this post was submitted on 21 Jan 2025

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micromobility - Ebikes, scooters, longboards: Whatever floats your goat, this is micromobility

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Ebikes, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, longboards, eboards, motorcycles, skates, unicycles: Whatever floats your goat, this is all things micromobility!

"Transportation using lightweight vehicles such as bicycles or scooters, especially electric ones that may be borrowed as part of a self-service rental program in which people rent vehicles for short-term use within a town or city.

micromobility is seen as a potential solution to moving people more efficiently around cities"

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Review: The Ventete aH-1 Helmet Packs Incredibly Small, but at What Cost? (velo.outsideonline.com)

submitted 1 week ago by [email protected] to c/micromobility

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I’ve always wondered why helmets continue to be made of foam and not something more modern. I think the aH-1 answers that partially; those foam helmets are often lighter, frequently airier, and almost always less expensive.

Exactly. It's cheap, light, and performant. Helmets have one job, to protect your brain, and relying on "balloons" adds extra points of failure in the event that you get in an accident. Sure, this helmet can deflate and be carried in a bag, but how are its crash ratings?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago

Sure, this helmet can deflate and be carried in a bag, but how are its crash ratings?

And do those crash ratings still apply when it's -15C or 35C? Inflatable things don't like temperature extremes, so this would have to be tested at all ranges.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Inflating the helmet takes about 30 seconds in ideal scenarios

Too long. Most people who don't wear helmets will already say that it's too much trouble. I wear a helmet all the time, and having to inflate one would cause me to grab something else.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I wear one most of the time, but sometimes I took transit somewhere and decide I want to make a detour and rent an ebike, and since I didn't plan for that I don't have my helmet with me. For me the trouble is dragging a helmet around clipped to my bag that may or may not be used and that I have to be careful to not drop too hard. I wouldn't mind having to spend 30 seconds to inflate one if it's got the convenience of deflating flat to throw in my backpack.

Edit: While I'm definitely the target market for this thing, £350 is a bit steep for this kind of convenience.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago (2 children)

In your case, consider a folding helmet that doesn't require inflating. Best of both worlds!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago

I had no idea there was such a thing, thanks for that.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

I had no idea folding helmets were a thing. Thanks!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Most likelier scenario is you will just keep the helmet inflated. But now with added chore of checking your helmet pressure.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Now when there's a crash, the question won't be "was the cyclist wearing a helmet", but "what PSI did they keep that helmet at?".

The debate for helmet PSI will rage across the internet for years to come! 😂

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago

KPa surely ? :)

[–] werefreeatlast 8 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I thought it was a slug.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

It's totally not a brain slug.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

I thought it was some kind of gourd

[–] [email protected] -4 points 1 week ago (2 children)

You wear a helmet on a bicycle?

[–] Mirshe 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You really should. You've only got the one brain, and that brain is actually pretty delicate for how squishy it is, given it's contained inside a very stiff skull. A helmet at least puts some extra shock absorption between your brain and whatever's going to hit your head.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Unless you're on one of those weird American mega roads or something, it's not a major risk

[–] Mirshe 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I forgot how accidents only happen here in the US. Couldn't possibly have collisions with anyone in the EU or UK. Couldn't have anything bad happen on a bicycle anywhere else. Nope, just the US.

Wear your damn helmet. You'll thank me when your skull doesn't get fractured because you ran over a small rock or hit a wet patch and lost control.

They don't call them "accidents" because you can avoid 100% of them.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 1 week ago

You've not been to the Netherlands I hear

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

Nah, I love brain damage!