Seen at the Sea Otter bike festival: Dan Coyle in Corvallis, OR hand manufactures these “Tree Piece” bicycle helmets with salvaged wood hardshell and cork lining.

Dan says he ran a small sample of helmets through the CPSC suite of tests and they pass. Obtaining actual CPSC approval involves manufacturing and then destroying more helmets than he sells, but he says he does plan to obtain that as soon as he’s able. Like most other bike helmets, these are designed to destruct on impact.

They’re lighter than I would have expected — not much more than similarly shaped hardshell helmets. Much more info at Coyle Design and Build.

The Sea Otter Classic runs through this weekend at the Laguna Seca Mazda Raceway outside of Monterey, CA.