Well ventilated helmets for bent riders

[banerjek]

I've been pretty unsatisfied with my regular helmet when I'm riding a bent. The ventilation is no good and the visor is worse than useless because the helmet was obviously been designed with roadies in mind.

Any recommendations for a helmet that works better for bent riders? Ideally, it would be good for road bikes too since I have both.

[aikigreg]

good luck - I've studied the problem closely for years and there is nothing that works well.

[Dchiefransom]

I wear my regular Bell roadie helmet. The visor on my other helmet doesn't block the sun when I need it to, it's too short. I found that wearing a cycling cap with a short visor pulled right down to the top of my sun glasses, under my helmet, works better.

[BlazingPedals]

I got a Bell Alchera on sale this spring at Poorformance, and it seems to work pretty well. Not as hot as the others I've had.

[Pupsocket]

I adjusted my straps to hold it level at ride attitude. Took some doing, but now the front sits comfortably on mid forehead. If I hold it level, the Y-straps point towards the front, so the strap behind the ear is a touch longer.

[jeff-o]

No complaints with my Giro Indicator helmet.

[megaman]

I've been pretty unsatisfied with my regular helmet when I'm riding a bent. The ventilation is no good


The first helmet I bought about 11 years ago was on sale, I suspect it was a rollerblading helmet or something like that. I thought it looked pretty dorky, but hey, the thing was only $20. I used it for about 8 1/2 years. I finally tired of the dorky look. I bought a Bell helmet with a lot of ventilation holes. OMG :eek: I couldn't believe just how much cooler this helmet was. I guess the six holes in the top of that helmet just weren't enough.

[aikigreg]

I jyst can't find one that doesn't slip off my head on the lowracer....SUCKS!

[BlazingPedals]

Take the visor off, Greg! It's meant for mountain bikers and folks who ride facing the ground!

[aikigreg]

Take the visor off, Greg! It's meant for mountain bikers and folks who ride facing the ground!


Oh, you're a funny, funny man. Now I must break you :)

[bobkat]

Visors are designed for "folks who ride facing the ground" and are next to worthless on bents. Too short! I've seen a variety of home built modifications that extend the visor out like a baseball cap, made of aluminum, plastic and carbon fiber. I bought a carbon fiber one somewhere that attaches with velcro but doesn't stay on well when cycling into the wind, so I think I'll rivet it on the original visor or something.

[BikeZen.org]

The Carbon Spider visor works well for me. I've used it for nearly a year with no problems. Just be sure all of the velcro is fully attached. As shown on the link below, an additional velcro tie wrap (not included), electrical tape, or similar around the edge of the visor would give you added insurance.

http://www.lobosolo.com/visor/

[bobkat]

Yes, it was the Carbon Spider that I got. It works well, but would tend to come off riding into stiff headwinds, which we have more than adequate up here. I tried the tie tape trick of BZO, but after a while they cut through the carbon fiber.
So today I got some extra heavy heaviest duty velcro and velcro'd it to the original visor - stuck it on really well. It should work well, now.
But it is light and the right length. A good visor for bents!

[BlazingPedals]

Folks, I was kidding Greg. He doesn't use a visor. But on a lowracer, where the rider's head is somewhat angled UP, a visor would catch the wind and the parachute effect would want to move it to the back of your head. Visors are marginally OK for bents with more upright seating than a racer, but OTOH, I don't think they do anything one way or the other for ventilation. (Back to the subject of the thread.)

Back to my recommendation of the Bell Alchera, it has HUGE vent holes. I've worn it on some very warm-for-Michigan days, and I didn't have the sweat running in my eyes that normally happens with my other helmets. So, My recommendation is, don't look for the maximum number of vent holes, look for BIG holes that will pass the air better than a bunch of smaller ones.

[Dahon.Steve]

I would get a white helmet. If you put on a black shirt in the dead of summer, it retains the heat. So will a black helmet. I felt the difference right away once I swiched from a dark gray helmet to a white one.

[bobkat]

A white helmet is more visible to cars and Mack Trucks, too.
You lowracer guys - how comfortable are these to ride. Any neck discomfort being in that almost supine position? I've never even seen one up close!

[GreenGrasshoppr]

For riding a lowracer, I was thinking that a helmet visor like this might work
http://www.x-gate.ne.jp/dammtrax/details.asp?shop_id=000055&product_id=44

Then again, the wearer would look like someone who just walked out of an anime convention in his Battle of the Planets outfit.

[Doug5150]

I've been pretty unsatisfied with my regular helmet when I'm riding a bent. ...Any recommendations for a helmet that works better for bent riders? Ideally, it would be good for road bikes too since I have both.
How about giving the bent a go with "no helmet at all"?

Part of the reason that helmets can help on an upright bike is because if you apply the brakes too hard or run into a stationary object, you're very likely to rotate forward and hit the ground head-first. Since that's not likely to happen on most recumbents, you already have a lower risk of head injuries anyway.
~

[GreenGrasshoppr]

How about giving the bent a go with "no helmet at all"?

Part of the reason that helmets can help on an upright bike is because if you apply the brakes too hard or run into a stationary object, you're very likely to rotate forward and hit the ground head-first. Since that's not likely to happen on most recumbents, you already have a lower risk of head injuries anyway.
~

If you have a head-on collision with a cyclist sitting on an upright bike, s/he is likely to rotate forward and hit you head-first.

