Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Big Guys With Big Heads?

Not only am I a larger guy, I have a big mellon head as well. My current helmet, which is now broken, is a Trek Vapor. I always wore it with the adjustment knob fully open and the chin straps close to the end of their slack.

I wish I could share some exciting story about how I had a really cool crash that broke my helmet, but the reality is that while putting it on this morning for the ride to work one of the plastic parts of the support that used to connect to the adjustment knob simply broke off. I can still wear it, but it flops around a bit. In a crash it would likely not provide as much protection as it otherwise would.

So, I am curious what others of the large-headed persuasion here might be using. I need to pick up a new helmet, but I don't really want to pick up another 'one size fits all' and be on the upper end of 'all' again. I also wouldn't mind having something a little more durable. I could always get something for the daily commute and then have something else for recreational road riding. My wife always tells me I don't buy enough stuff for my cycling, so I am sure she would fully support me buying helmets for different types of riding (I also have some bridges for sale if anyone is interested).

Fess up! If you have a big head, what are you using to protect it and what do you like/dislike about it?

I have a very large melon as well... and for this reason, I could never even find a helmet that fit me. Not that I looked very hard--it's just annoying to try on every helmet in the store only to find they do not fit. I am also curious what people are using, with oversized skulls.

My head: size 7 5/8, and it's long front-to-back. I avoid "one-size-fits-all" because they don't. I get XL helmets of the versions that come in multiple sizes and then I usually carve away a little foam around my forehead to give myself a little more clearance.

My dad never got into bike riding. That may be a good thing- he's got a size 8 1/8 head.

The Giro Atlas claims it's "Universal Fit XL": http://www.thebellstore.com/Other/bellbicycle/Atlas.html . I've never tried it, though.

I use a Giro Universal fit and I'm 7 5/8 with my haircut short (profit baseball hat size) it is at the upper end of the Universal but it feels snug when it is on with no noticeable pressure

Bell Triton

I also got the Giro Atlas II, special order at the LBS. It was not pricey, and just a little bigger than any other I've tried.

The weird thing is, I eventually lost so much weight that my head got a bit smaller, too.

For my coconut cap I use a Bell branded helmet, though I don't know what style honestly. I got it at the LBS and it was the largest they had.

V

wife and I both wear Trek helmets. She broke the plastic parts of hers too. I contacted Trek and got replacements for about $12 or so -- a lot less than a new helmet. I bought an extra one to have on hand.

my Bell Sweep R is very big and fits large heads well.

I'm told I have a swollen head. :)

+1 for the swollen head...specially from my wife...

Actually an 7 3/4 size (ball cap) and i use a Bell Sweep in a large, fits perfect, it's always been Bell for me i still have my V1-pro somewhere in the house...

It appears that helmet manufacturers differ in the shapes of their helmets. Some fit long and narrow heads, others round and wide. So try some at the LBS, especially ones that come in S,M,L sizes.

See this Helmets for Large Heads (http://www.bhsi.org/bighead.htm) page.

For instance, Bell Triton (http://www.xsportsprotective.com/bell-triton.html) in XL.

Love my Specialized Propero - vents like a tornado and fits my squarish forehead - what I refer to as a Hellboy's bumps. Yeah, you read the user name right - I am a fathead chick. At the extreme ends of the scale fit and shape is verrry important, so try as many manufacturers as possible. Another thing to watch out is where the restraint system is fixed inside of the helmet, some of them are aiming right at the top of the crown, ready to drill for oil....

Stay Safe

SF

Trek Interval XL (http://store.trekbikes.com/jump.jsp?itemID=1375&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C436%2C437&iProductID=1375&bShopOnline=1) works well for my large head.

I've done well with the Bell line of helmets, too. I started with a Citi, which fits if you don't mind looking like an extra from Spaceballs. Now I wear an Alchera, which in the XL fits well and doesn't make me look like a mushroom. The venting is also superiour to the Citi; which I kept for a winter bucket.

