone is doing the same thing and traveling at same slow speed. In comparison, all cyclists in NA are tryhards.
This is also why I'm quite confident and safe cyclist in NA. I know road rules, right of way, I take a whole lane when necessary (so cars behind me have no choice but to wait until the road is wider to pass me), I don't hide and cycle in sidewalks (which is proven to be more dangerous than being on the road), but I also don't zip across traffic and be unpredictable. The noise cancelling headphones also helps so I don't have to hear the occasional verbal insults hurled at me by angry carbrained Yankee.
If I rode 10mph my commute would be over two hours each way
Ok well honestly you've completely lost me now because I can't get over biking without physical exertion. I'm going to just disengage now. Happy cycling and stay safe!