I need a cool helmet
 

Ok im not going to kid myself I won't wear the helmet if I think I look stupid in it. I have one now but i'm not liking the look so much.

Would you ever see a road bicyclist roll out in the helmet seen in the first clip of this vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8xwOTwOCOE


Maybe I should just try a few on at the bike shop. The problem i'm having is my helmet looks too big for my head, and I think I have a pretty normal sized head. I would like something with more of a form fitting shape.

Don't know about seeing one on a road cyclist, but you'll see one on me every day and I'm on the road every day. I wear the Pro Tec B2 as my all around and commuter lid and the Giro Remedy Full Face in Matte Smog Cityscape on the trail and through the woods.

Oh, and ummmm, regardless of how you feel, anyone who doesn't ride a bike/skate will think that you look stupid in it. Get over it.

Clue: If you're riding a bike, in the eyes of 99% of the world you look stupid anyway. Get over it and buy what you think will protect you.

I like the BMX style helmet he showed. I wear a Bell Metro now, it's definitely more coverage than that Giro, but it's vented a bit. The BMX would probably be pretty hot.

Me too. Great all around helmet.

I too, wear a Pro Tec B2. When I was shopping for a helmet, I looked for a BMX style because I found it to be more comfortable. I would definitely recommend the B2 over any helmet in that style.

As far as BMX style helmets being hotter, it can get to almost 120F in the summer where I live. ANYTHING I put on my head is going to be hot, so I might as well be wearing a helmet that's comfortable and that I think I look good in. The "get over it" mentality I see so much on here is so ridiculous. It's something you're wearing. I doubt the people that say that go into a store when they're shopping for clothes and just buy the most functional/comfortable/etc thing no matter how ugly it is because they've "gotten over it."

You shouldn't be criticized for wanting a helmet that looks cool.

When we say, "get over it" we're saying, that regardless of what helmet you purchase, everyone who does not bike/skate will think that you look ridiculous so it's best to get what you want and "get over" what anyone will think of you. It's a positive thing. And Hell's yeah on the B2!! I love mine, and like you, heat is heat and we're going to sweat regardless. Rock it!

Is this thing for real :eek: or photoshopped? If it's real... I gotta get me one of these.:D

By the way, for those that don't know... This helmet is in the $200.00 range.

So?
It is $160 on specialized.com

I am thinking that I like it over the atmos and the sweep. Must go find one.

This is posted on the commuting forum, so I assume the OP is a commuter. So maybe he can just do what the great majority of commuters around the world do and *gasp* not bother with a helmet.

Yes, it's real, but for motor-cycling. But it's comparably priced to Specialized.

http://www.santiagochopper.com/shop/details.html?id=637

Really? The "majority" of commuters don't wear helmets?

I say that you start a thread and very clearly ask how many of us wear a helmet vs. how many do not.

Oh, wait.. There's a thread that is 120 pages long HERE, completely dedicated to helmet wear. I still say that you start your thread, as you may not get to the Advocacy and SAFETY area of the forums very often.

Apples and oranges.

Most commuters around the world are in third world countries and as such are a) not riding along dense vehicular traffic, and b) average less than 10 mph. I also expect the death rate in these areas is probably higher than we'd tolerate.

Cyclists in Europe tend to be located in areas that have city centers that aren't choked with car traffic, making cycling a lot safer.

Thanks Winston.

Let's see a cite for even one of those assertions. :lol:

Nope, that's the Spec'd S Works Team lid and it's $210.00. It is not the Decibel that is $160.00.

And we paid less than $40.00 for our Pro Tec B2s. I'd rather spend the extra $160.00 for upgrades.

Okay, just so you know, a lady cop hit a 56-year-old cyclist today in Louisville, KY, no helmet, cyclist is dead. Cool or not, helmets save lives. I know, people will rant now, but helmets save lives.

http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.as...4&nav=menu31_2

I honestly doubt that you'll get much ranting.

I really don't want to add fuel to this fire but after I picked up a co-worker off the ground I have to say I agree. He slid out on some sand about 1/4 mile from his house and was dazed, confused and stumbling around but still alive. His helmet was cracked in half as I'm sure his skull would have been without it. This is a guy who regularly commutes 10 miles to work and has ridden across the country several times as well. In other words, very experienced. While it probably won't happen to you, it just might.

And don't worry about feeling uncool with your helment. I leave mine on while grocery shopping since it's easier than taking it off. Flaunt your Fredness!

If you're talking about the black helmet with the NASA sticker, that's what I have. I have a red Bell BMX helmet and a black ProTec.

Well, I've had my eyes opened. I never before understood that all you need to save your life when struck by a half million foot/pounds of kinetic energy is a few ounces of foam on your head. How could I have been so blind?

Cool, a rocket scientist who doesn't wear a helmet. Really, wear one, don't wear one... I could give a ****.

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqP...jsp?spid=33631
$210

You're thinking of the decibel, which is 160. I like the s-works better, it's MUCH better vented in the front than the decibel.

