Thanks Pete.

Yeah, fit's what bothers me most about the Bell I have now. It does yet the straps don't stay properly tight w/o fairly regular attention. Better than bare heading it but I'm sure I can do better.

Buying on-line makes 'fit' a risky proposition so I'm looking for 'return window' size in listings. Also need to find my cm tape, get some idea of my head circumference.

Take note that there are a reasonable amount of inexpensive Bell as well as other inexpensive brands in that Virginia Tech 5 star rating. So don't get uncomfortable that your head isn't well protected if you don't spend $300 plus on a helmet.

Bell, Giro and Fox are owned by the same company, Revelyst. Which also owns many other brands we use while cycling and other outdoor sporting brands..

A bright helmet. Bright solid color.

They usually have a fairly broad adjustment range for head circumference, but they can vary quite a bit in overall shape. So it’s a matter of finding a good fit for your particular head shape. Unfortunately, that is down to trial and error. But measuring up should at least help you choose the right size range.

One issue I have is that I’m often right on the cusp of medium and large size fits. I try to size down if I can, but can be a compromise. My Lazer G1 is the smaller of two sizes that would fit me and it works well as long as I don’t wear anything underneath. I went a size larger with my Sweet Protection helmet, which fits better with a beanie underneath. So I tend to use that in colder weather and the Lazer in hot summer conditions.

Yet another consideration with helmets is how well they fit with your choice of eyewear. So make sure you check that when trying them on.

Funny you should say that.

When I went looking about back in '23 for a helmet I was focused on that aspect besides basic protection. Amazed I could find many in dark red, blue, silver, black, grey, often several combinations of those last three, but few if any in fluorescent green or orange. I settled for a Bell in bright blue, so far that's been enough though I did manage to mount a blinkly mount on the back with some plastics-capable epoxy from Gougeon Brothers, their G/FLEX 655 stuff.

Did that, came away with 60.5cm right at the delineation between medium and large for most brands, same as yourself.

I don't (yet) ride in colder weather so I'm tending towards Large for ventilation when it's warm & humid. Figuring the adjustment mech will allow a proper fit once the straps are proper length.

I do wear glasses but so far they're simply lightweight frames with rather thin wire bows that easily fit under helmet straps. Never felt need of wearing goggles though with the winds that blow here it may be something I should experiment with.

Riding anywhere around traffic, you should have at least one tail light, preferably blinking. I sometimes run two tail lights – one blinking, one solid. So I’m really not worried at all about the color of my helmet.

Two has been my practice as well. One low, just under the seat (I just bought a Garmin Varia RCT715 mostly for the camera function and their substantially more secure mount design over what my TREK CarBack came with) the other on my helmet's backside. Sometimes I'll clip a blinky on a cuff strap as well, for side viewed up / down cycling aspect. I value visibility from my experience as a motor vehicle operator, I want to be seen as a bicyclist by others.

I wouldn’t go for a larger fit just for ventilation. That will take care of itself as long as you choose a model with plenty of vents. The Lazer G1 I have is excellent in this respect and I went with the smaller size for best fit.

There are studies backing this up though:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC387473/

The problem for any of us that say that we should wear brightly colored clothes and do other stuff to make ourselves seen better is that some feel it's giving the person guilty of hitting cyclists an out. Or saying that it was somehow the cyclist fault for being hit.

However I agree that being better seen is part of a more complete safety we should consider. Much like doing certain other things when we ride a bike can make our performance on a bike better. But I guess there are those that speak bad of others that train to ride faster too. <grin>

+1 for Sweet Protection. I used to have POC helmets but now have Sweet road & mtb helmets and they are excellent. Fit great, well ventilated, and not too heavy; really recommend them.
John

My favored helmet is the Lazer Z1, I have had one for a while now and just recently updated to the new version with Kineticore and it is such a great helmet. It is a 5 star from VA Tech and has been a super light super comfortable helmet for years now.

Generally if it is a 5 star on the VA Tech ratings it is likely to be a decent helmet and if not you might want to move on.

I use the Light and Motion Pro Vis 360 helmet lights (front and rear in one package) as well as at least one bike mounted battery powered taillight. If the bike also has a hub dynamo, it will have a third taillight. Yes, I am a bit over particular! But to be honest, the helmet lights are the ones that other drivers see best.

Well, that's good to know -- my new helmet is white!

Whatever you do, don’t wear it backwards. I’ve even seen people wearing helmets with rear adjustment mechanisms backwards.

😂 Now I’m wondering where in the World you see people riding with helmets worn backwards?

The most common error I see quite often is people wearing their helmet way too high on their forehead ie tilted back. It should sit just above your eyebrows when properly fitted.

The chin strap needs to be properly fitted too. I see a lot that are way too loose under the chin.

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TB...00-80.jpg.webp

if you’d ever worked in a bike shop you’d have seen more backwards helmets than you’d think was possible. I called it the “space pope,” because a backward helmet looks like an intergalactic mitre.

The "best" helmet is the one that fits you and you like the style and color of. IOW, there's no such thing as a general "best".

Helmets and shoes I never buy online unless I am re-purchasing something I know will suit me fit wise. I'm not a huge LBS guy, but in this case, yes.

If you don't like the whole fluorescent color thing that is so pervasive nowadays, get a white one.

I have a couple of Lazer G1s and wish they would improve the clasp. What a terrible design.

AND has a high safety rating from V tech. Lots of pretty helmets out there that are worth a darn - so a high rating is imperative unless you have nothing to lose.

Mostly on a local MUP I use to get out of the city. If I can, I let people know. One woman flipped her helmet around and said "No wonder it was so uncomfortable." :lol: One time I stopped, turned around and caught up to a mother whose child was wearing his helmet backwards. She was very appreciative.

Nearly everyone thanks me for pointing out the issue. But way back in 1999, while riding across the country with some folks, another tour participant and I caught up to two women (not in our group) in The Flats area of Cleveland. They were also riding fully-loaded bikes. I noticed that one of them was wearing her helmet backwards and politely said something. I got the nastiest scowl and no thanks. I got the feeling that they didn't like "macho men" pointing out something like that.

The Virginia Tech helmet ratings is a very good list. It does show that expensive helmets aren't always the highest rated while some less expensive helmets outperform the higher priced ones. The only drawback is that the list is only confined to US helmets and not those from other parts of the world. For example, I have a helmet that meets all of the European requirements but is not certified for the US market.

More money generally gets you better ventilation and style for a given helmet type...Though not always.

The term, according to the boss, is Mansplaining. I bet as soon as you were out of sight, she corrected the helmet.