BERN Bike Helmets

Believe it or not, I just started wearing bike helmets last year.  It had been a few years since I'd had a bike and it just wasn't part of my thinking back then.  Now as a mother, it's all about safety, and I wouldn't consider riding my bike without one.  It's not a big deal and there are some good options, though not that many that suit my personality.  Some of them are a little too...what's the word...sporty.  To the point of looking like you need a racing shirt and neon leggings to match.  Or that you look a little alien-esqe.   I don't dress like that when I ride my bike, in fact, I'd like to look at least a little bit fashionable while being safe.

Bern seems to get this.   Looks and function combine to create comfortable and attractive protection for your melon.  They're more low profile and there is something a little post punk about them, they're sassy.  I love the visor which keeps out sun and rain and this helmet covers more of my head than the Giro helmet I have, which makes me feel safer.

Look at these cool designs.  You can't go wrong with this basic black Berkley Helmet and that shiny finish gives it edge, it's really pretty in person.   If you want more of a pattern, they have that too.  The little black and turquoise flowers against the matte gray is interesting and feminine without getting too flashy or too girly.  And finally, if you want something more sporty, the Bomber helmet is nice without looking like you're training for a triathlon. These helmets, while they would function great for a variety of sports, look more urban, more city commuter-ish.  They're more accessible, more versatile than a lot of helmets out there.

The visors come out, and Bern has a trademark Zip Mold which you can use to customize your fit.  The helmets are lined not with Styrofoam but with injected liquid foam which provides a superior strength to weight ratio making them lighter and safer.  This is a very comfortable helmet.

I'm super impressed with Bern.  Check out these awesome helmets HERE and if you need a little push, REI is having their 20% off coupon this week, and they have them there as well.

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PORTLAND DESIGN WORKS Awesome Radbot-Spaceship Headlight Set for Your Bike

Though my five year old son and I ride mostly on trails, there are some busy streets we need to take and cross to get to the trail opening.  A blinkie is a great idea for riding anywhere around cars.  This is obvious for commuters, but I think it's a good safety feature for kids or adults riding with kids, even if you're mostly on trails.

Portland Design Works has a great light set in the Radbot 500-Spaceship Set, which is "built to withstand rain and meteor showers to keep you safe from blastoff to touchdown in all conditions."  The light set makes me feel more secure crossing busy streets--sometimes people have a hard time stopping at the crosswalks and the light really helps to get their attention.  It's very well made and solid, I've taken it on bumpy trails clipped to my trunk and everything has stayed on just fine.  It's also done great in the rain.

The Spaceship Headlight takes two AA batteries and has two modes, solid and flashing light.  We don't ride at night, so I can't say how it does for lighting the way, but it really adds to your visibility, particularly in flash mode.  I love the cool blue light on the top.

The blinkie takes three AAA batteries and consists of a 0.5 watt Japanese LED and has three modes--solid light, pulse, and pulse with flashes.  The built in reflector is another safety feature and conforms to regional requirements to have a tail reflector.  You have to press and hold down the button to get it to turn on, so it won't accidentally turn on and run down your batteries.  The set comes with several attachments and hardware to mount it virtually anywhere you like.  Mounting couldn't be easier.

For Halloween, I'm going to clip the blinkie on to my son's costume during trick or treating to make him more visible both to cars and to me.  On a holiday note, I think this would make a wonderful Christmas present, the packaging makes a great presentation and this would work well under the tree or in the stocking.

Portland Design Works' website is wonderful--very organized, easy to shop, and visually appealing.  I love their product selection and the demo videos. They have a modern and fun look, but the products are serious.  Find the light set and other cool bike accessories HERE.

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Biking with Kids

About two months ago, I got a bike so that I could ride with my five year old son.  It's proved to be one of my best purchases, enabling us to have a fun, healthy and bonding activity each day.  I used to bike all the time, but after having my son and moving, I gave my bike away and haven't touched one until recently.  How I missed it!  I urge any parent who has a kid who's into biking to hit the trails.

Here are a few tips for keeping it safe with the kiddos:

1.  Try to keep on the sidewalks until the child is 10 years old.  I had to look this up because I wasn't sure about the rules here, but apparently it's best to stay off the streets wherever possible until they are ten.  Kids should bike only when supervised until 10 years old as well.

2.  Flow with traffic even if you are on the sidewalk.  In other words, don't ride against traffic.  It's easier for cars to see you if you are going in their direction, and most accidents between cars and bikes happen when bikes are not riding with traffic.

3.  Dismount and walk across busy streets and crosswalks.

4.  Try to wear bright colors such as orange, yellow or red, and utilize reflectors, blinkies and flashing headlights.  

5.  Other stuff is fairly obvious--always wear helmets (that's obvious, right?) and proper shoes (no sandals or slides), don't ride at night, avoid busy streets, obey all traffic signs, etc.

For more safety tips regarding kids and bikes, check out the IBF's safety page and for a more thorough look at bike safety and how not to get hit, read HOW NOT TO GET HIT BY A CAR on bicyclesafe.com.

Image Credit: Mark Wiewel

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