"non gang event" what are there track bike gangs down there , because that would funny as hell i bet they are so tough with there "little boy" cycling caps, ha,ha good move on the helmets.

no "bike gangs", just an inside joke here in brisbane ;)

also helmets are the law here in aus, and while most of us ride brakeless its easier to slip past police without a brake than without a helmet!

Just saw this and thought it sorta applied to this conversation- http://www.good.is/post/do-bike-helmet-laws-do-more-harm-than-good/

I guess somebody in Australia did a study on whether helmet laws actually worked at saving people and they discovered that since less people rode bikes after the laws were passed there were increased healthcare costs due to folks getting fat and lazier.
whatever.