helmet advice?
 

I hope that this is the right place to ask this question. My husband has started bike commuting from time to time. He has a wicked long commute. He just took quite a tumble right on his noggin and destroyed his helmet (as in - smashed in a thousand pieces). Anybody have any suggestions about what to look for in his new helmet and where we ought to look for one? His old one was kind of crappy, but hey, his head is still in one piece so I guess it was okay in the end!

Thanks for suggestions.

Sharon

My feeling is that most all helmets on the market provide the same level of protection - from the $20 one at Target to the $200 one at the bike shop.

Moving up in price gets you things like:
- more vents
- better adjusters and buckles

Unless he has some specific requirement, I would personally buy the cheapest thing that fit my head correctly and was somewhat visually appealing.

Bell Citi gets a high rating and is pretty inexpensive.

Goto your LBS. They'll have a wide selection of good hemlts for a resonable price. I think my Bell Arc FS was $40

ALL helmets must meet the same safety ratings. After that it is fit/feel/look.

My personal experience is that my newest helmet is my favourite (and also the most expensive). I like the way it looks and I LOVE the huge vents that it has. If his commute is long, I would look for one with more/bigger vents.

Brand/model is irrelevant to me, because like saddles, everyone has a different idea of what is comfortable.

Look for deals on last year's models. They are the same helmets for a fraction of the price (I love buying "last season" stuff.

My LBS said that all Bell helmets (I was shopping for a Bell at the time - they were on sale), offer about the same level of protection. The price is in the looks, color, vents, comfort, etc. They said just go with what is most comfortable and fits your head best. I personally was looking for something with a lot of vents and a visor.

I had bad luck with Giro liners coming apart on me within a couple of weeks after purchase and switched to Bell. Might have just been a bad one, but didn't want to risk it.

I'm surprised to hear about a helmet smashing into 1000 pieces, but helmets are designed to be "one time use". That is, after you've crashed with them, you should get a new one. They absorb energy from the crash by becoming deformed. Energy that goes into crushing the helmet doesn't go into crushing your head.

That said, I agree with the consensus. All helmets approved by a standard safety board (there will be a sticker inside the helmet) are probably equally safe. The key is to make sure you get one that fits. Many helmets have a universal fit gizmo, which is nice. The people at the LBS should be able to show you how to make sure you've got it properly adjusted.

I have to slightly disagree with some posters -- I think fit is very much related to safety. A poorly fitting helmet won't sit on your head right, and thus can't be counted on to protect you in a fall. Because of this, I think it's worth spending extra if needed to get the right fit and straps that adjust well and don't go readjusting themselves.

Also, on the subject of fit: IMO, brand recommendations really aren't worth much, because helmet manufacturers generally make their helmets to fit either round-headed people or long-headed people, but not both. I've found this in ski helmets, kayak helmets, bike helmets, you name it -- a helmet can be a "great helmet", but if it's made for a round-head, it won't fit me worth a damn. Your husband has to put the helmet on his squash to know if it's right for him.

Thanks for all the advice so far, folks. I'm taking it all in.

Andy K said "I'm surprised to hear about a helmet smashing into 1000 pieces,". Boy, you aren't kidding it was surprising. I was pretty shocked when I saw it. Thank GOD it was the helmet and not his head. He rode over a plank footbridge and caught his front tire between two planks. He did a perfect endo on his bean. He's a big guy and that's a lot of force. I emailed pictures of the remains of the helmet to friends & family, it was so impressive!

"One use" - I'm still giggling. There would be no second use for THAT helmet.

I'm glad to hear what you all say about cheaper helmets providing good protection as long as they fit. I'll be thinking in those terms. And while I'm asking questions - anybody want to point me at any particular helmet online?

Thanks so much.

Sharon

btw... My honey is okay aside from some bruising on his face and a rather painful stiff neck. When he crashed, I took him his old (truly ancient) helmet. He put it on and kept riding.

+1 on the Bell Citi. Comfy, sturdy, good ventilation.

You can read reviews from the bike helmet safety institute here
http://www.helmets.org/
Although all helmets have to pass the same test they recommend:
1. More rounded shape - less "snag" points.
2. More styrofoam = better protection
(but more vents = more comfortable, and therefore more likely to wear!)

The Bell Metro is a good commuter helmet - nice round shape and it has places for attaching things like lights and a snap on cover. I think the helmets people don't like the snaps to attach things as they think they are snag points but there is also the simpler Bell Citi.

The material can deteriorate in sunshine so you want to replace your helmets periodically (5 years? Though bike helmet manufacturers may say less)

Cousin to the citi is bell's metropolis. I love the helmet. Just bought it to go with the new bike and get a better fitting helmet. Hopefully I have it right, but the citi is more generic in fit, while the metropolis is adjustable. Please correct me if I am wrong.

