| Helmets |
Thrift shops are chock-full of last-year-cool cycling
helmets. Yeah, we can hear the whine.
"Eeeeeuuuuwwwwh, wearing a helmet that someone
else has gotten sweaty. Yuck." Get over it! A little
Lysol strategically sprayed under the lid can save
you a hundred clams.
Helmets are certified by two safety organizations full
of guys and gals who throw dummies under moving
automobiles for fun. If the thrift-shop helmet has a
sticker from one of these organizations and it has not
been crunched, crashed, or had the straps pulled
out, try it on. If it fits and the padding is intact, buy it,
disinfect it, and use it. That is, unless you are
concerned with what your friends will think. Then, by
all means, spend a hundred clams. Just be sure to
drop it off at the thrift store for us cheapskates next
year.
Oh, by the way, we both found helmets (Amanda's is
bright yellow!) with removable visors to keep the sun
off of our faces. A light colored scarf is handy to
drape down the back over the neck and ears to keep
the sun from turning them beet red. Just make sure
it doesn't block your peripheral vision.
One downside to older helmets is the straps and
buckles. The buckles on very old cycling helmets
were designed to grasp the hanging flesh below the
chin along with any errant hairs dangling in the
vicinity and clasp them into the snapping clip, holding
it all in an impossible Catch-22 where any attempt at
release causes the clasp to pinch harder bringing on
eye-watering pain and involuntary cat-in-heat yowls.
helmets. Yeah, we can hear the whine.
"Eeeeeuuuuwwwwh, wearing a helmet that someone
else has gotten sweaty. Yuck." Get over it! A little
Lysol strategically sprayed under the lid can save
you a hundred clams.
Helmets are certified by two safety organizations full
of guys and gals who throw dummies under moving
automobiles for fun. If the thrift-shop helmet has a
sticker from one of these organizations and it has not
been crunched, crashed, or had the straps pulled
out, try it on. If it fits and the padding is intact, buy it,
disinfect it, and use it. That is, unless you are
concerned with what your friends will think. Then, by
all means, spend a hundred clams. Just be sure to
drop it off at the thrift store for us cheapskates next
year.
Oh, by the way, we both found helmets (Amanda's is
bright yellow!) with removable visors to keep the sun
off of our faces. A light colored scarf is handy to
drape down the back over the neck and ears to keep
the sun from turning them beet red. Just make sure
it doesn't block your peripheral vision.
One downside to older helmets is the straps and
buckles. The buckles on very old cycling helmets
were designed to grasp the hanging flesh below the
chin along with any errant hairs dangling in the
vicinity and clasp them into the snapping clip, holding
it all in an impossible Catch-22 where any attempt at
release causes the clasp to pinch harder bringing on
eye-watering pain and involuntary cat-in-heat yowls.
| We have not been sponsored by any company. If a product stinks, we'll tell you. |
Helmet Update
Amanda tortured her bright yellow helmet
on the trip down the West Coast of the
U.S. After searching thrift stores for a
few weeks we gave in and purchased a
"new" Bell Metro helmet for her on eBay.
The Bell Metro is about as indestructible
as any helmet can be.
Amanda tortured her bright yellow helmet
on the trip down the West Coast of the
U.S. After searching thrift stores for a
few weeks we gave in and purchased a
"new" Bell Metro helmet for her on eBay.
The Bell Metro is about as indestructible
as any helmet can be.
In Southeast Asia she made this sun
cover. It is similar to those worn by the
rice farmers. It connects to the helmet
with Velcro.
cover. It is similar to those worn by the
rice farmers. It connects to the helmet
with Velcro.
| We purchased much of our gear second-hand through ebay |