Commuting - Helmets: What kind do you wear (if any)

I wrap my precious brains in a Pro-Tec Chris Doyle Ace Pro BMX Helmet. It took some getting used to, but I prefer it to the modern sculptures they call bike helmets these days :lol: Ok. Ok. sorry sorry sorry don't yell at me for dissin those multi-vented sea coral lookin alien invasion swiss-cheese slug shells....
Oh Boy I'm gonna get yelled at aren't I?
OK BACK TO TOPIC: Helmets: What kind do you wear (if any)


http://www.thesportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1426879&cp=1330256.1427782&clickid=body_bestsellgcat_txt&parentPage=family

I use an Avenir "Sonic". It's rather massive, and really does look kinda silly, but I know that thing has enough foam to protect even my watermelon of a head...and for $25 isn't all that bad.

I wrap my precious brains in a Pro-Tec Chris Doyle Ace Pro BMX Helmet. It took some getting used to, but I prefer it to the modern sculptures they call bike helmets these days :lol: Ok. Ok. sorry sorry sorry don't yell at me for dissin those multi-vented sea coral lookin alien invasion swiss-cheese slug shells....
Oh Boy I'm gonna get yelled at aren't I?
OK BACK TO TOPIC: Helmets: What kind do you wear (if any)


The most important thing when choosing a helmet is a proper fit. There's no point getting anything that is going to fly off your head during an impact and not be there when you need it the most. My advice to people buying helmets is to go to a bike shop and keep trying on different helmets until they find one that fits. Basically make your selection from all the helmets that fit properly.

I wrap my precious brains in a Pro-Tec Chris Doyle Ace Pro BMX Helmet. It took some getting used to, but I prefer it to the modern sculptures they call bike helmets these days :lol: Ok. Ok. sorry sorry sorry don't yell at me for dissin those multi-vented sea coral lookin alien invasion swiss-cheese slug shells....
Oh Boy I'm gonna get yelled at aren't I?
OK BACK TO TOPIC: Helmets: What kind do you wear (if any)


I agree about the alien head helmets. I was considering getting a bmx style helmet myself because I think they provide better protection - harder shell, more foam, more coverage. The only thing that stopped me was that I could only find them in kiddies sizes, and I'm concerned about baking my already depleted neuron supply in the Queensland heat in a helmet with fairly minimal ventilation.

In the end I bought a fairly bog-standard helmet. I don't know or care what brand or model it is. Like Chris said, I just kept trying them on until I found one with a reasonable fit over my long, narrow melon. It's white and has a peak and typically recalcitrant strappery if that helps.

I use a MET Ippogrifo :D

I use a cheap bell, prob spent $30 or so on it....@ a bike co-op.

I use it on my daily commute_ 13 mi one way, 20 the other, but not necessarily otherwise : /

Tho I am getting better about it. I am thinking of getting a cooler (more alein?) looking one, but can't justify the $$.

I've got a Bell something, it's getting a little beat up, I think it's time to get a new one. I'll do what Chris suggested.

I use a cheap bell, prob spent $30 or so on it....@ a bike co-op.

I use it on my daily commute_ 13 mi one way, 20 the other, but not necessarily otherwise : /

Tho I am getting better about it. I am thinking of getting a cooler (more alein?) looking one, but can't justify the $$.

there's always that giro transit. cheap with vents.

The most important thing when picking a helmet is your helmet hair. I think the vents work the best; your hair gets inverse vent fins after a sweaty ride. As soon as Flock of Seagulls gets back together, I'll be really hip. Chicks dig the helmet hair.

The latest issue of Consumer Reports rates bike helmets. Look it over on the newstand and you'll get all the info you need.

I use a Giro myself. Don't remember the model.

I wrap my precious brains in a Pro-Tec Chris Doyle Ace Pro BMX Helmet. It took some getting used to, but I prefer it to the modern sculptures they call bike helmets these days :lol: Ok. Ok. sorry sorry sorry don't yell at me for dissin those multi-vented sea coral lookin alien invasion swiss-cheese slug shells....
Oh Boy I'm gonna get yelled at aren't I?
OK BACK TO TOPIC: Helmets: What kind do you wear (if any)


http://www.thesportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1426879&cp=1330256.1427782&clickid=body_bestsellgcat_txt&parentPage=family

is it homologated for road use though or just for falling off your BMX while performing track stands or something?

is it homologated for road use though or just for falling off your BMX while performing track stands or something?

You know, I really don't have an answer for that. It's a really tough helmet, and I'm fairly confident that if I went down hard, it would cushion the blow enough to prevent a serious/fatal head injury. I've looked at a lot of helmets, and honestly I believe my helmet will provide better protection than most of the cheaper styrofoam jobbies out there that look like they would disintegrate on the first impact and leave you out of luck on any subsequent impacts. Although, I surely could be wrong about this, and I welcome anyone who has an opinion to throw down their two cents. After all we're talking about preventing injuries here and if my helmet won't perform when it counts then that's a problem.

