Helmets
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 25
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Helmets
I have never worn a helment, but as I get older(65) maybe it would be a good idea. There are so many to choose from and I know nothing about them. Guess my question is, If you wear a helment want kind do you use? If you do not wear a helment no need to reply, this is not about the pros and cons of wearing or not wearing a helment.
thylton
thylton
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Beautiful Long Beach California
Posts: 3,589
Bikes: Eddy Merckx San Remo 76, Eddy Merckx San Remo 76 - Black Silver and Red, Eddy Merckx Sallanches 64 (2); Eddy Merckx MXL;
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 143 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
It's more about fit. Set your buget and try some on. (I use the Bell Slant without the visor).
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 708
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Any helmet sold in America conforms to the same standards that dictate helmet design/construction or whatever. So you're paying for fit and looks, find one that looks nice, is comfortable, and fits your budget.
#5
Galveston County Texas
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: In The Wind
Posts: 33,222
Bikes: 02 GTO, 2011 Magnum
Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1350 Post(s)
Liked 1,245 Times
in
623 Posts
Safely rode motorcycles 28 years, always wore a hight dollar full face helmet.
Never crashed.
Bicycle riding a 65 y/o started with a $00.99 helmet from Goodwill.
Bought one of these when I had more cash.
https://www.policebikestore.com/Merch...l-solar-helmet
52,000 miles on the bike and I crashed three weeks ago.
Hitting my helmeted head on this Car Stop.
Front tire hit the end, I went down on my right knee, hip, shoulder, and then my head hit the top sharp edge of the Car Stop.
When my head hit, I said : That Didn't even Hurt.
Get one that fits
Never crashed.
Bicycle riding a 65 y/o started with a $00.99 helmet from Goodwill.
Bought one of these when I had more cash.
https://www.policebikestore.com/Merch...l-solar-helmet
52,000 miles on the bike and I crashed three weeks ago.
Hitting my helmeted head on this Car Stop.
Front tire hit the end, I went down on my right knee, hip, shoulder, and then my head hit the top sharp edge of the Car Stop.
When my head hit, I said : That Didn't even Hurt.
Get one that fits
__________________
Fred "The Real Fred"
Fred "The Real Fred"
#6
Banned.
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Brighton UK
Posts: 1,662
Bikes: 20" Folder, Road Bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Hi,
Just get a basic budget helmet with the circular
fit adjuster at the rear. Set the chinstrap properly.
Safe as megabucks helmets, next to no difference.
rgds, sreten.
Just get a basic budget helmet with the circular
fit adjuster at the rear. Set the chinstrap properly.
Safe as megabucks helmets, next to no difference.
rgds, sreten.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Southern California
Posts: 588
Bikes: Gary Fisher Hi-Fi Deluxe, Giant Stance, Cannondale Synapse, Diamondback 8sp IGH, 1989 Merckx
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 51 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
sreten is entirely correct.
If the helmet is legal to sell, it will save your brain from any reasonable impact. The rest is a matter of personal preference.
I'd like to emphasize that proper adjustment is important; take the time to to get that right.
Joe
If the helmet is legal to sell, it will save your brain from any reasonable impact. The rest is a matter of personal preference.
I'd like to emphasize that proper adjustment is important; take the time to to get that right.
Joe
#8
Senior Member
If you've got a round head, try Bell. If it's a distinct oval, go with Giro. Other brands, I don't know about.
__________________
Some people are like a Slinky ... not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
Some people are like a Slinky ... not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
#9
commu*ist spy
Safely rode motorcycles 28 years, always wore a hight dollar full face helmet.
Never crashed.
Bicycle riding a 65 y/o started with a $00.99 helmet from Goodwill.
Bought one of these when I had more cash.
https://www.policebikestore.com/Merch...l-solar-helmet
52,000 miles on the bike and I crashed three weeks ago.
Hitting my helmeted head on this Car Stop.
Front tire hit the end, I went down on my right knee, hip, shoulder, and then my head hit the top sharp edge of the Car Stop.
When my head hit, I said : That Didn't even Hurt.
Get one that fits
Never crashed.
Bicycle riding a 65 y/o started with a $00.99 helmet from Goodwill.
Bought one of these when I had more cash.
https://www.policebikestore.com/Merch...l-solar-helmet
52,000 miles on the bike and I crashed three weeks ago.
Hitting my helmeted head on this Car Stop.
Front tire hit the end, I went down on my right knee, hip, shoulder, and then my head hit the top sharp edge of the Car Stop.
When my head hit, I said : That Didn't even Hurt.
Get one that fits
#10
Banned.
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Uncertain
Posts: 8,651
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
OP, it is true to say that all helmets sold have to have been tested against certain minimum standards. That does not mean, however, that they are all equal - clealry, it is possible that some exceed those minimum standards. Some (including specialized) meet more stringent Snell testing standards, you can google for it. How good any of them are at protecting you is another matter, exhaustively explored in the helmet thread in the advocacy and safety forum.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Posts: 2,318
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
My current inventory consists of Bell, Specialized, and Lazer. I prefer the Lazer, but alternate between that and the Spesh. The Bell is relgated to being my winter lid, because it fits the best over a skull cap.
#13
Life is good
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Not far from the Withlacoochee Trail. 🚴🏻
Posts: 18,209
Bikes: 2018 Lynskey Helix Pro
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 522 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times
in
10 Posts
I've owned Bell, Giro, Lazer,and my newest is a Uvex.
