So I'm heading off to work this morning it's 7° with -1° windchill. I'm dressed up well & feeling good, I have my balaclava on but 10 minutes into the ride on the downhill I realize I should have worn my skullcap as well. It was either turn around & be late or soldier on & get to work. It was the same conditions coming home but I remembered Sheldon's tip about packing tape to cover the helmet vents. My co-workers already thought I was crazy enough for riding in but the taping of the helmet was a bit much for some.

Thanks again Sheldon.

I have been using my Bell Metro helmet, with the winter kit that has inserts to plug the vents, as well as ear covers. I was thinking that the vent plugs were redundant if I used a balaclava, but perhaps not. The bell metro is a good winter helmet if you are someone who doesn't feel like making your own vent plugs and ear covers.

My balaclava has wind-stopper material on the neck & forehead but the top is thin poly so I usually use a skullcap or helmet cover on days like this. I'll have to check that Bell Metro out, thanks.

Only down side to the Bell Metro is that if you use glasses that hook over your ears, the glasses will open up a gap in the ear covers that will let in enough cold air to bother you a lot below freezing. I have used eye protection that didn't need to go over my ear with great sucess, but the easiest solution is to wedge the ear pieces between the outside of the balaclava and the inside of the ear covers in the same spot they would be normally.

Of course, skull caps and tape when you need to is a lot cheaper than a Bell Metro, and may even be more stylish. But I am a sucker for gimmick products if I think they will work.

I have a metro but I never bothered buying the winter kit; I already had a J&G rain cover and that's all I've ever needed in the winter. The year before that I just taped up the vents, and I'd still do that before buying the winter kit. I mainly bought the metro because it was on clearance for $35 and it's a nice helmet, and it fits my head (one of the few that does).

I also have a metro and was thinking about picking up one of those from J&G. Which size did you go for? My medium metro measures 11.5" which should be a regular, but their site also says:

I wear a ski helmet in the winter time, keeps head and ears warm. I have light mounted to the top of it, so it lights the way as well, but definitely puts me in the cycling geek class....

I use a J&G rain cover as well. I have the regular size and it fits my old Specialized round style helmet and my newer Bell Solar fine. However, neither of my helmets have a visor.

It keeps my head warm and comes in handy if it starts raining.

I usually use a headband, which means the top of my head gets painfully cold once it's below 25F. So this week I, too, Sheldoned my helmet.