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

There is another argument (which I don't subscribe to because I look like a weirdo anyway) which goes like this:

More people looking normal and less like weirdy cyclists (i.e. lycra clad and helmeted/high-viz jacket and helmeted - because most people who wear helmets are either wearing lycra or high-viz) = more non-cyclists start cycling because they think 'hey I don't have to look like a weirdo cyclist' = more cyclists on the roads = drivers more used to cyclists + less drivers = safer roads for all. Hurrah!

I'm definitely aware of (the concept of) the dehumanising effect of helmet use, but wonder if it's outweighed by the dehumanising effect of riding a bike, in the current UK sociological climate.

Maybe someone on here who was a motorcyclist before and after helmet use became compulsory could shed some light on whether they feel other road users have become less sympathetic since the change...