> As a regular bike rider of 20 years, a helmet has protected me on exactly 2 occasions: once when I was training for racing and once actually in a race
That's their purpose, protect you when you need it, which is on average a couple of times in a lifetime.
If the helmet had protected you hundreds of times, probably you should have stopped riding a bike (or your friends and family should have stopped you).
If you heard someone say "the seat belt saved my life at least 30 times" would you or would you not think that that person is dangerous and should not drive?
> Helmets protected me in bike racing where they're already mandatory.
> They do not protect most riders at all.
This is a textbook example of non sequitur.
I would also add that it's so obvious that it hurts, because, simply, most bikers have never raced and never will, so to them what is cruise speed for a professional biker is where the risks are.
I too have been a professional car driver in (very) minor leagues, that doesn't mean that what protected me while racing cannot protect my dad that never like driving and has always been very bad at it.
That's their purpose, protect you when you need it, which is on average a couple of times in a lifetime.
If the helmet had protected you hundreds of times, probably you should have stopped riding a bike (or your friends and family should have stopped you).
If you heard someone say "the seat belt saved my life at least 30 times" would you or would you not think that that person is dangerous and should not drive?