We’ve gotten some flak, rightly so, for our “Escape to Vancouver” ad (look to your right) that shows a cyclist not wearing a helmet. So let it be known that Sightline absolutely advocates wearing a bike helmet. (Believe me, I had a recent bike collision with the South Lake Union Trolley tracks in Seattle and was extremely happy to be wearing a helmet.)
I do think, though, that designing helmets to look less, well, geeky, is a welcome trend. Per Matthew Yglesias’ blog, check out this new Danish bike helmet that looks downright fashionable. Not surprisingly, it’s only offered in Europe at the moment.
MVP
Fashionable bike helmets! Yes!I’m totally inspired to start “prettying up” my own bike helmet, now! A seasonably warm and beautiful scarf comes to mind…(Elisa, maybe the bicycler in Sightline’s “Escape” ad is wearing one of those fashionable Denmark helmets?… Glad you’re OK, after your trolley track tumble!!)Cheers,Michelle
Laura Cooley
Cool. A discrete helmet—leave it to the Europeans to come up with that. (Word to the wise: Do not wear scarves with this fashionable helmet unless you wish to tempt an ending like Isadora Duncan’s. As you may know, the famous dancer died in 1927 when her scarf became entangled around one of the vehicle’s open-spoked wheels of the car she was traveling in, and tragically took her down with it.)On a cheerier note, glad to hear that we may soon escape the geeky helmets. Maybe I can even get my husband to wear the new one.~ Laura
MVP
Yikes! Thanks for the warning, Laura. I like looking fashionable, but not *that* much!! Fortunately, the scarf I was thinking of doesn’t trail behind me, whatsoever!!!Here’s to the stylish and safe bike helmets, for both gals and guys! :-)Peace and safe riding,Michelle
rex burkholder
Funny. I was just in Denmark and only about 20% of Copenhagen cyclists wear helmets. And most of the ones I saw were US origin (Nutcase, based in Portland). Go to Copenhagenize.com for a Danish take on helmets. (the slogan says something like: “A cyclist’s brain protects him/her much better than a cycle helmet.”)Then in Holland, the leader in cycling, I think I saw a total of 4 helmets in a week of riding with thousands of people. Yet, their injury and fatality rate is one tenth the US. Unfortunately, helmets aren’t effective in reducing crashes and helmet promotion is a diversion from real actions to make our streets safe.
rex burkholder
Funny. I was just in Denmark and only about 20% of Copenhagen cyclists wear helmets. And most of the ones I saw were US origin (Nutcase, based in Portland). Go to Copenhagenize.com for a Danish take on helmets. (the slogan says something like: “A cyclist’s brain protects him/her much better than a cycle helmet.”)Then in Holland, the leader in cycling, I think I saw a total of 4 helmets in a week of riding with thousands of people. Yet, their injury and fatality rate is one tenth the US. Unfortunately, helmets aren’t effective in reducing crashes and helmet promotion is a diversion from real actions to make our streets safe.
MVP
Good points, Rex.Here in Oregon, as you know, adult bicyclists are not required to wear helmets. (I myself am ambivalent about them—especially since they tend to make one look rather “geeky,” as Elisa mentions. Hence, my enthusiasm about making them more stylish! Now, if only they could be more comfortable, too!)I agree with you (and the Danish) that using one’s brain to full capacity is often more effective than totally relying on one’s helmet, for physical protection.Yet, I also think that Elisa makes a good point about being extremely glad when one *is* wearing a helmet, such as when one unintentionally tangles with a trolley track. Grated manhole covers can be a menace, too. For instance, I know a woman in Seattle who, in the 1970s (before bike helmets were even thought about!), knocked out some of her teeth after she came barreling down a hill on her bicycle and, at the bottom of the hill got her front tire wedged in a manhole cover, and, then went tumbling headfirst over her bicycle. (I’m not sure if a helmet could have protected her teeth… But she was very fortunate to have not done any other major damage to her head. It’s times like those when I think that wearing a helmet could have possibly provided some additional protection, though, just in case!)Holland is quite flat, as is Copenhagen, I believe. So, they perhaps wouldn’t need such “extra protection” at high downhill speeds. Plus, they are fortunate to have bicyclists en masse! And, since bikes are the transit of choice, rather than the exception, motorists are highly aware of their presence, rather than unexpectedly surprised. One good thing about these higher gas prices, here in America, is that our bicyclists’ numbers are finally rising, too! :-)Cheers and safe riding,Michelle
No
Why is showing a cyclist without a helmet a problem?Why is cycling without a helmet a problem?Helmets aren’t effective in reducing crashesHelmets aren’t even effective at reducing serious injury across populations.If you want to wear a helmet do so. But don’t tell other people what to do when helmets are so utterly contentious and unproven as any sort of safety feature.@Michelle – the comment abount Holland and Copenhagen being flat is irrelevant. Helmets are designed for slow speed (fall of a bike) type accidents that don’t involve another vehicle.