Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Helmet Help

I have a narrow but long back to front head so my head size is larger than it looks. So the helmets i have tried and the one i have look horrible on me.

anybody else in the same gravy boat that has some good ideas? I really dont want to go out helmet shopping without some direction.

I currently have a giro indicator

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51p3%2BDqQxpL._AA300_.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000BO3CZU/ref=dp_image?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&img=MAIN&color_name=6

http://www.bicyclehero.com/us/lazerhelmetsizingchart

Lazer makes an "oblong" helmet, but I'm not sure which helmet it is. I have a 7 3/4 oblong head, so I share your shape. I think it provides better operation of brain functions. Could just be an op. :innocent:

Contrary to public opinion the whole point of wearing a helmet is to protect your skull & brain NOT to make you look good !!

So get a grip and make do with what you have that does fit and does protect you when you wear it.

The fashionistas can take a flying leap............

Nobody looks good in a bike helmet. Get over it. :)

Nobody looks good in a bike helmet. Get over it. :)

Cept for me. Speak for yourself! :D

the key is never look in a mirror...i learned that in the first 2 seconds,i couldn't stop laughing,now i don't worry about it.

I had a Giro Indicator too. Knocked it up real good when a semi threw a rock at my head. Glad I was wearing it, but I decided with a nice large dent it in, it was time to upgrade.

Went to the store and picked out a nice White/Black Giro Rift. I like the way it looks.

225497

It's lighter and my head feels cooler (I assume it's more ventilated than the Indicator), and the sun visor is a nice addition. I like it. I'll wear it until it dies I guess.

been looking for a helmet too. since i dont know your head size cant say but the two biggest i have found is the giro indicator(the one using universal xl fiting) and bell xlv. they both go up to 65cm most others stop at 61 and some go to 63. the giro indictator is 29.49 with free shipping on amazon and the bell is 25.64 also with free shipping.

I have a Trek Interval that goes to 64. I like having a big helmet as I can wear a stocking hat underneath when necessary.

Get one without the sun visor. No sense adding to the elongated look.

Get one without the sun visor. No sense adding to the elongated look.

Better yet; get one with a detachable visor, if you're concerned about it looking too dorky.

Ever since late August, it became impossible to avoid riding near sunup/sundown, which means a visor is an incredibly useful thing to have. I don't ride without it anymore.

Personally, I don't care too much about aesthetics. Function over form is more important to me.

Contrary to public opinion the whole point of wearing a helmet is to protect your skull & brain NOT to make you look good !!

So get a grip and make do with what you have that does fit and does protect you when you wear it.

The fashionistas can take a flying leap............

if we humans just settled for "that is that just be happy with it" i dont think you would like the world it would be.

why cant i have a helmet protect me and look *stylish at the same time? i mean my phone can (sometimes) make calls take a picture and surf the web at the same time. my couch can be a couch and a lounge chair at the same time. My mother in-law can compliment me and criticize me at the same time. so why can a helmet do what i like?

Get one without the sun visor. No sense adding to the elongated look.

took the visor off on day one!

Function over form is more important to me.

i will always lean the emphasis toward function. but form will get you to WANT to use it. when i met my wife i wasnt thinking function. [insert joke here]

on the weekend ride i care less how i look. but i commute to work in work clothes, sometimes suits, and go to lunch on my bike sometimes, some are lunch meetings so i would like to look the best possible.

My wife who is an OT and works in a spinal and brain rehab gym tells me you will not look cool in a wheel chair with drool either (she advocates helmets because she sees the effects of not wearing them)

if we humans just settled for "that is that just be happy with it" i dont think you would like the world it would be.

why cant i have a helmet protect me and look *stylish at the same time? i mean my phone can (sometimes) make calls take a picture and surf the web at the same time. my couch can be a couch and a lounge chair at the same time. My mother in-law can compliment me and criticize me at the same time. so why can a helmet do what i like?


This is the point where I tell you to stop whining about how you look and make your own damn helmet since you don't like what's available in the market.

