Cycle helmets back in inflation basket

Bicycle helmets have been added to the basket of goods used to measure the UK's inflation rate. Goods included are meant to reflect contemporary habits and technology so as to better indicate the changing cost of living.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) measures the price movements of 700 goods across 20,000 UK outlets to calculate inflation.

There have been 16 additions to the basket for 2017. Cycle helmets are back after a 12-year absence and the list will also now include gin, jigsaws and non-dairy milks.

In a press release, the ONS said that the inclusion of helmets was down to, “the significant increase in the popularity of cycling due to sporting successes by British cyclists in the Olympics and the Tour De France.”

The more prosaic explanation reads: “This has been introduced principally to improve and diversify the coverage in an under-represented area of the baskets. It also reflects the growing popularity of cycling.”

An article on the ONS website also links cycling to the rise of the hipster, framing several of this year’s inclusions as being associated with that particular sub-culture.

Phil Gooding, senior statistician at the Office for National Statistics, said: “The annual basket review enables us to keep up to date with all the latest trends, ensuring our inflation measures reflect the changing costs experienced by consumers.”

With that in mind, are there are any other cycling-related items you feel should be included instead of or as well as helmets?