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New Lid Plico foldable urban helmet seeks crowdfundingLid Plico orange (1).jpg

New Lid Plico foldable urban helmet seeks crowdfunding

British design is intended to save space while being hassle-free
by Mat Brett
Wed, Nov 01, 2017 16:04
14

British startup company Lid is seeking crowdfunding for its Plico foldable urban helmet. The helmet is a multi-section design, the side pieces pushing into the centre to save space when you’re not wearing it and want to carry it in a bag, say.

Each segment is made from recycled EPS (expanded polystyrene) with an in-mould polycarbonate shell. Lid says that this design not only allows the Plico to be compacted for stowage and portability, it also means the  helmet can shape to your head in use, making for a snug and comfortable fit, with the channels between the various sections allowing good airflow to avoid overheating. There’s also four-position size adjustment to the fit system and you get padding to stop the chinstrap irritating your neck.  

Lid Plico folded.jpg

The Plico features an anchor for attaching a clip-on rear LED, comes in various colour options and weighs a claimed 410g. The planned retail price is US$130 although you’ll be in line to get one for considerably less than that if you pledge via Indiegogo when the project goes live, particularly if you get an early bird offer (all of the usual Indigogo rules apply, of course).

Lid Plico helmets - 2.jpg

The idea of a folding bike helmet isn’t new – we reviewed the Overade Plixi folding helmet here on road.cc last month, for example, and we featured a Carrera foldable helmet back in 2013 – but Lid believes that it is offering something different.

Lid Plico helmets - 1.jpg

“The fit is comfortable, it’s a very good price point for a commuter and, unlike a lot of others, it looks great with an urban profile,” said Lid founder Sam Terry. “The sides cascade down; you just pull them out and the helmet fits. We don’t need any clips or locks so there’s nothing to break and render the helmet useless, and it’s hassle-free.”

Lid Plico black (1).jpg

The Lid Plico will go live on Indiegogo on Friday 10 November. You can pre-register at www.lidhelmet.com and get alerts on early bird discounts. It will eventually be available from Lid's website and via selected independent bike shops in major cities. 

Lid
Helmet
Indiegogo
Mat Brett

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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14 comments

Avatar
ClubSmed | 7 years ago
2 likes

Another great use for this would be Boris-esque Bike hirers in countries that have mandatory helmet laws. I know that in these countries that these schemes have really struggled (compared to countries without such laws), so in the absense of anything being done to reverse the laws, this sort of thing could be a great innovation if priced right.

Avatar
antigee replied to ClubSmed | 7 years ago
0 likes

ClubSmed wrote:

Another great use for this would be Boris-esque Bike hirers in countries that have mandatory helmet laws. I know that in these countries that these schemes have really struggled (compared to countries without such laws), so in the absense of anything being done to reverse the laws, this sort of thing could be a great innovation if priced right.

you would still have to plan ahead and have it with you - have mandatory helmet law here in Melbourne and for me it is a barrier to using rental bikes - I think I'm at x and want to get y - have i got a helmet - no ....so i'll catch the train or tram - in fairness you can buy council subsidised helmets from 7-11's here for $5 thats around 3.25 of your British pounds - got a cupboard full of them 

would i always take a helmet if it squashed down a bit smaller ? possibly now we have obikes that can be dumped anywhere and not stuck on fixed pick up and limited drop off places

Avatar
ClubSmed replied to antigee | 7 years ago
0 likes

antigee wrote:

ClubSmed wrote:

Another great use for this would be Boris-esque Bike hirers in countries that have mandatory helmet laws. I know that in these countries that these schemes have really struggled (compared to countries without such laws), so in the absense of anything being done to reverse the laws, this sort of thing could be a great innovation if priced right.

you would still have to plan ahead and have it with you - have mandatory helmet law here in Melbourne and for me it is a barrier to using rental bikes - I think I'm at x and want to get y - have i got a helmet - no ....so i'll catch the train or tram - in fairness you can buy council subsidised helmets from 7-11's here for $5 thats around 3.25 of your British pounds - got a cupboard full of them 

would i always take a helmet if it squashed down a bit smaller ? possibly now we have obikes that can be dumped anywhere and not stuck on fixed pick up and limited drop off places

If you want something that can pack down smaller there is the paper helmet that won the Dyson Award a little while back

https://www.ecohelmet.com/

Avatar
brooksby replied to ClubSmed | 7 years ago
0 likes

ClubSmed wrote:

antigee wrote:

ClubSmed wrote:

Another great use for this would be Boris-esque Bike hirers in countries that have mandatory helmet laws. I know that in these countries that these schemes have really struggled (compared to countries without such laws), so in the absense of anything being done to reverse the laws, this sort of thing could be a great innovation if priced right.

you would still have to plan ahead and have it with you - have mandatory helmet law here in Melbourne and for me it is a barrier to using rental bikes - I think I'm at x and want to get y - have i got a helmet - no ....so i'll catch the train or tram - in fairness you can buy council subsidised helmets from 7-11's here for $5 thats around 3.25 of your British pounds - got a cupboard full of them 

would i always take a helmet if it squashed down a bit smaller ? possibly now we have obikes that can be dumped anywhere and not stuck on fixed pick up and limited drop off places

If you want something that can pack down smaller there is the paper helmet that won the Dyson Award a little while back

https://www.ecohelmet.com/

Paper helmet?  So: just add water and it goes really small...

