Polka Dots and Stripes - A Cute Nutcase Helmet
It's all about style and styrofoam. Thank you for the cool bike helmet, Nutcase!
I used to be a major helmet-fiend. That is, I wore a helmet every single time I rode my bike and thought that anybody who didn't was a major idiot. Then I lived in Italy for a few years and noticed that almost nobody wore a plastic lid.
And it wasn't like the Italians I knew were particularly risk-taking. Every one of them still lived with their mother! None the less, I still wore my ugly vented number, complete with a couple flashing red LEDs on the back, despite the ridicule. Ma qui sei? Un extra-terrestre? Ah ah ah ah!
It's all about greenhouse grasses not greenhouse gases!
Some bunny likes polka dots. A lot.
When I moved back to California, I also noticed more and more bike-advocate types riding helmet-less too. In my mind, questions started to form. Exactly how necessary is this this piece of safety equipment? What are the risks that I actually face on the road? It turns out that the answers are murky.
It's called Power Clashing and I do it because I can.
That said, I still wear a helmet 90% of the time that I bike. Partly because my competitive nature gets the better of me and I start biking all aggressively. It really is satisfying to zip past a pack of MAMILs in a skirt and heels.
Gawd, can you believe that a place this gorgeous exists?!
The other reason is that I've found helmets that can be a cute part of my outfit. So I was thrilled when Nutcase Helmets let me pick out one of their new Gen 3 designs. Even thought they are well-known for their kooky patterns, I decided to go for something a little more classic. In fact, there were three that I really loved. I couldn't choose so I asked my Instagram pals to vote for the best. Guess which one was the favorite?
Why did the bicycle fall over? Hey, wait a minute...
I love my new helmet. Having such a strong pattern to work with has inspired me to be more even more deliberate with my pattern-mixing. Which is awesome because it's my favorite thing in the world. (I can't help it. I don't even know what minimalism means!)
There are a lot of thoughtful details. Like the removable brim. Though let's be real, it's actually a necessity if you don't want to look like a total bobble head. The straps have reflective material woven into them for side-visibility. Always important when you're on the road after dark. And the magnetic clasp is freaking sweet. Now I can secure my helmet with one hand. Skills.