Can't make your own? Well, now that's a tragedy..........

if we humans just settled for "that is that just be happy with it" i dont think you would like the world it would be.

why cant i have a helmet protect me and look *stylish at the same time? i mean my phone can (sometimes) make calls take a picture and surf the web at the same time. my couch can be a couch and a lounge chair at the same time. My mother in-law can compliment me and criticize me at the same time. so why can a helmet do what i like?

well by your example..your helmet that protects you and looks stylish will sometimes protect you and sometimes not....id rather go not looking so stylish and know itll protect all the time.

wow, rough crowd today?

just looking for ideas for a good looking helmet for my odd head, thats all.

wow, rough crowd today?

just looking for ideas for a good looking helmet for my odd head, thats all.


Then listen to your elders when they give you sound advice instead of whining about "looks".

Get a helmet you like and looks good. The more you like the way you look in it, the more you will want wear it. I look pretty dang good in mine, so I wear it.:D


http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/gulpxtreme/060411h.jpg

Have you tried any Bells?

Giro Hex

http://images.askmen.com/entertainment/guy_gear/34d_guy-gear-bike-helmets.jpg

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Pp2lOE1oL._AA300_.jpg

I think those helmets look cool, very hooligan.

Or, you could go a bit nerdier, but still cool, like the Bern Watts:

http://images.askmen.com/entertainment/guy_gear/34e_guy-gear-bike-helmets.jpg

Or the Bell Citi:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41erB43B7TL._AA300_.jpg

I think the guy is actually asking for some fit advise. His head is oblong and that IS a concern. If it doesn't fit right and feels weird, you're not going to wear it. We all get wound up over saddle fit, but not helmets?

My husband has a Specialized helmet and it fits his rounder head great...I tried it on and hated it. It put pressure on my forehead because of the rounder shape inside. I have a Fastrider and it seems to fit my more oblong head. The best thing you can do is just go in the store and try a bunch on.

You might try a Louis Garneau helmet. My head is kinda football shaped, I have LG bike and snow helmets, and both fit very well -- nice and snug side to side without excessive forehead pressure. They also have an instant adjustment wheel at the back in case you want to wear a liner when it's cold out. I leave the visors on: They make your sunglasses work better by cutting surface glare.

I don't have a long head, but have a giant noggin. If you're looking for more city style helmets, you might look at the XXL Bern brentwood or the L/XL Nutcase. Both work pretty well for me. I also had the Giro Rift that was fine and there's a Trek helmet that fits ok. The Bern has the best fit for me. I find I prefer the more closed style helmets for the riding I do (utility cycling sometimes in the rain etc...) The Bern has the most innocuous look on my head, the Nutcase looks like a giant mushroom. If you're looking at Bern the Brentwood is the only one that comes in XXL. I would have preferred a Watts but giant noggin strikes again.

+1 to trying a bunch on. What fits for you won't necessarily work for someone else. I hate the Bell helmets and find the shape to be all wrong as are Specialized helmets, they work very well for my brother. Once you find a brand that fits pretty well, look at the different models they make.

Thank you all for the positive ideas. (still trying to get over the picture of beanz posing?)

that bern watts looks like something i would love for my commute!!! i cant find that color online? the bell citi's colors are fugly

keep the suggestions coming, i would have never found that berns on my own.

I have a Trek Interval that goes to 64.

My helmet goes up to 11. ;)

Thank you all for the positive ideas. (still trying to get over the picture of beanz posing?)

that bern watts looks like something i would love for my commute!!! i cant find that color online? the bell citi's colors are fugly

keep the suggestions coming, i would have never found that berns on my own.

I like the looks of the Bern too. I was in Minneapolis yesterday and a bike shop had a number of them. My head is small but also oblong. I tried one on and I really like the looks of it and more importantly, it was really comfortable. But the only women's one they had was purple.
Yuck. I'm going to check Amazon.

Huck and Roll is the place that seems to have the best selection of Berns online. They're great about returns too.

I think the new helmet will have to wait till next april. I am not feeling this commuting home in the dark thing.

but when i do get a new one it most likely will be a bern watts.

wow, rough crowd today?

just looking for ideas for a good looking helmet for my odd head, thats all.

When is it not a rough crowd here?

When is it not a rough crowd here?


of all the subforums on BF, Clyde's is the most welcoming, extremely helpful and all around peaceful.

My Specialized Prevail is narrow side to side but has more room front to back. Unlike other helmets, I actually like the looks of it (the white one). I think it looks pretty cool, although it's pricey ($230).

have you checked out the bell xlv and giro venti helmets on amazon? either can be had with free shipping for 32(venti) or 30(bell) and you can get some good lights for decent prices too. whats your budget for light/helmet?

edit: how cool is the berns in the heat though? has 2 vents in the front i see and its available on amazon though not sure if theyre cheapest.

