Unlike motorcycle helmets, cycling helmets crashed into style party pretty late.

Motorbike helmets have pioneered cool graphics and sexy looks since the orange-tinted days of “Easy Rider” in the 70s.

Bicycle helmets have always been a design after-thought. They are not something that bicycle designers really consider when making bicycles.

They are a necessary evil.

Most are ugly, designed to ruin hairstyles and clash with stylish commuting attires. They don’t go with our suits, dresses or trench coats.

Cycling helmets are still stuck in their clunky and unflattering plastic shells. Perhaps the comparison is unfair, since helmets are not compulsory for cyclists to wear.

But, you’d like something to keep your head from being cracked open by the tarmac, wouldn’t you?

So why not encourage more people to wear them by designing flattering shapes?

I own a grey Specialized, which I wore grudgingly for a long time. This year, I swapped it for an eggshell white Bell. It is slightly heavier than the Specialized helmet, but it doesn’t make me look like Wenlock anymore.

Searching for the right helmet is still a lengthy journey for many cyclists. Fortunately since Team GB cyclists dominated London 2012 in their bullet-shaped Crux helmets, the nation knows that it is now possible look better and sexier in cycling helmets.

Here are a few stylish helmets that Glue recommends. It is better to try them on first before buying online.

1) Bell Faction – Smooth shape, snugly padded, goes with smart casual attire. My personal favourite for achieving the minimal look. Firm favourite of both cycle commuters and BMX riders.

2) Bern Brentwood – Featuring a removable visor, sunglass channels for fitting shades and airflow channels to keep you cool. Wear with a liner underneath in winter to keep warm.

3) Yakkay – A team of Danish designers came up with a brilliant concept where you can personalise your helmets with interchangeable outer covers. This one is called Tokyo Colour Stripe.

4) Giro Feature Helmet – A cross between skate-style and mountain biking helmet. It retains the sporty feature but doesn’t look too severe to wear with casual clothing. Elegant in matt white.