Welcome to the Grand Union Garage Blog. We are a new boutique seller and we look forward to interacting with you and telling you about our journey. We are avid riders and will look at selling products that reflect our image and style. One of these brands is Ruby Helmets.
Ruby Helmets are the bench mark of exceptional style and ingenuity. Ruby is the life and love of Frenchman JérômeCoste.
In 2001, at a crossroads in his life, Costestarted thinking about creating a helmet, ‘The most beautiful and best helmet in the world’. By 2003, the project became all-consuming. By then the name, the ridged crest and overall look was set.
The helmet ridge. At first it appears to be an attempt to differentiate a Ruby helmet from every other lid on the planet. But, after some contemplation, the lateral crest echoes ancient warriors’ helmets. More recently, it’s seen on the protective headgear of First World War French soldiers, modern day firefightersand Darth Vadar. But the ridge is just the start of these helmets’ appeal.
‘Why Ruby?’ echoes Coste. ‘Because it is four letters. It is feminine in a world of sweating, dirty guys. It evokes descriptions like precious, hard, passion… It is also the name of the engine that powered my father’s Sandford, the three-wheeled racing car he competed in when I was a boy. ’Pick up one of the company’s helmets and Ruby stares back, with her fingers crossed, from the crown of the lining. ‘She is your guardian angel,’ Costeexplains. ‘She is hot and she is looking after you. And every time you put on your helmet she is wishing you “Bon Voyage”.’
If you don’t believe in the protective abilities of this curvaceous 21st century St Christopher, the spec of the helmet is of more interest. The shell is completely carbon fibre, like the bodywork of Ferrari’s FI cars or the fairing of a MotoGPbike.
‘Riding in a city is more dangerous than on a racing track, so people in the city deserve the same as a champion.’
The lining is a mix of an Alcantara-like synthetic suede and French lambskin. The standard lining colour is Cardinal Red, ‘Inspired by the interiors of British sportscars,’ says Coste. The leather goggle retaining clip on the back of the helmet contains a card the wearer is encouraged to write his medical details on.
The rivets that fix the two halves of the strap to the shell look like jewels. The whole helmet, even the box it arrives in, is of a quality than makes you just want pick it up and inspect it, put it on and only reluctantly remove it.
The helmet itself transcends fashion.