Road Cycling - Helmet Suggestion

I am a newbie about to join a bike club and buy a road bike (maybe a Trek 1500). I want to buy a decent helmet that will be lightweight, safe, and comfortable. I'm fairly petitie standing 5'2" tall and am medium build. Any suggestions? I know they come in all prices but I want to make sure I am comfortable and safe. What is the real difference between one fo 50.00 and one for 150.00?

FYI I posted this in the Woman's Cycling section as well as this one.

Thanks in advance for information.

buy the helmet, wear the helmet.

Seriously, if a bike shop sells it, you can be almost 100% certain that it meets all safety regulations. At which point it comes down to your personal preference... so try on every single helmet in your price range. Look in the mirror... don't you look good.

have fun!

Yeah, you need to try a helmet on to see which fits best. For example, a bell helmet will not fit me, but a giro fits fine. Also try to get a helmet to fit well enough so you don't need to add sizing pads.

I'm going to second what you've heard here. Try on different helmets. Find the one you like,
get the one you like. The most expensive helmet is the one that you don't where.

Like someone else said on here; Bell doesn't fit me, but Giro does. But for me Catlike fits even better.
For you it may be a Lazer, or something else.

I like helmets with lots of airiness (air flow), but what works for me, may not work for you.

Just my thoughts.

The more expensive helmets are likely to have better ventillation.

the only difference between 15.00 walmart special and a 250.00 lone star ltd. giro atmos is the kool factor. all helmets have to pass the same standards if sold in the united states. most importantly is tht your comfortable try out all types of all sizes and shapes you`ll eventually find the right one.

well that's not true at all roxbury - vents are very important and a cheap helmet will always have fewer vents than a pricey one. for me the trick is to find a comfy helmet that isn't do doofy looking that has as many vents for as few dollars as possible - oh, and i also think it's important to avoid red-white-and-blue color schemes, but that's just me.

this is a nice mix of vents per dollar, fitmiss:
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=15883
(i didn't like the way it looked on me - it sorta bulges in a way that the pic doesn't show.. but anyway)

definitely try before you buy though as they can fit funny and a small in one brand can feel more like a medium in another.

More expensive helmets provide:

- Noticably lighter weight

- Better straps and fitting systems

- More vents for better cooling

- removable, washable pads

With that said, you don't need a $150 helmet.The Giro Monza is a great for under $100 http://www.giro.com/main.html LeMar(sp), Lazer(sp) and LAS make some nice lids as well.

Good Luck!

The thing I have found I like the best about my new helmet is a good adjustment in the back for a better fit. And I also set it tighter for MTB since there is a lot more bouncing. But get one that you like and wear it cause your head is more expensive then your bike.

yes vents are very important and they work really well whn the helmet is properly built. what i mean is that if a helmet has huge vents they need to be reenforced by an internal roll cage i know giro makes them like tht some others don't. the more holes the more fragile the helmets structure gets with alittle less holes the structure is stronger and fitmiss is not looking to shell out lots of cash the suggestion u gave her the bell is not a bad one but i've seen two helmets of the same model crack one in half like an acorn and another from a side impact with a third of the helmet missing freak occourence maybe i wouldn't trust it

I'm real pleased with the way the Limar 707 fits me. It fits close to your head so minimizing the mushroom look. Nice and comfy too. The Limar f107 is on sale everywhere for less than $100.

http://www.bikesomewhere.com/bikesomewhere.cfm/product/40/208/404

I use a Bell X-Ray and have been very pleased. A removable visor is a plus. I havent used mine for a LONG time : P

I have a Giro Pneumo that I like a lot. First it's VERY comfortable on my head even when I sinch it down hard with the convenient locking mechanism. It's very light, and very well vented. It's kinda pricey - about 129. But of all the helmets I tried that were well vented, this one felt the best.

As for the safety, I agree with the others commentors in this thread: 1) if it wasn't comfortable I wouldn't wear it and that's the top of "not safe" 2) if a LBS sells it, it's probably up to the published standards (you can always ask) and 3) Fit/Weight and airflow were most important to me so the extra bucks felt worth it. Who knows for sure if it was. My wife's 65 dollar Giro feels pretty good too although it's much heavier and I think it would bother me on longer rides.

I will say that it does sorta make my head look like a mushroom. My heads sorta got that mushroom stem narrowness to it to start with so they all pretty much looked the same way on me -- like I should be under a leprechans butt ;-) But then again, during a ride I'm not the most attractive looking thing anyway: gasping for breath, sweat pouring down, shirt soaked through yada yada yada. The mushroomy look is the least of my problems ;-)

Hope this helps and Good luck!