I will check out the prevail, but at $230 i can say now way jose. i will check around for deals. $100 is my limit

i dont think the bern will be well cooled either, but on my short commute it doesnt matter too much.

well see if theres a store that sells berns around you and check out the g2. its a more bike friendly helmet. more vents and you can adjust them to be open or closed which is cool if it gets cold. ok altrec and amazon seems to be the best place to buy them for the different colors. does anyone have a bern brentwood? are the slots in the back if you wanted to attach a light back there?

edit: read some reviews on amazon and one of them says it has 12 vents. so i think theres 4 in the rear as in the pics theres 2 in front what looks like 6 on top

I just bought the Bern Berkley:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41uHokRxCIL._AA300_.jpg

I got it partly because it is warmer than my Giro and I can easily fit a liner in it. It is very comfortable. It has 11 vent holes, four in the back. I just got it today and haven't ridden with it as there is snow and ice on the ground.

No apparent good way to attach a light to the back.

I think the guy is actually asking for some fit advise. His head is oblong and that IS a concern. If it doesn't fit right and feels weird, you're not going to wear it. We all get wound up over saddle fit, but not helmets?

My husband has a Specialized helmet and it fits his rounder head great...I tried it on and hated it. It put pressure on my forehead because of the rounder shape inside. I have a Fastrider and it seems to fit my more oblong head. The best thing you can do is just go in the store and try a bunch on.

Huh... I was going to suggest trying Specialized, but I've only got one Specialized helmet (the previous S-Works) and I was thinking of how it has a wraparound "headband" to get a good fit. Maybe a Lazer like Daspydyr mentioned, or a Fastrider like yours, would be a better try without spending as much as the OP would on an S-Works.

And, yes, trying them on in-store is the best way to go, if you can.

I just bought the Bern Berkley:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41uHokRxCIL._AA300_.jpg

I got it partly because it is warmer than my Giro and I can easily fit a liner in it. It is very comfortable. It has 11 vent holes, four in the back. I just got it today and haven't ridden with it as there is snow and ice on the ground.

No apparent good way to attach a light to the back.

I rode with the Bern today and I really, really like this helmet. It is very comfortable. It actually looks nice on your head. The Berkeley doesn't have the built in visor like the Watts, but the visor is good and it is removable if I want to take it off. I liked the visor. It was really nice for riding today with the temp in the low 50s and you can buy a liner for when it is colder. I am not getting a liner, my thin wool skull cap fits underneath just fine. I also like the multiple sizes, it helps with fit.

My only concern is that it felt nice and comfortable in the 50s. This might mean that it will be too warm when it is hot outside. I am leaving for Texas for the winter in a couple of weeks and it is in the 80s where I am going. But I have my Giro for the hot weather. I may use this helmet as my trail and city helmet and my cold weather helmet. Fit is very individual but this is the best fitting helmet I have ever tried.

i ended up getting a lazer 02 helmet, it just fit so dang good that i didnt even care about the look.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41hQe2y9Q8L._AA300_.jpg

the berns look kewl but are not cool. they don't breath at all, and being a clyde i break into a sweat peeling an orange i need all the vents i could get.

... i break into a sweat peeling an orange i need all the vents i could get.

:lol:

That's a comfy helmet, too, isn't it? If I hadn't already gotten into Specialized helmets, I'd like a Lazer.

I don't know about the exact shape of my skull, but like lucienrau I have a big head and I found that Bern Brentwood size XXL helmet fits me better than anything else. And as an added bonus, the Bern helmets don't look too bad and they have some additional features like a removable visor and liner that other helmets don't have.

When you find a helmet that's a good fit, you'll know it the second you put it on. It will still need to be fitted properly, but trust me, you'll know.

When you find a helmet that's a good fit, you'll know it the second you put it on. It will still need to be fitted properly, but trust me, you'll know.

100% true, put the lazer on and i was sold! nothing felt that good and light

100% true, put the lazer on and i was sold! nothing felt that good and light

I almost abandoned my helmet at an LBS to buy another helmet that fit so much better. :D The price tag kept me away at the time, but I scored one later at shop cost.