Help us promote nighttime visibility among “invisible” cyclists and others.
We will be at St. Anthony’s of Padua in Hightstown at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20 and at St. Paul’s in Princeton at 7 p.m. Monday Nov. 28. At each event, we will give a short presentation in Spanish (and English)? that also includes some basic “rules of the road.” We’ll then offer visibility and safety items such as reflective vests, lights and helmets for half price, funded in part by a generous donation from the West Windsor Policemen’s Benevolent Association. We need people who can help with the presentation as well as Spanish and non-Spanish speakers to help fit helmets, model vests and otherwise encourage “invisible” cyclists to be more visible to motorists at night.
Here’s a case of when it pays off to be stopped by the police:
Police departments in several Middlesex County municipalities, including Plainsboro and Cranbury, are giving a “summons” to any kid spotted wearing a helmet while biking (or doing another wheeled activity) between June 21 and Sept. 30. Each summons can be redeemed for free items, such as a scoop of ice cream or slice of pizza, and enters the child in a raffle drawing for a new helmet and bicycle at the end of the campaign.
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital’s Safe Kids Middlesex County is once again partnering with county and local governments to make this program happen. You can read more about it here.
Wearing a helmet isn’t just the law for kids under 17; it makes sense for cyclists of all ages. You only have one brain, and even an seemingly innocent fall the wrong way can do serious damage.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, approximately 190,000 children sustain head injuries each year while participating in wheeled activities. Brain injuries often have lifelong effects, such as problems with thought processes, mobility and emotions. There is no cure for brain injury so prevention is extremely important.
Talk to the WWBPA about how to fit your helmet properly so it doesn’t slide around. There’s a science to it!
OK, we know. For some people, bicycle helmets are just so uncool that they don’t want to wear them. And then they mess up your hair.
We haven’t come across a solution to the hair problem, but we have spotted some fashionable helmets that the Cycle Chic movement would approve of.
At the New Jersey Bike & Walk Summit, Jerseyite Cheryl Allen-Munley was showing off girly hats that cover her helmet shells, all sold through her company Bandbox. A floppy hat with flowers and a brim? Or a felt 1920s cloche for winter? For those who prefer something more rugged, choices include a bush hat and a baseball cap.
Yakkay, a Danish company, has won several awards for its fashionable take on helmets. Want a new look? Just change the cover. There’s even a furry option. And its accessories include helmet-friendly ear muffs. One drawback: the list of retailers on its website doesn’t include any in the U.S. (is that possible?)
Some prefer helmets that look better suited to skateboarders. Cycle Chic (the name of a real store in the U.K.) carries some among its four brands (check out Nutcase).
All too much? As a pair of otherwise chic, bike-in-a-suit bloggers say, embrace messy hair (after riding with a helmet). And yes, they’ve also got some tips for? riding in a suit, for those who want to arrive at work looking smart. (One key point: take it slow and steady.)
What would your fashion helmet look like?
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How many crashes have you had where your helmet prevented a more serious injury?
1 crash – 31%
2 crashes – 27%
3 or more crashes – 20%
I’ve crashed, but my helmet never touched anything – 16%
I’ve crashed, my helmet hit but did not help prevent a more serious injury – 1%
I’ve never crashed – 4%
The results are from about 2,200 responses to the ?January 13, 2011 question:
Your helmet can save your life in a crash; see these pictures for a few close-ups of how it works. This helmet happily gave its life to save its wearer, who was involved in a bike/car collision on local roads this week.
Bike helmets are nearly always designed to be single-hit, after which you must buy a new helmet. This is because single-hit helmets are lighter and therefore more comfortable to wear.
When a hit occurs, the helmet absorbs the shock by compressing the foam, which doesn’t resume its original shape and therefore won’t be available for another hit.
According to New Jersey state law, bicyclists 16 and under must wear helmets, but all bicyclists should wear them. If you’d like to purchase a low-cost helmet, please visit the WWBPA booth at the West Windsor Farmers’ Market. Check our calendar to see which dates we’re there, or drop us a quick email at [email protected].
Preventing a crash is even better, Bicyclists, please ride on the right side of the roadway in the same direction as the cars, and follow traffic signs and signals.? Motorists, please give bicyclists plenty of room when passing – half a lane is a good practice.
The WWBPA provided a free Bike Clinic at the Farmers’ Market on Saturday, August 7. ?We offered people an opportunity to learn how to fix a flat, change a tire, check their ABC’s (air pressure, brakes, cassette/chain/crank), and fit their bike. First Vice-President Chris Scherer brought his bike for demonstrations, and he reported that one woman went home and then rode her bike back to the market. Chris and WWBPA Trustee Dave Robinson showed her how to fix a flat and change a tire, and went through the ABC’s with her, plus fit her with a helmet. She got some hands-on experience and seemed to learn a lot. Several others expressed interest in the clinic and may bring their bikes to the Farmers’ Market on August 21 for another clinic. Stop by at any time between 10.m. and noon. We’ll also do demonstrations at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon on September 4.
In addition to the Bike Clinic, we spoke with many people about bicycle and pedestrian matters. Many were interested?in connections, such as between Princeton and West Windsor or? Plainsboro and West Windsor, and finding routes to destinations, such as Whole Foods from Plainsboro or Hightstown or Mercer County Park from Cranbury Road. Washington Road and the intersection at Cranbury/Wallace and Route 571 were mentioned many times.
If you, too, are interested in attending a Bike Clinic at the Farmers’ Market, send us an e-mail or leave a comment here and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.
You don’t need to open up your wallet very far to get an effective bicycle helmet. The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute hired a firm to run tests?on six helmets. Three sold for under $20, and three sold for more than $150. The conclusion? The impact test results were virtually identical.? The extra bucks may get you?an easier fit, more vents and snazzier graphics, but not more safety.
Regardless of how much you spend, your helmet needs to fit properly to protect your brain. As the BHSI asys, you want the helmet to be comfortably touching the head all the way around, level and stable enough to resist even violent shakes or hard blows and stay in place. It should be as low on the head as possible to maximize side coverage, and held level on the head with the strap comfortably snug.
Watch these videos for more tips, or come ask the WWBPA for help this summer at the West Windsor Farmers’ Market. (We sell helmets too!)
And remember–always wear a bicycle helmet when biking, not a helmet for skateboarding or some other sport.
Monthly meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month via Zoom. We will eventually resume meeting in the West Windsor Municipal Building. Email us at [email protected] if you would like the Zoom code.
Find us at the West Windsor Farmers Market (Vaughn Drive parking lot) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every other Saturday from May through Halloween.
Help us promote nighttime visibility among “invisible” cyclists and others.
You don’t need to open up your wallet very far to get an effective bicycle helmet. The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute hired a firm to run 