Where can you find a good looking bike helmet?

Ask A Woman:  Looking for a chick-magnet bike helmet (they exist, right?)

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Hey Beth:

I live in the D.C. Metro area and because of the horrendous traffic I bike to work.  I get teased by my female coworkers about my “cool” bike helmet.  There probably isn’t such a thing as a sexy bike helmet, but could you help me find one that will at least avoid the laughter?

– Ed
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Hi Ed,

I don’t ride my bike much (especially since my other half ran it over with the car–thanks a lot, dear), but when I do–did–I always wore a helmet.  And it looks dumb.  Like teenagers mocking me from their passing cars dumb.  Still, I don’t want to be a vegetable for the rest of my life when said teenagers aren’t paying attention and crash their car into my unprotected head.  So I feel your pain, Ed.  Safety first, but oh what a sartorial sacrifice it is.

Our fearless Dappered leader turned me on to the site nutcase.  They make helmets for a variety of sports–biking, rafting, snowboarding–in as unoffensive a style as I’ve seen. That means smooth lines without any weird aerodynamic sculpting (which, yes, I’m sure makes you less wind-resistant, but Ed needs to get to work, not win the Tour de France).  Here we have the page for their solid colored biking helmets.  I like the more demure colors like Chocolate Milk and Shark Skin, but if you’re feeling Liberace-ish, they also have shades like Gold Sparkle.  They also have patterned helmets; those are bit more risky if you’re trying to wear your helmet in an unobtrusive manner.  But I do like the unfortunately named Beaver Fall and Stumptown Woody.

Bell, bern, and Amsterdam Bike’s hat-style.  Know that the bern comes in plenty of (more subtle) colors.

Another brand/style I found is the Bell Faction helmet. I like it less than the nutcase–it’s less streamlined–but still a good option, especially in the colors, white, grey, and black.  The Giro flak is in the same style as the Bell Faction and the nutcase.  Bern helmets are kind of cool-looking too, and they feature a small brim which I sort of like.  My favorite is the Bern Watts which is not as bulky as their other styles, and comes in some fun–though still relatively reserved–color combinations, like black and grey or green and black.

I could not believe when I found the site for Amsterdam Bikes.  They make helmets that look like hats!  Literally, the only give away is the strap that connects under your chin.  The site is dreadfully lacking in information, but it looks like you buy the helmet, which comes with a hat cover, but the covers are removable, so if you get bored with the hat cover, you can purchase a new one.  They are very expensive for the helmet (this one is $139), and also for just the hat cover ($59), but if you really feel self-conscious about wearing a helmet, it might be a good investment for you.

Still, after all this…your female coworkers may find something else to tease you about, even if they approve of your new head wear.  Take it as a compliment.  Women typically don’t tease losers–only men they’re fond of.  Ah women…speaking of women [transparent transition], did y’all hear about a new little site that launched on Monday [shameless self-promotion]?
The female version of Dappered.  It’s called full clutch, and as the tagline says, it aims to promote smart, sophisticated style for the ladies.  We’ve got sale picks, reports on trends, makeup how-to’s and a lot of other fun stuff for the women in your life.  Go check it out and then spread the word [pathetic begging]!

-Beth

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