I'm returning to cycling after many years and of course almost nobody wore a helmet 25 years ago. I'll be riding mostly small town (12,000 population) residential streets, and some highway shoulders. I'd like to know what to look for in a helmet, preferably not too expensive. I know a $10 helmet is for a $10 head, but there is probably a price point that gets you a good helmet for a reasonable price. Also, how to you check for proper fit. Thanks for the help!
Mark

By the way, I'm not trying to start a flame with the "$10 head" statement. I used to ride ATV's, and in that genre the statement was true, but it may not apply here.

:D Your Head

A good LBS should be able to help with fit. Failing that, every helmet box I ever opened have fit instructions indside the box. Obviously, it shouldn't flop around on your head and should cover your forehead. It should be comfortable. Example: some brands are simply not shaped correctly for my unique crainium shape; I'm sure others have the same problem.

I would go to a shop and try the helmet on, as opposed to buying one on the internet that looked good.

Fit and comfort are the two main things. After that come style, color, price, etc. Some of the cheaper ones have more protective material and provide better protection than the higher end models.

I'm returning to cycling after many years and of course almost nobody wore a helmet 25 years ago. I'll be riding mostly small town (12,000 population) residential streets, and some highway shoulders. I'd like to know what to look for in a helmet, preferably not too expensive. I know a $10 helmet is for a $10 head, but there is probably a price point that gets you a good helmet for a reasonable price. Also, how to you check for proper fit. Thanks for the help!
Mark

It's not true. Same standard, same level of protection or more. CSPC certified? 10 bucks vs 150 bucks? Yeah they provide the same level of protection.

Good info! Thank You!

It's not true. Same standard, same level of protection or more. CSPC certified? 10 bucks vs 150 bucks? Yeah they provide the same level of protection.

are you serious? is my BELL X-ray helmet no stronger then that 6 year old girls barbey helmet?

After the fitting, the most important part of the helmet are the vents. I would look for no less than 15 vents on a helmet. The third most important feature in a helmet is the color white. A white helmet is cooler during the summer than a dark colored one.

Be careful with the number of vents, though. Too many, or non-reinforced, and it reduces the structural strength of the helmet.

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?sku=12584&srccode=1067

I saw this one at a LBS this weekend and thought that it was a great design for commuting and around town. There might be something more ideal (more vents?) for longer rides and club riding, but this one is tough and has a cool loop for a light in the back.

go with a well known brand, make sure it fits, and you'll be fine. no need to spend a lot of money. i still use my bottom of the line BELL helmet i got for $30 bucks.

After the fitting, the most important part of the helmet are the vents. I would look for no less than 15 vents on a helmet. The third most important feature in a helmet is the color white. A white helmet is cooler during the summer than a dark colored one.

In Ohio it is unlawful to wear a white helmet unless your name is TIMMAY.

Enjoy

Foam... definitely get a helmet with foam in it. Straps would be nice too.
But not too expensive, anything over $30-40 and you're paying for style, color, and venting.

are you serious? is my BELL X-ray helmet no stronger then that 6 year old girls barbey helmet?

If they're both certified, yes. In fact, if the girls helmet isn't riddled with vents like expensive helmets tend to be, it may actually be stronger.

The one thing I look for in a helmet: Fit. If it fits snugly but comfortably, buy it, whatever it costs.

All helmets are certified by one or more standards agency. No helmet I've ever seen has made any claims that they exceed these standard by any amount. ie. being stronger than the competitors doesn't seem to be a big selling point. What they are mainly marketed on is little more than fashion, and a canny shopper should learn to ignore such irrelevancies. So no, a more expensive helmet will not necessarily be any stronger than a $10 one, just prettier.

That said, more expensive helmet do also tend to feature better fit systems, which can help them fit odd shaped head like mine, but that doesn't mean that a more basic fit system can't be comfortable. I always manage to find one that suits for less than $AU100 that feature pretty simple strapping systems, and would have to be pretty desperate to spend more than that.

I would never buy a helmet online, even if I'd owned 'exactly' the same one previously. There's no guarantee that a manufacturer will retain the same mold for the same model each year. In fact, I'd say the chances of this are pretty small, and the chances that it'll fit exactly the same are also small. I've found that in the years since my previous helmet purchace I can't even get the same model at all when I'm looking for a new one, so I'm starting from scratch each time.

Proper fit, comfort, and security of the strap system are the important features; a good helmet can be gotten for $ 30- $40. Bell and Giro are good brands.
Distinctive ventilation is a matter of personal taste.

I'd like to know what to look for in a helmet, preferably not too expensive.

Long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a pretty smile. But it'll cost you dearly.

If you're a fathead like me. Bell. Giro seems to fit skinny heads.
Don't try on the expensive ones. I use a Bell Ghisallo and love it.

I know a $10 helmet is for a $10 head, but there is probably a price point that gets you a good helmet for a reasonable price.

If you're a resourceful patient shopper $25 will buy you an excellent helmet.

