Get a helmet, check it twice

By Heather

I’m a fan of bike helmets for all humans. Nothing gets me more steamed than when I see someone riding their bike with the helmet draped over the handlebars. Ugh. What are they doing?!

This weekend, we attended our local Bike Rodeo and Safety Day. My two sons cruised around obstacle courses made out of chalk lines, orange cones, and traffic signs. In previous years, the rodeo has included an all-bike-powered bus.

Lucky for our community, the day of fun also includes free helmets and fittings for children. My youngest son replaced his dinosaur helmet with a “very fast red one that looks like Daddy’s” fit by the volunteers.

Milo with Helmet

Did you know that a helmet has to be properly fit to your head in order to protect you? Did you know that once it has “done its job” in a crash, it must be replaced? Or that excessive sunshine can also cause a helmet to weaken and crack?

The good news is that many manufacturers will replace your helmet if its been in a crash. But if you leave it out in the sunshine and the helmet starts to disintegrate, its on you.

You can read my love story about helmets or Whitney’s post about Olympians in headgear.