A reader sent me a link (thanks Charles!) to a company that has found a way to make helmets look cool — in a stylish Portlander sort of way. Check out the designs available from Copenhagen-based Yakkay:
Apparently you buy the helmet first, and then select “your personal cover”. The “Paris” design (third from left above) looks a lot like the popular cycling caps made locally by Shaun Deller.
I’m actually sort of surprised that such a cool helmet product comes out of a city where the rate of helmet use is quite low.
In some of the photos on the Yakkay website, I could barely tell the models were wearing helmets at all. That fact makes these helmets even more interesting when you consider the popular (although panned by experts) 2006 study that claims motor vehicle operators tend to drive closer to cyclists wearing helmets.
Currently Yakkay helmets are only available in Germany and Denmark. If you can’t wait for these to be sold locally, you’ll have to ask Shaun Deller make you an extra large hat and slip it over your existing helmet; or maybe wait and see if Portland’s European connection gets them in.
Its a pretty good idea, for those fashion conscious people who dont like the idea of splitting their head open as easily.
Though im comfortable being a bike dork and wearing roadie a lid at this point.
I think Bell (was it Bell?) did something this in the early-mid 90\’s. I remember a helmet that had a baseball cappy thing fitted over it and you could spin the cap around so that the brim could face backwards or to the side if you wanted. Does anyone else remember this?
Very cool.
Are the caps vented? I like as much air flowing through my helemt as possible (probably an attempt to equalize all the air flowing through the open spaces inside my head) especially on a hot day like today.
When I put on my shark fin, bright blue bike helmet cover for the boys, or if I\’m just in an absurd, Vonnegut type mood, that thing turns my head into a thermal reactor – nice on rainy winter days though.
These covers do appear to block air flow don\’t they?
I am more about air flow than fashion any day…
That\’s pretty cool, but I\’d still look like a dork.
Just a dork in an extra large hat.
🙂 I wear a helmet, but I\’m comfortable with the fact that I don\’t look good in a helmet. Covering it with a fake hat will make it look even worse. 🙂
Besides, I like the vents in my helmet.
I actually think normal helmets look good, unless you\’re wearing it like a yarmulke.
I saw this a couple of weeks ago and thought it was pretty cool, but it\’s pricy-about $180 for both the shell and the cover (although the Euro is dropping, and maybe the Kronen is too)
At this point I\’m planning on making my own cover for a Bern Muse helmet.
It\’s great to see more options that don\’t make you look like you\’re lost and trying to find the peleton on your way to the grocery store!
It still wouldn\’t match with the hipster\’s large belt buckle and hip/ironic t-shirt. So I\’m guessing NO, it wouldn\’t sell here in Stumptown.
Great idea! These are the styles I would be interested in:
bowler
deerstalker, aka sherlock holmes
fez, w/tassel to match handlebar tassels
kepi
porkpie
sombrero
turban
ushanka
Talking about expanding fashion horizons… . Seriously, not a bad idea.
I thought of something like this some time back, and have been wondering when a bicycle equipment designer would give it a shot. Horse people; people that ride horses competitively wear something on this order.
One note of caution: Information on the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute website (helmets.org)would advise against helmets with cloth exteriors if the cloth is affixed to the shell in a way that would impair the ability of the helmet to slide against an impacted surface. That might not be a significant design problem. The cloth cover just has to be affixed so it doesn\’t slide around too much during normal wear, and releases easily in an impact.
The idea behind having the helmet be able to slide, is that this can reduce the possibility of stress to your neck in certain collision situations.
Heh. I like \’em. I\’m still waiting to see someone riding under this: http://chiccyclist.blogspot.com/2008/03/traditional-hats-restyled-as-bike.html
I think an ordinary trucker cap will fit over a BMX/skateboarding helmet.
Those look even dorkier than bike helmets.
Personally I like the Bern helmets those are pretty nice looking.
Don\’t forget Fedora. It\’s the only hat I can wear that doesn\’t make me look like jackass. Wait, maybe that doesn\’t have anything to do with hats…
J, that info about cars getting closer to riders is really interesting. learn something new everyday,
Personally, I have been contempalting shaving my hair off, covering my head in an inch of Rhino Liner (stuff they spray in the back of your pick-up) and then glueing my hair back on.
This way I would be PC from every perspective. I would have a helmet on, and at the same time not have a helmet on.
It can\’t go wrong.
Ack, gag, hwrack. Makes me want something even more roadie/racer looking for my next one–a neon yellow Limar, for instance.
If you can\’t wear a helmet because it\’s “uncool” then you\’re a poseur. If you can wear this because it looks like a hat, then you\’re a double-poseur.
its a car problem.
Carl-
I remember that helmet. It made you look like you had a giant head, and thus wasn\’t very popular. These pictures look OK, although I suspect that the helmets suffer from the same problem.
Might look okay if you have a small head. I have a large head, can\’t wear anything smaller than a large helmet, and I suspect I\’d look like Pumpkinhead in one of these.
