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!

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!

On a seemingly regular, recent Tuesday afternoon the small island country of Haiti was shocked and devastated by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake.

In the days following the news of the massive quake, stories, images and videos of unimaginable destruction and unbelievable carnage swept across the newswires.

What accompanied these horrific developments was an immediate and unprecedented outpouring of relief aid, money, support and prayer.

Today’s Fast Facts Friday is meant to shine a light on only a few of the many good Samaritans and caring people across the world who have stepped up to help the people of Haiti cope with the devastation and rebuild their lives.

1) One electronic form of support brought $30 million in relief funds in a matter of days: text messaging.  Right after the quake, the Red Cross and mobile phone companies announced that they would take donations by cell phone. AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and other major carriers all quickly jumped on the bandwagon, allowing donations over their text messaging network … with no hidden fees! Texting the word HAITI to 20222 will give a $10 donation to the Clinton Foundation. You can give $10 to the International Medical Corps (85944), the Salvation Army (52000), and the American Red Cross (90999) by simply texting the word “HAITI”. (ThePilot.com)

2) While people and communities across the US and the world are mobilizing and giving all they can to aid in the relief effort, governments have also been quickly prompted to action. The Obama administration has pledged $100 million in aid and the deployment of 10,000 troops. (NYTimes.com)

3) Canada’s military has deployed the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to provide “eyes-on” feedback and assistance to the catastrophic situation. The Canadian Forces has named this mission “Operation Helmet” and foresees it as an ongoing mission that will focus on supplying search and rescue teams as well as medical supplies to victims of this devastating earthquake. (MigrationExpert.com)

4) The Pittsburgh Penguins and their fans helped raise more than $34,000 for earthquake relief in Haiti prior to Thursday night’s game against the Washington Capitals. Fans donated more than $17,309, and the organization matched that bringing the grand total of money raised to $34,600. Overall, the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and other professional sports have stepped up in a major way donating millions of dollars, hosting relief drives, and sending countless aid care packages. (ThePittsburghChannel.com and BusinessWeek.com)

5) Finally, after nearly two weeks of sadness, an image of hope has emerged: One of a smiling young boy named Kiki being lifted from the rubble by American rescuers:

 

(DailyMail.co.uk)

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

With flakes of snow already accumulating on mountain tops at ski resorts across the world (Mt. Baker, Washington received two feet of snow this week, and Boreal broke a personal record by opening earlier than ever in the resort’s history – Oct. 9, 2009!) we at Bell Sports thought it necessary to address the issue of helmets and safety on the slopes.

Issue? Well, there’s not so much of a helmet issue amongst skiers and snowboarders as there is a need for helmet awareness and acceptance. Many skiers and snowboarders do wear helmets, however the majority still do not.

One trend we’ve noticed is that kids who grow up skiing and snowboarding with a helmet on are more inclined to continue wearing a helmet as an adult.

As this generation of helmet-wearing riders gets older, helmets will likely become the norm. But for now, we’d still like to see more children and adults start wearing helmets on the slopes today.

While ski and snowboard-related head injuries account for very few of the overall injuries that occur on the slopes, they can be very serious when they occur. (PlanetSki.eu)

Knowing this fact alone, don’t you think everyone should be wearing a helmet while riding? Well…unlike when riding a bicycle, children are not required by law to wear a helmet when skiing or snowboarding, and many won’t. According to a recent story in the London Telegraph – more than half of British skiers will take to the slopes without a helmet this season. (Telegraph.co.uk)

Despite this, some ski areas taking a pro-active approach by requiring children and students to wear helmets during snowboard lessons or when riding in a terrain park. Ski instructors are also required to wear a helmet when teaching lessons. (OnTheSnow.com)

For those looking for snow-appropriate headgear this season, Giro (sister company to Bell Sports), offers an affordable collection of both ski and snowboard helmets. Giro also sponsors some pretty awesome riders including Gretchen Bleiler and Antti Autti.

The safety concerns of riding in the snow without a helmet, combined with a great selection of stylish and comfortable ski and snowboard helmets, leads us to believe that helmets will make a big splash on the ski slopes this season.

If you need more reasons to wear a helmet on the slopes, consider that the fact that many helmets come with a removable inner lining that is designed to keep your head warm. Other helmets come with built-in headphones so you can listen to your favorite tunes while riding. Like this one:

Have fun this season, but please think twice before riding without a helmet!

On summer days, when kids are out of school for a long period of time, they want to be out in the sun, playing in the grass and having fun with their friends. So don’t keep them house-bound all day while you’re at work for fear they’re going to get hurt – give them the facts (and a helmet) and send them on their way! After all, knowledge leads to safer decision making!

1. Only a bicycle helmet is made specifically to protect the head from any fall that may occur while biking. Other helmets or hard hats are made to protect the head from other types of injury, not biking. (The Injury Prevention Program)

2. Along with Safe Kids, Bell Sports also supports organizations such as Bikes Belong, the International Mountain Biking Association, Protective Headgear Manufacturers Association, and Brain Injury Association of America. (Bell Sports)

3. Hand signals are an important part of the rules of the road and should be taught to all children before they begin to ride in the street. (The Injury Prevention Program)

4. In 2007, 18.5 million bicycles were sold in the US. (League of American Bicyclists)

5. Anatomical helmets adapted to the inner head structure were invented by neurosurgeons at the end of the 20th Century. (Wikipedia)

BTW – Did you know where else you can find news from the Bell True Fit community site online? Make sure you’re able to stay updated on all the Bell True Fit community site has to offer, no matter what channel you prefer to find us from!

Finally, as part of this week’s Fast Facts, we’ve included an informational video from WonderHowTo.com on how to properly make hand signals to let other people navigating around you (or your kids!) know what you are doing.

