At scooterhire.co.nz, we tackle the big scooter problems head-on...here's an article about that age old problem of helmet hair:10/10/08
Harriet Ridley
THERE'S a soaring number of women discovering the joys of two wheels to beat the credit crunch. With the latest generation of super-cool scooter gear girls can now be really trendy. But the problems begin when we reach destination and take our helmets off to reveal hair that's as flat as a pancake and clinging to our heads.
Helmet hair is the plague of every two-wheeled rider with hair. The longer the hair, the more tragic the problem. So what can we do about it?
Don't even think about not wearing a helmet. You would never get away with it and can you imagine the tangles? Faced with no viable alternative, over the years I've learned there are things we can do to minimise the problem.
For instance, washing your hair the night before rather than on the day makes it less pliable and thus less willing to take the shape of your helmet.
And get a helmet with a removable washable lining. A dirty helmet will make your hair greasy and smelly. All good-quality helmets nowadays come with removable lining. Alternatively, wear a clean balaclava under the helmet. This is also good for keeping the hair tucked inside the jacket so it doesn?t creep out and get tangled.
These tips can help, although I still haven't found a solution to end helmet hair days for good, so do let me know if you have one? just as long as it's not something like, get a helmet that fits loosely.
A loose-fitting helmet won't do anything to protect your head in the event of a fall. Getting a helmet that fits properly is vital: Too small and it will give you a headache, too big and it won't cushion your head during impact. It's better to have helmet hair than brain damage.
There's a range of helmets to choose from. Open-faced helmets are popular on scooters, although I steer clear as they don't protect your chin in a fall. However, on some modern scooters storage space is only big enough for open-faced helmets, so this may be enough to convince some riders of their worth.
Different helmets suit different people as everyone has a different shaped head. Clearly I've got an expensive head shape as Arai fits me most comfortably. Well, it is one of the best quality helmets money can buy.
However, Shoei is an expensive brand too, but their helmets don't fit my head shape comfortably, squeezing my cheeks to give me that fish-in-a-bowl feeling.
Arai is bringing out a full-faced helmet with a new design for girls in 2009. You?ll be able to see it at this year's International Motorcycle and Scooter Show at the NEC, so if you're going check it out it's gorgeous! And will cost £344.
Suomy is bang on trend at the moment with its cheaper range of full-faced helmets with colourful, flowery and sparkling designs. It has a good selection of open-faced versions too. See www.suomy.com for details.
HJC is another brand to look out for. The girly designs include the Art Fighter for £120, or the EVE in pink or white and lilac for £119.
And check out Shark's limited edition butterfly full-faced helmet for £139.99; there's an open-faced version too.
IXS do a good selection of jet helmets in girly colours. You can find all these brands at www.girlsbike2.com .
Meanwhile, super-popular brand Momo have a selection of girl-friendly designs at www.momo.com .
And if pink is your thing, I'm the not-so-proud owner of a bubble gum pink open-faced helmet from Nexx (www.nexx-helmets.co.uk), although you won't catch me wearing it too often.
Still, it's not as bad as the latest craze to have hit Spain. Scooter riders there are wearing horse riding hats! All the trendy kids wear them, call me old-fashioned but they look ridiculous. That's one trend I can't see catching on here.
http://www.ayrshirepost.net/lifestyle/motoring-car-news/2008/09/10/scooter-girls-can-beat-helmet-hair-102545-21794289/
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