Avatar
ClubSmed replied to brooksby | 7 years ago
1 like

brooksby wrote:

ClubSmed wrote:

antigee wrote:

ClubSmed wrote:

Another great use for this would be Boris-esque Bike hirers in countries that have mandatory helmet laws. I know that in these countries that these schemes have really struggled (compared to countries without such laws), so in the absense of anything being done to reverse the laws, this sort of thing could be a great innovation if priced right.

you would still have to plan ahead and have it with you - have mandatory helmet law here in Melbourne and for me it is a barrier to using rental bikes - I think I'm at x and want to get y - have i got a helmet - no ....so i'll catch the train or tram - in fairness you can buy council subsidised helmets from 7-11's here for $5 thats around 3.25 of your British pounds - got a cupboard full of them 

would i always take a helmet if it squashed down a bit smaller ? possibly now we have obikes that can be dumped anywhere and not stuck on fixed pick up and limited drop off places

If you want something that can pack down smaller there is the paper helmet that won the Dyson Award a little while back

https://www.ecohelmet.com/

Paper helmet?  So: just add water and it goes really small...

Apparently "A biodegradable coating makes it resistant to rain for up to three hours" which should be enough for the amount of time that the target market are likely to be out for IMHO

Avatar
congokid replied to ClubSmed | 7 years ago
1 like

ClubSmed wrote:

Another great use for this would be Boris-esque Bike hirers in countries that have mandatory helmet laws. 

Those bike share schemes struggle to attract users with helmets that are dirt cheap or even free, so I don't see them leaping to buy hundreds more costing US$130 each.

Avatar
CygnusX1 | 7 years ago
1 like

Hey Brooksby, how's the beer/popcorn holding out? 16 hours in to "Helmet Debate: Urban Concertina" and the plot's not really gone anywhere. 

Avatar
brooksby replied to CygnusX1 | 7 years ago
1 like

CygnusX1 wrote:

Hey Brooksby, how's the beer/popcorn holding out? 16 hours in to "Helmet Debate: Urban Concertina" and the plot's not really gone anywhere. 

Yeah, I know: kinda of disappointed, really ​   I think we're slipping... 

Avatar
ClubSmed | 7 years ago
0 likes

I can't believe I am getting dragged into the helmet debate, but here we go:

I wear a helmet on my commute, though I only touch about 400 metres of road. The majority of my commute is along tow paths, along river paths and through parks. In these areas there are a lot of low hanging branches which I have to engage if I am to avoid riding too close to pedestrians. My helmet saves my head from being whacked and scratched by these branches and I would not want to ride without it.

I imagine that the market that these helmets are created for are the commuter or Boris-esque bike hirer. These people, it would be fair to assume, could have a some of their journey through parks and the like. They would also not want to have a helmet that takes up all the room in their bag leaving no other space, so a foldable one would be perfect.

And before anyone tries to offer a hat as an altenative, I've tried that and my head was covered in scratches and bruises after commuting one dark night.

Avatar
Flying Scot | 7 years ago
1 like

Helmets are OK for slow moving young kids who dont have far to fall.

At speed, on an adult, they will protect against the same kind of injuries savlon is used for, or maybe mild concussion, but also make your head bigger and as a result more prone to neck injuries.

I also find in traffic that the wind noise around a helmet reduces my ability to detect vehicles approaching from behind.

Avatar
BarryBianchi replied to Flying Scot | 7 years ago
4 likes

Flying Scot wrote:

I also find in traffic that the wind noise around a helmet reduces my ability to detect vehicles approaching from behind.

What are you wearing - the Acme Barn Door Whistle-o-Matic(TM)?

Avatar
hawkinspeter | 7 years ago
2 likes

But, I heard some medical person once say that helmets are amazing and that they would save my life even if I didn't crash

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds | 7 years ago
1 like

Adding 410g to your head will never have an effect when coming off your bike, like propeling it with more kinetic energy.
Could see my split helmet saved my life fairy tales with these. These fairytales already outweigh the deaths and head injuries (pre helmet wearing fanaticism) many times over so are patently bs. As seen by the sad death in London recently of another helmet wearer dying of head injuries (single person incident) but helmet doing fuck-all as per in incidents that go beyond the max reductions in a lab test which aren't enough to prevent serious tbi or death.

Avatar
brooksby | 7 years ago
6 likes

"hassle free"? ... If its that much of a hassle then just don't wear a helmet, m'kay? (I've got my popcorn, I've got some beer, now sitting back to watch the show 3   3 )

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