Oct 17th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Fancy Bike Helmets
Denmark is known for its good design, and Copenhagen is one of the world’s great bike commuting cities. At the same time, bike helmets are known for making you look idiotic. So what the world needs is some clever Danish designer to come up with some bike helmets that don’t suck. And here comes Yakkay to the rescue.
Thus far, they don’t seem to have any available in the US. Which is too bad. Also all these helmets seem to be for women. But still, progress!
48 Responses to “Fancy Bike Helmets”
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October 17th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Actually, it’s the folks riding their bikes without their helmets who look idiotic.
October 17th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Actually Matt, if you click on the link for locations, a bunch of UK bike shops that carry the helmet and ship to the States come up, e.g., http://www.50cycles.com/yakkay-helmets.shtml
October 17th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Of course Dnaish women are the last people who need better looking bike helmets. Danish women are hot not matter what they wear!
October 17th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Maybe I’m just getting old, but who cares about a fashion statement on a bike? I bicycle commute to work but seriously, urban bike commuting makes you look like a geek. I am ok with that. A fancy Danish helmet isn’t going to raise my cool points.
October 17th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
You could consider a snowboard helmet. Some of the lighter models also qualify as hard hats, under whatever gov’t regs apply to construction workers, maybe OSHA.
A lot of them also have built-in headsets, some of which are now wireless bluetooth.
http://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/shop/product_Bern-Men-s-Baker-Hard-Hat-Audio-Helmet_10080067____?cm_mmc=CSE-_-MSNShop-_-na-_-na&ad_id=csemsn
October 17th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
I am a cycle commuter. My sense of shame has completely eroded as I have aged. With next year being my 40th, I now have no problems wearing my gear with assorted reflective parts and lights anywhere.
Heck I ride a recumbent trike today. Even roadies find that odd. OTOH, I do like the look of these helmets + cover. I could easily get one for my wife, she would love it.
October 17th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
You could always make one that looks like your own hair.
October 17th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS!! FOR (Euro, female) COMMUTERS!!!
I use a skateboard helmet adorned with reflective tape and assorted interesting decals myself. very stylish, I’m told.
October 17th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Being unafraid to look totally dorky can be a powerful statement of self-confidence.
October 17th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Why do bicycle helmets suck so much? Most other sports manage to get by with pretty cool helmets…skateboard, wakeboard, kiteboard, snowboard, skiing, kayaking…all have decent options.
October 17th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
I was also interested in these, but they don’t appear to be CPSC-certified. By law, helmet manufacturers cannot sell anything but CPSC-certified helmets in the United States. They do meet the equivalent European standard.
Good safety info here:
http://www.helmets.org/helmet08.htm
October 17th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
That’s a seriously cool-looking bike helmet; I love the interchangeable cover.
Really, folks – it’s perfectly reasonable to want to look stylish – and each has their idea of what that means – on a bike, just like anywhere else. Maybe urban bike commuting – in the US of A – does make you look like a geek, but it needn’t be so. If bike commuters looked less dorky, maybe more folks might ride, which is a win for all of us on the planet.
I ride too, every day of the year. My helmet’s the usual dorky type but I make an effort to dress so that I’m comfortable, but also so when I get off the bike it’s not immediately obvious that I just got off a bike, if you know what I mean.
October 17th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Bike helmets that don’t look like helmets could be much safer for bicyclists.
There was a recent study that found car drivers were much more likely to drive close to a bicyclist wearing a helmet. i.e. They gave more space to the non-helmeted person.
October 17th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
You know things are bad when we’re looking to Dutch people for fashion trends. Does it come with a matching fanny pack?
October 17th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Why do bicycle helmets suck so much? Most other sports manage to get by with pretty cool helmets…skateboard, wakeboard, kiteboard, snowboard, skiing, kayaking…all have decent options.
Because cyclists who race, or mountain bike need ventilation. So the top-of-the-line helmets are built for utility. Helmets down the line follow suit to a greater or lesser degree.
As far as the “What do you care about looking cool???” comments: I’m married, have an infant daughter, and just celebrated my 40th birthday, but I still brush my teeth, wipe my ass, and try to wear clean clothes.
Sometimes you just like to stay in the game.
October 17th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
In College i studied in Copenhagen for a semester. Contrary to what ignorant people in this country say, it is truly a wonderful place to live. The people are great, healthcare and education are free, public transportation is crazy, and everyone bikes.
October 17th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
You know things are bad when we’re looking to Dutch people for fashion trends”
The foul Dutch. They’ve even taken Denmark.
October 17th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Kady in California Says:
October 17th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
“Bike helmets that don’t look like helmets could be much safer for bicyclists.
There was a recent study that found car drivers were much more likely to drive close to a bicyclist wearing a helmet. i.e. They gave more space to the non-helmeted person.”
IIRC, the distance was ~ 3″ or less.
October 17th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
There’s a reason bike helmets are no longer fabric-covered (in the 80’s, having a bunch of helmet covers from favorite manufacturers, teams, etc. was de rigeur in some sets): unlike today’s hard plastic shells, apparently fabric tends to stick a bit when it hits the ground, improving the chance of neck & spinal injuries when faceplanting.
October 17th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
As of today, I resolve to find and marry a Danish bike helmet model.
October 17th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
I know they don’t ventilate as well as traditional road bike helmets, but I think these look pretty dope…
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2192695
35 bones, some ventilation, safety certified, cool candy red color.
October 17th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Bicycle helmets don’t look dorky, they look like bicycle helmets. You wouldn’t wear one to dinner, but neither would you wear ski boots, and nobody wastes their time trying to invent a ski boot that looks like a flip-flop.
