A budding North East inventor has had his latest creation road tested in the most literal sense by the company he commissioned to make it.
David Crampton, director at County Durham-based Hanaido, invited a team of cycling enthusiasts from plastic injection moulding specialist, Omega Plastics, to trial his ‘Helmet Angel’ ear defenders on the Coast to Coast cycling challenge.
Designed to enable cyclists to hear more clearly by blocking out wind noise, the Helmet Angel is a wind-deflecting shell that attaches to the strap of the cyclist’s helmet, and will combat the earache many cyclists suffer during longer rides.
Omega team complete Coast to Coast with Helmet Angel protects by Hanaido
A keen cyclist himself, the idea for the Helmet Angel came to David, a flooring company owner, when he was forced from his bike during a ride back in 1992 when a truck came alongside him at close range, as he never heard the approach he swerved into a gravel bank.
Crampton said: “My hope for the product when it comes to market later this year is that it will bring more awareness to listening. Cyclists should always be aware of what is happening around them, but most especially behind them, so that they can react quickly and efficiently to road traffic, commands and warnings.”
The Coast to Coast challenge, had seven employees from Omega Plastics cycle 137 miles from Whitehaven to Tynemouth. The three-day event was the perfect endurance test of the Helmet Angel’s usability and effectiveness.
John Berry, logistics officer at Omega Plastics, said: “When David from Hanaido heard about our plans to take part in the Coast to Coast, he kindly offered us the chance to try out his Helmet Angel product.
“This is the second time that a team from Omega Plastics has taken part in the Coast to Coast challenge, the first time in 2015 and then again, this year. Going forward, we hope to try and make it an annual event.
Rob Gray, Manager at Omega Plastics, added: “It’s not very often that we have the opportunity to test products that we have moulded in their intended environment, so it was incredibly kind of David to allow us to test the Helmet Angel for ourselves during the Coast to Coast.
“The Helmet Angel was absolutely great. We experienced a lot of high winds and driving rain during the ride, especially when cycling over higher ground, and the Helmet Angel really helped to protect our ears and aid our hearing. This was beneficial not only for hearing traffic, but also for communicating with the other riders.
“We were delighted to support David at Hanaido with the development of his fantastic product and we look forward to helping him with other projects in the future.”
Omega Plastics cycling team raised £1000 for Mind and Cancer Research UK.