[motrix]

i am a newbie in terms of roadies and just picked up a roadie last weekend. i went into my local lbs yesterday and tried on a bunch of helmets. i tried on the a giro and found out that i dont have a giro head. felt a little pressure on the top of my head. i tried on a trek and it felt really comfortable. felt nice even pressure distributed throughout my head. my question is this for those of you with trek heads, which other brands of helmets have a similar fit as a treks. i know the question will arise "why dont't you just buy a trek helmet?" i just want to know what all my options are. my question is because i saw the cratoni ceron online and like the looks of it, can't find a lbs here that stocks it so i cant try it on. did my search and couldn't really find what i was looking for. thanks in advance

[The BikeForums Team]

This is an archived thread, you can find the full version of this thread, with images, links and more content here.

Ready to buy? Check out these two online bike stores:
- http://www.nashbar.com (you can find the latest bike nashbar coupons in this thread)
- http://www.performancebike.com (you can find the latest performance bike coupons in this thread)

Cya on the forums,
- The BikeForums Team
- http://www.bikeforums.net

[Cycliste]

There are a lot of brands of helmets, Giro and Bell seem to have the biggest share of the market. I have heard before people talking about having a Giro head or a Bell head ; and as you may think you have a Trek head (no offense :D ), I think the helmet model you tried suits you better than the Giro model.

I have both a Giro and a Bell, each fits me slightly different. I have tried Giros that hurt me and Bells that didn't fit, all in the exact same sizes. I have heard shop sales people mentioning that someone may be more suited to a specific brand than another, so maybe...

Feeling pressure on a part of the head is definitly a factor for elimination, it could be a simple adjustment matter, but some helmets just do that and will hurt more on a long ride. A helmet should fit your head snuggly but remain comfortable.

Not all shops do a good job at helmet fitting:
When you place your helmet on the head and dial-in the correct adjustment, unstrapped, you should be able to lean forward, (doing an exagerated bow) without your helmet falling off. The helmet should not be allowed to move much when you grab it from the top and move from right to left, front and back. (note: this may not work well if you have a lot of hair).
Strap is only there to prevent your helmet to fall off in an accident and should remain slightly loose and form a V under your ears.

As for the cratoni you saw on-line, you could be lucky but there is a risk that once you try it, it wan't fit you or even hurt. You can always return it. Personally, I wouldn't buy a helmet without trying it. Helmets are best worn if you can't feel them and even forget you have them on.

[motrix]

thanks cycliste, i wasnt aware that there was a difference in fot between models of the same brand. that is definately good to know. guess i am back to trying to go to every lbs and trying on every helmet in my size until i find the right one. the trek fit well, just did not like the design. so i guess i am back to square 1. i guess buying online, even though there is a substantial money savings opportunity to be made, i have a feeling that i may be spending more money on return postage. thanks for your input

[geog_dash]

I look for the Snell sticker first. In U.S. that means Specialized. Other Snell certified brands are available elsewhere.

If you do a search here you will find various threads about Snell certification, or you can go to the Snell web site (http://www.smf.org).

Essentially, Snell certification adds post-production quality checking. Consumer Product Safety Commission certifies a design, but AFAIK, they don't verify that the fabrictor is actually adhering to it.

Beyond that, go for a good fit.

[Brian Ratliff]

Different companies use different head forms, that's why the name "Giro" still exists, despite them having been bought out by Bell. Bell helmets fit differently than Giro because each use different head forms in their design. Bell knew better than to throw out the Giro head forms.

Now I doubt that Trek makes their own helmets. Anybody know who makes it for them? I wouldn't be suprised if it were Bell or one of the other major helmet specific manufacturers.