Bell Sports Offers ``Healthy Helmet Check List'' for National Bike Month.

Sports Editors/Lifestyle Editors

SANTA CRUZ, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 23, 2003

During National Bike Month in May, three-quarters of all bike riders will get back in the "saddle." They wouldn't leave home without checking things like their brakes and tire pressure, but most won't give their old helmets a second thought.

Bike helmets have a shelf life that can be shortened by something as innocent as hair spray. The crash impact experts at Bell(R) Sports, the market leader in helmets and accessories for cycling and other active sports, developed a "Healthy Helmet Check List" to teach riders how to give their helmets a quick health check-up.

    Bell Sports' "Healthy Helmet Check List" --

    1.  Check for cracks, dents or chunks missing from the foam liner.

    2.  Inspect buckles and strap adjustors for discoloration or
        cracks, and make sure they lock securely in place.

    3.  Look for cuts, fraying or discoloration in the straps.

    4.  Store helmets in cool, dry places. Keeping a helmet in the
        trunk can cause heat damage, which is detectable as bubbles on
        the foam liner surface.

    5.  Keep your helmet away from petroleum products, hair spray and
        insect repellent -- these substances can damage the foam
        lining.

These conditions can severely compromise a helmet's ability to protect the rider's head. Age also can be a factor in the helmet's health. The Snell Memorial Foundation, a non-profit helmet advocate group, recommends replacing helmets every five years, unless riders want to take advantage of newer technologies and designs, or they see signs of wear and tear noted above. Bell advises riders to replace helmets after any head-related accident.

"Like most sports gear, helmets have a life-span that is determined by conditions they encounter on and off the head," said Thom Parks, Bell Sports vice president overseeing the company's crash test lab. "With this check list, one minute of prevention could be worth a lifetime of enjoyable cycling experiences."

Bicycle helmets have been proven effective at reducing the risk of brain injury by up to 88 percent, according to the Harbor View Medical Center. As helmet use among children ages 15 and under has increased, bike-related head injuries have dropped by 20 percent among riders in this age group from 1991 to 2001, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

High-Tech Head Gear

Riders looking to replace old or damaged helmets can take advantage of technological advances occurring every year, resulting in lighter helmets with more ventilation and greater ease-of-use. For example, Bell's Protos helmet features:

-- Advanced Internal Reinforcement(TM), an injection-molded frame

inside the foam liner, which does for helmets what rebar does

for concrete

-- Ventilation channels designed to pull cool air in through the

front of the helmet and push hot air out the back vents

-- Quick Fit(TM) system making it easy to achieve a custom fit so

the helmet stays in its proper position on the head

-- Removable visor and PinchGuard(TM) buckle.

Bell created the first protective cycling helmet in 1975.

About Bell Sports

Bell Sports is the world's leading designer and marketer of helmets and accessories for bicycling and other active sports. The company markets helmets and accessories under the Bell, Giro(R), Blackburn(R), VistaLite(TM), CoPilot(TM), X Games, Barbie(R), Hot Wheels(R) and Fisher Price(TM) brands. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, the company has operations in Santa Cruz, Calif.; Rantoul, Ill.; York, Penn.; Hong Kong; and Limerick, Ireland. Bell Sports distributes its products in 45 countries. More information is available at www.bellsports.com.