Recycled, single-use paper pulp helmet could cost as little as £1 + video

This is exactly what the Australian city bike rental scheme needs. The city bikes just don't get used because you need a helmet to ride them, which is a pain for most users.

+1 to what Kim and Ush said

One of the potential negatives of wearing a helmet is the possible increase in severity of torsional/twisting injuries; the shape and material used here look like the worst possible design in this regard.

I actually think an egg box-like material with a bit of genuine crumple would be pretty good for a helmet inner, but it would need a hard shell outer and some way of adjusting the size so it actually fits; the guy in the main picture could crush his entire face before road contacted the helmet because it is tipped back. If you're going to wear something, you might as well wear it so the limited benefits will apply.

Looks just like the new era of aero helmets...perfect.

'it's not really giving the same protection as a bike helmet...'

It's difficult to say, without doing any testing, but I could imagine it giving similar levels of protection to a 'proper' helmet. ie not much.

@mybrainthkinksim and yet the accident statistics for Boris Bikes are vanishingly small

I'm with Kim. There's no need for a helmet on a Boris bike, or any other bike.

This is a product which does nothing except perpetuate fear memes around cycling.

My levels of hostility to the designers are such that I cannot expresses them without running the risk of being banned from the blog for profanity.

And a good use for re-cycling those Lance Armstrong books.....

I look at that top pic and think of Dad's Army. For that reason alone, I'm in.

Formed internally for ventilation or not, I suspect if you're riding slow enough not to overheat in it, you'll be riding slow enough to get an arm out if you wobble off.

Agree with the above too, another attempt to make some cash at the expense of an appropriate image of cycling as a safe and normal day to day activity.

Well said Kim.

"What do you do if you decide that you want to roll around on a Boris Bike but you didn't bring a helmet?" A: Don't wear one. If cycling on our roads is dangerous enough to warrant a helmet even on a boris bike, the problem isn't whether or not boris bikers are wearing helmets.

At worst (and this is a pretty debatable worst case scenario), they provide little to no short term benefit whilst leading people away from the real issue.

Must have the date wrong, this isn't 1st April.

This is just more crap which is aimed at stopping normal people from riding bicycles. We don't need it...

I wouldn't be surprised if it works better than a regular helmet as its more likely to squash rather than crack.

Surely it should be retitled, paper pulp temporary rain cover...it's not really giving the same protection as a bike helmet...

Would a neatly tied bandana not work any better than this egg carton? Doesn't really look fit for purpose - but I applaud the fact they have thought of a solution to a problem. Fortunately it doesn't exist here.

Looks like a sick bowl they hand out in A&E

I guess it works for egg boxes, oh hang on...

These do seem like a good idea for those countries where existing compulsory helmet legislation has made bike rental schemes harder to establish or succeed.

There's an apt Smiley for it =>

'And if you are desperate and can't find a loo'

what happens if it's raining??? do you look a bigger idiot than the numpty in the photo!!!