Commuting - Don't put your helmet on a radiator. duh :(

I wish I could post a pic but my helmet has too much glare and I can't edit at work. The foam now looks more like this (although it is still black)
http://www.future.org.au/news_2005/may/images/expanded-polystyrene-beads.jpg
I left my helmet down on a radiator last night with my headband just to put it down. Then realized it an hour later and moved it away. The extreme heat made the foam expand almost 1/2" all around. Most of the vents were closed up solid.

*sigh* Oh well I kinda used a knife to cut out a little foam to make it wearable and headed out. I guess I'm on the hunt for a new helmet and they don't make this LG model anymore :(

good call on the new skid lid. That brain bucket has been permanently compromised :(

If you're looking for a recommendation, I love my Bell Metropolis. Great helmet and it comes in hi-vis orange with reflective straps and accents on the plastic.

We have radiators in our almost 110 year old house. The first time we had to turn on the heat, I was lucky and remembered to move everyone's helmets off the radiator. I remembered to do this because we have a friend that left her son's helmet in the sun in the back yard. Well, an afternoon later and the plastic had shrunk up and come off. You'd think that helmets would be more durable but they're awfully susceptible to heat I guess.

The helmet I had looks pretty much like this
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51I1PgSLdtL._AA280_.jpghttp://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RgZL02RnL._AA280_.jpg
LG OZ-zy road helmet. Mine has a white middle 3" stripe then 2" silver and the blue on the right/left. Plus it didn't cost the 129 this helmet does.
LGs just seem to fit my big oddly shaped noggin and I need a lot of good venting or I melt even in the winter. Maybe I can find the oz-zy on closeout somewhere.

Doesn't look too much different than my bell Solar, which I love. And def. not $130. My wife has the Bell Sweep R which is similar in style to mine, but with funky BTTF Delorean-inspired rear vents. And it was more like $130.

Nashbar has some older model Citi and Metros on sale right now.

you must post a pic later. You cant have a thread with a title like that and no pic :(

Yes! Mutant helmet pics, please.

Thanks for the helmet suggestions.
I just checked performance and my reward card and I have enough to cover the sale price of $75-10% off on the Oz-zy. I spent hours trying on dozens of helmets to find this one, if it is the same one I have, so I guess I'm stuck with it. It fits like a glove and has great channeled cooling. It is over 100g heavier then some of those bells though so it'll help make my neck stronger ;)
Now the question becomes does red or blue go better with this bike :D
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2176/1717493865_eb6fee5d39.jpg?v=0

For one, I totally understand the helmet fit thing. I didn't realize that there were 50 different models of helmets until I cracked my old one when I got run off the road in March. Then it was a fun game of find the most comfortable helmet. At least 4 dozen helmets failed the test. The Bell Solar fit me like it was scientifically engineered for my skull. That said, it's likely not the most comfortable one for you. The helmet truly does pick the rider.

Color? Either one goes okay with the bike, I suppose. Red would obviously go with the trim on your freeloaders.

In this instance, I vote red.

Yeah crappy V$@#*() cameraphone. My camera camera is 2 hours away atm.
The helmet itself looks fine from the outside, and quite stylish with it's three colors :rolleyes:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2145/2072021794_045c290553.jpg?v=0
What was once ample venting. Some of the vents are closed off entirely by the expanded foam. The ones that are open were opened with a knife during surgery.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2296/2072021772_5d9a44e550.jpg?v=0
Here you can see how much the foam expanded. The red circled area is where I had my flashlight mount wrapped tight with velcro straps and is the size that whole section was. The surrounding foam was free to expand/distort as it wished. I actually had to use a little knife to get the velcro out because it was sandwiched in the foam.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2112/2072031556_98d9af2d6a.jpg?v=0
New helmet on order, pending spousal approval
http://www.performancebike.com/product_images/250/40-3726-RED-ANGLE.jpg

If you're looking for a recommendation, I love my Bell Metropolis. Great helmet and it comes in hi-vis orange with reflective straps and accents on the plastic.

