Road Cycling - Helmet Recommendations

I am about to get a new helmet as my current one fits so poorly I doubt it is doing any good. ( I hit a bump and the helmet slams down on my glasses).Any recommendations on helmets? Something that is easy to make adjustments to insure a snug fit. I assume the sized helmets would be better than the one size fits all style. Ill probly buy on line so I wont be able to try on. (My LBS only has a few styles).

THX

You really need to find a well stocked shop and try them on. Size is a factor, but so is the shape. Ther must be some place in NYC that you can get to.

Hi

When buying a new helmet try to buy the best helmet you can afford. You alrady spent money on a helmet that isd not suited. Fit is important. When you have the helmet on and the skin on your forehed should move with the helmet when you move it form side to side. There should be no undue pressure on other parts of your head. The helmet should have as many vent holes as possible. The biggest percentage of veins is located on your head and by cooling them down you will stay cooler. The helmet must have the inner shell bonded (in mould process) to the outer shell of the helmet. Good brands are Giro, Trek, Bell, Limar, Catlike and others. Cyclists will easily spend megabucks on a bike and then skimp on a helmet.

Keep those wheels spinning!!!

Big H

Helmet fit is as personal as shoe fit. I think you've got to try one in person to buy. If you local shop doesn't have something that fits and satisfies your sense of style, don't be afraid to try one of the X-marts. What they have for under $20.00 is better than top of the line five or ten years ago, and they all meet the same safety standards.

my medium sized giro eclipse leaves plenty of clearance space for glasses / sunglasses with huge 'forks'

Hi

When buying a new helmet try to buy the best helmet you can afford.

Consumer's Reports disagrees with this. About a year ago, they tested bicycle helmets and the two that they recommended were both less than $100. The Giro Gila, the one I bought, was $75 and the Trek Vapor is $50. The only knock on the Trek helmet is the huge Trek logo.

According to Consumer's Reports testing, you can buy a more expensive helmet than these two, but not a better one.

Did CR test to see if one helmet protects better than the other? Or did they have a pass/fail minimum standard?

There are other factors besides the crash worthyness. It needs to also be comfortable and not make your head overheat.

Louis Garneau has good helmets that are decently priced and have a neat ratcheting dial to fine tune fit. Give them a try.

As for price/crash worthyness: The cheaper helmets can protect just as well as expensive ones if they fit correctly. Mid-priced helmets are fine and usually have good fit features.
The price goes up for more sophisticated fit systems and styling/manufacturing technology. The emphasis on the biggest venting holes and lightest weight while retaining safety standards. That is why prices goe up. Safety doesn't increase with expensive helmets.

So, essentially, go try on some helmets and buy the one that fits your head and your budget best.

My reccomendation to purchase the most expensive you can afford comes of personal experience. My first helmet, as a cyclist starting out was a bottom of the range "Topsport" helmet (a range made locallyand tested by our Bureau of Standards), I then upgraded to a better helmet in the same range and then purchased a Genesis FX 2 helmet (so my wife and I could wear the same type of helmet on the Tandem). If a concerned cyclist gave me the right advice and reccommended the Giro Eclipse I wear now right form the start I would not have wasted all the money. If you compare the other three helmets (now gathing dust in my closet) there is no comparison as far as fit, quality and ergonomics. I did not base my reccommendation on anything else than personal experience.

My reccomendation to purchase the most expensive you can afford comes of personal experience. My first helmet, as a cyclist starting out was a bottom of the range "Topsport" helmet (a range made locallyand tested by our Bureau of Standards), I then upgraded to a better helmet in the same range and then purchased a Genesis FX 2 helmet (so my wife and I could wear the same type of helmet on the Tandem). If a concerned cyclist gave me the right advice and reccommended the Giro Eclipse I wear now right form the start I would not have wasted all the money. If you compare the other three helmets (now gathing dust in my closet) there is no comparison as far as fit, quality and ergonomics. I did not base my reccommendation on anything else than personal experience.

Thanks all for the replies. I did try on a GIRO at the NYC bike show today. What a difference! Fit real nice but it was black which I did not want as I figured it would be too hot. Guess I will head for some of the bigger shops to try out a few more.

Since all helmets sold here in the US must be approved by the Feds to one degree or another, the crash worthiness of a particular helmet boils down to proper fit, regardless of price.

Did CR test to see if one helmet protects better than the other? Or did they have a pass/fail minimum standard?

That was the first criteria. All of the helmets tested passed the tests to determine how well your head would be protected in a crash. They used the same criteria for all helmets. Those that failed were rejected immediately. Can't recall which ones they were, but they were not any of the popular brands, Giro, Bell, etc.



