I feel like this is an age old question debated by many including myself and as it is International Helmet Awareness Day today and tomorrow (admittedly this is more in the equine area) I figured why not ask the question again from a cycling perspective.

I cycle a reasonable amount and ever since I started I have worn a helmet – why would I not as it can save your life so in my mind is an essential part of my cycling kit that I would not be without.  I am a part of a cycling club and we have a rule – no helmet, no ride – this is not uncommon for clubs to insist on and the same is said for most sportives/events also.  We follow the rules of British Cycling and although it is not a legal requirement they do quote:

‘British Cycling recommends wearing a correctly fitted helmet while cycling however we also support the right of each individual to choose whether or not to accept this recommendation and recognise the limit to the protection that helmets provide.’

This is a similar position to that of The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) who quote:

‘There continues to be much debate regarding the effectiveness of cycle helmets and whether the wearing of them should be made compulsory. RoSPA’s position is that we strongly recommend that cyclists wear a cycle helmet. However, it is important to remember that cycle helmets do not prevent crashes from happening. It is therefore vital that through infrastructure improvements, supported by education and training that we reduce the primary risk factors.’

When I first got kitted out in my cycling gear I admit I felt like a bit of an idiot head to toe in lycra, which is not the best look for most, finished off with a dashing helmet.  Does anyone look good in a helmet?  Probably not, but does it matter?  Is the main intention of wearing a helmet to look good or to increase your safety?  For me, I appreciate that it is down to the individual whether or not they choose to wear a helmet though I choose not to cycle without one.

I have been involved in two incidents where I can say with certainty that without wearing a helmet my injuries would have undoubtedly been far worse than they were.  I know others who feel the same also from personal experience.

I see people with those material cycle caps – how will they help you should you have an accident?

I see people with the straps undone – really?

I see people with helmets attached to their back packs or their handle bars – not really serving the purpose is it?

Some tips for helmet wearing:

• they come in different sizes so you will need to make sure you have checked this depending on the brand and have the correct size.
• when you put your helmet on it should be positioned correctly – be careful not to have it so low it obstructs your view or so far back it is not covering your whole head.
• the straps should sit under the ears and be secured in place under the chin – you should not be able to fit more than two fingers between the strap and your chin, if you can then it is too loose.
• handy tip for making sure your helmet is secure is to put it on and adjust as necessary but before you do the straps up you should be able to bend forward without the helmet coming off.
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• only buy a helmet which is CE approved. CE marking is a certification mark that indicates conformity with health, safety, and environmental protection standards for products sold within the European Economic Area.
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Helmets also have a lifespan – different retailers quote different time frames but these are generally between 3 and 5 years.

A lot of retailers also offer a crash replacement discount.  Now I know the intention is not to crash but should this happen and the integrity of the helmet has been compromised by an impact this is a great way of ensuring that the manufacturer can review how the helmet handled the impact for future improvements.  Different retailers will offer different discounts but I have always used Kask helmets and they offer a 50% discount when your damaged helmet is returned (with necessary paperwork).

There are arguments that there is no scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of a cycling helmet and it is very true that simply by wearing a helmet will not make the act of cycling any safer and I think that often this is the misconception of the argument.  I wouldn’t argue that a helmet would stop the chances of you having an accident, however, if you were to have an accident I would say from an injury prevention perspective it is really hard to argue that a helmet does not assist.  There are lots of studies that can be found online relating to this and the results show that on average there is roughly 65% reduction of serious/fatal head injuries when wearing a helmet.

The debate will long continue I am sure and Cycling UK make a good point when they say:

‘The evidence on this question is complex and contradictory, providing as much support for those who are deeply sceptical of helmets as for those who swear by them.’

You will know I love all things bike and so having the opportunity to attend an evening with Bianchi Dama to try some of their bikes and find out more about their collaboration with Charles James was something I was quite excited about.

Arriving at the venue, with my friend Helen from 1 Vision 2 Girls, we were two of the first and so had a chance to admire the bikes they had with them. Helen and I are both keen cyclists and have several bikes each but the rule is always n plus one right so no technically always on the look out for the next. Especially true for me as I am actually looking for my next bike and could it be a Bianchi?

It was an interesting opportunity for both of us as I mentioned we are both keen cyclists but neither of us wear a lot of make up and don’t have a skin care regime either (I know shock horror) so mostly we use water in the shower on our skin so finding out more about the active skin care range was going to be good for us both.

Once we got the right size bike and had helmets on we set off in a small group with Tasha, Bethany and Becky, three of the ladies from the Bianchi Dama women’s performance cycling team. It was a short easy spin around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and gave the opportunity to talk to the ladies about their recent trip completing the Tour of Belgium and what they really thought of the bikes. I think when venturing into cycling it’s easy to be swayed by those around you when it comes to picking a bike for example I have always had the same brand as it is the preferred one of my husband who is a keen cyclist and cycling coach. I am open to others as I search for the next one and the ladies were saying how they’ve tried many over the years and genuinely found the Bianchi bikes to be super comfortable from the start. This was good news and whilst I can’t give a full review based on a 10/15 minute ride the bike was light, smooth, easy to change gear and really comfortable – it’s a good start!

When we got back there was a short straight stretch which gave the opportunity to test the bikes a little more and have some fun.

