I've heard of several crashes caused by helmets on the handlebars. Seen some close calls. And that 5, 6 or 7 mph spill? Your head hits the road with the same vertical velocity and the pavement is just as unyielding. (And there is a very good probabilty that the woman in the photo above would have her head considerably lower if she had to maintain a 20 mph average.)
I get a kick out of the riders with their helmets protecting their stems. Since those riders obviously value their stem more than their brains, we get to see in dollar values, just what they consider their brain worth. Nice TTT? $70. Old OEM NItto. What? $8? I have a custom ti stem but I still think this battered brain is worth more. Guess I'm pretty vain.
Ben