There are other factors besides the crash worthyness. It needs to also be comfortable and not make your head overheat.

That was the second criteria. Some of the expensive helmets were not as comfortable for the testers as were some of the cheaper ones. Some had better ventilation than others. But the best of both worlds, crash worthiness, comfort, and ventilation, were the Gila and the Vapor.

I have been wearing the Gila for almost two years and find it very comfortable, the size is adjustable, and overall an excellent helmet.

I am probably not the best judge for ventilation as if there were an Olympic Sweating Team, I would be a multiple medal winner, but the Gila keeps my head - while not cool, it doesn't allow me to overheat. I do have to wear a sweatband to keep it sweat from rolling into my eyes, though.

My reccomendation to purchase the most expensive you can afford comes of personal experience. My first helmet, as a cyclist starting out was a bottom of the range "Topsport" helmet (a range made locallyand tested by our Bureau of Standards), I then upgraded to a better helmet in the same range and then purchased a Genesis FX 2 helmet (so my wife and I could wear the same type of helmet on the Tandem). If a concerned cyclist gave me the right advice and reccommended the Giro Eclipse I wear now right form the start I would not have wasted all the money. If you compare the other three helmets (now gathing dust in my closet) there is no comparison as far as fit, quality and ergonomics. I did not base my reccommendation on anything else than personal experience.


H, I hope I didn't come off as negating your experience. I was just trying to present the other side of the story. Before I buy most anything, especially personal safety equipment, the first place I check is Consumer's Reports. I have been a subscriber for nearly 20 years and they have guided a lot of my purchases, from my helmet to major appliances.

The $75 Gila I have is an excellent helmet. The next helmet purchase I make will be in about 3 more years, barring a crash. Consumer's Reports, Bicycling, and a few other sites say a helmet's crash worthiness deteriorates over time and they should be replaced every 5 years. When that time comes, I will buy the best helmet regardless of price available.

But what I or you do personally is not necessarily the best for everyone.

Thanks all for the replies. I did try on a GIRO at the NYC bike show today. What a difference! Fit real nice but it was black which I did not want as I figured it would be too hot. Guess I will head for some of the bigger shops to try out a few more.

Remember that the business part of the helmet is foam not too unlike the foam used in disposable coffee cups, just more dense. the color of the outer shell may affect the amout of heat that shell absorbs, but none of that heat is going to penetrate the foam. If the helmet is adequately vented, you will be cool when you are moving.

Remember that the business part of the helmet is foam not too unlike the foam used in disposable coffee cups, just more dense. the color of the outer shell may affect the amout of heat that shell absorbs, but none of that heat is going to penetrate the foam. If the helmet is adequately vented, you will be cool when you are moving.


Here is one of down-side of the ventilation holes. Yesterday I was riding along and I felt something hit my head. I reached up and didn't feel anything, so I kept riding until I felt a sharp pain. I screeched to a half, ripped my helmet off, and some damn bug flew away, and blood was oozing down my temple. The damn thing bit or stung me!

This is the second time in two years this has happened to me. The fact that I am follicly challenged may play a role in this, too.

The Giro Monza. Not as expensive as the Pneumos, not as Geeky as the Eclpse. As nice helmet all around.

You don't say what you are wearing it for (road, mtb, crusin about)..


One helmet I like is the Transit. Nice, simple, inexpensive. Giros Universal Fit system is pretty comfy

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=91&subcategory=1045&brand=&sku=10293&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

You can usually pick up last years models for chump change. No self respecting cyclist would be caught riding in last years stale outdated design, so they have to be unloaded.

Here is one of down-side of the ventilation holes. Yesterday I was riding along and I felt something hit my head. I reached up and didn't feel anything, so I kept riding until I felt a sharp pain. I screeched to a half, ripped my helmet off, and some damn bug flew away, and blood was oozing down my temple. The damn thing bit or stung me!

This is the second time in two years this has happened to me. The fact that I am follicly challenged may play a role in this, too.



You just convinced me to get one with a bug mesh. Ouch!

You don't say what you are wearing it for (road, mtb, crusin about)..


One helmet I like is the Transit. Nice, simple, inexpensive. Giros Universal Fit system is pretty comfy

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=91&subcategory=1045&brand=&sku=10293&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

You can usually pick up last years models for chump change. No self respecting cyclist would be caught riding in last years stale outdated design, so they have to be unloaded.

I am strictly using it for the road. Do you think the universal fits helmets are better than the sized ones?