If anybody says this isn't cool - Peter will punch them in the face.

Corey’s latest crash and Ty’s post about playing traffic got me thinking. Should we all wear helmets? Or, perhaps more importantly, why don’t we all wear helmets?

Personally, I make the choice to wear a helmet for commuting through London. No matter how good a rider you are – whether you ride brakeless or not – sometimes you’ll never be able to avoid that car door opening or little old lady stepping off the curb.

But for some reason I don’t feel the need to wear a helmet at the weekend. It’s stupid. I know. The risks are the same, the traffic is just as bad and the drivers just as dangerous. I don’t know if it’s because I feel I’m riding more leisurely or that “hey! it’s the weekend” and I deserve to feel the wind through my (very short) hair.

And what about FGFS? Surely falling off is part of doing tricks. So hitting your head is almost inevitable. I know – a helmet may not have made a difference in Corey’s case. But stairsets and gaps are getting bigger in fixed gear – and from those heights, if your head hits the ground before the rest of you – well, that’s going to be pretty serious.

So why don’t a lot of people wear helmets? Is it because they don’t look cool? Is it because a lot of sponsored riders in videos don’t wear them? Should they be setting a better example? I don’t know.

This isn’t a lecture as that would be hypocritical, and there are loads of blogs and websites arguing the pros and cons of wearing a helmet. I definitely don’t think it should be compulsory to wear one, the choice should come from the rider. So, on that note… do you?

Heal up soon Corey.