Helmets: What kind do you wear (if any)


Schwinn helmet from Wal Mart. :)
It actually felt better than any other tired in bike shops. 27$ is also at the lowest level of the helmets offered elsewhere.

I have a Giro Eclipse, complete with mirror. :)

Helmet hair is not a problem if you keep your hair cut short. :D

Just picked up a bright yellow Bell Pro Parodox on the weekend for $34 at the LBS. I tried more expensive Louis Garneaus and Giros but the Bell fit my fat head perfectly. The others didn't come close Apparently I can now whack my head like a pro and not worry.

My getting old and gungy helmet is another Bell for around $30, have had it for 2 years, no problems, other than getting old and gungy. I have visors on both.

They both have lots of vents so bees, etc. can fly in and get stuck between helmet and head. They both come off quickly when this happens.

Louis Garneau, forget the model.
Pretty conventional design.
I suppose it works well, haven't found out yet.
Silver and black to match my bike :D

The most important thing when picking a helmet is your helmet hair.

I have a solution to that problem. It's called a comb.

RIP my MET Parabellum, now it's a MET Stradivarius. Expensive, but it's all about the fashion:D

CHEERS.

Mark

Specialized M1 for fun Specialized Enduro Comp as my backup / commuter helmet.

Anybody else read through Ken Kifer's page about his rationale for not wearing a helmet?
http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/advocacy/mhls.htm

While I duitfully strap on my Bell El-Cheapo before every ride, there really does seem to be a lack of clear cut data proving helmets prevent serious head injury. Even in Ken's own death while riding, it is questionable a helmet would have saved his life from a drunk driver plowing through him.

So is it common sense or just placebo effect?

Anybody else read through Ken Kifer's page about his rationale for not wearing a helmet?
http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/advocacy/mhls.htm

While I duitfully strap on my Bell El-Cheapo before every ride, there really does seem to be a lack of clear cut data proving helmets prevent serious head injury. Even in Ken's own death while riding, it is questionable a helmet would have saved his life from a drunk driver plowing through him.

So is it common sense or just placebo effect?

Somewhere in between. While helmets will not prevent every conceivable injury from occurring, there are numerous injuries that helmets will prevent. I know because I've cracked two helmets in the last three years in high-speed crashes. Thankfully, my head remains intact. Personally I think that protection is worth the effort of strapping on the helmet before every ride. However, it should never be a substitute for sensible cycling practices.

A Bell Alchera here. Good fit, reasonable price (my LBS was discontinuing all things Bell, so I got a 50% discount). You can see it here:

http://www.bellbikehelmets.com/europe/product/alchera.html

--J

Met "Bad Boy 2". I don't think about it too much.

I have the Giro Laguna. I don't think they make it anymore. I think it was $30-35.

A Bell Ukon. The last time I was bicycling was 20 years ago. The Bell bike helmet I had then weighed about a pound and a half. Now my new one is 9.2 ounces. I can't believe how much lighter and more comfortable they are now.

http://www.bellbikehelmets.com/main/product/ukon.html

I'm on my second cheapy Specialized Air Force. The first one was trashed after I got right hooked. I like it *shrug*. If I had to replace it, I'd probably go BMX as well, although I like the Bell Metro a lot from what I've seen of it.

I use a Bell X-ray. it is crazy to ride in this town without one

Anybody else read through Ken Kifer's page about his rationale for not wearing a helmet?

I have and have a hard time arguing against most of what he has written and although I denfinately agree with Chris L' s point that protection should never be a substitute for sensible cycling practices, I think that is exactly what happens most of the time.

Don't forget to make the distinction between helmet wearing and helmet laws. Many who wear and encourage others to wear helmets are against adult helmet laws (not against wearing helmets).

check out

http://www.magma.ca/~ocbc/

helmet FAQ

After having my first crash (see "Just got clipless" thread), I'm real glad I was wearing my helmet. KKs article is good and well thought out, but I don't agree with him. In reality it's much safer to have one on, as I just found out last night.

I'm against nanny-statism, and would disagree with a manditory law for that reason.

I just got a NOS Giro eclipse but 2 years ago, I picked up a European Rabobank team helmet made by Cross SA that Yellow Jersey was selling & I really liked it. Comfortable & well ventilated. Since it was certified to European standard not US, they were sold as a Tour De France "souvenier". Great price & if they get any more, I would buy in an instant. Don

Helmet hair is not a problem if you keep your hair cut short. :D

...or have no hair...well i do have some on the sides and back. I sometimes have helmet head.

Catlike Kompact2!

I usually dont wear a helmet but I have a blue one with bees on it to wear if I want, it matches my blue mountain bike.

KKs article is good and well thought out, but I don't agree with him.

It's good to have disagreements if they are based on good understandings of all the facts and we can make informed opinions.

It's interesting that in the article, KK says that Randy Swart of The Bicycle Helmet Saftey Institute thinks that standards for helmet safety certification are too low.

