The 82^nd Academy Awards are at 8 ET / 5 PT Sunday, March 7, 2010 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood and the glamour will be in full effect. In honor of this year’s Oscars we’d like to recognize those that we consider superstars by setting positive examples of safety by wearing a helmet! This week’s Fast Facts Friday is a collection of photos from around the web of Oscar-related celebs wearing helmets.

Jake Gyllenhaal is best known for his roles in Donnie Darko, Bubble Boy, The Day After Tomorrow, Jarhead, and Brokeback Mountain (in which he was nominated an Oscar for best actor in 2005). He isn’t nominated for an Academy Award this year, but his older sister Maggie Gyllenhaal is nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in Crazy Heart.

We’re not sure if Maggie rides a bike, but Jake sure does. We’re excited to see him staying safe in a Giro helmet when he’s riding the streets.

Photo courtesy JustJared.BuzzNet.com

 Matthew Broderick is best known for his role in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. He also starred in the 1999 movie Election which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing. These days he keeps his pant leg rolled up so it won’t get caught in the chain, and wears a Bell helmet for safety.

Photo courtesy Cyclelicio.us

Matt Damon is best known for … ummm, well, he’s been in a TON of popular movies including Good Will Hunting, Saving Private Ryan, Rounders, The Bourne series, The Departed, and 2009’s Invictus. He is actually nominated this year for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in Invictus. We’re definitely glad to see he’s staying safe with a Bell Helmet.

Photo courtesy ShowHype.com 

Hugh Jackman is known for his role as the slashing, side-burned X-Man Wolverine. He hosted the 81^st Academy Awards last year to rave reviews. He isn’t nominated for an Oscar this year, and he’s not hosting the awards show either, but when we found photos of him wearing a helmet while riding his mountain bike we had to share.

Photo courtesy DailyMail.co.uk

Carey Mulligan is nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her role in An Education.

Here she is seen sporting a helmet as she rides on the back of a motorcycle with boyfriend Shia LaBeouf, also protecting his valuable head with a helmet.

Photo courtesy DailyMail.co.uk

Have you seen or know of any other celebrities that wear a helmet? Please share with us by leaving a comment below!

As a provider of safety helmets for a variety of sports from professional to novice for adults to toddlers, we take pride in bringing innovation to our customers to create a safer experience on the hill, bike path, slopes, or just out on the driveway!

Bell True Fit helmets are designed for biking, however the Bell family also offers customized helmets for a variety of activities including power sports,  bicycling, and … skateboarding. Normally we blog about bicycling and all of the elements that surround it, however over the course of February 2010 we’ve been discussing skateboarding, in particular Tony Hawk, a whole lot.  

Since February 1, 2010 we’ve given away two Bell Hawk skateboarding/BMX helmets, and two versions of the new video game Tony Hawk: RIDE – one for X-Box 360 (congrats @MomMostTraveled) and one for Nintendo Wii (congrats @davesniadak).

While we don’t have the ability to give everyone a helmet or video game, we do have one more game/helmet combo to give away to a random – and may we add, in our opinion, lucky – twitter participant. Today marks the end of our third and final giveaway contest, and we’d like to say CONGRATULATIONS @MissingLynxx. You have won a new Bell Hawk helmet and Tony Hawk: RIDE for X-Box 360!

Thank You – everyone – for participating in our February twitter contests. We hope you’ll stick around to read our blog, and just want to say: be on the lookout for future contests!

Sincerely,

The Bell True Fit Team

Bicycle riders are a dedicated bunch. They ride to work and school in the rain and cold – over bridges, through tunnels and down freeways (where legal). Some choose to ride for the health benefit, while other’s ride for the environment’s benefit. Many ride for the sheer pleasure, and others ride out of necessity. At Bell Sports, we are inspired by those who bike long distances to get where they need (or want) to go. Today’s Fast Facts Friday is in honor of those who take their bikes on busses, trains and other transit options. So without further adieu, here are some transit-related bicycle facts from around North America:

1) Bike riders in New Jersey are thankful there is no extra charge for bicycles brought aboard NJ Transit vehicles, and no permit is required. NJ TRANSIT provides free parking capacity for about 2,300 bicycles at stations and park/rides, and bikes are allowed on NJ Transit trains, busses and light rail. Be sure to check the schedule though, because bicycles like BART, bicycles are not allowed at all times. (NJTransit.com)

