General Cycling Discussion - Non-dorky looking bike helmet?

I don't usually wear a helmet (they look dorky) but want one for rain or when I'm riding at night. mostly for safety reasons but also to help keep my hair dry, if it has few or no vents. I'm thinking of getting this one. it looks less dorky to me than the typical bicycle helmet. maybe its the black color. any other suggestions? I don't want to spend more than $30 or $40.

http://www.amazon.com/BONEShieldz-Bomber-Adult-Helmet-Black/dp/B001V8FVK4/ref=sr_1_5?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1349114719&sr=1-5&keywords=boneshieldz

That still looks dorky. You can always tape the vents if you believe it will keep your hair dry.

Get a skateboarders' helmet. Not "uncool" at all. And you will protect your melon.

bike /skate helmets do have less holes.. top of the Bern helmet line
uses a Carbon Fiber shell.. uber hip then..

Prestige pricing , the more you pay and every one knows what you spent,
the Hipper it is..
Example: Gucci, Ferrari, that is the Rapha business model too ..

dork is the new emo and poseur!
i love dork! i saw some kids ones at the Store That Shall Not Be Named,
and i wanted a couple sooooo bad: spiderman, and some dino thing with spikes.

years ago i had a gumby strapped to mine and lawsy, you would not believe the flack
i got from the dudes in spandex. said i made cyclists look stupid. the girls liked it, so what is the
prob, bob? i like girls. and those guys never said word one about my ragged shorts, ragged t-shirt,
and ragged sneakers ( i'm a poor boy).

have enough self confidence in yourself to say the hell with everyone else, i'm goin' my ​way.

If you're so concerned about your hair getting wet, there is only one solution- shave your head. Seriously.

Non-dorky looking bike helmet?
No such thing exists.

Non-dorky looking bike helmet?

No such thing exists.

I think dorkiness is a requirement in order to obtain CPSC approval.

If your main reason is to keep your head dry, then wear a normal hat.

A helmet with no vents is not going to keep your head dry, quite the opposite. Instead of rain it will get damp from perspiration...

If you're so concerned about your hair getting wet, there is only one solution- shave your head. Seriously.

You will save yourself a lot of time in the long run. The other route to go is to grow it out until only a truly biblical deluge could soak it all the way through.

Also, the reason why even cheap skate helmets have vents is that any protection from rain you get will be wiped out by scalp steam collecting underneath unbreathable plastic.

A few years ago I saw a picture of one sort of like a big Beret, black of course .
Tres Chic.

better dorky than dead...

better dorky than dead...

Let's not turn this into a pro vs anti thread. There's A&S for that.

All helmets are dorky.

I just ordered this one, I think it's cool.
http://www.amazon.com/Giro-Reverb-Helmet-Matte-Black/dp/B005I6OXWW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3LGHBBHRBWCK8&coliid=I1JX53N4DCF3GH
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I just ordered this one, I think it's cool.
http://www.amazon.com/Giro-Reverb-Helmet-Matte-Black/dp/B005I6OXWW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3LGHBBHRBWCK8&coliid=I1JX53N4DCF3GH
276026


definitely cool! this one's going on top of my list.

For rain you can use a helmet cover.
http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Cycling/MensClothing/Accessories/PRD~5022-985/mec-secteur-helmet-cover-unisex.jsp

oh almost forgot about the vents. the vents on the Giro look pretty big. thats the only thing. the rain cover looks like a good solution for that. or else I'll go with a skater helmet because the vents are small and there's less of them.

You want big vents. Your head will sweat and your hair will get wet anyway.

276026

I have the Reverb in black/red. It's an awesome helmet. Much less dorky than your typical "racing style" cycling helmet. Air flow is superb. Very comfortable. The brim rocks. Surprisingly light in weight.

Non-dorky looking bike helmet?


No such thing exists.
Actually, in the OP's case, it's probably not the helmet.....

Just get a regular helmet and a rain cover. Both will probably still be less expensive than trying to find something that specialized. Alternately, you could wear a shower cap.

http://www.louisgarneau.com/us-en/product/305549/1083072/Accessories/H-COVER

The one I have has lasted for years and is still in mint condition.
I leave it on all winter.

Actually, in the OP's case, it's probably not the helmet.....

Just get a regular helmet and a rain cover. Both will probably still be less expensive than trying to find something that specialized. Alternately, you could wear a shower cap.

Yeah, for some of us the dork factor is pretty high before we put the helmet on....

The most commonly seen non-traditional helmets in Madison are Bern, Nutcase, and skateboarding helmets.

This winter I'm breaking out something novel: a vintage leather football helmet. Prior to that I used a surplus police riot helmet.

I've seen at least one horse-riding helmet that was pretty nice. Woulda snagged if it had been my size.

I rather like road helmets for some odd reason.

Non-dorky looking bike helmet?


No such thing exists.

Have you ever watched a TT? I would honestly keep that helmet on and wear it to class.