October 17th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Yes, people are failing to make the “anything looks good on hot models” point. How does that helmet look on a normal person?
October 17th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
matt you could pull off a female bike helmet.
October 17th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
http://aebike.com/page.cfm?action=details&PageID=30&SKU=CL0077
29 bones, ventilated, and totally cool. Suitable for guys or gals…
October 17th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Those bicycle helmets are fucking adorable.
October 17th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
The reason we don’t wear helmets in Denmark or the Netherlands, the 2 countries with the highest bike rider rates:
http://www.copenhagenize.com/2008/07/cycle-helmets-and-other-religious.html
October 17th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Gawd Matt, be a man and put a lid on it or call a whaambulance. Suppose you don’t like spandex either.
October 17th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
“Things become rapidly different when we look at fundamentalists. Regardless of religious leaning or the name of their god. The loud, vocal and arrogant mobs who want us all to be just like them and who look down at others for not having ’seen the light’. Sad, intolerant, individuals strengthed by the volatile shoutings of clerics.
Unfortunately, the bicycling world has its own fundamentalists in the form of bicycle helmet advocates. They are loud and intolerant and they reject science with the same fervour as they embrace their beliefs.”
October 17th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
I thought all metrosexual males were wearing female biking helmets.
October 17th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
It’s better to look stupid than BE STUPID.
Always wear a bike helmet!
October 17th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
If that’s a helmet on that model’s head, she’s wearing it way too far back to provide protection.
No point in wearing the helmet if you’re going to wear it wrong. FAIL.
October 17th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Try using your own material or fitted canvas and a hot glue gun to decorate in your own way. You’ll be suprised how easy it is.
October 17th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
I disagree 100% with Alex Szczech. Helmets are hot and give a false sense of security.
I completely agree with Umm-al-Hul; half the people wearing helmets are wearing them way to far back on their heads.
Part of the enjoyment of riding a bike is to feel the wind through your hair. When I was young, no one wore helmets. I really hope they never pass adult bicycle helmet laws.
October 17th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Bike helmets look stupid because of the racing aerodynamics that anybody with a 5-pound belly will never appreciate. I know your head gets sweaty in a helmet with poor circulation but you can’t have everything. Vent holes may look cool on a Ferrari but not in a hat. Get a skateboarding helmet or snowboarding helmet. They have a bit more style. Kayak helmet. Whitewater helmet. It’s all the same noggin no matter the name. Just wear a helmet.
October 18th, 2008 at 7:36 am
They also have cooler hot dog buns… and we don’t import those either.
October 19th, 2008 at 7:23 am
I live in Amsterdam, one of the other best (if not the best) biking and bike-commuting city in the world.
And here, nobody wears helmets, cool or geeky or otherwise (unless they are out on the weekend on their racing bikes for a bit of speed..and then it’s the full bright-colored spandex regalia).
But for commuting? Going shopping? Going out to dinner? PIcking up the kids from school? Never. This is a city of 100,000 bikes and perhaps three bike helmets. Most bike shops don’t even SELL helmets – only the few specialized racing bike shops that carry spandex stuff.
And you know what? it doesn’t matter. Hardly enyone has accidents. Half of the 16 million Dutch (who own 18 million bikes) ride their bikes an average of several kilometers EVERY SINGLE DAY – and there are generally about 180 bicycle-related deaths in the the Netherlands every year. The math is pretty easy to do. You’re more likely to drown or be murdered here than die in a bike accident.
Thus, nobody sees any reason to wear helmets here…like nobody sees any reason to go out with a bullet-proof vest and police escort to avoid being murdered.
There are a few reasons biking is so safe here. 1, everybody bikes, everywhere, from a young age, and everybody takes actual bike safety courses in school. 2, there are actual BIKE LANES, so you are not sharing road space with cars, for the most part. 3, all traffic is respectful of bikes – since everybody rides a bike when not driving. 4, biking is a means of transportation, not a “sport” mainly – nobody is racing around like crazy going as fast as possible, passing cars, and whatnot – most bikes have ONE speed and PEDAL brakes, so people just mosey along and try to avoid sudden stops and starts – the aim is a moderately paced, smooth, even flow. Which is safer (and less cloggy) than any kind of US traffic I’ve ever seen. 5, 99% of bikes here are designed to give you a fully upright position – i.e. the bars are much higher up than on the racing or moutain bikes people ride for commuting in the US. So you ride sitting up, not hunched over. This means you see better, are better balanced, and don’t go as fast or move in a jerky way.
Now I understand, helmets are good things. Probably some of the handful of Dutch bike deaths might have been avoided with helmets. But if the US could adopt a real bike-friendly attitude, including bike safety lessons for all, real training in traffic and driving skills for all, bike lanes, and sensibly designed everyday/commuting bikes, you’d see an instant reduction in accidents (and increase in ridership – a self-reinforcing loop). As it is, people in the US think of biking as a sport – not a simple, everyday means of getting to the market or movies or work. And thus, you need to dress up stupid for it, and then you zoom around an obstacle course of pedestrians and cars, so naturally you need a 21 speed mountain bike, shocks, spandex, helmets, Gatorade, etc. That attitude will not just prevent people from biking or accepting it as legitimate transport – it will also inevitably cause accidents in city traffic. It should change.
October 19th, 2008 at 7:50 am
Reading the Copenhagen Cycle Chic blog suggests that Danish cyclists may not be particularly keen on wearing helmets, no matter how stylish.
December 22nd, 2008 at 12:12 am
Love the blog! some great information about kayaking, its one of the greatest loves of my life. I’ve bookmarked your blog so will be back. Thanks
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