sparkle on: glitter and cycling unite

'Tis the season for... SPARKLES! I just adore the abundance of little lights and glitter during the holiday season and thought I'd share a few items which caught my eye:

Nutcase Street Helmet in Silver or Gold Sparkle via PUBLIC Bikes / Glitter Handlebar Grips from LightenUpBikes / Vintage Vinyl Glitter Bicycle Tool Bag on EBay /and my current obsession with glitter nail lacquer... chunky and micro glitter in one by OPI for SEPHORA

in the heart of winter

Lou Mistraou

I wish my helmet looked like this!

Lou Mistraou's aviator style caps are available in lambskin and rain-proof wool felt.
via NotCouture

The caps (which to clarify - are not helmets) are made in in the region of La Rochelle by one of the last and most demanding hat producers in France, whose workshops have thrives for five generations. Perhaps helmet designs are next on their list??!

tarot on the go

Danielle Baskin's handpainted helmets includes a series based on tarot cards - each helmet comes with an interpretation of the card!

like a glove

Bell's Sweep with rear Geared Positioning System (GPS)

Specialized S-WORKS Road Helmet Pro Fit 360

Giro The Seros with Roc Loc 4® fit system

I was pretty thrilled to read this recent New York Times article, Grown-Up Cyclists Need Helmets, Too, on the advantages of helmet use...

"Bicycle helmets have been shown to reduce the risk of head injuries by up to 88 percent and facial injuries by 65 percent, according to a Cochrane Database Systemic Review published in 2000. Bike riders who play against those odds do not fare well in accidents. More than 90 percent of the 714 bicyclists killed in 2008 were not wearing helmets, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety….

People over 30 should be particularly careful because their gray matter is not packed as tightly as it used to be. And I don’t mean that only figuratively. “As you age, your brain shrinks, but your skull does not,” said Dr. Angela F. Gardner, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. “That extra space means that the brain can bounce around inside the skull and may be more easily damaged from a blow.”

The article lists factors to consider to when selecting a helmet - a key one being FIT. While performance helmets may not the preferred style for some urbanites - they offer awesome features like being lightweight, have a minimal profile, large vents to help cool you down (hello, summer heat) and the best of all... rear adjustment that cradles your skull ensuring a custom fit - like a glove! If you've never tried on a helmet with a rear adjustment - do try. You'll likely start asking yourself why doesn't ever helmet include such a fabulous feature?!

(new) helmets + (new) lights + (new) little carrier

Naturally Core77 has great coverage of the recent EUROBIKE show which had more than a thousand exhibitors from 42 countries. Here are some items included in Core's photo gallery hitting the market this year which I could not resist posting... Catlike Whisper Plus with the most beautiful vents (from Spain)

Viva Bikes helmet composed of fiberglass and leather (from Denmark)

Axa Basta remote control to help find your bike! (from the Netherlands)

Fibre Flare bike light sticks are just cool - versatile w/ a touch of 80's - checkout the U-Tube video of them in action (from Australia)

Fahrer little clutch which can be mounted in a number of ways onto your frame (from Germany)

Interior photos via Core77's photo gallery