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Publicly Crashing Bikes Safely, with Hövding

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Remember that “invisible” helmet that we’ve posted about a few times? In an effort to get the word out to the streets, Hövding is hosting a number of guerrilla marketing events – basically two users haplessly crashing their bikes, to illustrate the helmet’s effectiveness. Essentially the Hövding is an inflatable airbag that is concealed in a collar that you wear around your neck. When the control unit senses an impact, the helmet inflates in a split second, faster than you can hit the ground. The safety isn’t cheap though, with invisible helmets going for $600 at last check and the airbags being one use only.

Check out the back-to-back crashes after the break.

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12 Comments
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Reynard
Reynard
11 years ago

With a name like that, it should go on sale at Ikea.

Iowa Cyclist
11 years ago

For the low low price of $513US! In the first video, it seems like just bobbing your head on a curb drop would activate it. I’ll pass.

proohp
proohp
11 years ago

It can be used few times?

Bart
11 years ago

can I wear one in my truck that doesn’t have air bags?

Sardinian Rider
Sardinian Rider
11 years ago

I wish i had it a week ago when I’ve landed in my face with no helmet at all. But wait….600$ vs free stitches from the italian healthcare system ? I’ll keep the stitches,thanks. And next time I’ll wear my helmet.

Campy Seatpost
Campy Seatpost
11 years ago

Guerilla test? That just looks like a guy in a black suit. If you can’t use it with a better costume, just forget about the cyclocross market.

Besides, the Snell certification suite uses creepy horse masks for testing these days.

dude
dude
11 years ago

Yes, but will it protect you from meteorites?

ACE
ACE
11 years ago

I think is an interesting idea.I wonder if lead to new kinds of pads as well.

notmikeb
notmikeb
11 years ago

Awesome!! I will finally be free of the OVERWHELMING burden of wearing a very lightweight helmet. I was just saying to my riding buddies last week, “This whole cycling thing is great fellas, but you know what this ride could use? An itchy, heavy, sweaty collar thing that has compressed gas half an inch from my neck that seems like it could go off if I sneezed!! Now that would be CYCLING!!”

Funtooley
Funtooley
11 years ago

This makes my wallet AND my self esteem hurt.

ChrisW
ChrisW
11 years ago

If you watch the second video closely, neither rider hits their head or helmet on the ground when they crash – they perform shoulder rolls to keep their heads away from harm. In the first video, the cameraman did a good job of missing the part where the rider’s head and helmet may have hit the ground. Therefore, these are good tests of whether the helmets inflate as designed, but not tests of whether they can protect the wearer’s heads.

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