I am going to be brutally honest here. I am spastic. I guess the politically correct way to word this would be to say that I am not always coordinated. Week before last, I went for a short ride before we headed to Cincy.That day, I ended up falling for my third time. For whatever reason, I am not coordinated enough to unclip from the pedals while riding uphill to a stop. As I laid on the ground with my bike trying to figure out how to unclip my remaining clipped-in foot, I also thought, “Hmmm, I probably need a better helmet.” Not that they don’t all protect your head, it was really just a random thought.
The helmet I was using was just a cheap one I bought off of Amazon. It protects my head, but is heavy, hot and feels like the strap is choking me. I’ve used it over a year and it has been okay enough, though. While I was in Cincy, I looked at quite a few helmets and almost bought the Bontrager Velocis MIPS Road Bike Helmet. I probably would have purchased it, except that no one at the Trek store in Cincy talked to my friend and I. They had shoes I really liked, this helmet AND a Bianchi e-Aria. We looked around, tried to find shoes in my size on our own, and left after twenty minutes. I walked around with the helmet on my head for 20 minutes and it was SO light and comfy. I even stood at the counter to purchase it, and got nothing. The folks at Ken’s Bike Shop in Winston-Salem are AMAZING, but they didn’t have the helmet. The Trek bike I would like to buy isn’t even available until next JUNE! JUNE! If you are looking for Trek bikes, check them out!
As I continued to look for a road bike, I went to Paul’s Cycling and Fitness. These guys are super nice, as well. I rode the Turbo Creo SL Comp Carbon in a Medium, but it was 1) sold and 2) not my size. They said they had a small coming in that I could ride around and try out, but that it was already sold, as well. There was nothing else in my size there or coming. I was a little sad. Since I was looking for a new helmet, I checked out the S-Works Prevail II and it was Niiiiiiiice. I bought it. The really cool thing is that it comes with ANGI — once you set it up, if you fall and hit your head hard enough and don’t turn it off in the app in a pre-set time (you decide) it will alert the emergency contact of your choice. I chose Marty, of course. You can also let the app know you are going for a ride so that your contact knows where you are…….just in case you disappear and never return, your contact can send out a search party.
So far, I really love this helmet. I have long hair and can wear it up in a pony tail without a problem. With my last helmet, I was always searching for a pony tail location that didn’t drive me batshit crazy. Another plus? It really doesn’t get super hot and my hair hasn’t been soaked after rides. Bonus!
I’m not a professional cyclist, obviously. I just know what I like. I also bought a pair of Specialized wool socks that I love. I only wear wool socks and they can sometimes be difficult to find. Wool is SO much better than cotton! Did you know that wool is the ONLY fabric that still insulates when it gets wet? Yep! I wear wool shirts quite frequently when I am kayaking, as well. I wear wool socks every single day. In my opinion, my feet get less sweaty than when I wear cotton or synthetic polyester socks. I guess my love for wool socks began in the Army when we had to wear those Army green wool socks. So, if you haven’t given wool a try, check it out. It really is the best! My favorite wools socks are from SmartWool, but I have many different brands of socks in my sock drawer.
If only wool could help insulate my Malamute from spreading his skunkiness, I’d be set. Almost one week and 5 baths later, we can hug him a little without gagging. I have also found that diffusing lemon oil helps the skunk smell. It’s been a long week!
My Little Red Bike 