Happy Friday, and hope your summer’s going well!

This weekend kicks off the 96^th Le Tour de France. Over the next three weeks, hundreds of elite cyclists will compete, by invitation only, in the oldest and most prestigious bike race. These cyclists will endure 21 different stages throughout the course — including flat, mountain, and time-trial stages — covering a distance of 3,500 kilometers. Translation: that’s about 2,175 miles of intensely competitive and grueling cycling! This year’s race is sure to offer plenty of captivating competition, with four past champions returning this year, including Carlos Sastre and cycling legend Lance Armstrong.

But you probably already knew all that.

Did you know, though, that the Le Tour de France didn’t enforce the mandatory wearing of helmets until just six years ago? In 2003, the Union Cycliste Internationale (or UCI) introduced a rule requiring elite cyclists to wear helmets, offering additional safety precautions. Prior to that, helmets had been advised, but were not compulsory.

That means now, Le Tour de France — which is already a showcase of amazing and unbelievable cycling skills — can be thought of as a showcase for new, innovative, and colorful helmets!!

We hope you check back with our blog later in July for further updates about the race. In the meantime, let us know if you’re going to be doing anything special to watch or celebrate the Tour de France in the comments section below!

As you’ve all (hopefully) realized by now (because we’ve even reminded you), this Sunday is Father’s Day. A good gift goes a long way but what can be even more meaningful is simply giving time. Why not take him up on that ride along one of the bike trails he’s been hinting about for some time now? This will give you a moment to catch up, laugh and reconnect outside of the normal business of your everyday schedules. And…since dads always seem to know everything about anything (at least our dads did), we thought we’d equip you with some random facts to impress him with while you’re out and about.

1. On a round-trip commute of 10 miles, bicyclists save roughly $10 daily, spare the air 10 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions and burn around 360 calories. (Bikes Belong)

2. Many bicycle accidents involving older children occur when they fail to signal motorists as to their intended actions. (The Injury Prevention Program)

3. The two-wheeled pedal powered bicycle was first conceived in Paris in the 1860s. By 1888 John Dunlop invented pneumatic tires and the chain drive making possible the safety bicycle, giving the bicycle its modern form. (Wikipedia)

4. Linda Armstrong Kelly, mother of seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, in cooperation with Bell Sports and Safe Kids, has been involved in teaching parents and children the “Eyes, Ears & Mouth” check list to make sure helmets fit properly. (Bell Sports)

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

Won’t be able to meet up with dad on Father’s Day this year? Win him this Bell True Fit helmet at TG Daily and you might still earn a few extra brownie points.

There’s an anti-smoking commercial airing that has pulled at the heartstrings of many parents. Maybe you know the one? The ad that shows a toddler left by his parent at the top of an escalator in a busy train station. The commercial states that it only took the boy 60 seconds to react and appear distraught at the absence of his parent and encourages viewers to imagine if this boy lost his parents for good. There has been some controversy over the harshness of that ad, and whether or not you find it a bit over the top or not, the message certainly rings clear.

The emotions evoked in that ad are similar to those we have at Bell about a child that may be left behind because a parent failed to wear their helmet and incurred a devastating injury as a result, putting a child in the emotionally and physically difficult circumstances to try and take on an emergency situation and, even worse potentially leaving a parent unable to care for their own child long-term. In most cases, it’s a scenario that never need present itself through simple prevention.

And despite the many articles, like this one from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts’s AHealthyMe site or like this one on Education.com, and studies pointing out the importance of parents wearing helmets to set the proper example, there are still many occasions where those of us of us here at Bell Sports see parents out with their kids riding bikes and the parents are not wearing a helmet. Knowing the research statistics on bike-related injuries and watching the intensive testing that we put our helmets through, it makes us shudder when we see parents without helmets. Does it mean you’re a bad parent? No. Does it mean you can do better? We can always be better, and this is one example of something very simple we can do to set up our kids to practice good safety habits and even act as a role model to other children.

According to the results of a study from researchers at the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada that appears on the Children’s Hospital website, adult and peer helmet use when bike riding is positively associated with helmet use in kids. Data associated with this study showed that 95% of children wore a helmet when riding with an adult who wore a helmet compared to the only 41% of children that wore a helmet when riding with an adult who didn’t wear a helmet. And, if your child can set the example of wearing a helmet, further data from the study shows that 77% wore a helmet when riding with another child who wore a helmet. The study emphatically suggests that by wearing a helmet it’s a great way to encourage your child to wear one, too. And we agree.

Wondering who the winner of last week’s giveaway is? Well the wait is almost over – stop by Monday to find out! In the meantime, here are some interesting facts to fill your inquiring minds with.

1. A 130-pound cyclist burns 402 calories while pedaling 14 miles in an hour on a bike, and a 180-pound cyclist burns 540 calories while pedaling 14 miles in an hour. (League of American Bicyclists)

2. On the island of Langeoog, Germany, only fire and police officials are allowed to drive standard motorized vehicles. Most people get around by foot or bicycle. Even policemen and doctors ride bicycles! (Wikipedia)

3. The anatomy of a Bell helmet has six main components – the body armor base guard, the removable visor, the Bell logo, a custom graphic, air vents and a rear reflector. (Bell Sports)

4. The U.S. could save 462 million gallons of gasoline a year by increasing cycling from 1 percent to 1.5 percent of all trips. (Bikes Belong)

5. Almost one fourth of bicycle-car collisions result from bicyclists riding against traffic. Riding against the flow of traffic tends to confuse or surprise drivers. (The Injury Prevention Program)

Try not to bonk out on us anytime soon, because there are more Bell True Fit giveaways to come! You know the drill by now, but in case you forgot – please feel free to share some helmet and wheeled-sport facts of your own!