We have radiators in our almost 110 year old house. The first time we had to turn on the heat, I was lucky and remembered to move everyone's helmets off the radiator. I remembered to do this because we have a friend that left her son's helmet in the sun in the back yard. Well, an afternoon later and the plastic had shrunk up and come off. You'd think that helmets would be more durable but they're awfully susceptible to heat I guess.


I have the hi-vis orange Metropolis. The straps were a little stiff and uncomfortable at first, but once broken in they're fine. This is my second Metropolis. The first one saved me from a brain injury. Good helmet. I like the mirror, even if most people don't.

I have the hi-vis orange Metropolis. The straps were a little stiff and uncomfortable at first, but once broken in they're fine. This is my second Metropolis. The first one saved me from a brain injury. Good helmet. I like the mirror, even if most people don't.

Mine's just the regular one without all the extra stuff. I think it was maybe $80 at Maplewood Bikes here in STL (definitely full retail there).

I don't understand...aren't radiators those things that are part of your car's engine?

Why would you put your helmet in the engine compartment of your car?

hm well i'll bite I guess.
Radiators are heaters for houses not just engine cooling devices. Old fashioned I think but for that don't have central air or radiant floor heating it is one way. Here is a portable one people use for space heating. Tried but couldn't find a pic of one made in the US ;)
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06044.jpg
When I lived in Connecticut all my houses either had baseboard radiators or steam radiators to heat the house in the winter. There are a couple in my current Texas house too. I put my helmet and a couple things down on one because it was a handy spot to take them off.

hm well i'll bite I guess.
Radiators are heaters for houses not just engine cooling devices. Old fashioned I think but for that don't have central air or radiant floor heating it is one way. Here is a portable one people use for space heating. Tried but couldn't find a pic of one made in the US ;)
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06044.jpg
When I lived in Connecticut all my houses either had baseboard radiators or steam radiators to heat the house in the winter. There are a couple in my current Texas house too. I put my helmet and a couple things down on one because it was a handy spot to take them off.

Sorry...I was being facetious.

It was a little West Coast joke, because out here in sunny California, nobody has radiators.

I made a similar mistake once with some running shoes. I was camping out, and had my feet propped up near the fire. Next morning I notice that the foam was all compressed, and the shoes were worthless.

Regarding new helmets, here's another vote for the Bell Metropolis. I've also owned Louis Garneau helmets in the past, and Bells seem to fit me similar. What I like most about the Metropolis is the strap on the back for attaching a tail-light -- that's why I bought the helmet. I got mine on sale at REI for about $55.

The strap on facility on the helmet is awesome. I've received numerous comments about how visible I am with my strap-on blinky flashing. I'm using a Mars 3.0 up there.

Edit:

This is a much better pic of a radiator. The one in our entryway is about 5-6' long. Huge thing.

http://www.davelloyd.com/albums/album39/IMG_1537.sized.jpg

[QUOTE=dave.lloyd;5713602]The strap on facility on the helmet is awesome. I've received numerous comments about how visible I am with my strap-on blinky flashing. I'm using a Mars 3.0 up there.

QUOTE]


I couldn't agree more. I love that blinkie. It's very visible and never falls off.:D

[QUOTE=dave.lloyd;5713602]The strap on facility on the helmet is awesome. I've received numerous comments about how visible I am with my strap-on blinky flashing. I'm using a Mars 3.0 up there.

QUOTE]


I couldn't agree more. I love that blinkie. It's very visible and never falls off.:D

I have to agree also. The Metro is a well-thought-out helmet, but the blinkie strap is the best thing going. I put a Superflash up there and I've also had comments on my visibility. I hope the Metro is a big enough hit for Bell that they keep it around for a long time.

Bell Sports had dropped the Metro (or Metropolis) model from their catalog for 2008. As a sort of concession, the Citi now gets the rear strap for the blinkie. Unfortunately for riders with larger heads, the Citi is a one-size only, whereas the Metro was offered in Small, Medium, and Large models.