If you think bike helmets, sun protection and style can’t be used in the same sentence, you haven’t met Palo Alto entrepreneur Lydia Callaghan. Lydia is the creator of Bouclier, a bike visor that shields cyclists from dangerous UV rays without compromising riding safety or good looks.
Bouclier visors offer sun protection for any kind of bike helmet. Photo by Bouclier
Losing her father inspired Lydia to make a difference
Lydia was inspired to design the Bouclier visor after her father developed terminal melanoma that came from sun exposure he received as a tennis player and avid outdoorsman. Lydia decided to honor his memory by working to help prevent others from damaging UV rays.
“When I moved to Palo Alto from Brooklyn, I rediscovered how great it is to get around town by bicycle,” Lydia said. “But because of what happened to my father, I didn’t want to get sun on my face while riding. When I couldn’t find a helmet with adequate sun protection, I decided to design a product that would fill this need.”
Never designed a product? No problem in Palo Alto
Although Lydia had worked in marketing and software development, she had never created a product from scratch so she drew on a network of local entrepreneurs to provide guidance.
photo by Bouclier
“Bouclier is really a fantastic Palo Alto story because so many people here were helpful along the way,” Lydia explains. “Through our friends and neighbors, I received expert, free advice about patents, design, manufacturing, marketing and more. There is a strong belief in Palo Alto in supporting the ‘underdog’ to make an idea happen and I’m so lucky that I started Bouclier here.”
Designers from Ideo and Frog combine style and substance
With a desire for a product that would be beautiful as well as functional, Lydia hired a team of designers with experience at firms such as Frog and Ideo that could bring her vision to life. The result is a snap on visor that looks good, works easily with almost any kind of bike helmet and will keep riders out of the sun.
Kickstarter campaign reaches goal and still going strong
Bouclier launched a Kickstarter campaign in July that has raised over 29,000 from almost 300 backers, and is due to close on August 22. The visor has also gained media attention from Wired Magazine, Trendhunter, Gadgetify, and others.
Visor appeals to bike commuters, recreational riders and more
Photo by Bouclier
Bouclier aims to reach bike commuters who want to stay out of the sun without applying gooey sunscreen, as well as touring riders who are worried about UV exposure over the course of long day on the road.
Bouclier: helping people be outdoors and stay safe
“I’m thrilled that so many people are interested in the Bouclier visor and supportive of our mission,” Lydia said. “The rate of melanoma has doubled in the United States over the past 30 years, but it’s a cancer that we can prevent. As Bouclier gets out into the marketplace, we are excited for riders to realize they can enjoy being outdoors without worrying about dangerous sun exposure.”
