[tomvv11]

Have a friend once very high up in the smallish universe of professional inline skating. We've had the "helmets are not all they're cracked up to be" discussion a few times. She considers all anecdotes of "I'm here to tell the tale because of my helmet" to be just that. Having cracked a number of them, one right in front of her from which I even DID get a 10-minutes-on-another-planet concussion, I tend to disagree. Not drooling yet.
When bicycling I am a lot more risk-averse without helmet and when skating, without the full complement of lid, knee and elbow pads and wrist guards. It allows me to push the limits of what I can presently do, expanding those limits to where I don't really need the gear, but I want to keep stretching, so I wear it.
Just recently added Aerostich pants to what I wear every time on the motorcycle. Sweat, schmeat. It all comes out in the wash.
Glad it worked for you and for me.