cycle helmets in beijing?

[onebir]

Risking degenerating into trivia ("left handed triple action fire extinguishers in badaling???") - does anyone know where you can get them?

According to this thread they do exist, but it sounds like they're very rate, and i don't recall seeing any (in 2003)...

[adrianlondon]

They're sold in the same shops that sell bicycle lights and flourescent clothing. Depending on where you are in Beijing, the nearest shop is likely to be ... London.

[CoffeeRider]

At the farthest-out Starbucks... I think maybe fifth ring road? there is an expat community with a bike store, they should have one. It is right near a Subway and Pet Store, oh... and a Yoga place if that helps. Sorry I can't be more specific, I can get there but don't know any of the roads.

[trevelyan]

It would probably be easier to find a Viking helmet.

[geraldc]

People cycle a lot slower in China, i.e. if you cycle at standard UK commuting speeds, you'll be passing people left, right and center. You're better of going at the local speed, and going with the flow. I don' t think I saw anyone come of their bike, the speeds they were travelling at, most people could just step off them. Helmets aren't really required at that speed.

[roddy]

Depends what hits you surely. . .

I find it hard to believe they're that hard to find, but then I've never looked for one. You might also want to try the sports sections of department stores, and outdoor sports shops.

This page (scroll right down) makes reference to a place which rents bikes and helmets. If they rent 'em, maybe they sell 'em.

Roddy

[onebir]

Ta Roddy - they should at least know where you can buy them...

[flibblesan]

Couldn't you use a scooter helmet? They seem to be easy to get hold of.

[onebir]

I guess so. I had no idea scooter helmets were easy to get hold of...

[flibblesan]

I have seen many people, mostly girls, wearing helmets whilst riding scooters in Shanghai & Zhengzhou. They are not the full-face style though.

[onebir]

I saw a cycle helmet in the bike section of the supermarket at xidan. But it was RMB240! More expensive than the cheaper bikes...

[got_no_jaffas]

i just bought a cycling helmet from the giant store for 500 kuai. information on specialist bike shops can be found here

http://themob.404.com.au/index.php?page=links

i have seen bike crashes back in london & a number of my friends lives have been saved because they wore a cycling helmet. so even though i get double the amount of stares that i usually do, i think it's best to be safe than sorry.

besides there's 20 million chinese in beijing & they all have bad eyesight!

[onebir]

rmb 500 for a cycle helmet!!! i think i'll buy a hard hat from a construction worker!

[onebir]

The Giant store near Xidan (Xisi Nan Dajie/Xidan Bei Dajie) has them from RMB120 upwards. The guy in the store said the RMB120 version wasn't very good, but I didn't quite understand why, & it looked fine...

[adrianlondon]

In the UK, there's a certification which means the helmet (well, not the actual one you buy, but a sample) can withstand a certain force.

Try to buy one which has a decent review and is likely to help you if you hit the ground head first. A really bad one, or a fake copy of a good one, could do more harm than just not wearing one at all.

[onebir]

Carrefour has them too, skating and cycling style, also about RMB 50, and certified to EN1078.

According to cyclehelmets EN1078 is the european standard - all helmets sold in the UK comply to this. However, it's a weaker standard than the earlier Snell B-90/95 standard which it's superseded... (Thanks again Brussels )