Remember kids... always wear a helmet. (The almighty bikeradar helmet thread)

1000 apologies for reviving this cocking thread and I can't be arsed to go through all of it but a lot of helmetists are asking 'why would someone not wear one?' and my answers are (because after 30 or so pages no one has mentioned either of these): It cuts off a small percentage of my peripheral vision which I believe keeps me safer, it also makes noise and blocks sound which I personally also rely on a lot while riding, so when riding with a helmet I feel less sure of what is going on around me and there have been a number of times when having that extra % of peripheral vision and hearing has no doubt saved my arse, perhaps more than a helmet would have if it had gone wrong.

I do wear a helmet for off road and I have noticed that while wearing a helmet on the way to ride off road cars pass noticeably closer also the rare times I've encountered abuse/random shouting from car drivers has been while wearing a helmet.

As part of my job I have to cross Paris reasonably often and because I'm normally carrying equipment I often take taxi's and I have noticed almost without fail that the more cyclisty you look, the less space they tend to give. The same taxi will pass a fully lycra'd and helmetted man a lot closer than man who is dressed normally. Obvious women, beautiful godzilla type women and Velib riders are normally given the widest berth. I'm not saying it's right or just, or that it is a scientific test, just what I have noticed from spending hours in the back of taxi's. I also noticed that when I went from riding a mountain bike everywhere to riding fixed gear and road bikes that even that tended to make people pass generally closer, maybe it's the slimmer profile or maybe it's because the road positioning on a road bike makes you look more like 'a proper cyclist'

once again accept my profoundest apologies.