Originally Posted by
p2000
Generally I don't wear a helmet when I ride. There I've said it. In the winter I do for warmth and in case I hit a patch of ice, but rarely in the summer. (Feel free to chastise me as you see fit)
However as I train for my first tri I know I will need to wear one. I also know I should probably get used to it before the event also.
Does anyone know which helmet is the smallest, lightest, least obtrusive, lowest profile (ok I think I've made my point) helmet that is still within the legal standards? I figure if I get something like that and get used to wearing it, it will be like a seatbelt- more of an automatic thing. Thanks.
You need to figure out your priorities. Every decent helmet made primarily for performance is a compromise between each of those. Besides, I don't think he ever even said he was really set on an aero helmet to begin with. If you are looking for small and light, you aren't going to be looking at aero helmets. You are going to be scoping out stuff like the Bell Sweep R, Giro Ionos (or Atmos), or the Specialized 2D (or Decibel).
I don't know what traffic in your area is like, but I know too many people who have had pelvises, femurs, and shoulders shattered when hit by a car, the only reason they aren't dead is that when their head impacted (depending on which person's accident) a helmet was there to dissipate the impact force. What's more, I know more people that have had this happened than I can count on one hand, and I have only been riding a road bike for about 2 years (almost all of it in a tiny rural town, so I hardly ever meet regular cyclists). It always amazes me that given the lightweight (my helmet is only 280g and I got it for a few bucks over 1bill) and comfort, that anyone would bother riding without one. I sure hope you don't have a family, because your behavior is nothing short of reckless disregard for your own safety.
You really ought to look beyond your own safety, and think about the impact your lack of safety has on those around you.
By the way, why does everyone always default to aero-helmets in Triathlon? Yes, they do offer some great benefits most of the time (helmet and body shape play together so much that some non-aero can be faster than aero). We ought to answer his post by giving recommendations based on his specific criteria, most of which aero helmets satisfy the least (lightest, least obtrusive, etc).