Fourth of July. Long lazy days or active outdoor ones where the sun seems never to set. Picnics and park visits. Swimming and sunning on rocks. Bike rides in the cool of the morning or the warm dusk of the late afternoon. It’s all happening. Summer starts here, and now.
It’s not too late to gear up for new summer adventures, or to return to a tried and true summer pastime. So we thought we’d round up our best and most useful blog posts of the past few weeks, while adding some new tidbits from the wide world of web. Enjoy the true start of summer this weekend whatever you do. Have barrels of fun, be safe and be a little nutty. We are.
Conjunction
For the last month through the first days of summer, Jupiter and Venus have been moving closer to each other in the night sky. In the first few days of July, these two planets can be seen without binoculars appearing to ‘touch’ each other in the heavens. That’s because our solar system’s planets orbit the sun at different rates – so from our Earth-bound viewing point they seem to occasionally pass each other in the night sky. It’s a great view, so if you want to do a little early evening planet gazing, look to the West in the night sky and you’ll get a bright celestial sight. Here’s a great Facebook page to get updates.
Early July is also the time for World UFO Day! Of course. So whether you are star-gazing or UFO-chasing, we do have the perfect Nutcase helmet for you – it’s Alien Abduction!
Inspired by our founder Michael Morrow’s long-time and ongoing flirtation with all things kitschy science fiction, Alien Abduction is the helmet to have when stalking the strange, weird, and wonderful in this world and beyond. Here’s Michael’s account of how Alien Abduction came into being.
Connection
Summer is the time to have a lot of impromptu picnics. We love that Nutcase friend and cycling author and aficionado Anna Brones insists that just because it’s a picnic doesn’t mean the food should be over processed or under appreciated. It doesn’t take a lot of planning, Anna says, to have picnic fare that is lovely, delicious, and well, yes, also heartily healthy.
Read Anna’s tips for great after-work picnics. We can also highly recommend her two books, The Culinary Cyclist, and Fika. Fika is a Swedish tradition of having a coffee break with treats, and the Swedes say that everything tastes better when eaten out of doors. So pack up the bike and head out to a favorite spot or a new one.
Beyond picnicking, summer is the season of bike camping! Our social media maven Tom Rosculp accompanied a group of friends on a bike trip last month and also got some mini reviews of our new Metroride helmet. With its focus on light weight and ventilation, the Metroride is the perfect combination of style and substance.
Commute
Of course there’s still work to be done, but it’s nice that the pace is a bit relaxed for many people. Summer is also a great time to begin or expand a bike-based commute. Here Nutcase helmet owner Kimberlee Chambers shares her commute on the BikePortland site. It’s a great view into what a 12-mile daily ride to and from work can actually entail. Kimberlee’s daily ride includes a variety of road types and there’s a good description of how she handles the varying terrain.
Freedom is a Feeling
Last but not least on this freedom-oriented weekend, with the historic Supreme Court decision still ringing in our ears – take a friend for a ride! Sometimes we all forget how relaxing a recreational bike ride can be. Grab the helmet, bike, and a big bottle of water, and get out there!
Below is a sneak peek of our new Rainbow helmet available fall 2015.