In fact, it's the only thing that makes it worth the price for me. Everything I've had, from the pneumo to the sweep to the atmos, has been exactly like.. well pretty much the pneumo, I don't think the atmos and sweep have significantly improved over the pneumo in weight and venting, even the decibel isn't worth the price increase. Hands down the venting at the forehead is really a life saver when you're hammering away and all of a sudden gobs of sweat/salt/sunblock start dripping into your eyes.

.. it, i'm just gonna get a darth vader mask with a helmet cam to make a point to the people denouncing me for wanting a cool helmet

Who's denouncing you?

When I bought my bike back in Feb, some extras came with it. A Topeak Explorer rear rack, Topeak basket for the rack, small blinkie taillight & headlight, a near-new great working RavX floor pump w/built-in gauge & dual head- and a Giro Encinal helmet, that seems to fit me just fine. It's even blue & black, colormatches the bike well,if you care about that sort of thing(I don't;) ). But: *BOY*, does it look dorky! Like most bike helmets these days, it has that Woody Woodpecker/Pteranodon rear crest on it.

Looking around on the internet, I discovered that the Giro Encinal, was *not* a ~$10 WalMart cheapie as I first guessed, but a (probably pretty decent) helmet that sold for ~$40-$50, maybe even more at a bike shop. But *Wow*, it still looks dorky- as does every other bike helmet I've seen so far.

The closest things I've seen to not-completely-dorky-looking are those that look similar to a regular hard hat, say something like the Bell Citi. But even those look kinda dorky. Still, if I was gonna buy another bike helmet, a new 2008 model Bell Citi('08 to get the rear blinkie-light mounting strap) in dorky-looking bright "Safety Yellow", would probably be it. I used to wear a hard-hat years ago, & lots of people around here still wear hard hats- and yellow is a fairly popular color for 'em.

But you want a cool looking bike helmet?:roflmao: Well, I wish you luck!:beer::D

these will always be my favorites:
http://www.cyclingbargains.com/image...ucts/p1323.jpg


also, on the topic of skate helmets: (via helmets.org)
Question: Is a Skateboard helmet ok for bicycle riding?

Answer: Maybe. If it is certified to the CPSC bicycle helmet standard it is probably fine. Most of the skateboard helmets do have good coverage in the rear. And most of them are very round and smooth, an ideal shape to make sure the helmet will not snag on anything during your crash. The typical skate helmet has fewer vents than bike helmets do, so they may be hotter in summer. And the liners in skate helmets tend to be on the thin side, so they usually do not provide extra protection beyond what is necessary to meet the impact standard.
The real problem for bicycle use is that there are other skate-style helmets not labeled for bicycling, and there is no legal requirement for those to meet any standard at all. Some may meet the much less severe ASTM standard for skateboard use. The difference is a drop height in the lab test of one meter for skateboard and two meters for bicycle. The skateboard standard tests with more than one impact in the same spot, unlike the bike standard. Some of them meet only a European whitewater standard, which seems a long way from skateboarding but lets them put a label in the helmet saying it meets something, and consumers don't know the difference. The ones we have seen used only the number for the standard, so you have no idea what it represents unless you have some numbers memorized.
Beginning in 2002 when we checked local discount retailers we found that all of their "skate" helmets were in fact bike helmets in the skate shape, certified to the CPSC bicycle helmet standard. Few were also certified to the ASTM F1492 skateboard standard. For better or worse, the manufacturers are testing the thesis that a helmet designed for a single impact can work for multi-impact skateboarding.
In late 2003, several manufacturers introduced helmets that they actually certified to both the CPSC bicycle helmet standard and the ASTM F-1492 skateboard standard. In this case, the helmet meets the performance requirements for either sport. That's ideal. We have a list of the ones we have found.
In short, check the stickers inside the helmet. If it does not have one saying it meets the CPSC bicycle helmet standard, it is not designed for the type of impacts you will encounter in bicycle riding. If it does not have one saying it meets the ASTM F-1492 standard, there is no guarantee that it can take the multiple impacts from skateboarding or radical skating on halfpipes and other places where falls are frequent.
And note that there is no US law that says a helmet being sold for skateboarding or roller skating has to meet any standard whatsoever. The manufacturers are mostly afraid of lawsuits if they don't meet a skateboard standard, but in fact they can sell anything at all as a skate helmet as long as they don't claim it is for bicycling. So look for the ASTM F1492 sticker inside the helmet if it is a "skate" helmet in addition to any CPSC sticker it may have.
You can also check our page on manufacturers with dual-certified skate helmets advertised as meeting the CPSC standard. And see our page on helmets for the current season for more.
Note that inline skating helmets (as opposed to skateboard or trick skating) are bicycle helmets. For example the ASTM standard is for helmets for bicycling or inline skating. You do not need a separate helmet for inline skating. It should have a CPSC bicycle helmet standard sticker inside. The comments above apply to skateboarding, or to trick skating where falls are constant.