jyl

I am a Man With One Helmet. Whatever helmet I am using at the time, is my only helmet.

Currently it is a Giro MTB type helmet, which over time has been plastered with reflective tape, been labeled with my wife's cellphone number, had a mirror zip tied to the visor, grown two red blinkies, sprouted a 600 lumen spotlight, and finally germinated a small video camera. Very functional, in an Inspector Gadget way, is my helmet. So what if people stare when I walk into the elevator. So what if other cyclists giggle as I pass. So what if I fear the next growth may be radio antennae or solar panels.

Well, the thing is . . . I need, ahem "need", all that stuff for my commute ride. But on a sunny weekend morning, wrapped in tight Lycra and pedaling the roadbike, I'm getting the feeling that my beloved Back To The Future helmet just looks silly, plus it weighs a couple of pounds and must have the aero properties of a ten gallon cowboy hat.

So I'm thinking about taking the radical step of getting a Second Helmet. This would be purely for fun rides, it would be light and sleek and simple. The leading candidate is the Giro Air Attack Shield.

https://www.giro.com/us_en/air-attack-shield.html/

I need to confirm the visor will fit over my prescription glasses. Robocop didn't have that problem. He had 20/20 vision, with infrared targeting bionics thrown in.

Please be my sounding board on this.

1. Is it silly, wasteful, or appalling to have multiple helmets for only one head?

2. Would wearing this helmet, without actually being a World Tour racer, be cause for merciless laughter? Even psychic wedgies?

3. Considering that prescription wraparound sport glasses cost even more than this helmet, can I make a credible argument to justify this purchase to my better half?

B. Carfree

Both my wife and I have second helmets. She bought a back-up because she spends extended periods of time 500 miles away and after leaving her helmet behind on one of her trips she got a second one. I bought a cooler helmet for summer rides on the back of our tandem. There's not as much air flow in the stoker compartment, so what keeps my head comfortable on a half-bike doesn't always cut it.

Those are our excuses and we're sticking to them. Yours sound fine too.

DX-MAN

I have two helmets...so I have a choice for the group rides that require them. The white Bell Slant is about 3-4 years old, looks new, was the last one I wore regularly; the other is a Wally Special that IS in-molded, decently ventilated... and hideously colored/graphic'ed. The main color, a toxic green, was SSOOOOOOO bad, I HAD to have it!

Zinger

I Hate helmets. Mine is about an early 90s Nashbar unit which I originally bought for centuries because they require them now. I only wear it in Washington state for their stupid helmet law. If I ride eastward into Idaho the hat stays home.

GFish

1. No. Having only 1 helmet to "do-it-all" is appalling.

2. No. If the helmet works for you, then it doesn't matter what others think. Besides, nobody is really going to care. Plus it'll be a new conversation piece.

3. Questionable. Will prescription glasses fit behind the shield? Do you currently race or have plans to race? Are you super fit and fast? If you've answered no to any of these questions, then no, it's doubtful you can actually justify the expense. So if you really want this helmet, buy it, but keep that information between you and a few friends here on 50+.

The question I have for you is........why this helmet? Other then being new with a detachable visor, this helmet appears way over priced. Plus it looks really fugly. It would also be nice to get some real world experience if the helmet ventilates as advertised.

Don't remember seeing any pro ATOC riders wear this helmet.

jyl

3. A) according to most reviews, yes, and REI has a good return policy
B) not a racer, at best a Cat 6
C) somewhat fit and not terribly slow is the best I can claim

The main appeal for me is the visor. My prescription sunglasses are just Ray-Bans, they don't block the air so I get the dust and tearing eyes sometimes. I've looked into getting prescription lenses in cycling-type sunglasses, and that doesn't seem like a good option (my Rx is severe, the available glasses are unappealling) and between the frames and the lenses would cost several hundred dollars (!), and then I'd need to carry regular glasses in my jersey (for the mid-ride lunch menu). I could wear contacts but non-prescription wraparounds cycling sunglasses can easily cost $200 (Oakleys etc), and then I still have to stuff eye drops, contacts case, and emergency Rx eyeglasses in my jersey. $180 on sale for this visor to wear over my regular glasses is actually the cheapest option for cycling sunglasses, with the helmet a nice bonus. I'm really taking myself into this . . . It would be 3X more costly than any helmet I've bought before.

Zinger

That's actually not a bad looking helmet though. I'd rather ride in that than the nerdy duck-tailed hats. I like the Air Attack version w/o the visor. The price is prohibitive for me though.....for now.

bruce19

Buy a second helmet 'cause you can and you want to.

osco53

$240 for a bike helmet,,,,, LOL

DnvrFox

You could consider growing a 2nd head - this would definitely justify having 2 helmets.

Otherwise, I have four. I keep one in each car, cause if I travel anywhere with the bike, the one thing I am SURE to forget is a helmet. My wife makes me buy one if I forget, which is why I have four. One is a spare/loaner.

