NOW THAT you’ve got a bike, you’ll want a helmet.

No, it’s not a requirement to wear a bike helmet in Oregon if you’re 16 or older. And, yes, people sometimes debate whether or not helmets really make people safer. But let’s assume for our purposes that a piece of armor for your head might help if that head strikes something hard.

In that case, you want the sleekest armor out there, and the Mercury’s here for you. We recruited four of our favorite artists to work up custom Nutcase helmets, and we’re giving them all away! Up for grabs is original artwork by Boss Dog, Nick Patton, Matt Stanger, and Martin Ontiveros.

Register to win one (or all four). Winners will be chosen at random on Tuesday, July 26.

Get on your bikes and ride!

I'm a news reporter for the Mercury. I've spent a lot of the last decade in journalism — covering tragedy and chicanery in the hills of southwest Missouri, politics in Washington, D.C., and other matters...