We plan on renting bikes when we visit some cities in Europe but don't know what to do about helmets. Some of the places rent them but we're worried about head lice. Any suggestions. It would be tough to bring our .own helmets.
Thanks
Posted by
Paris
5 posts
Take the helmet. Lice may live for several weeks on a person, but they rarely live more than 48 hours when removed from a person's body.
Posted by
Atlanta
800 posts
Sorry Sandy, but if you don't want to use the ones provided at the bike shop and you don't want to bring your own, then I can't see another option besides not biking or not wearing a helmet.
We love adding a bike ride as another way to see wherever we are visiting and have ridden in Denmark & England. It was lots of fun. I always take the helmets provided.
Posted by
OP
Ann Arbor
11 posts
I'm sorry that you misunderstood me. I was wondering if you took any precautions against getting head lice. I thought some seasoned travelers might know something that I don't know. I have traveled much and have used rental a helmet a couple times but I recently read that this isn't a good idea but the article didn't have very useful suggestions as to how I might prevent this.
Posted by
Napa, CA
3580 posts
I'm dealing with the same question. I want to go on a Fat Tire Bikes ride in Barcelona and was wondering about the helmet. I think a third choice might be to buy a new helmet in Barcelona and keep it with me after the bike ride. I need a new bike helmet anyway. The newer ones are lighter and cooler (also "cooler"). I wonder if I would look like a tourist if I wore a bike helmet while walking around in Paris! They do have bike tours in Paris, also.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Only way to be sure you don't get lice is by not using their helmets, you can't be sure the rental helmets were not worn with in the last 48 hours , so if lice was on them, it could still be vialbe.
That said, I don't think it is particularily likely you would get lice.
I did two FT bike tours, one in Paris( night) and one to Versailles. No one wore the offered helmets except two children on the Versailles trip.
The philosophy seemed to be its hard to miss( as in "not see" ) a group of 20 bikes, we rode in a " clump" so we were safer then an individul cyclist.. not really the best way to look at things, but hey, we were on holiday and acted irresponsibliy,, LOL . IF my child was with me I would have worn the helmet and set a good example ,, LOL