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Noob Mistake: Helmet on Backwards

05.07.2013 by Ray Niekamp // 5 Comments

It’s spring. In most parts of the country anyway. And that means organized rides are springing up all over. Lots of noobs turn out for their first organized rides ever, and they make their share of mistakes. Here’s one that I noticed a few years ago.

I was walking across a parking lot toward the ride start, when I passed a couple also headed in that direction. They were obvious first-timers. As I looked at the woman, something struck me as odd. She had the weirdest looking helmet I’ve ever seen.

Except on closer inspection, it wasn’t the helmet at all — that turned out to be a fairly common variety. It was the way she wore it. The black scalloped rear was facing forward.

“Your helmet is on backward,” I said quietly, as I walked past them.

She stopped, pulled off her helmet, and stared at it.

“It is? On backward? How can you tell?” she asked.

“The smooth part goes in the front,” I replied. “It’s more aerodynamic that way.”

She looked at her husband. He looked back and shrugged. She turned the helmet around and put it back on, the right way.

She’s not the first I’ve seen making that mistake. Lots of people figure that since the helmet slopes down in the rear, and had lots of openings that must suck in air, that’s the front.

This is not the front.
This is not the front.
This is the front.
This is the front.

But as we all know from basic physics, the airfoil shape of an aircraft wing is rounded in front, and tapers toward the rear.

I can understand why a noob might be confused.
I can understand why a noob might be confused.

If you see a newbie looking extra dorky on a ride this spring, come to their rescue. Show them the proper way to wear a helmet.

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Categories // Accessories, Equipment, Safety Tags // helmets, noob mistake

Comments

  1. Adam C. Henderson says

    May 7, 2013 at 9:28 pm

    LOVE this! haha! I once put my shoes on backwards… No, no I didn’t. I’ll be looking for this tell-tale sign of Noobishness at my next ride though!

    Reply
  2. Sarah says

    May 7, 2013 at 9:28 pm

    I had to chuckle. Because the very first time I ever biked, I did this. I got about five feet before husband called me a do-do bird and laughed so hard he nearly peed his pants. I blame bad genes and hair color. 😉

    Sarah
    http://www.thinfluenced.com

    Reply
  3. Adam C. Henderson says

    May 7, 2013 at 9:32 pm

    Reblogged this on Just Enjoy the Ride and commented:
    Oh this is awesome! TOO good to pass up. After you read it, tell me, have you done anything like this? Or SEEN it? This is great comedy material!

    Reply
  4. Chris Grillo says

    May 8, 2013 at 1:19 am

    What is even funnier Adam is how people even dare to go out on rides WITHOUT a helmet… actually it is not funny…. this article is though.

    Reply
  5. robin1953 says

    May 8, 2013 at 9:54 am

    A lady who works in my office rode a new bike for months with the forks facing the wrong way, mudguards and all. It was packed in the box like that to save space. All she did was straighten the handlebars and off she went. It must have been an unusual balance thing going on there.

    Reply

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