Stylish Street Bike Helmets

There are few things cooler than street bikes and scooters - and yet so many people ride around in disappointingly boring helmets.  This is hardly necessary - there are some great, stylish helmets to choose from, most of which can be easily purchased online.  I'll walk you through the best ones to save you the trouble of searching.

If you're an urban rider and want to look good whether you're riding to work or heading for a party or fending off hordes of zombies in the event of some unforeseen biological attack on your city, your best bet is to go for a simple black helmet.  

Black goes with everything.  Black can be dressed up and down.  Black is classy, tough, elegant, and smart.  

That said, there are black helmets, and there are black helmets.  The first thing you need to focus on is safety and good fit, of course, but beyond that, I recommend smooth lines (avoid excessive rippling and embellishments, logos, doodles, and icons) and classic designs that will last throughout the years.

If you're riding a scooter, consider a three quarters helmet.  You might also go with a european-styled or open face helmet with a visor to keep those eyes from tearing up in the wind.  When it comes to brands, Nexx offers what I think are the coolest open-faced helmets for the city slicker type.  I favor their offerings without patterns, but even their more embellished products are (at least relatively) better.

If you're riding a motorcycle, a full-face helmet would probably be best.  Some of my favorite helmets have a matte finish- I think that dings (for they are inevitable) and scratches look better on matte helmets, plus they have an overall smoother, less cheap look to them.  When it comes to style, understatement can often make the most favorable statement of all.

Sometimes it seems as though the helmets designed with women in mind are all designed by people who have no idea what elegance or femininity is all about.  You know the helmets to which I am referring - those horrid, busy, bright, embarrassingly tacky ones that you will see online in stores but (THANKFULLY) rarely see on the streets (because let's be honest- no self-respecting, reasonable rider would be caught dead in one, and considering how bike crashes go...).

The best female helmets are smooth, streamlined, simple, and classic.  If it seems like an outlandish, strange new deisgn, chances are it's not going to be able to hold a candle to more vintage and retro designs that have been around for decades, so I recommend you stick with those.

Simplicity is key- not only because it's more classic, but because it's more versatile.  The simpler your helmet, the more outfits it will go well with.  Also consider matching your helmet with your scooter/bike and riding gear, as often that's all you're seen riding in anyway.

If you're riding a scooter, shop with images of Vespa riders in the days of yore floating through your head.  Open face helmets with mounted goggles are great.  Stripes are fabulous.  Just keep the lines clean.

If you're on a motorcycle, more protection may be optimal, hence I'd recommend a full face helmet.  While these helmets are harder to make "stylish," consider matching it with your bike for a cohesive look (a la Beatrix Kiddo in Kill Bill).

If you're going to be a bad-ass on your bike, you might as well look the part. Go for a helmet that has a decent amount of rugged flare (matte paint, military feel, rough edges, and masculine colors, especially those of the green, gray, and black families help) but does not skimp out on safety.

If you already have a helmet and want to make it look a bit more interesting, but in an intimidating or creatively tough manner, consider installing a mohawk, such as one made of spikes or even one resembling that of a Roman soldier.

Just be sure you install these mohawks properly! Nothing would be less impressive and rugged than losing your mohawk in the middle of a speedy getaway or whilst splitting lanes and leaving those car-bound nancies in the dust.

TIP: When it comes to decorated helmets, avoid any loud patterns or designs.  They might look cool to you, but they might tag you as lame with many others.  Most of the classic badasses of the world avoid excessive logos and large symbols and cartoons - leave the imaging OFF your helmet; let YOURSELF become the icon of coolness.