Custom-fitting a helmet
 

I was talking to a pro-team mechanic today and he was telling me that they use a hot coat hanger to get a custom fit for their riders' helmets. Something about bending the coat hanger around the head, then removing and heating it up to slice through the foam in the helmet. Sounds sketchy to me, but I was wondering if anyone else has ever heard of this.

What's wrong with padding like everyone else?

I don't know about pros, but my head cant be defined by a simple rotational sweep anyhow.

This may be part of their secret mating-rituals. Bring on the Phrenologist. But really - they don't just use padding and some simple click - tighten/loosen mechanism? That's ludicrous. And then we see all these $200 helmets with famous-names on them to account for the price. When will they send out coat hangers after you pay for the helmet? Bend it around your head and mail it back - they send your helmet!

I'd head for the zoo and see what looked interesting to measure...maybe an elephant?

Sounds funky, but if custom-fit is what they want, this is one way to do it. I'd hate to have a coat hanger bent over my head, though.

I've had to modify a couple helmets to fit. I've got a large (7 5/8 hat size), long, narrow head. Even the largest helmet usually imprint themselves on my forehead. I've made extra clearance with coarse sandpaper on the foam- this works fine.

My dad would have real trouble- his hat size is 8 1/8. He's not a cyclist, though.

Jeff

I really doubt that. True, a heated wire will cut styrofoam beutifully, but a wire as thick as a coat hanger? Assuming someone is good enough at contour shaping it it'd only leave a sticky mess.
If it was me I'd much rather simply stick a small sanding disc on a dremel and hit the tight areas with that one.
If a dremel isn't available I suppose it'd be possible to bend a smaller loop in coat hanger wire, heat it and use it to sort of scoop/shave out excess material here and there.

If they pay pro cyclists oodles of money to ride and give them bicycles that cost oodles of money then why would they revert to a piece of wire to fit a helmet to them.

Looks to me they would just run a ROMER arm around their heads and size/shape the helmet on a milling machine.

http://us.romer.com

Sounds like a load of crock to me.

If money was no object, it would be easier if the helmet manufacturer made a mold of a pro riders head and built a custom helmet. Would be a perfect fit every time.

Some teams make molds of their riders ear canals so the radio ear pieces are as comfy as possible for even the longest races/stages and won't fall out.

This is common technology. Hearing aids and noise suppression ear plugs are routinely custom molded to the customer's ear canals. It's not real cheap but not devistatingly expensive either.