I want the helmet of hair that Brett made himself on Flight of The Conchords.
Yeah, those were on http://www.coolhunting.com yesterday. I think they make people look like bobbleheads. Which could be really entertaining, if done right. How about giant suits and dresses that actually cover jerseys? Or large shoes that slip over clip ins? Oh, the possibility.
Carl, I too remember those, they didn\’t catch on IMHO because they really were bulky as I remember…
and KWW, you forgot:
Chinaman\’s hat
Cowboy hat (10 Gallon? how about 55 Gallon!)
Baret
I checked these out yesterday because I thought they looked cool. They only come in one size though, and the way they want you to increase airflow is by putting foam circles in between your head and the helmet so the huge thing fits you. It\’s also not tested for ansi or snell or whatever so we coulnd\’t sell em here yet anyway. If it had a better fitting system I really would be interested, but the foam circle deal is unimpressive.
wah waah
Silly.
But better than a law mandating it I guess.
How about a helmet that looks like:
a bike hat
a watchcap
a Nor\’Easter
an alien head (complete with antennae)
a hard hat
a football helmut
Looks like their only certification is for European CE standards. Sizing is also an issue for getting a good fit for safety.
Speaking of, I hope they improve the CPSC standards soon now that manufacturers can meet it with $10 helmets and on the high end, helmets seem to have more hole than foam.
http://www.helmets.org/cpscstd.htm
OK. I just gotta say that to my eye, not wearing a helmet and/or wearing a poorly fitted helmet is what looks dorky. Its like people used to think smoking was \’cool\’. Its not. Time for a paradigm shift.
(And putting some clunky fabric contraption on top of a helmet to \’hide\’ it just looks out of scale and ridiculous. Again, just my opinion.)
$180?
For what appears to be a standard skateboard helmet with a fabric cover?
Double rip off!
If you want a Euro helmet, do yourself a favor and buy nothing other than a CATLIKE.
If you are lucky enough to find one.
On this same note, are you sure these are even going to be legal for sale in the U.S., since they adhere only to Euro Specs?
(same reason you can\’t buy a Catlike here anymore?)
I think biking is cool/hip enough and adding to your head a helmet is smart/wise/responsible move.
Putting something like that over your helmet is just \”retarded\” and sad. That is just my opinion 🙂
Biking bonnets!
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_id=13968787
Yeah yeah party pooper me, but I almost take offense that people assume I don\’t wear a helmet because helmets don\’t look \”cool\”. I don\’t wear them because they provide more of an illusion of safety than actual protection.
More drivers are injured and die from head trauma than cyclists. How many drivers do you know that wear a helmet while operating their motor vehicle?
Studies show helmets inspire riskier cycling behavior in helmet wearers as they feel more invincible, cars give less passing room to helmet wearers, and a helmet will not protect against a faceplant.
It has nothing to do with fashion. Helmets are, to me, a silly way of Americans scaring each other into this bizarre world of hyper-protection where one day we\’ll all be sanitized and safeguarded from ourselves in helmets, knee pads, elbow pads, lights and signs telling us where to sit, stand, speak, etc. Then again, I moved here from Milan (by way of Stockholm) where helmets are pretty much unheard of.
I\’d also like to add, I find it peculiar when I ride around Portland and I see helmeted riders making very risky moves, blowing through stop signs, riding without their hands, listening to music, etc. If someone is truly all about safety they\’d see all of those things as being far more crucial to their wellbeing than strapping on a styrafoam hat and thinking you\’re safe.
can anyone suggest a cycling helmet with a deep cranium dish? i don\’t like having 4 inches of space between my ear and the bottom of the helmet…
Klixi..your logic is severely flawed and readily apparent you aren\’t really educated as to what helmets are designed to do..
I also have to really question the existence or validity of these \”studies\” you refer to…being an epidemiologist and biostatistician, i could probably debunk them in about 60 seconds after reading the abstract…
I have three cracked helmets in my basement…all from hitting the pavement at high speed during training rides and races…I\’m pretty sure I would have been a vegetable after two of those shots without them…ended up with a concussion with the helmet on..
helmets have little to do with saving an individual from injury when a car is involved…however hopefully you\’re intelligent enough to know that\’s not the only danger on the road…
don\’t tread on me, and all that. Bully to the free-choicers
but not only did I feel naked this morning when I realized halfway to work that I forgot my helmet
but I\’ve been avoiding the cell phone all day in case it\’s my 4-year-old calling me on my transgression.
that said, plus one for a bowler: Hi, hi, hi, Mr. Deltoid!
Hmmm. After a recent bike move, editrixpdx posted this picture of my cycling-party helmet on a flicker site:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/editrixpdx/2708779159/in/set-72157606413273919/
Inside is mounted an old school Italian leather hairnet (precursor to foam helmets). Definitely not up to modern standards and intentionally artsy, but certainly as cool as jamming an oversize hat over a skateboard helmet.