2) The Seattle and Tacoma, Washington area is conveniently bike friendly, and bicycles and transit are highly encouraged. Bicycles are welcome on all Sound Transit Express buses, Sounder commuter rail, Central Link light rail and Tacoma Link light rail vehicles and stations. Each Central Link Light Rail car has mounting hooks for two bicycles, and the Sounder commuter rail has bike storage areas where riders are encouraged to secure their bikes using tie-downs in the bicycle priority storage area. (SoundTransit.org)

(IndependentStitch.typepad.com)

3) In Washington D.C. the Union Station Bike Transit Station is the first secure bike parking facility of its kind on the East Coast. The station, which  opened on October 2, 2009, was built by Mobis/Bikestation with funding from DDOT and the U.S. Department of Transportation, but local bicycle rental company Bike and Roll is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the transit center. Bike and Roll employees staff the parking area from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends, providing rentals, repairs, and retail assistance in addition to the daily parking area. Staffers can also help potential members sign-up online in person at the station. Memberships currently cost $96 for a full year, or $12 per month. Membership cards allow users 24/7 access to the parking area. (DCist.com)

4) Regional Transit of Sacramento, California offers bike racks on buses, bikes on trains and bike lockers at 15 light rail stations. This is similar to BART, or Bay Area Rapid Transit, which offers a dedicated “bike space” to riders … but remember bikes are never allowed on the first train and are not allowed during peak commute times. Folding bikes are welcome at all times, though! (BikesOnBart)

5) The City of Chicago and the Active Transportation Alliance sponsor numerous bicycle related events throughout the year including Bike the Drive, Boulevard Lakefront Tour, Veggie Bike and Dine, Bike to Work Week, Bike Town Bash, and Chicagoland Car-Free Day. Visit  ActiveTrans,org for a full calendar of events. The CTA, or Chicago Transit Authority has indoor, sheltered bike parking at 83 stations providing security and weather protection. The CTA also has options for travelling to O’Hare and Midway airports with your bicycle. (CityOfChicago.org)

6) And for those who drive, but need  a convenient way to transport your bike(s), Bell offers bike racks for your car! The locking, three-bike rack makes it a cinch for three friends (or family) to drive to their favorite biking destination. (Target.com)

Are there any interesting transit-related bike options in your area? If so, tell us about it with a comment below!

One of the most touching weeks for bicycle news, to date. Our hearts were filled with joy in hearing all that people are doing to promote bicycling – cheaper lunches? A poetic tale of riding through the rain? Helping to heal those ailed by illnesses? Yes, these are all stories that made the news last week. To hear more of the stories that either put a smile on our faces or made us put on our thinking helmets, check out this week’s post of news from around the world.

• January 29, 2010: Want discounts on restaurants just for riding your bicycle? Move to Long Beach (for one day, at least)! To Encourage Bicycle Commuting, Cyclists Get Lunch Deals in Long Beach (Zach Behrens, LAist.com)
• January 29, 2010: Honking In Traffic is a thought provoking story that points out the often forgotten population of people who ride bicycles not necessarily for pleasure, but out of necessity. The Invisible People on Bikes Right in Front of Our Eyes (Sarah Goodyear, Streetsblog.org)
• January 28, 2010: On the same day as President Obama’s State of the Union address, the Alliance for Biking & Walking also spoke out – on the lack of federal and state funding for bikers and walkers. A Bike-Ped State of the Union: 9.6% of Trips, 1.2% of Federal Funding (Elana Schor, DC.Streetsblog.org)
• January 28, 2010: “La Chanson de la Seine” – And the similarities between Tucson and Paris through the eyes of a rainy bicycle ride. Bicycle ride in the rain reminds her of a walk down the Seine (Barbara Russek, Arizona Daily Star)
• January 27, 2010: On Wednesday, India opened a 6,000-square feet building houses over 200 models of the top bicycles from all over the country and the world. India’s first bicycle mall opens in Pune (Staff Writer, Thaindian News)
• January 26, 2010. As shown with the Bell True Fit, a bicycle helmet doesn’t necessarily need to be expensive to keep your noggin safe. Study: Cheap bike helmets offer same protection as expensive ones (Desiree Ferenczi, ConsumerReports.org)
• January 26, 2010: Chinese officials acknowledge the need for bicycling to make a comeback in Beijing. Back to the Future, by Bicycle (Sarah Goodyear, SF.Streetsblog.org)
• January 26, 2010: Pam Emison, who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, found strength through bicycling. M.S. slows athlete down – but not much (Josh Wimmer, WhiteBearPress.com)
• January 25, 2010: Professor Jan Helgerud and co-workers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) have found several ways to help improve a chronic-obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patient’s overall fitness and quality of life – through cycling on a stationary bicycle, using one leg at a time. Cycling to Better Health, One Leg at a Time (Staff Writer, ScienceDaily)
• January 25, 2010: Los Angeles police detectives arrested two men last week who were in charge of a Los Angeles bicycle-theft ring and recovered several stolen bicycles and parts, among other things. Detectives Bust Bike-theft Ring Downtown (Staff Writer for the Los Angeles Police Department, Ethiopian Review)

