Safety is Sexy!

I CRASHED OUT.. SO I NEED A NEW HELMET!

This months blog is centred around something pretty serious… safety, and if you have read my previous blogs, you would know that to me.. SAFETY IS SEXY!

I recently crashed my road bike – it was my fault – I was chasing a Strava segment record (as pictured below), I was going too fast, there was a corner, there was a metal man hole cover, and there of course, was rain – perfect conditions for the bike to decide staying up right was no longer an option. I smashed two things… hard… onto the road

Now after a trip to the hospital, a fancy new shoulder brace, some great pain killers and some rest – I turned my attention to what I would need to get my bike and gear ready for when I’ll be able to jump onto the bike again (which alas will be quite some weeks away). I turned my sights straight to my helmet (because as said – safety is sexy).

MY SHOULDER AC JOINT
MY FAVOURITE FLUORO YELLOW HELMET (AKA MY HEAD)

MY FLUORO YELLOW HELMET WAS VISIBLY ‘STUFFED’
The outer plastic shell in the spots of impact were crumpled and the polystyrene foam had cracked straight through.

But something I wanted to talk about here was that even if the helmet wasn’t visibly broken, it needed to be replaced – why?

Because bicycle helmets are not made for multiple impacts, they are made to protect you for one impact / one accident – they can be considered a ‘one time use’ product when it comes to saving your life.

REMEMBER THIS...
IF YOU HAVE CRASHED OUT AND TAKEN IMPACT TO THE HEAD, REPLACE YOUR HELMET!

So what did I look for when I bought a new helmet?

Shop for your cycling discipline: I’m a road cyclist so I went shopping for a road cycling helmet – it is important to shop for your cycling discipline as the helmets will have subtle differences which are designed for the types of accidents in that discipline e.g. Road cycling crashes are typically forward of the rider and mountain bike riding could be in all directions. I also look out for the road helmets with air vents because my head gets hot with all that hair!

Size and Fit: Look at the measurements and measure the size of your head! It is simple but something that often gets missed – check the size chart!

Safety Technology: I’ve crashed my bike a few times, enough times to realise how important a good helmet with the latest safety technology is! The latest tech which I look out for is ‘MIPS’ (Multi-directional Impact Protection System) which redirects harmful motion that could otherwise be transferred to your brain. Other tech to look out for is WaveCel and SPIN.

Colour: I love wearing black outfits, their flattering and I feel hot – BUT because of this, I feel that I need a colourful helmet so I’m visible to motorists! My last helmet was yellow so I changed it out with a little pink number this time around!

** All helmets sold in Australia are certified to meet minimum safety requirements so be rest assured that whichever helmet you buy – you will be protected!

Happy Cycling!

See you out on the road

xoxo Petra

* This is my recommendation - this might differ depending on your type of cycling and your cycling goals.