Boyle Heights — Gloria Hwang says she didn’t always used to wear a helmet when bicycling. She knew the dangers, but complained that the choices were bulky, futuristic-looking, and annoying to lug around.
“The options were for hardcore road racers,” she said. “Not something for the everyday rider.”
So when she launched the Thousand bicycle helmet company a decade ago, she aimed to offer more appealing choices. Today, the business on East 12th Street employs 13 people and manufactures an uncluttered design referencing styles from the 1950s and 1960s. Think simple domes, small front bills, and ample but unobtrusive vents.
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The result, Hwang said, is, “what it would it look like if you found an old motorcycle helmet in your grandparents’ basement.”
Gloria Hwang with a helmet from her company, Thousand.
Photo courtesy Thousand
It’s not just looks, but utility. Under the helmet logo is a hole big enough to fit a U-Lock or chain. This means helmets can be locked to the bikes, and riders don’t have to carry them everywhere.
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Thousand’s helmets retail for $74 for the Heritage 2.0 line, and $101-$175 for the Chapter line, with Thousand Jr. Kids Helmets going for $44.
Hwang is unsure how many she has sold, but has met a goal outlined in the very name of her company: she has helped save 1,000 lives, or at least prevented or mitigated 1,000 head injuries.
The business counts helmets that have been damaged and returned under a free accident replacement policy. Thousand reached the 1,000 mark about 18 months ago, Hwang said. The number has now passed 1,200, according to the company website.
A thousand is approximately the number of bicyclist fatalities in the United States each year. In fact, it was the death of a friend of Hwang’s on a bike in New York City more than a decade ago that prompted her to start the company.
“I knew exactly why he wasn’t wearing a helmet,” she said. “In your everyday community, there’s a joy of riding. Safety is not conducive to that.”
Hwang lives and works in Boyle Heights, and the Sixth Street Viaduct is one of her favorite bike rides on the Eastside. Her next goal for the company? The 2,000th damaged helmet.
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