Wearing a helmet is the best way to protect your noggin when riding a bicycle, however injuries and accidents are best avoided when the bicycle rider knows his or her surroundings, understands proper bicycle etiquette, and has a finely tuned bike. In today’s edition of Fast Fact’s Friday we’re offering up some nuggets of information on bicycle repair, quality bicycle products and bicycle efficiency.

 1) The most efficient animal on earth in terms of weight transported over distance for energy expended is a human on a bicycle. The most efficient machine on earth in terms of weight transported over distance for energy expended is a human on a bicycle. To keep your bike in efficient condition be sure to give it a tune-up at least once a year, or every few months if you ride every day. (BikeWebsite.com)

2) Long-time cyclist, author and contributor to The New York Times and The New Yorker Robert Sullivan offers four basic, bicycle etiquette tips that every bike rider should adhere to: Stay off the sidewalks, ride in the direction of traffic, use signals and stop at lights. (MotherNatureNetwork.com)

3) An estimated 124 million bicycles were manufactured worldwide in 2007, and the vast majority of all bikes sold worldwide (82 percent) are manufactured in two countries: China (71.8 percent or 89.0 million units) and India (10.0 percent or 12.4 million units). (InterBikeTimes.com)

4) Need a suggestion on purchasing a new mountain bike? According to ConsumerSearch.com the best “entry-level cross country race bike” is the Kona Kula, the best “trail-oriented mountain bike” is the Giant Trance X2, and the best “mountain bike for serious riders” is the Gary Fisher Roscoe 3. (ConsumerSearch.com)

5) Looking for a good bicycle repair shop near you? BicycleRepair.com lets you browse bicycle repair shops by popular cities, by most popular bicycle repair shops, and by the top rated bicycle repair shops. (BicycleRepairUSA.info)

By the way – if you’d like to check out a great video on self-bicycle tuning basics, go to BicycleTutor.com. Do you have a bicycle repair video or tip to share? Post your tip below!

What did you learn from the news last week? On the cycling front, we learned that for some people – helping to make sure our environment is green is more important to them than making sure their pocketbook is green, we learned that the coldest day in Chicago’s history was a whopping negative 27 degrees, and we learned that we should “eat dessert first”. Want to know how we learned these things? Check out this past week’s batch of bicycling-related news!

• January 19, 2010: One man’s reasons for turning in his stock portfolio and picking up a bicycling plan. Is cycling the answer to our urban woes? (Mahesh Vijapurkar, Rediff News)

• January 20, 2010: BicyclePASS – A new business model created by resident Philip Koopman of Mount Rainer where the services and products offered will not only cater to current bicycle commuters, but also broaden the appeal of using a bike for transportation to those who have been reluctant to do so because of the lack of proper accommodations at their destination. Industry Veterans Form BicyclePASS (Press Release, Bicycle Retailer)

• January 20, 2010: The coldest day in Chicago history was minus 27 on Jan. 20, 1985, and to mark the occasion, the Active Transportation Alliance encouraged commuters to bike to work and handed out coffee and treats to those who did. Bike to Work in Honor of Chicago’s Coldest Day (Hunter Clauss, NBC Chicago)

• January 20, 2010. The number 10 most friendly bicycle city is Basel, Switzerland. The number one….? The World’s 11 Most Bicycle Friendly Cities (Warren McLaren, Tree Hugger)

• January 21, 2010: “Build It” is a program that was created by the Bike Transportation Agency in hopes of BTA hopes that it will put pressure on city leaders to build out the bike plan once it’s adopted on February 4th. BTA launches “Build It” social media campaign (Jonathan Maus, BikePortland.org)

• January 22, 2010: Touching story on why we should always try to enjoy our life. World bicycle adventures: Eat dessert first! (Frosty Wooldridge, OEN)

• January 22, 2010: The SFMTA 2009 Bicycle Count Report (PDF), which shows an 8.5 percent increase in the number of cyclists on the streets last year compared to 2008, and a 53 percent increase since 2006, is now out! Bicycling Up 8.5 Percent in SF Last Year, 53 Percent Increase from 2006 (Michael Rhodes, SF Streets Blog)

The wheels are in motion and helmet heads are a spinning – full of brilliant bicycle ideas! What are your thoughts on bike sharing, pothole tours and cycling delivery folks? Or ice “racing”, spinal cord helping helmets and Rollers? Not quite sure what we’re referring to? Check out this past week’s bicycles stories that were in the news!

