NAME: Leah Howes
OCCUPATION: Labour Market Policy Wonk in-training @ HRSDC
WHERE YOU HEADING: Taste of Wellington West with my friend Jen (who has equally cool velo vogue goin’ on)
WHAT ARE YOU RIDING: My baby’s a Kona “Zing”!
WHY DO YOU RIDE: Because when I do, I feel lighter, faster, happier.
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT BIKING IN OTTAWA WHAT WOULD IT BE: That pedestrians recognize you as a vehicle and stop walking out in front of you as you’re riding by.
WHY WEAR A HELMET?:Brain damage isn’t fashionable. Sure you get helmet head,and I’ve had some doozies, but I’d rather rock my messy hair in a day full of meetings,than lose all intellectual ability. Helmet head wins in that debate. Wear that bucket for your melon with pride, and if you’re really self-conscious,strut around with a beautiful smile and no one will notice your hair.
Serious lectures aside, peppered with stats and facts about what happens to your brain on pavement, let’s address the question, “how can one live with the helmet head?”
If you have hair with some natural curl or waves, take small to medium sections and randomly do pin-curls around the crown of your head, securing with long bobby pins. When you arrive, remove the pins and voilà, you have added body to your hair. This works really well if your hair is damp, like for your morning commute!
Bending over and letting your hair fall into the helmet will prevent crushing; essentially the mark of helmet head – compression. No matter the length of your hair, after you remove your helmet, lightly massage hair at the root using your finger tips only. A quick scrunch with damp hands usually does the trick to look presentable.
Above all, your vanity will really suffer if you end up with your brains outside of your head, so please, wear a helmet already.
WHAT ARE YOU WEARING: Yes, I wear heels while biking; skirts and suits too. We can take a lesson from our Dutch friends, cycling is seamlessly integrated into their daily lives.
- Helmet:Girl
- Sunglasses: my favourite stealth Rayban mirrored aviators
- Shirt: Gap
- Skirt: vintage Le Chateau…ha!
- Shoes: roping boots from Lammle’s in Calgary…seriously wicked store!
- Necklace: Pyrrha necklace which says, “courage sans peur” a gift from Jen
FAVOURITE SPOTS TO BIKE: To and fro
FAVOURITE PLACE TO STOP AFTER A RIDE: Bridgehead
