Helmet | Evolving Consumer

Interbike 2013: Head Above

POC has been a company that has turned heads with its unique head protection, and at last week’s Interbike trade show the company introduced its Octal helmet that weights just 200 grams while offering a precise fit. The helmet is designed to be minimal but still provides ample protection. It includes a shell that extends lower around the head and thus offers greater protection to the temples in a crash.

It is also available in red, which the company claims will stand out in traffic and help riders be visible on the road.

POC Official Website

Interbike 2013: Wipeout Helmet for Kids

Triple Eight is onto something. The Wipeout Dry Erase Helmet doesn’t encourage a wipeout on a bike, skateboard or in-line skates. The “wipeout” in the name is actually to denote that the surface of the protective helmet can be decorated using dry erase markers. The helmet, which is available in three sizes, comes in a 3-pack that includes multi-sport wrist guards; knee pads and elbow pads; two neon dry erase, non-toxic markers; and a helmet in either black or pink. Triple Eight also offers stencils to give kids some shapes such as rockets, spiders and peace signs to get started on their doodles. Continue reading Interbike 2013: Wipeout Helmet for Kids

Interbike 2013: Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut

You don’t have to be nutty to want to look good and stand out while protecting your head. The Nutcase helmets, which are being demonstrated at this week’s Interbike are multi-purpose helmets for recreational use in snowboarding, skiing, cycling, inline skating, skateboarding and watersports.

As the company likes to proclaim these fit your head, and suits your soul. We think these are just the thing that could make helmets cool for all sports.

Nutcase Helmets Official Website

All(Ston) In

Helmets are designed to protect the wearer’s head, but often this means something that is hot, comfortable and doesn’t exactly let the wind blow through the hair. The Bern Allston Helmet might be the next best thing to riding without a helmet as it features 16 vents, and a removable liner system that truly offers airflow.

In addition to breathing this helmet weights just 13 ounces and is available in several fashionable colors – because we know for some that does matter.

Bern Allston Helmet Official Website

BULT in Camera

There is a serious debate whether a rugged camera should be mounted to a cycling and skating helmet. Some content that this could actually cause injury as the object could affect the way a wearer’s head hits the ground. C-Preme saw this concern and has addressed it with the fittingly named BULT, which offers a built-in 1,280×720 resolution video camera that can shoot at 30 frames per second with a 120-degree angle lens. It can even snap 5MP still photos.

The “Videohead Technology” is reportedly CPSC and ASTM certified and will be released later this year.

BULT Digital Helmets Official Website

Look Out

California College of Art students Laurel Deel, André Luiz Dias Leal, Alex Quinones-Bangs and Guy Noren have partnered with Silicon Valley tech giant Intel to help to create a bike that provides situational awareness. The Look System Bike Helmet reportedly employs haptic feedback to alert riders of potential threats.

In other words the helmet can sense a car, or other large object, that comes in close proximity and vibrates in the object’s general direction. This gives the rider a literal “heads up” about a potential danger. Video after the jump

Weekend Reading List (07.20.2013): Head Studies, Board Builder, Kit or Gear?

Head Studies

From The Chronicle of Higher Education: A Brain Gone Bad
Researchers clear the fog of chronic head trauma

The first thing Patient 53 saw as he walked in was a red football helmet. A groan rattled through his vending-machine-sized frame. “The last thing I want to see,” he said, “is a football helmet..” Continue reading Weekend Reading List (07.20.2013): Head Studies, Board Builder, Kit or Gear?

Pulp Nonfiction

Bike sharing is a great way to get around a city without actually owning a bike. The problem is that when using a shared bike things like helmets aren’t exactly provided. The idea of “shared” helmets are in development, but these require sanitization after each use.

The Paper Pulp Helmet offers another solution, which its creators are looking to bring to market. While still in the concept stage the Paper Pulp Helmet was developed by Royal College Of Art in London graduates Tom Gottelier, Bobby Petersen, and Ed Thomas. These helmets can be made from newspapers collected from around the public transport network in London. These discarded papers are mixed with water to create a pulp, which in turn an organic element is added. Pigment is added to help differentiate the size.

The mixture is vacuum-formed into a shape, heated and then left to dry. The result is a simply helmet that can be reused or recycled. More importantly it can be sold for around £1 each (US$1.50), thus providing an expensive brain bucket for riders. Video after the jump

Foldable Brain Bucket

We’ve seen a few concepts in foldable bike helmets, but the CLOSCA, which is now wrapping up a Kickstarter project, offers a little style along with functionality. While it likely won’t provide the same level of protection as a typical road or mountain bike helmet, for commuters who might otherwise not don a helmet this could go a long way at helping ensure that the rider’s head is indeed covered! Video after the jump

City Bike Helmet

New York’s Citi Bike Share is off and running – or should we say riding – and while the grid pattern of Mid Town makes it easy for people to find their way, even New Yorkers can find anything below 14th Street to be confusing, while Lower Manhattan can be like a maze. The folks at FLORA have come up with a novel solution with the Citi Bike “Smart” Helmet, which can help riders navigate to the nearest station.

The LED lights will offer blinking directions on when to turn so riders will be directed where to go. In addition the lights on the helmets help ensure that riders will be seen after dark. Continue reading City Bike Helmet

Weekend Reading List (06.29.2013): Lance Comes Clean (Again), Popular Cycling, Summer Food, Helmet History

Lance Comes Clean (Again)

From USA Today/AP: Lance Armstrong: ‘Impossible’ to win Tour de France without doping
The dirty past of the Tour de France came back Friday to haunt the 100th edition of cycling’s showcase race, with Lance Armstrong telling a newspaper he couldn’t have won without doping. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (06.29.2013): Lance Comes Clean (Again), Popular Cycling, Summer Food, Helmet History

Light Helmet

Being seen at night is key to riding on the roads, and the QitaWear Ultra High Visibility Bike Helmet, which is being developed via an Indiegogo project might be hard to miss. The developers are actually looking to produce two helmet models, including the QS-1 sports style bike helmet, and the QB-1 bicycle style helmet. Each is designed to be fully customizable with a variety of color lighting to ensure that his helmet will be seen in the dark. Continue reading Light Helmet

Head Light System

Reebok is introducing a new light for the head, but it isn’t one that allows the wearer to see where he/she is going. Rather the CheckLight is meant to determine if an athlete has taken an impact to the head. The light is mounted to a skull cap that can be worn beneath any type of traditional sports helmet or just on its own.

The cap contains a tri-axial accelerometer and a gyroscope, to measure linear and rotational acceleration, respectively, while a built-in microprocessor analyzes their output whenever an impact occurs. This can help coaches and athletes stay in check with what is happening following a potentially serious impact.

Reebok CheckLight Official Website