Now, this is not a waxxer post. And it’s not really for bar hoppers, either.
Not in the least. We like all bikes, but the ones that can chew up hundreds of miles in a weekend are, in our eyes, the real winners.
Sure, there are some beautiful bar hoppers being built, but more than 20 miles on some of them leaves you tired and your fillings rattled loose. But this isn’t about picking on trailer queens, it’s about being comfortable.
Too many helmets aren’t comfortable, and for what we spend on bikes, we deserve to be comfortable.
Let me ask you this: Do you remember when your mom would get you and the rest of the family all dressed up for some sort of family activity? Maybe it was church, or seasonal pictures, or a Christmas picture to send to friends and family.
Remember how uncomfortable you felt, sitting there in those dress pants that didn’t quite fit?
The clip-on tie? Those “nice” shoes that made your feet hurt?
It sucked.
It sucked big time.
And you tolerated it for your mom (or she threatened you …), but guess what? You’re all grown up now, and you don’t have to tolerate this sort of stuff anymore.
One of the things we’ve learned is that there’s no need to just have one helmet. The truth is, some helmets seem to be better for some rides than others.
Personally, I stick with beanies (like most of us) but I’ve found that a beanie with a little bit of brim leaves me feeling better after a long ride. Maybe it’s simply the fact the sun isn’t on my face the whole day, or the brim redirects the wind to cool me better, I don’t know.
If I’m staying local, the most basic beanie in the world is my lid of choice, because, unfortunately, I’ve had my skid lid swiped before while I was inside grabbing lunch.
But why limit yourself to just one? To take this to it’s logical extreme, why not grab an extra and match it to the paint on the bike? Yeah, it might seem strange, or like something a waxxer might do, but when you pull it off – and you can pull it off – you’ve got a one-of-a-kind helmet.
I mean, how many of us have stickers on our helmets? A can of spray paint and some judicious wet sanding and polishing can net you a cool look. Besides, DOT-legal helmets have never been so safe and so inexpensive, so having an “extra” tucked away isn’t only smart, it’s also not going to break the bank.
If you’ve taken this particular bull by the horns, then do us all a favor and post up what you’ve got on The Bikers’ Den Facebook page. You know we don’t spend all our time sending emails, we’re out on the road – especially since we can’t do a bunch of the summer stuff we’re used to. And don’t just post a photo in the front yard, get a good one from “out there” on the road!
Excellent!