I love the advice in the long crank article to crush your frame under a car (after cutting a section out of the seat tube) in order to raise the BB.
And as someone with short legs and not very flexible hips, I can’t fathom riding with his recommended crank lengths.
As for TOSRV and helmets, my father (a nerdy engineer) rode it on a PX10 in 69 or 70 wearing an orange mountaineering helmet because actual bike helmets weren’t really available. I doubt that fashion statement inspired very many imitations.