But then again, I'm a nerd and I love the whole idea of a long, spiky helmet that covers your face and makes you more aerodynamic. It's like adding science to regular, cool looking things, that also make me safe.

No one has ever called my helmet dorky.

There are advantages ot being a Prop, even an aging one.

No one has ever called my helmet dorky.

There are advantages ot being a Prop, even an aging one.

What is an aging Prop?

My helmet is one that I bought from the LBS in 2006. Seems like helmets I've been seeing lately are much more low-profile and don't stick out quite as far from the surface of your head as the one I have. Or maybe it's that "road" style of helmet, I don't know.

That Giro Reverb does look pretty cool, though. The red/black one would match my bike. :p

I don't think this looks dorky:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2027/2495966622_a6fe95d00c.jpg

thanks for all the suggestions. this is the one I decided to go with.
Giro Multi-Sport helmet in matte black. it almost looks like a motorcycle helmet.
Giro looks like a very nice brand.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004L940FC/ref=s9_simh_gw_p200_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=05MT3NDK3HK96NPYTB0S&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846


there's also a black leather option available that looks interesting for any of you harley davidson biker wannabes. haha. for me I'll just go with the plain old black.

I don't think this looks dorky:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2027/2495966622_a6fe95d00c.jpg




the helmet is color-coordinated with her dress and bike. it looks rather fashionable and chic. you're definitely not going to miss her. every guy on the street and his uncle will be ogling her like a prime piece filet mignon.

Lookin hip and dead..that's a real life choice.

Lookin hip and dead..that's a real life choice.

some of us want to be safe and not look like a dork. the two are not mutually exclusive.

man all these helmets look huge on your head when you actually try them on. I went with a Bern Macon in the hopes of looking more svelte while urban riding but I look like a dork for sure. I just need a increase the size of my body to make my head look smaller in comparison.

thanks for all the suggestions. this is the one I decided to go with.
Giro Multi-Sport helmet in matte black. it almost looks like a motorcycle helmet.
Giro looks like a very nice brand.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004L940FC/ref=s9_simh_gw_p200_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=05MT3NDK3HK96NPYTB0S&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846


there's also a black leather option available that looks interesting for any of you harley davidson biker wannabes. haha. for me I'll just go with the plain old black.

Giro's option vs bern and bell and others is that their helmet is drastically lighter. I went with the Bern for the snap in cold weather knit earmuff things. I'll be biking in the bay area and I didn't want to buy a size larger helmet to fit a knit cap underneath.

man all these helmets look huge on your head when you actually try them on. I went with a Bern Macon in the hopes of looking more svelte while urban riding but I look like a dork for sure. I just need a increase the size of my body to make my head look smaller in comparison.

as I have discovered while shopping for helmets, there's no such thing as non-dorky...only less dorky.

having said that I think helps to go with a matte or flat color helmet.
the gloss color makes you stand out and makes your head look really big and shiny.

Lookin hip and dead..that's a real life choice.

Logical fallacy. Try harder or go to A&S.

The www.yakkay.com helmets are worth looking at. I think the designs are particularly suited to women, but if I wanted to shell out $130 for a cool helmet for occasional use, they've got a couple I would sport.

My wife would probably like those fedora-looking covers. But JEEZ 40+ Euro for just the cover??? :eek:

My wife would probably like those fedora-looking covers. But JEEZ 40+ Euro for just the cover??? :eek:
Two words: Danish design.

dork is the new emo and poseur!
i love dork! i saw some kids ones at the Store That Shall Not Be Named,
and i wanted a couple sooooo bad: spiderman, and some dino thing with spikes.

years ago i had a gumby strapped to mine and lawsy, you would not believe the flack
i got from the dudes in spandex. said i made cyclists look stupid. the girls liked it, so what is the
prob, bob? i like girls. and those guys never said word one about my ragged shorts, ragged t-shirt,
and ragged sneakers ( i'm a poor boy).

have enough self confidence in yourself to say the hell with everyone else, i'm goin' my ​way.

Tasmanian DEVIL FTW! WABLABLAPPPFFFFLLLLMLAAAWAABLA!

No holes? Some of these (http://www.smosh.com/smosh-pit/photos/watermelon-helmets) might work?

every guy on the street and his uncle will be ogling her like a prime piece filet mignon.



Guilty as charged....

lemme tell ya, for those of us who are under-hirsute (meaning not much, if any, hair), those
vents are killers.

i ALWAYS get sunburn stripes on my scalp from the vents. my female dermatologist said i look like i
wear a skunkskin cap. she is displeased with my failure to cover up and has me
using a chemotherapy cream that is 4x worse than the skin cancer. she used to drench me
in liquid nitrogen and boy, howdy, hurt like a sonofagun.

My helmet came today, it's a size large and fits great except for the chin strap. It's a little short. Looks good though, I really dig the design of the graphics.