I also like the hi-viz fluorescent orange mine came in. :D

I'd also vote for the Bell Citi. It's what I use. I've got the orange one, which I think adds at least marginally to my visibility. The helmet is, after all, a saftey device, and nothing improves safety like visibility.

http://www.bellbikehelmets.com/produ....asp?prodID=10#

Depending on the age of the helmet, I'm not surprised at all that it shattered. New helmets use new technology as far as plastic is concerned; often akin to hard rubber than brittle plastic. Older (brittle) plastics aged differently and the older they were the more they shattered when they reached a particular age. Also, elemental exposure that the helmet experienced in its earlier use, when it wasn't "ancient", would play a major factor in the degradation, and continued "brittling" of the plastic, especially if it was an early plastic helmet.

I use and recommend Pro Tec and Giro to those than can wear them.

It is a matter of preference. Personally, I find MTB and commuter helmets such as the citi ugly.
I like road helmets. My current one is a last years closeout giro eclipse.

I'm partial to Specialized Airforce Helmets mainly because they have great airflow and ventilation; however, in the realm of helmets it's a can't miss proposition as they all have to be certified. If you hubby is strictly a commuter then the Citi or the Metro would two good lines to check out.

Beware, more vents does NOT mean more ventilation. (that's the point, right?) A SMALL number of LARGE "vents" should allow the most airflow, but the specific aerodynamics of the whole shape with your head inside will determine the actual ventilation properties. Don't be fooled by fancy looking designs that are more fashion than function.

There's only one way to know what ventilates best: try it on. (Alas, a luxury many of us don't have...)

I ride with a Bell BMX helmet. Because it's shiny metallic red and it's cool.

and you wonder why people stare at you? :p

Right - I was using a one-size-fits-all Citi but it felt a bit small so I got a Metro Large which fits much better.

:p

Something I didn't realize was that when you are in an accident that stops your bike suddenly, your legs are brushed up as you go over the handle bars. This starts your body rotating and the point of impact is most likely the point on your (or my) head. It did happen to me at a high rate of speed on a downhill section so I was glad I was wearing a helmet.

All that I had left of it was the chinstrap dangling from my glasses with a small piece of the helmet on each end. The rest was in tiny pieces that I didn't bother to pick up, not being a photographer. The impact was cushioned so well that I didn't even have a sore spot at that point, though that wasn't the end of my motion and I had a few other sore spots. I was really impressed with how well it had worked.

It was 2 or maybe at most 3 years old, so I think maybe breaking up on impact is to be expected? They don't seem strong and my impression is that you could just break one apart with your hands, but they sure work well. Just call me grateful to be alive.

best wishes, lloyd

I wear a Bell Solar Sport that is currently on sale for $19.99 at Performance Bike. It's well vented, it fits great and is adjustable to snug it up.

http://tinyurl.com/3p5nqu

http://www.performancebike.com/produ...4-YEL-SIDE.jpg

Another endorsement for the "they're all good" edict, with the proviso of ensuring that 'fit' matches head shape to ensure that the helmet chosen actually sits on a person's head correctly of course. There are different sizes and shapes, and that needs to be taken into account. But a $10 helmet will accord the same protection as the $200 helmet, so long as it suits head size and shape. Same safety standards apply to each.



The "one time use" aspect of cycling helmets doesn't really mean, as stated above, that "one crash and you must replace it". That's an incorrect assumption in relation to cycling helmets, motor-cycling helmets, workplace safety helmets or any other such protective device. It is a "one incident" replacement requirement, and the 'incident' does not necessarily need to be a crash. Drop the thing onto a hard surface and it should be replaced afterwards. Doing that is an 'incident' which has compromised the safety gear! A knock to the helmet can create microscopic flaws which compromise its protective structural integrity. In motorcycle riding classes, for example, the first thing which should be taught is that helmets must be placed on the ground beside the motorcycle when you alight, or hung from a securing device on the bike, rather than hung by the straps on the handlebar, because if it falls and hits the pavement it's no good afterwards!

The incident above, where a cycling helmet has shattered so badly, possibly indicates that the helmet had been compromised earlier in some way, and that the rider was extremely lucky not to have been hurt badly in the accident. It speaks to me of UV radiation damage, actually, and I wonder if that helmet has been hanging upside down on handlebars in the sunlight.

Pick a well fitting helmet. Look after it afterwards. That gives the best protection. Paying extra for a better looking helmet does jack squat for anything except your ego.

I second the citi or ...I love my Metropolis, they've stopped making them, but they're bascially the same as the citi, and you can still find them online on closeout. There are winter vent blockers, a slot for a rear flashing light to clip to your knoggin, and they make a sideview mirror for them too. I think the only difference between the two was/is the rubber around some parts of the styrofoam, which helps to protect it cosmetically when you set it down. Very durable rubber.

Very nerdy cool helmets.