Lots of vents can structurally weaken a helmet by having less material and they also generate more wind noise at higher speeds. Of course the helmet will still pass whatever standards it was tested by and more vents can mean more air flow, obviously. Good when it's hot out, not so much when it's cold. A bright helmet, white, yellow, orange, etc., will show up better to cagers.

It's not true. Same standard, same level of protection or more. CSPC certified? 10 bucks vs 150 bucks? Yeah they provide the same level of protection.

I know it's been said once already, but your comment is not correct. CSPC certification simply means that the helmet met the minimum testing criteria. A $150 helmet with 27 vents is designed to be the lightest, coolest (airflow, not just looks) helmet that meets this criteria. A $10 Barbie helmet is made to a price point, and is probably "Over built" in terms of impact resistance. Hyundai and Mercedes both need to meet the same safety requirements for vehicles sold in the US. Does that mean they both offer the same level of protection?

A helmet should stay on your head without the strap done up as you move your head side to side and up and down. The strap is there so that if you go flying, the helmet stays with you.

Long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a pretty smile. But it'll cost you dearly.

Good one supcom! I'll keep my eyes open.
My LBS has some Giant helmets for $35. Anyone have any experience with them or know who makes them?

more vents can mean more air flow, obviously. Good when it's hot out, not so much when it's cold.

Fewer larger vents will probably have more airflow than more smaller vents. The specifics of the design matter too. Huge numbers of vents could be a sneaky marketing gimmick, instead of good design.

I don't think there is any reason to spend more than $50 on a helmet. I didn't even spend anything near that. The fit is the most important thing, as has been mentioned. One thing that could make a difference though, is a visor. It keeps the sun out of my eyes when the sun is low.

I like my Gyro Pneumo because it is so lightweight and has great airflow.
Helmets are designed to reduce head injuries. They are supposed to absorb energy by collapsing in case of impact. Any energy that goes to crunching the helmet is a good thing, because that means it's not being transferred to your head. Seems to me like weakened structural integrity because of more vents is not necessarily a bad thing, maybe even a good thing, especially when you consider the increased airflow.

I agree with the recommendations for white.

Makes sure it fits right, is adjusted correctly, and feels comfortable.

Serge

$30-40 gets you everything. A couple notes: I would get a helmet from a reputable company such as Bell or Gyro (one and the same now, but fits different heads) and I would get one with an "in-molded" shell. I my opinion as a mechanical engineer and having the opportunity to destroy both an "in-molded" helmet and a non-in-molded helmet, the in-molded shell lends a considerable amount of strength to the helmet as a whole, and keeps the helmet from disintegrating after a significant impact. A helmet which does not disintegrate can protect against a secondary impact.

In case you are interested in the results of the tests I did, the in-molded shell helmet was a $100 helmet I messed up with trying to glue a pad back into place. I destroyed it using a combination of hammering and stomping. The hammer did not do hardly anything. It took over 30 minutes of throwing, dropping, hammering, and stomping (though mostly stomping) to get the helmet to a condition where it would not protect a head. Even after that, the helmet was in one piece which could still concievably shield the head from a secondary hit.

The non-in-molded helmet was an old $30 helmet by Bell. It took only one or two stomps to make it disintegrate into several pieces.

It is, admittantly, not a systematic test, but it does show qualitatively that the in-molded shell design is worth paying a few extra bucks for. It was loads of fun as well.

On the road, don't use a visor. In a crash, it could shove the helmet out of position before your head impacts. Most helmets which come with visors, the visor can be removed. I would highly recommend doing this.

On the road, don't use a visor. In a crash, it could shove the helmet out of position before your head impacts. Most helmets which come with visors, the visor can be removed. I would highly recommend doing this.
What? The visor on my Gyro Pneumo (current models don't come with one) is pretty loose. I don't see how it could the helmet out of position.

What? The visor on my Gyro Pneumo (current models don't come with one) is pretty loose. I don't see how it could the helmet out of position.

Some are better than others, and the Pneumo is designed specifically for road and is high end, so is probably one of the best. The visor that came with my $40 Bell helmet was well attached (not by velcro, but with button pins to holes in the shell) and very much strong enough to affect how the helmet hits the road. It is designed with mountain biking in mind, where one has lots of low impact crashes, not road, where one horrific crash gets you in the hospital.

Take a look at this:

http://www.helmets.org/visors.htm

My LBS has some Giant helmets for $35.

Should be fine as long as you have a giant head.

Take a look at this:

http://www.helmets.org/visors.htm
Holy cow! That was very interesting. Finally an explanation for why the latest Gyro Pneumos no longer have visors...

Naw, they probably do it only because most road riders don't use visors. They only use sunglasses, or they wear a cycling cap under their helmet.

After all the good suggestions, I bought a helmet today at my LBS. I bought a Giro Encinal for $44. It has 21 vents, weighs 270 grams (9.4 ounces), and it fit well too. Oh yeah, it's white!