19 September 2009

decisions, decisions.

Well, the last time I posed a question to my blog, things worked out alright, so it's worth a shot.

I mentioned recently in my post about safety that I've considered getting a helmet. For the past few weeks I've been turning the corner on the issue. Winter is coming. Sometimes the cars get a little close. My hair gets wet when it rains. The wind can get a little blowy around here. The groceries sometimes put my bike a bit off balance. On occasion I get a little cheery with my friends at the bar- not too cheery to ride, but cheery enough to wear a helmet. And so on.

I'm getting a helmet.

But here's the thing- I'm picky. I take my credentials as a plainclothes cyclist very seriously, and I don't want a helmet that it too sporty for my rides. That rules out most available helmets right there. I've been looking at Nutcase Helmets because they look thoughtfully designed, meet safety standards, and won't compromise the unsportyness of my ride situation. So I'll probably go with one of those.

The quandry: I have a pink bike and a red bike. Nutcase is all sold out of black and gray helmets, which is fine I suppose because they offer so many neat designs. It makes choosing so much harder though.

The candidates:
Click to enlarge
Pixie Stix- If I just had the Old Dutch, I'd like go with this one because it's subtle and sufficiently matchy. As I tend to ride the Old Dutch for helmet mandating occasions- bad weather and high traffic- this is still a good candidate.

Star Bright- Does it really go with either of my bikes? No. But it is definitely my favorite design, appealing to my Atomic Ranch sensibilities. This helmet raises the question of whether it has to match.
Click to enlarge
Flower Power- the dark horse candidate for no clear reason.

Which helmet to get? Pick one in the poll on the right or leave a suggestion in the comments.

5 comments:

Big Brother said...

I like the Stars and Stripes one. I've been thinking about putting a big 'ol 'Merican flag on the back of my Xtracycle, and this would allow me to take that idea to all of my bikes.

Big Brother said...

Wait! Late entry...the beret helmet!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/huggerindustries/3937738731/

melanie said...

The Bike Ranch taking a nationalist approach to helmeture = Granny Bike seal of approval.

With regards to the beret helmet:
In the words of the woman in regards to that giant sailboat:

I want that.

In other news, the tie in the poll is rendering this whole post useless...

Mom said...

What cute helmets! If they are fun to wear then they will be worn more often. Safety first! I might even have to get one myself. Hard to pick with so many cute patterns.

Dottie said...

I guess I'm too late here, but I love the Star Bright helmet. Strangers are always asking me where I bought mine.