I've had a few close calls on bike paths. Blind curves are especially risky.

[banerjek]

How about giving the bent a go with "no helmet at all"?

Part of the reason that helmets can help on an upright bike is because if you apply the brakes too hard or run into a stationary object, you're very likely to rotate forward and hit the ground head-first. Since that's not likely to happen on most recumbents, you already have a lower risk of head injuries anyway.
~
For tooling around town at low speeds on my trike, I usually don't wear one. Speed limits are 20 and 25 just about everywhere, traffic is light, I always use mirrors, and drivers are very considerate so chances of serious injury are very low.

However, on longer rides, I can really get moving (especially down hills) and I might be in heavy traffic. Wouldn't want to wipe out at 40+ or make contact with a vehicle without a helmet.

[Doug5150]

If you have a head-on collision with a cyclist sitting on an upright bike, s/he is likely to rotate forward and hit you head-first....
So,,,, the upright cyclist would hit their head into your face?

How does you wearing a helmet help that?
~

[GreenGrasshoppr]

So,,,, the upright cyclist would hit their head into your face?

How does you wearing a helmet help that?
~

The few close-calls I've had, I was riding a tadpole trike (Catrike Speed), and the incoming cyclist who was on my side of the bike path in a blind curve was on a MTB.

I figure that if we had collided, he would have probably landed on the front part of the top of my head.

It really depends on the type of bent that you ride versus the type of bike that you would collide with, but I can see a lot of potential types of head injury that might be mitigated by a helmet.

I've even been told by a tadpole trike owner that he flipped his trike (and himself) forward once, after hitting a really bad pothole. Unlikely, but if it happened to him it could happen to someone else.

I look at it this way: I've never been in a car accident, yet I still wear the seatbelt when I'm driving or riding in a car. Even if seatbelts don't always prevent death and severe injuries.

[banerjek]

Wound up getting the Bell Alchera. I can definitely recommend it -- the ventilation is much better than the other helmets I've used and it is easy to adjust.

[bobkat]

A little off the topic, but last week I took the motorcycle safety class put on by ABATE. I had ridden mcycles 30 years ago and thought it would be an interesting class to do for the heck of it.
Anyway, they supplied all the helmets and none were vented. I rode my bike to the class and then started a discussion about why motorcycle helmets were never vented. Anybody know the answer? Nobody at the class, including instructors knew why but all though it would be a good idea for riding in the summer on hot days. Do the hoes weaken them or something? I guess if you hit your head that hard then it's game over anyway.

[banerjek]

A little off the topic, but last week I took the motorcycle safety class put on by ABATE. I had ridden mcycles 30 years ago and thought it would be an interesting class to do for the heck of it.
Anyway, they supplied all the helmets and none were vented. I rode my bike to the class and then started a discussion about why motorcycle helmets were never vented. Anybody know the answer? Nobody at the class, including instructors knew why but all though it would be a good idea for riding in the summer on hot days. Do the hoes weaken them or something? I guess if you hit your head that hard then it's game over anyway.
You can buy them. http://www.secure-shops8.com/buy/product.asp?itemid=274
http://www.buymotorcyclehelmets.com/product.asp?itemid=263&catid=73
http://www.bikersden.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=552

[edgross208]

I've been pretty unsatisfied with my regular helmet when I'm riding a bent. The ventilation is no good and the visor is worse than useless because the helmet was obviously been designed with roadies in mind.

Any recommendations for a helmet that works better for bent riders? Ideally, it would be good for road bikes too since I have both.

History, but not useful, unfortunately: As other greybeards may recall, some 25 years ago there was a nice airy helmet on the market called Skid-Lid. This was a wide-open helmet with a transparent tinted snap-on polycarbonate (Lexan) visor and a little clip-on mirror that attaches to the visor. I have used mine for my 'bent (Vision) and for roller-blading and always found it to provide great ventilation and good visibility, even with the visor in my field of view.

Skid-lid was essentially put out of business by competitors (Bell et al) who promoted the ANSI helmet standard that involves dropping a helmeted head-form onto an anvil.Since the Skid-lid is open at the vertex, it fails that test. It was also designed to be a little deformable in sideways impacts, on the theory that impact energy could be translated rather than absorbed. This is different than other helmets. I don't anticipate doing a "header" -- head-first over-the-bars fall -- on my bike and I don't think anyone is likely to be coming at me from that angle, so I don't care about the open vertex. Headers mostly went out with 1890's high-wheelers, so the test is questionable, but Skid-lid couldn't get certification and went out of business.

[BikeZen.org]

A general comment about vents on helmets (particularly motorcycles helmets): anything that portrudes from the top or back of the helmet gives the ground something to grab, thus breaking your neck. In short: bad idea. The instructors should have known that one.

Many high-end motorcycle full-face helmets have adjustable vents on the front (above and/or below the face shield). I suspect that's not what your question was addressing, though. For general comfort, I find that light color helmets -- and speed -- make a big difference! (I own a black helmet which is 3/4 face and a white helmet which is full-face and has vents on the front. They both have their purpose. The black is definitely hotter when sitting at a red light.)

Don't forget your leathers and boots, of course.

Isn't it ironic: I dress more safely going 65mph on my motorcycle than 40+mph on my bike! But then again, I've fallen on my motorcycle (breaking nothing but the motorcycle) and fallen on my bicycle (breaking plenty).