Originally Posted by digger

Agreed. Please see post number 10.

Let me approach from a differant angle:

All too often I hear well intentioned people (police, doctors, etc) say, "wear your helmet." When a cyclist is struck by a motor vehicle, I often read, "cycllist was (or was not) wearing a helmet." I often see kids, with there helmets on their heads so far back as to be useless, and once I saw a kid that had it on backwards (saw a police officer with one on backwards as well).

It seems that bicycle safety is nothing more than, slap a helmet on your head and off you go. Bicycle safety, is much more than that. Proper riding skills and a sound bicycle are far more important than a helmet. Protective gear (i.e. helmet and gloves), is your last line of defence.

The OP stated that we wanted "more protection in winter", "piece of mind". What was offered by myself, and others, is not merely just to wear a "better" helmet but to look at other options to increase safety. If a helmet is better, or offers more protection, then wear it year-round. Of course, one has to balance comfort and tempreature control with head protection. If comfort didn't matter, then wear a motorcycle helmet....but yer gonna sweat. :-)

****

chefisaac,

it is unlikely that a skateboard helmet would be your best choice. Like a hockey helmet, they are intended for multiple low speed impacts and unlikely that they offer good air flow.

I think that you might want to stick with a bicycle helmet and you can use a number of techniques to help keep you warm:
1) wear a balaclava, and have a full face one and just a touque (ones that are thin enough for under the helmet)
2) something over the helmet to block wind

You can mix and match the 3 things above to help regulate warmth.

In February, I wear the full faced balaclava, the touque and a rain cover.

As spring approaches I usually remove the full face balaclava.

Further into spring the rain cover comes off.

Then evenetually the touque.

Then when fall approaches into winter, the system reverses.