To Helmet or not to Helmet --or-- Helmet Decoration 101

Helmets don't get me excited. Bikes (old fashioned, basket-ed bikes) are great, but helmets, blah, they just don't do it for me. While saving furiously for my bike, the only thing that sustained me through the months of rice and sauce, was the idealistic image i had in my head of riding through the park, floral dress and sandals on, hair blowing in the warm spring breeze...

Not so much a "Beautiful Godzilla" mind you (coined by Bike Snob NYC), I'd like to aspire more to a Bike Hippie, think Uschi Obermaier on a granny bike...

Think Uschi, but without the almost constant nudity

So helmets don't really fit into my 'dream'... I'm not a 'bike commuter' (as much as I actually really like the idea of biking to work, cross-Sydney bike riding is a bit beyond me, for now), I'm not a lycra clad sports biker, I don't own a track bike, and I avoid traffic when I can. Heading down to the park and up to the local shops has been fine, I use lots of back road and alleys and actual bike paths.

Unfortunately soon I may have to give into the 'Man' and buy a helmet. I'd like to ride my bike a little further afield, and helmets are, you know, 'Law'... The question is, what helmet would we get? Not expensive, but something a little interesting...

This conundrum is what we've been mulling over the past few weeks. Our answer is Helmet Decorating. Take any old ugly cheap helmet and go nuts... tacky crazy crafty nuts!

These are our top ideas, so far, in no particular order:


"The Classic" or "Hair Helmet" (seen on Flight of the Conchords):

Brett's Hair Helmet explains the concept in it's full glory I think

I think the real beauty of the "Hair Helmet" is its pure awkwardness. Just think of all the double takes as you whizz by with a grossly distorted head...

The "Bedazzler"

"Bedazzler" paraphernalia

Obviously I don't think I could use an actual bedazzler on a helmet (I'd give it a 'red hot go' but I'd break my Bedazzler gun), but give me a bag of diamontes and sequins and a hot glue gun and i could make a helmet a mirror-ball would be ashamed of...

"The Showgirl"

Lots of feathers, the more the better... you get it...

Not the most aerodynamic of our ideas, but any feather inspired helmet is obviously going to get our approval, and when were we ever interested in aerodynamics? A variation on this theme that is equally excellent: "The Indian Chief".

Others on our shortlist are the turban, fairly self explanatory. Mini hats (like doll's hats) glued together to create a giant hat, a mutant hat-helmet. Lace and fascinator inspired designs, spring racing carnival helmets. Also one i haven't thought of a name for yet, but it involves lots of sparklers in a configuration a lot like that creepy guy from that horror film... ('Pinhead', look it up, then come back to this page... eww gross right? But now imagine sparklers, and light them... awesome!)

Now a pic from today. Glorious sunny sunday, perfect for a picnic

j.xoxo