sitwell

Had enough close calls over the summer that I think I should probably start wearing a helmet. Chicago drivers will do that to you. Can anybody recommend one that is relatively cheap, effective, and not bulky. I have a mountain biking helmet that I don't use, but that thing makes me feel like I'm in Super Mario Bros. Any suggestions?

Dean7

Well, I use one of these and love it:

https://www.altrec.com/bell-helmets/a...:referralID=NA

However, if you're shopping for a helmet you should go to a LBS and try on a ton of them to see what works for you. People have different-shaped heads. Helmets come in different shapes...

sitwell

Thanks for the reply. I do plan on going to the LBS in the next couple days to try some on. Guess I just like to have some idea of what's worked for people going in. Will keep that one in mind.

JDMFanatic

I have the Giro Atmos and my friends think it's comfy as well... but it's on the expensive side...

James1:17

I have a UVEX sport boss and love it. It fits several shapes of head and the closure system is great. It has a well engineered dial for fit in back and a push button ratchet-style strap. It also has a bug net behind the front vents which I really like. I got it on closeout at REI for like 75 bones. Actually, here is the link: https://www.rei.com/product/803614?pr...:referralID=NA They're out of silver which is what I selected, but the black carbon looks pretty sweet too.

plowmanjoe

i have a specialized echelon. love it. very comfortable fit because of the adjustable dial system. many helmets have an adjustable fit system, i would recommend looking for one with that feature.

it almost seems like you kind of want something "cool" looking like a skate helmet.

1fluffhead

I picked up the Specialized Propero in the beginning of summer. It wasn't too hot to wear all summer, even with a cycling cap on under it. Fits my head well and for the price point of about 100 bucks it is not crap but also doesn't break the bank.

https://www.specialized.com/zz/en/bc/...jsp?spid=47083

seau grateau

That's kinda dubious, since skate helmets don't look cool. I had a Louis Garneau Saphir that fit my head pretty well but would leave a little mark on my forehead where the front padding squeezed a bit too much (it looked like the cross-section of a Deep V). Currently using a Bell helmet that's a bit more comfy, not sure of model though.

illdthedj

i have this. like it mucho for the commute.

plowmanjoe

yeah i agree. i like the way catlike helmets look. just can't afford them.

i'm happy with my 60 dollar echelon.

ichitz

not enough ventilation.. but then again winter is coming. Berns are not bad for winter.

TurboDream17

I've got the Bern Macon and it's decent and cheap (I got mine for $53):

https://www.amazon.com/Bern-Macon-Sum...4653551&sr=1-4

RWBlue01

I have had my helmet for many years. I don't think the company that made it is still around. It is large, but very light. It has lots of air holes to keep my head cool. I don't know how you guys would wear the bern without having a hot head.

I probably should upgrade mine, because helmet tech has improved over the years.

My only real advice it to tell you to try on the helmet with whatever you will have on your head. As a hot head, I usually have a sweat band on. There was one helmet years ago that didn't feel right with my sweat band on and it.

PlattsVegas

Empire BMX, the one with the soft foam. 40 bucks. It's a skate/bmx helmet but protection>aesthetics IMO. also ventilation is mediocre. Best fitting helmet I have ever found.

illdthedj

very true, not much ventilation.
but i use it for my 10 minute commute, so its not too much of an issue, even during the summer.

havn't used it during a winter yet, perhaps it will be even better for the winter.

illdthedj

just curious, i wouldn't mind a road helmet with LOTs of ventilation for long hot rides, but too many look like super bulky futuristic mushrooms.

any recommendation for a less-bulky-looking (yes i know, protection > aesthetics but whatev) with lots of ventilation helmet?

fuji86

https://www.helmets.org/helmet10.htm

I figure the Bells & Schwinns at Wal-Mart, K-Mart or Target are just fine & comfortable enough, there's no such animal as a comfortable helmet, just one that might be more comfortable than another. Since they all meet the same impact standards. Style is a matter of preference. Personally, I don't wear a helmet, I ride to avoid collisions and if this means I'm not the fastest cyclist, that's ok by me. I'd rather avoid an accident altogether and let the driver of a car go first. The close calls you probably had, you were probably the one that did the avoiding of the accident anyway ? No helmet was involved either. Where cyclists get into trouble is that they ride and assume that automobile traffic is going to see them and yield right of way. So like driving a car, while riding, I'm constantly turning my neck and head to read the road & traffic. You can generally spot a bad driver and it's really the mental acuity of the cyclist and decision processes each of us makes as to whether we slow down or even stop for certain drivers that dictates level of safety and accident avoidance. The biggest warning sign I look for is the driver that crowds the gutter/curb side of the road, this ****** will never concede right of way. Also the driver that crowds you and simply won't pass you. That driver hasn't read the road & traffic ahead, not to mention in lanes along side of him traveling in the same direction, but also lacks the mental faculties to realize that pedestrians and cyclists need plenty of space. I see a bike when driving, I get over even if it's only 1/2 of the passing lane and go around the cyclist and I don't take all day to do it either. But you know what, I don't tailgate either when driving. Tailgaters don't leave enough space for cars, let alone cyclists.

