General Cycling Discussion - The joy of helmet aesthetics

Whenever I look at a photo of someone wearing a bike helmet, it looks like a photo of someone wearing a bike helmet.

When I look in the mirror wearing a bike helmet, it looks as if some strange giant fungus has sprouted out of my head. Or I've developed a skull crest which would make any alien cringe with an inferiority complex. Or my head has turned into a psychedelic mushroom from Wonderland.

Is it just me? Do you guys all feel like that? Or am I just a mushroomhead???

Is that different than a cheesehead?:rolleyes:

I did feel that way with my old cheapo bell helmet, but I just bought a nice new aerodynamic helmet and it looks good. It also has to do with the shape of your head, odd shaped head, odd looking with a helmet. Try out some of the newer designs, and maybe you can be styling too.

-Middi-zon

Try looking at a photograph of yourself in a helmet. When you look in the mirror, your image is reversed--instead of seeing yourself the way others see you, you see your right side on the left, left on the right. We may still look like fungus-heads in a photo, but at least we don't look like backward fungus-heads.

I tried on a few of the cheapies too and thought they all looked extremely dorkie on me. Ended up buying a new Giro. It fits perfect and looks just fine. No mushrooms here. :) I really believe that the fit makes a lot of difference. Don't go to Wal Mart or Target(or wherever) and expect to find a size that actually fits. They normally have "youth" and "adult". The "adult" ones I tried on were definately mushroom material. The "youth" size fit my noggin better but still looked like hell.

Actually, I do have a Giro from my bike shop, and it's a s/xs size.....

You need to post a photo of yourself and let the group comment. It's a bit like hearing a tape-recording of your own voice. You think it's strange, everyone else doesn't.

Be proud of your brain-bucket. Adorn it with scotchlite tape and led lights and let it fulfill it's real purpose. Make your fashion statement with your jersey and shorts.

well, i kind of have the same feeling although i've kind of gotten used to it...

but i think it's just kind of natural to think you yourself look even funnier than everyone else b/c it's you

although like with hats, some people look better in them than others. i have a long and skinny head/face and a small head and my ears kind of stick out, so most hats look horrible on me. pick a hat up a random and put it on me and get ready to laugh! and i have 2 hats i sometimes wear from thousands i have tried on b/c i like the idea of hats. and the same kind of goes for helmets except there are only a few hundred rather than thousands to choose from.

Originally posted by Inkwolf
chedelic mushroom from Wonderland.

Is it just me? Do you guys all feel like that? Or am I just a mushroomhead???

No, it´s not just you. Me too:) , but I don´t care anymore:p

Everytime I wear a helmet I feel like I am wearing a pylon. They never look good...then again I don't think they ever look good except for full faces. They are very phalyc. :)

Some are less mushroom like than others...

http://home.att.net/~mark.livingood/BikeImages/Livingood.jpg

Take a look at my picture...see, no mushrooms...just a big dork...:p

Have a new Louis Garneau helmet with more vents...still look like a dork...but don't really care anymore...

Yeah, I look like a mushroom in my helmet.

Better a fungus than a vegetable.

Perhaps we should all attach pics of us in our helmets and ask forum members to rate them according to the following:

1) Excellent, you should be on the next cover of "Cycling"

2) Pretty good, as you cycle by people comment "That helmet was remarkably well proportioned to that rider's head!"

3) Mediocre, get a new helmet if you have the cash.

4) Getting bad, start saving your money.

5) Poor, get a new helmet/head immediately even if it requires selling some blood.

Originally posted by livngood
Some are less mushroom like than others...

http://home.att.net/~mark.livingood/BikeImages/Livingood.jpg

Nice bike! Frogs too! We use Speed Plays (X-2s), a bit more maintenance required when walking around than frogs.

We use Giro Boreas helmets and feel totally at home with them on top.

Was this picture during a tandem rally somewhere?

I think u get used to it ... I used to get the mushroomhead impression when i got my first helmet (Specialized Enduro Comp, white), but now it's like, it kinda looks ok, considering other people on my commute have much bigger and better helmets (w/ more holes in em).

I like my Giro, think it looks Ok, but I'm going to by a Catlike Kompact for summer. My wife has one and it looks superb. Not fungus like at all, just very space age, and it looks like a smiling cat from behind (the helmet- not the cat) :)

Originally posted by Viper
Nice bike! Frogs too! We use Speed Plays.... Was this picture during a tandem rally somewhere?

Thanks for the kind words on the hardware.... Frogs and other MTB shoe/pedal systems offer very secure footing which comes in handy when you're holding up your tandem AND your stoker while starting and stopping.

The photo was taken unbeknownst to us at a"Tandem Club of Georgia" (aka. PEACHES) monthly group ride in January of last year.