But, I tend to go to a basic inexpensive helmet which meets the current safety standards.

There is an interesting long article on helmets in the current Bicycling magazine.

From the article:

"No matter what, it's got you covered, right? Maybe not. Turns out, helmets were developed only to protect against massive head trauma, like cracking open your skull, and simply haven't been designed to prevent less immediately catastrophic injuries like concussions. What's more, none of us—not you, not me, not the helmet manufacturers or even the testing agencies—know for certain whether your helmet will prevent you from getting hurt."

https://www.bicycling.com/training-nu...ous-protection

climberguy

I think, despite what you've explained, that prescription cycling sunglasses are a better option. If you were able to get prescription Ray-bans, then I would think that if you shop around the internet, you can find cycling sunglasses in a reasonable style to fit your prescription. Yes, they're costly, but if you take care of them, it's an investment that lasts for years. And yes, you may need to carry back-up glasses, but lots of people do that, and it's not hard to fit them in a jersey pocket.

The advantages outweigh the costs, in my mind. You can buy a much cheaper helmet, for starters, and if the helmet gets damaged or worn, it's easy to replace. You'll probably be much cooler, with better ventilation, than with the Air Attack (that visor doesn't appear to let much air get to the top half of your face). You may find you can wear the cycling shades other places, driving, to the beach or pool, etc. These are only some of the reasons why many cyclists who need glasses wear prescription cycling shades.

Kai Winters

I have a "winter" helmet that is a bit larger to more easily accommodate extra head coverings to keep my noggin warm. I also have a light, airy helmet for warm season riding.
I've had as many as six or seven helmets at any one time...team sponsors, deals from sales reps, etc...Never thought of it as a problem or even something to think about...the kids in the neighborhood wound up with great helmets at no cost.
I'd not spend a fortune on this years latest, lightest, greatest helmet though. They are too over priced for me. I'd buy last years model at a clearance price.

jyl

I keep going to different Rx sport glasses websites and trying to enter my prescription - no luck. The sphere is -11.50 OD and -12.00 OS, if you know what that means . . . I'm just a touch nearsighted :-). Plus astigmatism and needing progressives.

Retro Grouch 

1. Might depend on the head. I like to wear two or three different helmets, all of which have different ventilation hole patterns, to minimize the tan line pattern on my scalp.
2. You're worried about THAT! Does that mean you think there might already be folks who aren't laughing at you?

3. Tell your wife that you're worth it and it's her own fault for marrying a guy like you.

Bikey Mikey

As far as a tan line goes, I use a cycling cap under my helmet which helps 3 fold. First, it protects my head from the sun coming through the air vents. Next, it wicks moisture away from my scalp and helps keep sweat from rolling into my eyes and down my cheeks. Lastly, the small bill on the front of the cap keeps the sun from coming in over my glasses and the rain off my glasses.

kenji666

Do what works for you and eff what others think.

Looigi

My helmets are fashion accessories. I chose the one best suited to my mood and the look I'm trying to achieve for that particular ride.

Bikey Mikey

Buy what you want.

FrenchFit 

I'm currently rotating through 5 helmets; different rides, different purposes. For example, one sports a halo band for night riding, another is super light with with a minimal beak - good for riding in the drops, another is MTB design with visor, etc. How many pairs of shoes do you own?

Retro Grouch 

I'd forgotten about that.

Since I switched to recumbents I don't get sweat in my eyes anymore and I sweat a lot. I used to take 2 or 3 sweatbands with me on a ride and switch every time I stopped. I hung the used ones somewhere on my bike to dry out.

I-Like-To-Bike

Are you still wearing the helmet when you get on the elevator? Why don't you take it off?

Bikey Mikey

Really didn't have that problem with my Specialized Echelon helmet...now with the old Bell Solar, yes.


Another reason I like the cap. I can remove my helmet and hide my helmet hair.

Retro Grouch 

No problem with helmet hair here, but I do have tan lines to consider. I just don't like wearing a cap under my helmet.

jyl

I tried the Air Attack Shield on today. The visor fits over my prescription glasses, though without much room to spare, and I wonder about possibly fogging up. My wife thinks it looks "shrug, okay, shrug". My son declared it "less dorky" than the other helmets. High praise indeed.

Vent hole tan - I don't have that issue yet, but in Portland the vents on my current helmet are mostly a way to get wet. I wear a cycling cap under the helmet almost year round.

Colors - it comes in black or white. White seems most practical (reflects heat, visible) but black is chic (and slimming). Sigh.

David Bierbaum

I was so hoping to see a ludicrous hat-stack picture in this thread... I'm a proponent of minimal expenditure, so I always wear black. It goes with everything, and I only have one helmet. If it makes me look stupid, wearing it, at least it gives folks visual warning of my actual state of intellectual ineptitude.