Somehow, growing up during the ’80′s, we managed to survive doing all kinds of things that would make parents today have a heart attack. We rode bicycles without helmets, we drank water from garden hoses, and we blew up stuff with firecrackers. But that was decades ago, and times have changed.

Today, technology and safety have come forward by leaps and bounds. Two pieces of essential equipment are my helmet and glasses. I bought mine through Rudy, and I can tell you: If you’re going to be wearing a bicycle helmet for 7+ hours, don’t try to skimp on the quality of helmet. Yes, you can get a bike helmet from Target or Walmart for $20, and that’s better than nothing, but the extra money I invested in my Rudy helmet preventing me from having the worst headache ever during the Vineman Iron-length triathlon. This helmet is very comfortable, and that makes it worth its weight in gold.

Additionally, just wearing any pair of sunglasses is better than nothing, but wearing glasses that are safety-glass (non-shatter), could be the difference between being blinded – and saving your eyes. As a pilot, my eyes are critical to my career, so protecting them is important. When you’re bicycling along at 25mph for hours on end, eventually something is going to hit you in the face. And, if you’re ever in a collision, making sure those glasses don’t break in to your eyeball is important.

I got one set of frames and three different shades of glasses, which work in various conditions. I’ve used all three colors (grey, yellow, clear), and it was extremely handy to have that flexibility (yellow works on cloudy days, grey on bright sunny days, and clear at night).

They may not be the most fashionable/cool looking, but the safety factor is what matters. So don’t skimp on your bike safety!