My comfort and ease of fit ratings:
Bell = 5-6
Giro = 7-8
Lazer = 8-9
Uvex = 10
My comfort and ease of fit ratings:
Bell = 5-6
Giro = 7-8
Lazer = 8-9
Uvex = 10
__________________
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. - Psalm 103:8
I am a cyclist. I am not the fastest or the fittest. But I will get to where I'm going with a smile on my face.
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. - Psalm 103:8
I am a cyclist. I am not the fastest or the fittest. But I will get to where I'm going with a smile on my face.
#14
Banned.
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Brighton UK
Posts: 1,662
Bikes: 20" Folder, Road Bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I'm not sure there is such a thing as a reasonable impact ....
FWIW in terms of a bicycle helmet designed for a one off impact
there is next to no difference in protection between the cheapest
helmets and expensive ones that might be lighter / more ventilated.
I've noticed people using and I have a skateboard type helmet I use
in the winter with a beanie. They are designed for multiple impacts.
However the difference between the two is very large. Both are
obviously better than nothing, the multiple impact think a trick
gone wrong in a park, for the single impact think about being
stopped very quickly at at a good speed and the consequences.
The best materials for the two jobs are cheap but very different.
Setting about each with a hammer is probably the best demo.
One much stiffer crumples / absorbs at high load, the other
softer more elastic doesn't, much harder for a high impact.
A road helmet is unduly hard for skatepark use, generally.
rgds, sreten.
Both types fitted properly will skid on a surface avoiding
neck injuries and cranial abrasion, neither seem pleasant.
Last edited by sreten; 05-14-13 at 07:21 PM.
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Far, Far Northern California
Posts: 2,873
Bikes: 1997 Specialized M2Pro
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I recommend against a used helmet, as it may have been ruined by an impact.
We've always used helmets around $20, but after my wife crashed and got a concussion with bleeding on the brain, even with the helmet, she got a $200 helmet with MIPS.
We've always used helmets around $20, but after my wife crashed and got a concussion with bleeding on the brain, even with the helmet, she got a $200 helmet with MIPS.
#16
Certified Bike Brat
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Posts: 4,251
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
6 Posts
Might be worth posting this:
https://www.helmets.org/limits.htm
A couple things to take away:
Bicycle helmets are designed and tested to pass only a 14mph impact - but that doesn't mean complete protection.
Just about ANY accident involving a car will exceed the protection limits of a bicycle helmet.
NOTHING protects better than a little caution.
https://www.helmets.org/limits.htm
A couple things to take away:
Bicycle helmets are designed and tested to pass only a 14mph impact - but that doesn't mean complete protection.
Just about ANY accident involving a car will exceed the protection limits of a bicycle helmet.
NOTHING protects better than a little caution.
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NoVA
Posts: 1,421
Bikes: Specialized Allez Sport
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Depend on the shape of your head, some helmets will fit better than others. The design tends to fall into round vs oval and high vs lower profile. Then there are the adjustability and ventilation. I have a pencil neck so I don't like heavy helmet.
#19
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 25
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#20
Senior Member
I haven't worn a helmet since I was 14 (age cutoff for the state helmet law). I have never fallen off a bicycle since I first started learning how to ride a 2-wheeler and even then I never hit my head. However with my recent thoughts of participating in organized tours, I learned they all require helmets worn by every participant, so I'm headed to my LBS to pick one out. I'm sure when I start wearing it, when required, it'll probably come natural that I wear it whenever I'm on the bike.
#21
rebmeM roineS
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Metro Indy, IN
Posts: 16,216
Bikes: Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 653 Post(s)
Liked 347 Times
in
226 Posts
Might be worth posting this:
https://www.helmets.org/limits.htm
A couple things to take away:
Bicycle helmets are designed and tested to pass only a 14mph impact - but that doesn't mean complete protection.
Just about ANY accident involving a car will exceed the protection limits of a bicycle helmet.
NOTHING protects better than a little caution.
https://www.helmets.org/limits.htm
A couple things to take away:
Bicycle helmets are designed and tested to pass only a 14mph impact - but that doesn't mean complete protection.
Just about ANY accident involving a car will exceed the protection limits of a bicycle helmet.
NOTHING protects better than a little caution.
In other words, wear a helmet! And be cautious!
__________________
Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
#22
Goofy Goober
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 330
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Lazer has the best fitting system of all time IMO. And personally, I do not own a Lazer yet, but I tried on my friends lazer and I was like "WOW." Lazers fit really snug and comfy. Then I own a bell, which is second on my list of most comfy. I think specialized and giros are for different head shapes, they just don't fit me well.
#23
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ffld Cnty Connecticut
Posts: 21,843
Bikes: Old Steelies I made, Old Cannondales
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1173 Post(s)
Liked 927 Times
in
612 Posts
I haven't worn a helmet since I was 14 (age cutoff for the state helmet law). I have never fallen off a bicycle since I first started learning how to ride a 2-wheeler and even then I never hit my head. However with my recent thoughts of participating in organized tours, I learned they all require helmets worn by every participant, so I'm headed to my LBS to pick one out. I'm sure when I start wearing it, when required, it'll probably come natural that I wear it whenever I'm on the bike.
__________________
Bikes: Old steel race bikes, old Cannondale race bikes, less old Cannondale race bike, crappy old mtn bike.
FYI: https://www.bikeforums.net/forum-sugg...ad-please.html
Bikes: Old steel race bikes, old Cannondale race bikes, less old Cannondale race bike, crappy old mtn bike.
FYI: https://www.bikeforums.net/forum-sugg...ad-please.html
#25
Living 'n Dying in ¾-Time