Thousand Helmets
ONWARD: Thousand helmets are the only helmets I’d ride even if they were made out of unlined cardboard. To my eyes, they’re the friendliest, least-macho, plainest, best-looking, only good-looking helmets in the world. I like that designer-owner Gloria Hwang hates the look of most helmets as much as I do, although she’s far more mellow than I am.
I also like her take on vents, and I believe it. Vents can allow you to scratch your head without removing your helmet, but if your head gets that itchy that often, the problem is your scalp or bugs or hygiene, not the helmet.
Her company values are the best. The strap is the best. It fits a U-lock. The built-in visor is short, nice-looking, and not so long that it’ll catch on something and twist your neck in a tumble. Everything about this mellow helmet is the best. You can get reflective tape at a car-parts store or online, and stick designs all over the place.
We’re stocking the Heritage helmet in three adult sizes: S-M-L; and the one child’s size, XS, all in the same Silverish color Thousand calls "So Silver".
Fit Stuff:
(1) The chinstrap isn't adjustable, which means (A) you can't adjust it; and (B) Shockingly enuf, that might be a good thing. Nine in ten helmets I see are incorrectly adjusted, and the Thousand comes pre-adjusted in a way that is like..90 percent perfect for 99 percent of the heads and ears out there. So you can't maladjust it.
(2) Maybe it's just my head/Grant here, but the helmet sits low on my head. I like how it feets, but when I'm in my hill-attack mode and leaing more forward, the visor slightly blocks ye olde view. Just a little. For my normal upright riding, it's perfect and no problem.
I can solve this two ways, but I'm more of a hack-chop-tape-cut-n-twin&shellack problem solver than most of you are. I've got a great idea, actually.
Fit Stuff bottom line: It's ideal for a more upright position. For a leaned fwd position with your head down, get the more expensive "Chapter" model, which comes with a detachable bill, and detach the bill.
If you want another color or model, and there are plenty of good ones, buy it from another Thousand dealer. Amazon doesn’t sell these. We’re not special-ordering other models or colors, and in that sense, we’re the worst place to buy a Thousand helmet.
Parting notes
These are the only helmets we’ve sold in our whole 27-year history, because they’re the only ones that made the tough cut. I/Grant remain as convinced as ever that
(1) Helmets are better at passing helmet tests than they are at protecting heads; and
(2) Because of that, they offer a false sense of security, which can lead to riding more riskily. If you simultaneously disagree with (2) and claim that you would never ride without a helmet, you need to see if you can fit those two things together, and good luck.
We donate $50 of every adult helmet and $30 of every child’s helmet to the California Coalition for Women Prisoners, an advocacy group for women who are imprisoned for finally defending themselves after years or physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and for better treatment and health care. https://womenprisoners.org ... and watch the video about Charisse Shumate. We are able to target our donations to specific causes for specific individuals with an immediate need...for maximum impact on one person's life.
SIZING
https://www.explorethousand.com/pages/fit-guide
James measured his head 24" around (hat size 7 3/4) and wears a Large Thousand helmet.