After mingling for a while there was a talk, which again as a keen female cyclist I found really interesting. I mean it started with the comment ‘Women’s cycling is the place to be’ and that got my attention as I am biased but of course agree wholeheartedly!

The three ladies we cycled with from the team were on the panel and as mentioned earlier they have recently returned from the Tour of Belgium which is a female pro race over ending up in Flanders after four days riding. There are 9 on the team and they spoke of how they are all great friends and real friendships too, which makes a massive difference and sees great retention within the team which speaks volumes and they always look like they’re enjoying it. I am more than aware that being part of a cycle club you join with a common interest and goal but these people end up like an extended family and friendships are soon forged and that makes the sport even more enjoyable.

These are ladies who all work full time and so being at the level they are have to fit in training to their busy lives. They spoke about how they run off that energy level and it becomes a habit, often seeing them scratching the walls when resting, which is something that I think a lot of people, myself included, can relate to as it is always a balancing act. On average these ladies train for 15/20 hours per week on the bike with one member of the team who has covered 20,000km per year for the previous three years – and is a full time vet too!

Having to fit in such rigorous training alongside full time jobs requires a certain level of dedication and the ladies spoke about how their typical week is comprised. It is no surprise that longer rides take place at the weekend and are often 4/5 hours with the aim of completing around 3 sessions during the week, often being early morning, but making these count with some focused structure ie including efforts.  There are always tired with achey legs but the fun that comes with this makes you want to do again and all whilst still smiling. Through the winter there is an increased focus in the gym with strength and core work, which sees many benefits in cycling; if your core is strong it really helps for sprints and climbing. Some add running, which is difficult as different fitness to cycling but does allows for fitness in all weather outside which cycling doesn’t always lend itself to.  Cyclocross is something that some of the ladies also take part in through the winter and really takes on the extremes of weather and mud – I love mud so maybe this is something I might explore in future?

The team are keen to use the heritage of Bianchi to represent in an honourable and exciting way and the trademark turquoise kit and bikes was seen throughout the event. The girls spoke of the collaboration with Charles James and how cycling can be semi glamorous, being equally surprised that until now no one has got involved in this area previously with most not making skincare regime a priority (that would include me!) but how they genuinely feel the new range is fab. When cycling your skin really comes into contact with all the elements often finishing a ride or training session with skin that can be covered in mud, dust, grit, wet, and sweat and naturally this all affects your skin. The range includes two products with one being an active cleanse and the second a cream to enhance and protect. It absorbs easily, contains spf which sounds amazing as sun cream whilst cycling and sweating is not the best mix, it can be worn with make up over it, and is light enough to wear on a daily basis, so is a massive help as a product for sportspeople and those with an active lifestyle.

A huge positive for me to hear was how this innovative sponsorship with Charles James and Bianchi has been developed for the team and with the team and I quote ‘is a partnership that works’. Leading an active lifestyle and cycling several times a week I’ve admitted I don’t have a strict skincare regime, however, I have noticed how the elements can leave my skin feeling very dry and when products like these are developed actually involving the very people who they are aimed for my interest naturally peaks. The ladies tested the products during the Tour of Belgium ride with positive results, taken to protect their skin whilst cycling.

Caroline, the mechanic for the team, was also present and I found her parts of the talk really interesting to learn more about the behind the scenes elements that being part of the pro team involves.  She spoke about how technology is important for the bikes especially with regards to lightness and strength amongst other things. One of the key things in Bianchi bikes is countervail (membrane in carbon) reduces the vibration you can experience on some carbon bikes. All of the Bianchi bikes are entirely Shimano equipped, some with di2 and some with mechanical gearing, which Caroline noted is easier to fix. The team experienced a Di2 failure at a national championship this but managed to rectify even though you cannot see the issue with di2. Caroline also spoke of how it is harder to find bad kit now but the benefits of this is that you don’t have to go to the very top end to get the benefits, for example the last iteration of Shimano 105 and Ultegra have under a 200g difference but a £600 price difference.

I was really impressed to hear that the entire list of mechanicals for the team over the season was limited to:

• 1 di2
• 3 punctures
• 1 skipped chain

Awesome work Caroline!

When it comes to cycling the race that most know is of course Tour de France and unfortunately there is not one halo event that stands above everything else to showcase women’s cycling.  The main events to note are:

• OVO women’s tour
• Giro Rosa
• Tour of Belgium
• La Course by Tour de France
• UCI World championships

Whilst the above is great it shows that women’s cycling is not yet at the same level as the mens.  Getting live coverage of cycling is a big thing and there is a need to make the good women’s races better and have more media coverage and more money to be invested. This is an area that is growing but it is a long slow process, which is unfortunate as women’s cycling is exciting and less predictable. Caroline mentioned that the women’s races tend to be far more attacking.

One thing the ladies were surprised in Belgium about was that there are genuine fans and at present women’s cycling is also more accessible than the men’s racing, often working out of the back of cars so fans have access to the riders for autographs and photos.

Today is the first day of me using the new active skincare products and I walked to the station noticing how nice the scent was.  I am looking forward to carrying on using it whilst I train and will follow up with how I found it.

In the meantime I have been online and fully customised the Bianchi bike that is on my wish list – it’s Christmas soon right?