The Helmet Dilemma: To Lock It Or Not

You ride. You lock. You sweat. You wonder. That trusty helmet — your brain’s last line of defense — is now a sweaty, stinky target for would-be thieves.

You need it to stay safe, but what do you do with it when you leave the bike behind?

Strap it to the handlebars, stuff it in your bag, or just lock it on the bike?

It’s a trivial problem, sure, but it’s the kind of tiny mess that gets under your skin, making you question every decision.

You’ve got a hundred things on your mind, and your helmet is the one causing all the chaos.

Let’s see the options.

1. The “Lock It On” Approach

Some folks say, “Lock it up with your bike. Problem solved.” You loop your helmet straps through the U-lock or chain lock, and bam — it’s “secure.”

The world goes on. But wait. If it’s so secure, why do you feel like a sucker?

That helmet is a greasy, sweaty hunk of plastic, and thieves would probably be more than happy to steal it and toss it in a dumpster.

The biggest issue with locking it is this: the thief doesn’t care about your helmet.

They just want to screw you over for the sake of screwing you over.

2. Carrying It Like a Little Baby

You can always carry your helmet with you. That’s right — just haul that sweaty thing around.

Just like a guy lugging around a weird briefcase full of unimportant junk, you drag your helmet through stores, coffee shops, or even into a haircut.

Now you look like a fool, and nothing says “I have my life together” like carrying around an object meant to protect your head while riding. But hey, at least it’s safe, right?

3. Strap It to Your Backpack

Some riders have found a solution that doesn’t involve dragging the helmet around by hand.

Simply strap it to your backpack. For those who don’t mind looking like they’re ready to join a gang of post-apocalyptic cyclists, this method works.

It’s fast, it’s easy, and it makes you look like you’ve got things figured out — even though you probably don’t.

4. Let It Dry

Let’s say you’ve just done a long, sweaty ride.

Your helmet is soaked, and the stench could knock out a herd of buffalo.

What do you do?

Hang it on the handlebars to dry out.

There’s a risk involved, of course — some sweaty thief might swoop in and steal your drying helmet while you grab a coffee.

But the risk is low if you make the stop short.

(Honestly, few people would steal that wet, funky smell machine.)

5. Create Confusion

Maybe you lock it in a way that makes it less of a target. Strap it through the wheel. This could confuse any potential thief.

By the time they realize it’s locked in a way that makes stealing both the bike and helmet harder, they’ll probably give up and move on.

It adds a little time to their mission and throws them off.

After all, a bike thief is rarely a patient one.

6. The Anti-Theft Superheroes

Now, for those living in places where stealing helmets is an Olympic sport, you go all out. You’re not just strapping it to a lock. You’re locking it with a lock.

You can get a second thin lock and loop it through the helmet’s ventilation holes.

The chance that a criminal is going to bother cutting the lock for a sweaty helmet is fairly low.

What Do I Do?

First, I don’t always ride with a helmet. If it’s quick trip or I don’t feel like it, I just go FOMO. Judge me all you want. That’s what I do. And that’s for another topic.

But if I plan a serious ride, I go full gear. And when I leave my bike, I just take my helmet with me. It’s light and I don’t mind.

I don’t ride with a backpack. That’s for uninformed peasants (hello, sweaty back).

But I often have a cotton shopping bag with me. I just toss everything in it – the helmet, my tools, sometimes even my keys – and go wherever I have to.

Don’t overthink.

If the helmet is super expensive, take it with you.

If you don’t care, lock it, but be ready for it to “evaporate” if you leave the bike unattended for more than an hour.

🙂