People may also want to consider helmet skull caps that fit under the helmet.

Also, I have to agree with elisabeth. According to one study (linked below), 91% of cyclists killed in 2009 were not wearing a helmet. Also “helmet use has been estimated to reduce head injury risk by 85 percent.”

No matter how good of a cyclist you are, the fact is the road is full of careless drivers. Everyone please wear a helmet.

study: http://www.bhsi.org/stats.htm

Imagine, if you will, if the car-dealerships only sold sports cars and nothing else. For bicycling, that is the end result of an image problem. Simply put generally, Americans and Canadians cannot imagine bicycling as a transport or traveling activity. On this side of the Atlantic Ocean, it’s viewed primarily as athletic or recreative.

We need to market bicycling as a practical civilian activity inclusive of everyone. That means lay off on the helmet- & costume-related stuff and concentrate more on bike boulevards, parking, and lanes; ride in normal-looking clothes; and hold weekly ciclovias.

In fact that last suggestion is the most doable and most effective: Davis should close off some key streets to motor-traffic every Sunday, and have people celebrate the day walking and riding together as family and friends. Include live music and picnic food, and it makes a perfect day. Recruit the churches as allies to this project. Learn from Bogotà (Colombia)and much closer LA about how they do it. This, eventually, may convince more people to ride… and keep at it.

Just to take one example, the number of staff and students who drive to Davis high schools would be a lot less if very expensive car parking were not provided. That cost comes straight out of the education budget. Every dollar spent on providing car parking is a dollar not spent on education.