Randy has also said, in response to my question "Is riding a bicycle make an individual propotionatly more suseptable to head injury than other activities?"

"No. If we had that information it would be on our Statistics page. We don't."

I was using a cheap, Bell, youth helmet because it fit me well. Unfortunately, I live in the desert; and I noticed the helmet was cooking my brains. I got a Giro Eclipse, and now feel the wind blowing on my head. Also, with it's low profile, my head isn't knocked around by the wind any more.

I have a pretty large head (hat size around 8, depending on brand, etc.), and I had been wanting to replace my nearly 10 year old Giro helmet, size XXL, for some time. But I quickly found that in the intervening years since I last gone helmet shopping, the sizing options for helmets have gotten FAR more restrictive -- almost every helmet on the shelf in most LBS is either sized "S/M" "L/XL", cutting out the extremes at either end of that range, or this confounded new "U" sizing, which is even worse for those of us with dimensions not near the center of the bell curve.

So, after some research, I found that both Bell and Giro are still making helmets for those of us of the larger-headed persuasion. Bell's has the rather unfortunate name of the "Kinghead." Giro's is called the "Atlas II", which is the one I ended up going with. They're both in the $30 price range, with fairly minimal styling by today's helmet standards (I think both are available in only white and black).

Anyways, I hope that's of help to anyone like me who has gone too long without a new helmet because they have a hard time finding one that fits.

Schwinn helmet from Wal Mart. :)
It actually felt better than any other tired in bike shops. 27$ is also at the lowest level of the helmets offered elsewhere.

I got the cheap schwinn too. $15, plenty of vent from what I've ridden in (up to mid 90's with similar humidity, at which point it's hot either way) and a nice little ratcheting system very much like a welding shield would have. $15 or $100 it's still a thin plastic layer over the same foam.

I knew a girl who died right after high school graduation when the bike she was riding toppled over a low speed and her head smacked into a curb. After several days of hospitalization she passed on from untreatible pressure from the bleeding in her brain.

A helmet would definitely have saved her life, so now I wear one whenever I'm on my bike.

Nothing irritates me more than seeing a family riding along with the parents not wearing helmets. The latest stats suggest that slightly more than half of kids don't wear helmets. I feel pretty confident in guessing which parents go with which kids.

Nothing irritates me more than seeing a family riding along with the parents not wearing helmets. The latest stats suggest that slightly more than half of kids don't wear helmets. I feel pretty confident in guessing which parents go with which kids.

My kid and I commute together. He wears a helmet, I don't. Why should it bother you if adults choose not to wear helmets?

My kid and I commute together. He wears a helmet, I don't. Why should it bother you if adults choose not to wear helmets?
Why do you make your kid wear a helmet?

"Why doesn't daddy have to wear a helmet and I do?"

"Why doesn't daddy have to wear a helmet and I do?"

"Because that extra 30 years has made me more hard-headed."

And for any of you Eddie Murphy fans, "Ninja man bleeds on the inside."

I have a Giro something or other. I believe it is important for parents to wear helmets when riding with kids because parents are the role-model. If parents don't think wearing helmets is important, neither will the kids. I feel the same way about life-jackets in boats and seat-belts in cars.

Just got a Bell Ukon. Reasonably priced, good fitting, and well ventilated. I miss my Aquila but it was time for a new one

Why do you make your kid wear a helmet?

to keep the helmet police off my ass... and also, because he's more prone to have minor spills.

Bell Metro. Very functional. Lots of options. Sensable.

I have 5 helmets, all used except for #1.

1. unknown 'hairnet' model from the mid-60's (memento of my youth)
2. Bell 'Tour Lite' from the mid-70's (road/long touring/recumbent)
3. Specialized 'Air Force' (mountain bike)
4. Giro 'Stelvio' (road/short tours)
5. Bell 'Metro' (recumbent trike)

Areles

http://www.bellbikehelmets.com/main/popups_04/Ghisallo/Ghisallo-Titanium.jpg

Bell Ghisallo... very light weight, ventilated to the extreme, and the best fit system I have ever used. Pricey though, but mine sees triple duty as a commuter, MTB and road helmet.

I was using a walmart Bell, but I just upgraded to a new Giro. Not sure the model, but it's cooler and lighter.

My current helmet is a Specialized AirPro. Can't beat the price - free! Around here we have recycling week in early May. (Also known as the Surrey Scrounge.) Some kind person put out the helmet, apparently brand new with all the pads still sealed in their bag. Woohoo!

My last helmet, which my son now uses, is a Louis Garneau that I got for a buck at our favorite second-hand store. They sell all helmets, regardless of condition for a dollar. Makes it kind of hard to argue against wearing one because of price. Even I can afford that!

I'd no more go out without a helmet than I'd hop in a car without buckling up. it's automatic. Anyway, we've got a helmet law.

Giro Atlas II because I have a big head and it was one of the cheaper helmets that was offered in the 59-63cm range.