zeppinger

Ya I know another helmet thread, but hear me out.

I am getting ready for my ride from Beijing to Cairo next summer and want to get this helmet situation sorted out before then. I have a small army of helmets sitting beside me as I type this but none of them are what I am looking for. I have done my homework too.

I need a helmet that will protect me from an accidental spill which could be quite likely on such a long ride but I am not sure. It also need to protect me from the sun because I am VERY light skinned and actually consider the danger from the sun to be much more than the danger from a crash. I dont think the wimpy visors on a bike helmet do all that much to block the sun. I am thinking whatever helmet I get I might modify with a little skirt to go around the edges and protect my neck and sides of my face.

I would like a helmet that can be worn both with and without a hat of some kind underneath it with a long brim up front. Is this a no-no? Does wearing a baseball cap under a helmet negate its protectiveness? How about a cycling cap?

I have two road style helmets. One of them fits me very well but if I make it a "snug" fit different corners of the helmet contact different ridges in my head and give me a head ache. A snug fit to me is one in which I can not lift the brim of the helmet away from my head with an upward motion of my hand. Does this make sense? Im a over tightening my helmet? The helmet does not fit well with a hat under it...

The other one is a little loose on me but is able to have a hat underneath of it for sun protection. Even if I make it REALLY right the front of the helmet lifts off my forehead with just a slight push upwards.

The third helmet is a skate helmet that fits snuggly but still moves up away from my forehead more easily than I would like if I were in an accident. I took it on an overnight camping trip and it was hot as hell. I literally felt like I had a fever for the entire ride.

Not sure if I need a new helmet... again! or if I should use one of these. If I wear a hat underneath one of the foam bike style helmets then it may make it just as hot as the skate helmet so I have no idea what to do. I am seriously considering not wearing a helmet on this trip because I am far more worried about the other factors.

An accidental slip seems like it might happen over such a long ride, though I may not hit my head. Getting hit by a car is possible but I don't see most helmets really being that big a help in that situation, maybe the skate helmet. Getting a sun burn and possibly skin cancer seem like much more real and controllable threats, as does over heating so I am really considering the no helmet option. My family is totally against it, as non-cyclists who know nothing of bicycle safety.

Is there a helmet out there that might meet my needs? I am also living in Korea at the moment so my options to go out and try a helmet on are very slim. I could order online but buying another 50-100 dollar helmet with out trying it on seems like a bad idea.

PLEASE HELP!

meanwhile

I can't think of any reason not to wear a cap under a helmet except overheating. To reduce this you might look for a hat made out of a wicking material like Coolmax or the very advanced fabrics paramo use. Obviously you would have to size the helmet to fit with the hat on - which would probably make a poor fit with the hat off, and fit is crucial for a helmet to work... So this solution would be a pain.

If you do add a brim to a helmet, make sure it will fold or tear off in an impact. A strong rigid brim would increase impact torque on your brain and neck. Be wary about how you attach it. Don't, definitely do not, make holes in the helmet shell. Shell integrity is crucial to the usefulness of a helmet in a crash, and holes can alter the stress properties of materials in very radical ways.

On reflection, I'd try Gorilla taping (its like Duck tape, but more so) a brim torn off a sun visor to the from of the helmet and adding a cloth "skirt" to the sides and back - ideally of Coolmax. The result would be something a French Foreign Legionnaire's kepi:



Hey - why not just buy a sun visor and wear it under the helmet??? These are brims on a head band - hats without the top part that normally defines hatness. One of these shouldn't alter helmet fit at all:

leob1

If you are going to add/extend the visor opn a helmet, consider your position on the bike and if the visor extension will effect your vision.
The 'skirt' on the back sounds like a great idea.
This should be an epic ride, enjoy it.

zeppinger

The helmet that fits me best does not have a visor and no way to attach one. I am thinking of adding a Buff bicycle visor that also hangs down to protect my neck. I will also invest in some technical collar shirts where I can "pop" the collar to keep the sun off of my neck further. This plus sun block should make a pretty good sun protection system and hopeful not make me look like a "special" cyclist.

What do you think?

chipcom 

Coolmax cycling caps (with visor) are your friend. I believe someone even makes a similar cap with the neck flaps.

As far as a helmet, you can't go wrong with a Uvex Touring - inexpensive, good fit range, easy fit adjustment, probably the best strap mechanism you'll find, and integrated bug screens.

Me, I just wear a ball cap.

canopus 

OR
and this
Rit SunGuard

I wouldn't be opposed to a helmet but I would have the same problems your having.

meanwhile

I'll see your





..and raise with one of these:

meanwhile

It makes sense. The material is coolmax. And you could always cut holes away to add more ventilation for wearing under your helmet.

Maybe take some of the opaque sunblock that gives extra protection?

sun1.awardspace.com/Sunscreens/visible_light.htm

https://asianskincare.wetpaint.com/page/Sunblock

And be extra careful of your neck. And your back, if it is super hot, even if you keep it covered - make sure that the fabric is a really opaque one.

canopus 

patbright

I have a bern helmet with the removable hat brim, and i love it.

Chris516

Look for the Bell Slant. Also, Get sunscreen and proper eye protection.

zeppinger

I don't like the Uvex too much and my helmet I have already fits me, just not with a bulky hat under it. A cycling specific cap would probably be ok.

Do you have a link to the one withe neck flaps?

Dchiefransom

https://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/products/RRU1095/

zeppinger

Not bad but its not thin enough to fit under a helmet and be safe.

njkayaker

A fair number of people I ride with use (what I think are) in hot/humid NJ weather.

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

Maybe, they can be made of coolmax (that would seem to be appropriate).

espuma

See this thread in the touring forum:
https://www.bikeforums.net/touring/651875-sun-protection-dermatologist.html

I bought one of the Outdoor Research hats with the idea of attaching the skirt to my helmet, but I have not yet done that.

They (OR) also have a "boonie" style hat that turns into a visor, and it might fit well under a helmet. I tried to make one of these with a straw hat mid-tour with less than stellar success. The brim was too wide and after I cut out the crown there was not enough "hat" left to attach to the helmet.