Casques

• The truth is that I myself don't wear a helmet in the winter, or below 20km/hr. That's because as much as I appreciate the safety benefits of my fancy Spiuk racing helmet, it just seems silly to wear it around town. But then again, I only came to find Spiuk after a fairly exhaustive review of many helmet models from all the major companies. Nearly all are ugly and overpriced, and many are surprisingly poorly designed and manufactured. Worse yet, many shells do not fit most noggins very well. But little Basque Spiuk has the biggies beat on all counts. Still... I just can't do it.

  Maybe I need a Yakkay, or even a Bern. The truth is, if you can find a helmet that fits well and looks great, you're more likely to wear it. And if it's original and fun, all the better. We'll try to hit all of these marks with the helmet lineup in 2009. Or, if nothing else, the helmets will no longer be completely hidden in the back room.

  Here's what's in store in TATI helmetville for spring 2009.

  URBAN

  City Bike Helmets by Kuji
  Our most affordable helmet, this is a rounded and vented design that will please folks who desire an unobtrusive bucket in black or silver. It's simple and streamlined, but has the same retention device as helmets twice the price.

  Macon by Bern
  This profile has been popular for a few years on the slopes, thanks to an army of snowboarders and their Berns. It is an unvented alternative to the much heavier and bulkier skater-style helmets, and comes in a rainbow of colors. Some consider the bill to be quite chic. Kinda equestrian.

  Luzern, Dublin, Paris & Tokyo by Yakkay
  Some may laugh, but these wildy popular Danish helmets have taken Europe by storm. Will Hyde Parkers have the courage to don a protective herringbone gardening hat filled with foam?

  RACING

  Kowter by Spiuk
  Spiuk's least expensive helmet shares many features with its spendier models, including the simple COMPACTFIX retention device. Extremely light at 285g. Its style is sportier than the Bern and Kuji, but not as aggressive as the other Spiuks.

  Zirion by Spiuk
  The official helmet of Team TATI. The Zirion comes in two highly adjustable sizes and is one of the few road helmets that fits a wide range of smaller head shapes. It's light, pretty, and compact: the ideal road racing helmet.

  Nexion by Spiuk
  Until 2009, this was Spiuk's top of the line design. The massively vented, featherweight shell fits folks with rounder heads best. It sits quite low on the crown, which makes for a very attractive profile on many folks. The helmet straps are specially designed to avoid interference with sunglasses.

  Kronos by Spiuk
  The official helmet of Team TATI Triathlon. This is the fastest aero helmet in the world, bar none.

  Whisper Pro by Catlike
  As if Spiuk helmets weren't obscure enough, TATI will be carrying the elusive Catlike Whisper Pro in 2009 in very small quantities.