Har-r-rrr. Someone local can do these confused hats better and cheaper, no doubt!
bahueh: I guess we\’ll have to agree to disagree. I\’ve used a bicycle as my main mode of transportation for almost 15 years now and I\’ve never once had a crash of any sort. The best protection is being slow, cautious and aware.. not putting syrafoam on your head and zoning out.
In Stockholm, we never wear helmets and we have about 1/10th (maybe even 1/20th) of the head injuries here in the states. It has nothing to do with helmets, it has to do with helmets change the mentality of the person wearing one.
I just wear a sytrofoam cooler on my head.
yamika.
#32-
Yeah, those Riding Pretty bike helmet covers are the best! I saw them a couple months back and have been waiting for them to post more listings… Looks like there are 6 up right now! So cute!
I\’ll have to save my pennies. They\’re pricey… But so worth it! Love that they double as a scarf.
Send us a pic of that, Joey. It would make my day.
I wear helmet while walking on the street … is that wrong?
Klixi,
Actually, when worn properly, helmets DO protect from face plants.
Years ago, when mountain biking in West Virginia, I did just such a thing right into a rock, and the front of the helmet took the brunt of the impact.
That\’s why those people who tilt their helmet back, like an aforementioned yarmulke, not only look like newbies, but they negate that very protection that the helmets were designed for.
Klixi #33, I don\’t think anyone is advocating that knee pads, elbow pads, etc should be mandatory when riding a bike, taking a shower, or driving a car. But the fact of the matter is that if you sustain a head injury in a fall, you risk the possibility of permanent brain damage or death. (ie: MAJOR bummer.) Bike helmets can\’t protect from every kind of fall, but they do offer some protection. You may not ever fall, and I honestly hope you never do. If you, your family and friends are OK with taking that measured risk (however large or small that risk may be), it\’s your decision to make. It\’s just not \’hip\’ to my way of thinking. It\’s highly unlikely that smoking one cigarette would kill you. But smoking for decades might. Is it worth the risk? Perhaps helmet wearing is a reflection of a culture\’s tolerance for risk. It\’s my perception that Europeans smoke quite a bit more than Americans do. There are lots of things I like more about Europe than the US, but I don\’t consider smoking hip either.
There are a number of people posting to this site (myself included) that can relate how we had unavoidable/freak accidents, resulting in cracked helmets. Those helmets may have saved at least some of us from serious brain damage or death. I believe that riding should be fun. Lessening the fear and risk of brain injury or death makes it considerably more fun for me. I think its \’hip\’ when people take reasonable steps to prevent catastrophic events from occurring. No, they should not blow through stop signs riding no-handed, zoning out while listening to an iPod and text-messaging their friends. That\’s a death wish on two-wheels. Neither do they need to wrap themselves in bubble-wrap every time they step out the door, but do you truly believe that it\’s safer for you to ride if you don\’t wear a helmet? I don\’t have the statistics to contradict that point-of-view, but it is highly counter-intuitive to me. Wearing helmets is smart, smart is sexy, and sexy is hip. (Yeah, I don\’t buy into the whole dumb-blonde thing either, but that\’s a whole different rant.) Take care…
Too hip for a helmet? Or too hip for your skull?
Seriously, If you decide not to wear a helmet based on looks… Maybe if you are 15, but any grown adult should be able to determine whether or not the risks outway the appearance. Decide to wear a helmet or don\’t but to let your potential safety be based on appearance is laughable. Maybe Louis Vuitton could start producing seatbelt webbing.
Reminds me of not wanting to remove my baseball cap at Grandma\’s house. \”All the relatives will see my hat head.\”
Since people 16 and under are required to wear helmets and are typically much more concerned about appearance, I would imagine that this could be best marketed to those who are already required to wear them. Those who aren\’t required and don\’t wear helmets aren\’t likely to start just to look cool.
i heart those hats. i want one….
to wear over my helmet that i wear on my head that i quite treasure thank you very much….
Klixi – if I wanted to travel slowly and cautiously then I\’d drive my car in the right hand lane of US 26 during rush hour.
Klixi can do whatever he/she wants as far as wearing a helmet is concerned. Some people are lucky…I\’m not.
I\’m better off with a little extra precaution. Just the other day, going no more than about 5 mph and traveling a short section of sidewalk, I went off the edge where a screwy excuse for a curve was located. Tire came up against the sidewalk edge, wheel turned, bike stopped, and I suddenly flopped over to the left side. It was kind of a dead drop to the rocks and gravel, shoulder first, then left side of my head. My right hand swung over to break the fall, but all it did was severely bruise my thumb. My $20 Bell Solar now has a slight indentation in the foam on the bottom edge of the helmet, but my $120 glasses were saved from some serious damage. Oh…saved my head from a nice little bruise too.
I think the more variety the better, anything to get folks to wear one. As for those who do not, the rules of Darwin are in play, and if you are a creationist, remember that half the folks IQ are below average. Helmets, seat belts, life jackets, all pretty lame in the \”style points\” relm, but a good idea for survival. – Tankognolo Bob