Love my Specialized Propero - vents like a tornado and fits my squarish forehead - what I refer to as a Hellboy's bumps. Yeah, you read the user name right - I am a fathead chick. At the extreme ends of the scale fit and shape is verrry important, so try as many manufacturers as possible. Another thing to watch out is where the restraint system is fixed inside of the helmet, some of them are aiming right at the top of the crown, ready to drill for oil....

Stay Safe

SF


This closed cell foam tape Frost King 3/4" x 5/16" x 10' Black Rubber Foam Tape (http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=96244-1410-R534) is great for fitting a helmet.

My Bell Ghisallo helmet touches the top of my head near the back of the helmet, past the padding strips that came with the helmet. Two strips of this foam made all the difference there. The foam compresses easily, so it can be used on a lot of helmet pressure points.

I've had the roll of foam for probably 4 years, and used it on two different helmets.

Big heads of the world unite!

Bell Triton (http://www.amazon.com/Bell-Triton-Extra-Large-Helmet/dp/B0017UE4JU) for me, too. I've got a 7-7/8 hat size, and this helmet fits nicely. The straps are about as long as I can make them, but there's at least 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of slack left in all the straps.

There's a good list of big-sized helmets here...
http://www.bhsi.org/bighead.htm

Bell, though ugly and uncool, seem to make helms sized a little larger. My enormous head manages to squeeze into their biggest sizes. Most of the other brands fit me like a damned yarmulke. I think they're made for wee tiny people. Ditto shoes.

What a cool thread.

I also have a Trek Vapor that I bought when I ordered my bike.

Does it fit......let's just say that of the stated 54-62cm....I'm at the very edge of the straps fitting and the ziptite wheel is at the final click.

I'll use it for a while but suspect I'll look at some of these others and save my current helmet for a back up.

I have a 7 3/4 hat size. I can wear Specialized and Giro helmets but only their higher end ones. My head is kind of funny shaped, most of the width is front to rear instead of left to right. It seems that other helmet makes are more round and therefore don't fit my head properly without a lot of extra pads.

A hat size of 7* is not big. A hat size of 8+ is where you can't find ANYTHING that will fit. I have a 8 1/4 hat size and use a Bell Kinghead. Here is a link (http://www.bhsi.org/bighead.htm) with actual helmet measurements and manufacturer info. I can't seem to find the Kinghead right now, only the Kinghead Triton (which is slightly smaller).

BTW, sunglasses are another disaster for me. I finally found some that fit (after years of searching) at fatheadz.com.

Not only am I a larger guy, I have a big mellon head as well. My current helmet, which is now broken, is a Trek Vapor. I always wore it with the adjustment knob fully open and the chin straps close to the end of their slack.

I wish I could share some exciting story about how I had a really cool crash that broke my helmet, but the reality is that while putting it on this morning for the ride to work one of the plastic parts of the support that used to connect to the adjustment knob simply broke off. I can still wear it, but it flops around a bit. In a crash it would likely not provide as much protection as it otherwise would.

So, I am curious what others of the large-headed persuasion here might be using. I need to pick up a new helmet, but I don't really want to pick up another 'one size fits all' and be on the upper end of 'all' again. I also wouldn't mind having something a little more durable. I could always get something for the daily commute and then have something else for recreational road riding. My wife always tells me I don't buy enough stuff for my cycling, so I am sure she would fully support me buying helmets for different types of riding (I also have some bridges for sale if anyone is interested).

Fess up! If you have a big head, what are you using to protect it and what do you like/dislike about it?

Found out something yesterday with my Trek Vapor helmet.....there are adjustable pieces on the sides that the straps enter...just below your ear position and then feed into the chin strap. I was able to open these pieces by turning the tabs to release them. This generated a great deal of slack.

I hope this helps....you may have already attempted this.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa317/Dub007_photo/helmetstraps2.jpg