Don’t mess with safety

Who hasn’t found themselves browsing the internet, websites, social media, looking at photos of people bikepacking?

Sometimes you find these beautiful photos, super polished, perfect lighting, dusty dirt road at sunset. The cyclist with a flowing shirt, maybe unbuttoned, sunglasses and just a simple baseball cap on their head. All very cinematic. All very absolute freedom.

The problem is that today bikepacking is conveyed through images. It’s conveyed through social media. Those images aren’t just beautiful photos; they’re educational messages. If there’s no helmet in those images, the implicit message becomes that you can ride a bike without a helmet. And that’s a dangerous message.

Safety isn’t optional

We don’t want to sound preachy here. But this really gets us fired up. When you ride a bike, you need a helmet. Because helmets save lives.

We’re sure that the vast majority of people reading these lines fully agree with us. In fact, some might think we’re stating the obvious. Maybe so. But Bike Adventure Series is also where many people start bike touring. For some, these things aren’t a given.

Today’s modern helmets are extremely lightweight and ergonomic. After a few minutes you often forget you’re wearing them. There are very few excuses. And if you want a concrete reference, look at ABUS models. Technology, ventilation and comfort like never before. 

Some tips for choosing and using a helmet

Try the helmet together with the glasses you’ll use on your trip. If the glasses are too big they can touch under the shell, the helmet ends up resting on the glasses and the glasses press on your nose. After hours it becomes unbearable. Better to find out beforehand.

A highly visible helmet helps. When traveling it’s essential to be seen by cars. A brightly colored helmet is one more signal you’re sending to whoever is following you on the road.

In summer the helmet doesn’t make you hotter. Actually the opposite. The air vents let the wind through and at the same time the shell creates shade. Often you ride cooler with the helmet than without.

There’s lots and lots of helmets and yes, you can grab a cheap knock off on some websites. But would you trust it when it’s the only thing between your brain and the ground?

For one century, Abus designed and manufactured items for safety, knowing that this item can save lives. You can take a look their last addition, made in Italy, here.

Your bike needs protection too

When we talk about safety, it’s not just our head. There’s also our bicycle.

When traveling you stop. To eat, to sleep, to buy something. And in that moment the bike stays outside a café, a shop, a hotel. We need to make sure that when we come back it’s still there.

The lock doesn’t stop a professional thief with the right tools. It’s for preventing opportunistic theft. If the bike has no protection, opportunity makes the thief. If it’s locked, the pool narrows drastically.

Which lock to choose

We recommend lightweight, compact locks, preferably combination locks so you don’t have a key to lose and they’re easy to use while traveling. A concrete example is the ABUS Combiflex TravelGuard 70. It weighs 106 grams, is flexible and compact, perfect for travel.

Since the cable is about 4 millimeters thick, this type of lock isn’t just for locking the bike to a pole. You can also secure the helmet when you leave it attached to the frame or a backpack or other small items.

If you decide to get a combination lock, remember to watch out for sand, dust and mud. If the lock is in the rear bag, it can get splashed. That dirt can get into the combination wheels and jam them.

Check every now and then that they turn smoothly. If there’s dirt, rinse with water and then put a drop of chain oil. Better to do it at home than in front of a café with the bike locked up.