• January 11, 2010: One frustrated citizen discusses the dangers of bicycling on ice – what she calls “Hood ornament racing”. A new winter sport, just in time for Olympics. (Jeanne Holden Cornwall, Standard Freeholder)

• January 11, 2010: A government study has recently found that while movies made for kids are getting better at portraying safety behaviors like wearing seatbelts and bike helmets, they’re still missing the mark about half the time. Seat Belts, Bike Helmets Go Unused in Movies Aimed at Kids. (Serena Gordon, BusinessWeek)

• January 11, 2010: A team of scientists at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver have developed what they call a two-shell helmet design that adds extra protection to deflect the shock of an impact away from the spinal cord as well as the head. Canadian scientists designing helmet to prevent spinal cord injuries (Staff Writer, BrainandSpinalCord.org)

• January 12, 2010: Bicycling Diaries – Thoughts and opinions from one semi-competitive cyclist. Elbow Room: Pedal To The Mettle (Ben Spies, SuperBikePlanet.com)

• January 13, 2010: Virginia staple, The Bike Lane, donated 42 new bikes to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation last holiday season and collected over $8,500. Donating Joy of Biking (Allison Austin, The Connection)

• January 14, 2010: Don’t want to brave the cold weather, but miss your bike during the winter months? Get Rollers! They are a special indoor training device that allows you to ride your regular outdoor bicycle like a real bike inside. Rollers look like a set of three big metal rolling pins with a rubber band and an aluminum frame. Rollers: like learning to ride a bike (Tim Burke, The Palm Beach Post)

• January 14, 2010: Bike Delivery in Portland: They not only bring the market to you—they help alleviate the congestion and the smog that comes with it. Pedal Power: Portland’s Bike Delivery Services (Chad Walsh, Neighborhood Notes)

• January 14, 2010: On Saturday and Sunday, the City of Cape Coral’s 19th annual Tour de Cape (featuring running, walking and bicycling events) took place. Everyone’s a winner in Tour de Cape events (Staff Writer, News-Press)

• January 14, 2010: Following in the footsteps of places such as Paris and Amsterdam, LA looks into bicycle sharing. As Bicycle Sharing Plans Develop, LaBonge Would Rather See Bike Stations (Zach Behrens, LAist)

• January 15, 2010: A bicycle ride featuring a tour of the largest sinkholes in the High Springs area was held by the Yellow Bellied Sliders Bicycling Society at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 17. Bike ride to tour High Springs’ largest sinkholes (Staff Writer, The North Florida Herald)

My oh my – what a crazy-cool week for bicycling! Last week’s news discussed hot topics such as four-wheeled bicycles, cycling insurance, bike videos, a promotion for female cyclists and tips for how to become a “badass” on your bike. Need we say more?! Check out last week’s bicycling stories that made headlines, below!

• January 4, 2010: What good are two tires when you can have four?! Join My Quadracycle Gang (J.S. Holland, LouisvilleMojo.com)
• January 5, 2010: Did you know that bicycle insurance that is similar to auto insurance already exists in England, Australia, and New Zealand? Bicycle insurance: Coming to America in 2010?, nor sleet, nor gloom of night keeps Marshall cyclist from pedaling to 2 jobs (Lindsay Caron, BikePortland.org)
• January 5, 2010: “Empire,” is a yet-unfinished film about everything that is “fun, scary and exciting” about bicycling in the Big Apple without brakes. Cycling on Camera, in New York and Beyond (J. David Goodman, New York Times)
• January 5, 2010: One city looks at the multiple benefits of this investment in years to come by investing in bicycling. ENVIRONMENT: Cycling can boost the area’s riches (Scott Macrae, Rochester City Newspaper)
• January 5, 2010: What’s this season’s first competition on The Biggest Loser? – A bicycling competition where couples have to ride 26.2 miles on stationary bikes, the same distance as the marathon that finalists ran at the end of the previous “Biggest Loser” season. The Biggest Loser Has Even More to Lose (Cynthia B., Gather)
• January 5, 2010: The Social Bike Business program creates jobs through locally manufactured transportation bicycles for disadvantaged people. Led by One Street, a global bicycle advocacy organization, the program is underway in Prague, Budapest and Los Angeles. Brewery Broadens Social Bike Program (Press Release, PPOL: News)
• January 7, 2010: What are the ‘Three Ps’, you ask? – Priority statements, potential policies & potential programs, of course! The ‘Three Ps’ of the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (Beverly Majors, Oak Ridger)
• January 8, 2010: Great tips for beefing up your bike status! How to Become a Bicycle Badass (Scott Indrisek, Asylum)
• January 8, 2010: One writer’s opinions and ideas toward women and bicycling. COMMENT: Forget blokes, it’s women we want to get on bikes (Carlton Reid, Bike Biz)
• January 9, 2010: One way to combat trends of peak oil, declining material living standards in America (and much of the rest of the Western world), and global environmental stresses? Bicycling! Guest commentary: Bicycling safely into the future (Robert C. Cluster, Daily Camera)

