The thread on early hardshells got me thinking... I have to wonder if helmet giant Bell had any idea what they were getting into when they introduced the Biker. I wonder if they entered that market thinking it was a small niche, with customers being the most safety-conscious of serious riders, as was the case early on, or if they forsaw a day when many (most?) bicycle owners would own bike-specific headgear, as is now the case. Helmets are a good idea, the prevent a significant number of injuries... And man-oh-man they must be a goldmine for Bell. Like Bell, Oakley did very well by going from motorsports (MX in this case) to bicycles. After the Pilots things like Blades and Frogskins morphed their products into streetware. They are now huge in the high-end eyeware biz. Who'd have thought? Styro helmets and plastic glasses, heck, the biggest expense is marketing. Maybe these companies saw this all coming, but looking back to the days when Oakley was "grips" and Bell was motorcycle helmets, the mind boggles at what was to come. Of course the same could be said for Windows.... Tom Dalton Bethlehem, PA "H.M. & S.S. Sachs" wrote:"nath" wrote:
Old helmets. . . . In my closet I have my first helmet, bought with the insurance money from the only time I've been hit by a car. It's a Bailen's Bike Helmet, made in New Zealand, dating from 1981, maybe 1982. Yellow, with white inside, and a little pad for the top of the head. A spiffy pen-and-ink image of a funny man--Bailen? No ventilation, of course! I remember MSR helmets, but I can't remember when they came along. Were they before or after Bailen's Bike Bucket?
MSR was earlier than Bailen. I don't remember Bell v. Bailen; still have one Bailen and one early Bell.
harvey sachs mcLean VA
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