| When I was young, I had some very strong | | | | bicycle helmets. The first modern helmets had |
| objections to wearing my bicycle helmet. It was | | | | interiors made from expanded polystyrene foam, |
| heavy, made my head hot, messed up my hair | | | | a material used to make liners for motorcycle and |
| and didn't look cool! Despite my numerous | | | | motorsport helmets. The shells of these bicycles |
| complaints, my parents refused to let me ride my | | | | helmets were of hard polycarbonate plastic. |
| bicycle without my helmet. I suppose they were | | | | Early bicycle helmets had little ventilation, which |
| concerned with silly things like my physical safety. | | | | was due mainly to the technical limitations of the |
| The fact of the matter is that bicycle helmets | | | | foam and plastic shells. This problem continued |
| save the lives of people every day. They are the | | | | until the early 90s, at which time the in-mold |
| most essential piece of safety equipment a cyclist | | | | microshell technique was invented. This kind of |
| can wear, and as breakthroughs continue to be | | | | helmet consisted of a very thin shell incorporated |
| made in how to protect cyclists, helmets continue | | | | into the helmet during the molding process. |
| to evolve. | | | | In-mold microshell helmets could be created in |
| As in many other sports, people did not consider | | | | more complex shapes, which allowed for larger |
| safety equipment to be necessary in cycling for a | | | | vents and better airflow. This technology quickly |
| long time. Although the bicycle was invented in the | | | | became dominant in the industry, all but replacing |
| early 1800s, it was not until the 1970s that | | | | the foam-and-plastic helmets. |
| cyclists began to wear helmets. This is partially | | | | Since the invention of in-mold microshell helmets, |
| due to the fact that prior to that decade, bicycles | | | | designers have continued to refine the shape and |
| were regarded primarily as children's toys. Despite | | | | capabilities of bicycle helmets. Recent |
| the fact that children could and did find | | | | improvements have included advances in fitting |
| themselves involved in accidents, the pastime of | | | | and retention systems. Early bicycle helmets had |
| riding a bike not considered dangerous enough to | | | | thick pads that cradled the head, but modern |
| require safety equipment. For the most part, the | | | | helmets can be adjusted to fit the cyclist's head |
| only time an American adult rode a bike was to | | | | precisely, making such pads unnecessary. This |
| participate in bicycle racing. And although these | | | | makes the helmets much lighter and much less |
| cyclists did wear bicycle helmets, the helmets of | | | | warm, a major asset when cycling. Additionally, |
| the era offered minimal impact protection. | | | | some more advanced helmet models feature |
| Then, in the 1970s, numerous adult Americans | | | | carbon fiber inserts that increase the helmet's |
| took up cycling as a form of recreation, exercise | | | | strength and protection capacity. Such helmets |
| and even commuting. The oil crisis of that decade | | | | are especially popular among racing cyclists, who |
| made bicycle commuting a fairly attractive option | | | | also tend to favor helmets with long, tapered |
| from a financial standpoint. This surge in popularity | | | | backs, which are designed to be aerodynamic. |
| led to the development of the first modern | | | | |