Bell Sports manufactures bicycle helmets designed and adapted specifically to your riding style. Whether it’s mountain biking, racing, road biking or BMX, Bell offers up head safety with some technologically advanced helmets that exceed standards.

But did you know that Bell also makes helmets for skateboarding, auto racing, snowmobiling, off-road motor sports and motorcycle riding?

Well, now you do!

Let’s take a look at some interesting facts about each of these respective sports.

1) Approximately 100,000 people require some sort of medical treatment for skateboard-related injuries, every year. A majority of these injuries are a result of people not wearing or not using proper safety equipment like helmets and pads. (EZineArticles.com)

2) Richard Petty, who won 200 NASCAR races in his career, including seven stock car championships and seven Daytona wins, is credited with inventing the window net to help keep drivers arms inside the car to avoid injuries during a crash. (HubPages.com)

3) There are approximately 1.69 million registered snowmobiles in the US and 601,000 in Canada. Out of all those snowmobiles, more than 85,000 people have full-time jobs generated by the snowmobile industry in North America. (SnowMobile.com)

4) In the 1960s the first All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV ) made came to production. They had six wheels and were amphibious – meaning they could float! These first ATVs were capable of traversing swamps, ponds and streams as well as dry land (ATV.info)

5) At the 2000 Gravity Games in Providence, RI, professional freestyle motocross racer Carey Hart became the first rider to land a back flip on a motorcycle during a competition. (Wikipedia)

With an unwavering cold snap tightening its grip on the nation, even the most dedicated of cyclists, skateboarders, in-line skaters and outdoor extreme sports enthusiasts can become inclined to stay indoors.

Rain, snow, and below freezing temperatures in many areas are threatening crops, causing deadly ice storms and delaying flights. But it’s not all bad in these frosty times – the cold weather is great for all the winter sports enthusiasts out there!

Skiing and snowboarding are two winter sports that get the most attention, but they’re not the only winter activities available for snow-lovers to partake in. There are many other exciting cold weather activities for people of all ages.

The winter months of December, January and February can also mean sledding, ice skating, and snowball fights. And how about winter bicycling?

Winter mountain biking has become an exhilarating way for the avid cyclist to push his or her limits and continue riding throughout the winter months. Biking.com suggests winterizing your bike with bigger tires for better traction in the snow.

Not quite ready to tread through the snow on tires? Snowshoes were thought to have been invented some 4,000 to 6,000 years ago, but only in the past few years have many American schools (mostly, but not exclusively in the Northeast) started offering snowshoe programs in their physical education classes to help combat obesity. Snowshoeing is also a preferred method of hiking to great powder for backcountry skiers and snowboarders. (Wikipedia)

Back in November we detailed The Necessity of Skiing & Snowboarding With a Helmet. Some other winter sports that require or suggest wearing a helmet include speed skating, ski jumping, bobsledding, snowmobiling, ice hockey, and luge.

In coastal areas where the elevation is too low to snow during the winter months, surfing is a big attraction for passionate surfers and spectators alike because of the large waves created by all the storms.

People flock to Half Moon Bay, CA, almost every winter to see daring professional surfers take on 20-50 foot waves at Mavericks – all for the chance to win $150,000! Also in the water, fisherman are in luck during the winter thanks to ice fishing and swimmers with guts can find enjoyment in ice swimming.

Still not satisfied? OK, well we’re officially out of ideas…But if you have one in mind – or if you have a favorite winter sport pastime – please feel free to share! All in all, no matter what hobby you decide to take on this winter, please stay safe and warm!

Source: Sun Valley Online photo of the day, courtesy of Jim Figge