I believe there is a pile of money to be made if someone would design a bicycle helmet that would protect the neck of a bicyclist who is riding in Mountain Lion country. A bike zipping past a mountain lion is like rolling a ball of yarn in front of cat, but with a top speed of 45 miles per hour, and up to 200 lbs of muscle, teeth and claws this cat plays for keeps. I first got the idea when Sarah and I were watching a TV special about mountain lion attacks. One man on Vancouver Island in Canada was riding home on his bike at night when he was savagely attacked. The only thing that saved his life was that he had a rolled up yoga mat sticking out of the top of his backpack. Mountain lions attack from behind and strategically target the neck. The mountain lion buried its teeth into the yoga mat thinking it was the bicyclist's neck. The man emerged relatively unscathed although his yoga mat and backpack were shredded. The yoga mat bought him the time he needed to give him a fighting chance.
Ask anyone who rides in Mountain Lion country who is aware of the risks, and they will tell you that sometimes they worry about being attacked. If such an attack comes it will come with little or no warning, and if a mountain lion does attack a bicyclist chances are its gonna go for the back of the neck. If someone designs a helmet that protects the back of the neck I have no doubt that there is money to be made in such a venture.
The only problemn is I am principally an idea guy, and I need some capable folks to come alongside of me to help me realize my vision for such a helmet.
(Here the mountain lion range in California is depicted as a slice of bacon.)
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