Bike helmets are so invaluable that it is now rare to see a cyclist without a helmet. Cycling is often a dangerous pursuit as you navigate your way through bumpy terrain, and cyclists often suffer falls. A bike helmet protects you from head injuries, but during the 19th century head injuries were common, as helmets were rarely worn. They became more widespread in the early 20th century, and now come in hundreds of designs.
The 19th Century
The first bike helmets emerged in the 1880s, but they were very different from those worn today. They were made of a material called pith, which is crushable. This was far from ideal, but the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute explains it was the best option available to 19th century cyclists. The main problem with pith was that it probably broke on impact. However, there were few cars on the roads during the 1880s and 1890s, so the helmets often only had to protect against a single impact.
Early 20th Century
As cycling moved into the 20th century, riders began to wear helmets made of strips of leather-covered padding. The shape was similar to a hatband, and riders also wore woolen cloth on the tops of their heads. This helmet gradually evolved into what was known as a hairnet among riders. In 1919, a company called Lazer Helmets was formed in Belgium, selling bike helmets as well as motorbike and other sporting helmets. It claims to be the oldest helmet manufacturer in the world, and sold bike helmets to the mass market.
Late 20th Century
Radical changes to bike helmets occurred during the 1970s and 1980s. It had become obvious to cyclists that most fatalities and severe injuries came from head injuries, but it was not until the mid-1970s that Bell invented a crushable, EPS foam liner for its Bell Biker helmet. Many of the advances in helmet safety are attributed to a non-profit organization called the Snell Foundation, which began testing bike helmets in the 1980s. By 1984, an ANZI bike helmet was set for the U.S.A. It improved the quality of all helmets on the market and removed the worst helmets from stores.
Modern Bike Helmets
Cyclists can now choose from hundreds of designs, materials and colors, and they are all vastly different from the pith helmets of the 19th century or the leather helmets that dominated the 20th century. In the 1990s, helmet manufacturers began forging a thin, hard plastic shell to sit on top of the crushable foam helmet, making it more durable. This is the prototype for modern bike helmets, but the shapes vary slightly. Manufacturers of modern helmets compete to create the most aerodynamic helmets, which feature air vents and a buckle and strap. The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute rates helmets that are round like bowling balls as the safest, although helmets often feature squared-off lines, as some cyclists find them more stylish.
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