Whether you are a keen cyclist, or simply a casual hobbyist, investing in a good quality bicycle helmet needs to be your number one priority. While cycling itself is super good for your health, hitting the ground with no protection is not. Without further ado, let’s bring our very own bicycle helmet to life!
Tutorial Video
Step-By-Step Images and Instructions
1.
Start with a gray pencil and add a wavy line to the center of your page. The ends of this should wave gently downwards towards the bottom corners of the page.
2.
Move to the points at the bottom of the lines, and bring two lines up from these corners, pointing up towards the top of the page.
3.
Now, add another line above the wavy line at the bottom, running parallel.
4.
Now, add a sharp “point” to the left-hand side, and bring the line back up. Curve the line across in a semicircle, leaving slight gaps so that you have a “dashed” line.
5.
In the gaps, bring long “fingers” down, creating the vents which are so important for a comfortable helmet.
6.
Now, join the gaps to complete the shape of the helmet.
7.
Add a series of semicircle shapes inside each of the “fingers”, with two on each strand.
8.
Add small circles in between each of the strands.
9.
Now use a black pen to outline the main body of the helmet, and the lines of the vents.
10.
Use the same black to fill in the semicircles you created…
11.
And then erase the pencil marks in these sections.
12.
Finally, use a gray pencil to add color to the bottom of the helmet, and the sections in between the black shapes. Then, fill in the circles with the same light gray shading to complete the helmet.
And just like that, you have crafted your very own bicycle helmet – now how about creating your very own bicycle and accompanying rider to go with it?
Though crucial safety features today, cycle helmets did not always hold such a priority in the hearts of riders. Until the 1970s, they were largely considered children’s toys, and not essential for cyclists. During this decade, there was a boom in cycling, and a growing number of fans began to pay closer attention to the sport. This resulted in the creation of the first helmets as we now recognize them, produced by a team of mountaineering experts, and a company specializing in motorcycle gear. The original work had started long before this, however, with the creation of helmets for motorsports and similar activities and was later adapted to become suitable for bicycles and bicycle helmets.
In 1975, the first purpose-built helmet was created – and it was a huge commercial success. The prototype was known as the “Bell Biker” and featured a hard shell, which was then lined with polystyrene, though there was no standard or regulation required at this point in development.
The evolution of the design grew and changed over the next few years, and a specialist racing helmet was introduced in 1983, which started to offer greater ventilation, and were more comfortable for the wearer.
Techniques evolved again in 1990, and this saw a thin shell emerge, complete with generous vents for added comfort, and the option to experiment with a series of shapes and designs, allowing more versatile options and creative helmets, keeping riders comfortable as well as safe.
