Let’s face it; no-one wants to wear a helmet when they ride. We’d much rather sport a summery straw number or a jauntily angled fedora; or better yet, let our waxen, flaxen hair flow behind us like streamers from our childhood handlebars.
safety first
I’m more than happy to give someone a piece of my mind but, if possible, I don’t want to leave pieces of it on the road. The problem is, no matter which of my helmets I wear, I feel like a dork; like the kid with the over-protective parent (I’m pretty sure if my mom had her way I’d be wearing knee and elbow pads too and only riding in the park).
style at last
Recognizing that sometimes statistics aren’t enough to convince cyclists to don a lid, the latest helmets have done for protective gear what Twilight did for pale people. Here are some of our favourite new stars.
nutcase & sawako furuno
Yes, Nutcase and Sawako Furuno are still very much helmets but so much cooler than the rest. We love the nutcase slogan: “I love my brain” and the watermelon design is a great reminder of what would happen if our own melons were to hit the pavement. We also love the designs from Sawako Furuno and the attitude that if you’re going to wear a helmet, at least have fun with it.
yakkay
These helmets put the “yay” in Yakkay (somehow). The cool looking hats are just a disguise; they can be slipped off and changed to match your outfit. One of our favourites is this horse helmet design we saw on Garance Doré. The compact helmet has been designed to meet rigorous European safety standard. Safety and style: first equal.
lacoste cork
One of our lululemon alumni, Kyle Ferguson, designed the lacoste cork helmet concept as part of a project at Emily Carr. Though not yet in production, the cork helmet takes a great step away from the traditional plastic-not-so-fantastic helmets and feels more like a piece of clothing, less like a haz-mat outfit. If you want to see this helmet become a reality, contact Kyle.
There’s a theory that drivers drive more carefully around cyclists with helmets; they presume that someone confident enough to ride without one knows what they’re doing. How does a helmet that doesn’t look like a helmet fit into that theory?