What makes me scratch my head about cycling safety, whenever there is a tragic accident, and it almost inevitably involves the death of a child on a bike. The community paves a bike lane for the 100 yards or so that was the scene of the accident, then that disappears. Politicians and community leaders address this after the fact and it's a bandage on the problem. It's also a 1/2 @zzed solution to appease the family that lost the life. There are no guarantees in life, yet everyone wants one when it comes to traffic accidents. The closest guarantee you can get is to take it upon yourself to ride for everyone involved, pedestrians and motorists. Even for that there is no guarantee for the drunk that might hit you. And in that case, any helmet means little.

Bike helmet standards are currently a dropping test, which means the impact test is a matter of surviving a drop from a sitting position on your bike. The tests don't factor in 5, 10, 15, 20, 25+ mph speeds and mass of the cyclist, let alone the mass and speed of the object that crashes into you (3-4K lb car traveling @ various speeds).

I figure many of us are NFL fans ? All one has to do is analyze the concussions sustained by Kevin Kolb or even Stewart Bradley in the Packers vs Eagles game to realize a helmet in a bike and car accident really only saves you the road rash and loss of a patch of hair on your scalp:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1rGowoTeiY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOeRGFPOtLY

Watching those videos, the NFL approved helmet has evolved into quite a piece of protective equipment, yet day/week in and out, ineffective in a lot of situations. Just my opinion, but bike helmets aren't any better/worse. Flame away !

illdthedj

lets just say, super crazy death accidents aside, my roommate crashed his skull through a parked SUV's back windshield while trying to fish a ringing cell phone out of his pocket on the way back from a bar.....he didn't die, and wearing a helmet would have not saved his life, but he definitely got a fat gash and lots of cuts requiring many stitches where a helmet should have been.

if i get hit by a car doing 30+, will a helmet keep me alive where a baseball cap wouldn't? im sure some people will argue NO (although i believe YES)....

but it definitely will keep your head looking pretty and road rash/stitches free in those non-life-threatening accidents!
so yah i wear one lol

ps i get compliments from hipsters on my bern lol

fuji86

And therein lies the problem, I don't even consider that an accident. That's just stupidity. What's wrong with the whole scenario ? Where to start, fishing a ringing cell phone out of his pocket while riding ? On his way back from the bar (a few drinks too many) ? And the last detail, the police get involved and now the idiot savant is BUI or at least publicly intoxicated and still has to pay for the SUV he damaged on top of going to DUI classes or the very least a safe driver course ? Even sober, let me guess a self-proclaimed multi-tasker who texts while he drives too ? What would've been smarter/better, what he did vs stopping and answering the phone or returning the call stationary from the curb or on the sidewalk, if he missed it ? He might've gotten away with that on a cruiser style bike, but road bike or SS/FG, that's just too much to expect to be able to handle and be safe, much more not crash like he did ? I know I'm not perfect, but self-inflicted from contributory negligence of this magnitude won't ever justify a helmet in my opinion. I refuse to empower it as a valid justification. Here's my recommendation for that:

https://www.unicasecorp.com/bluetooth...FZNg2godzjyZHg
https://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=blu....c0.m270.l1313

Some of those you can't buy a helmet any cheaper than ? Some in this world just continually sandbag themselves for failure ?

illdthedj

whoa there buddy, you dont have to be a jerk, both he and i know what he did was pretty stupid, i sort of thought it was obvious but apparently you had to write a paragraph detailing it.

lets just say accidents happen, your fault or others.
and im saying in those times, its safer to have a helmet on. you might think you are a super awesome and ultra careful rider, but i guarantee you are going to fall sooner or later. happens to the best of riders. and.....fu@@k it, this is getting tiring, dont wear a helmet, i dont care really. good luck out there buddy.

fuji86

No, no, didn't mean to come off as a jerk, but sometimes any of us tries to pull off a juggling act with too much and it defies common sense on what is a priority. Juggling with chainsaws, can anyone expect to not lose a hand or two just practicing ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbMvxLRdpm0

illdthedj

well, im pretty sure everyone does stupid things without thinking all the time. i certainly do. going on the assumption "nobody is perfect" im sure you have as well.
it just so happens my friend's stupid moment cost him a head gash and the cost of a broken window. doubly stupid, in my opinion, for not wearing a helmet where it would have just been a broken window. like i said, people do stupid things all the time. we can all try to be less stupid while on our bikes and be more conscious and aware, but sometimes other people's stupidity can conquer our cautiousness/alertness and cause us when riding to get into an accident. hasn't happened to me yet, but ill still prepare for that moment it does and wear a helmet. also, my helmet looks badass so i like wearing it lol

illdthedj

ANYWAY someone posted in another thread a cute blond girl wearing a helmet and a flipped bicycle cap underneath, anyone know which helmet that was?

Scrodzilla

Please let's not have this turn into another 'helmet vs no helmet' debate. OP was asking for recommendations, not an argument.

squeegeesunny 

I am not "someone".

Met Forte. Around $80.