JUST RIDE the BIKE

I finally took the Helmetor out the packaging, and on it’s own, it’s hard to know exactly what to make of it. It’s… well… what is it? And does it really matter? What matters is whether two brothers from Ireland, who were not part of the cycling industry, have managed to deliver what they wanted from this strangely named, piece of strangely moulded plastic.

 

Tim and Johnnie McCrea have brought their design know-how, biomechanical expertise (PhD in Physiotherapy anyone), love of cycling, and concern for their children, to the Helmetor. From a small island in the middle of Lough Erne, they decided that they needed something a bit special to keep their own children aware of where the cycling helmets were, designing encouragement to wear them into the solution. The result of this long term problem solving, thinking, prototyping, head scratching, and determination, is the Helmetor. Keeper of safe heads, storer of security.

 

I took it out to the shed, and went to put it on the side of the wooden shelves. But the screws it comes with are too long. So I opted for the window frame (it’s only a shed). Easy job, couple of holes, turn the screws, and it’s on. That’s all fine, and then puzzlement sets in. How on earth does the helmet actually go on? I honestly can’t figure it out. I don’t think this is how TIm and Johnnie did it at the demo at The Cycle Show.

 

As a result of being stumped, I look at the instructions on the packaging. It turns out the helmet faces into the shed. This makes so much more sense. It means the sweaty bits get a chance to dry out, rather than hiding them up against the wall of the shed.

 

It is, I’m pleased to say, ridiculously easy to use. And once it’s on it feels really solid. More solid than might be expected from such a lightweight piece of kit. It works on a variety of helmets in the shed. The only ones it didn’t like were the kids skateboard style helmets. Because Helmetor use the vents, if you don’t have vents, or at least, not vents in the right place, then it’s no use.

 

I have been using it. After a few weeks I’ve become accustomed to putting the helmet on it as I step into the shed. It feels that the helmet commands a bit more respect with a special hook. It’s part of a ritual. The rigmarole of scrabbling around for the helmet, trying to unhook the strap from the sticking-out bit of the shelving is now consigned to the sadly-abused Mountain Bike enduro helmet. The solution is obvious - get another Helmetor.

 

What I admire about the Helmetor is the thought that has gone into it. Tim and Johnnie clearly decided that a hook wasn’t good enough for something as unwieldy as a helmet. And they’ve come up with an original design, and a novel approach. You might well have somewhere you already store your helmet, and you’re very happy with it. But if you do give a Helmetor a try, I’m pretty sure it won’t be long before you get a second.