Freddyonabike

Hello

I'm looking to get a helmet. My head is oblong with a width of 15cm, length of 22,5cm, and with a circumference of 58cm, ish.
So far i've only tried helmets from local dealers. Giro, Bell, Met and some lesser known brands. They all have the common (for me ofc) problem of too much play on the sides.
Is there anyone who's ever made measurments of helmets length and width? Cant believe brands dont do this.

What helmets do you guys recommend for me?
Anyone up for making a guide by measuring their own helmet's width and length?
Thanks!

JonathanGennick 

My head's a little bit oblong also, and I do remember Bell helmets feeling more rounded than is comfortable for me. I've generally had good luck with Specialized brand helmets feeling like a better match to my head shape. You really just need to try on a bunch until you find one that feels right.

freeranger

Maybe contact some helmet manufacturers directly for recommendations. I would hope their customer service would know, or could look into which of their helmets might work best for you. Of course, there's no substitute for trying it on. If you would buy one without trying it first (perhaps on their recommendation)-I'd be sure they have a good return/refund policy!

Metieval

try Giro

canklecat

I have a Frankenstein skull too. Bell and Giro have the right oval-ish shape, a little wider at the rear/occipital region.

I've been happy with the two Bell helmets I've had, and one saved my noggin when I was hit by a car last year. I replaced it with a Bell Formula MIPS, an outstanding value at around $70. The attention to detail is remarkable for that price, with polycarbonate protecting the soft EPS foam even under the edges where it doesn't show but would be vulnerable to dents. The soft foam, harness, adjustable dial and MIPS have all held up well including to many wipe-downs with a damp sponge after rides.

I got a POC Omne Air Spin out of curiosity a few weeks ago. Good helmet, very different from the Bell, more expensive but less finely finished. The EPS foam is more exposed to dents and dings. The inside harness is much less elaborate than the Bell. On the plus side, the POC has far superior air flow cooling. I intended to use it mostly for my hybrids, errands and casual rides. But it's turned out to be my main road bike helmet because of the air flow cooling. The POC has significantly thicker EPS foam, especially at the rear, which is why POCs look so chunky compared with most helmets.

If you try the POC, go for the medium. My head measures 59cm and is just barely in the large size. I could have gone with the medium in the POC. It also covers lower on the forehead, sides and rear, so I need to adjust the harness a bit more snugly to keep it in place so it doesn't obscure my vision when I'm in the drops.

The POC's inside shape appears to be similar to the Bell's, but isn't a factor because the POC SPIN system is designed for more movement than MIPS.

BTW, MIPS works. I was skeptical until I was konked in the noggin by a railroad crossing arm that came down unexpectedly quickly. Hard to explain how it happened, but our group was split and I signaled the folks behind me to stop when I heard the RR alarm. I had to skid to a stop and began walking the bike backward. The train was still several hundred yards away and moving slowly. As I walked back and checked the group around me the crossing arm came down on my helmet. The Bell pivoted and deflected the blow, while the harness stayed put. No damage to my helmet or skull. MIPS worked exactly as claimed.

JoeyBike

rollalongnow

Try this one...

https://www.bellhelmets.com/bike/p/a...er-bike-helmet

Garfield Cat

Let me try.

Bike helmets parts: the shell, the retention system, the straps, the vents on the shell, the padding, the molding around the inside of the shell, chin strap, ratchet.

Something like that.

The better helmets today have designed the retention system to fit most shape heads. The outer shell fits on top of the retention system.

The better helmets have good vents and it allows the air to move from front to back. Next time, take a look at the back of the helmet, its like exhaust ducts.

The other part? The sweat that goes down from the forehead to the eyes, causing a burning sensation. Helmets haven't addressed that and that's why you get so many discussions as the cure to it.

I propose that the skull cap types are good but not good enough. The sweat in the eyes is about the front of the helmet. That's where you need extra absorption. The sun burn issue for bald or shaved heads is another thing.

The Scott towels, Viva brand is super absorbent and it can be folded over to use for that front. The other parts of the head can also be covered by that towel as you see fit, layering it to cover that bald spot. Are the towels reusable? Mine is but not like 10 times.

dmanders

I have had the best luck with Bell and Giro. I am also a size 8 (64cm) hat in addition to being oblong. The last time I bought a helmet 5 years ago the only thing that I was able to make work was Giro.

dabac

I’m in the oblong head category too. Current helmet is a KTM. Previous was an ABUS. The one before that a METT. None of them a great fit, all of them the best I could find at those times for the amount of searching I was prepared to do.

canklecat

Yup, MIPS and the POC "SPIN" system harnesses should fit just about any head. The flexible plastic harness should conform easily. Unlike my earlier cheap non-MIPS Bell helmet, the Formula MIPS EPS protective shell doesn't contact my head or cause any pressure points. Only the soft microfiber covered gel foam contacts the head in some places. Same with the POC Omne Air Spin.

The POC has much better ventilation for cooling. Besides scooping in the air it has a less complex harness than the Bell.

Both the Bell Formula MIPS and POC Omne Air Spin have channels in the brow that divert sweat so it drips in front of the face rather than down the forehead into the eyes. Works well in theory. In practice, the wind from forward motion blows the sweat back into my face -- but usually lower on the face or my chest, not directly into my eyes. So it still works. But at first I thought it was raining on a clear day. Finally realized it was my own sweat.

I usually wear bandanas cholo style, like my granddad did while gardening. In winter I'll refold them into a triangle to cover the scalp. No need for specialized bike head covers. I kept about two dozen of his old bandanas and added more of my own. I can go a month without washing bandanas and have enough clean ones for riding every day. Then I'll wash a batch all at once.

Dirt Farmer

I've often wondered what an oblong head looks like. Got any pics?

All I can ever imagine is something like this, what some ancient cultures did:

darkhorse75

Y'all realize that oblong means rectangular right?

GeneO 

Not

canklecat

Oblong is a fluid word, like oval. Had this discussion on another thread about whether Biopace chainrings are ovals. They are in the oval family, but they're -- wait for it -- oblong. Kinda squared off elongated lobes. I think the tech term is stadium, or maybe capsule is more descriptive.

An egg in the shell is oval. The hard boiled egg that comes out is usually oblong, slightly squared off at the wider end.

And the well educated and mad genius Edgar Alan Poe wrote about an oblong box. Angles and sides, not oval. Words are fairly fluid and often maddening things.

Oblong is appropriate to describe my Frankenstein noggin. It's oval, sure, but wider at the occipital than the front. High forehead, everything but the spark plugs in my neck. Or alien implants.

Dr.Lou

MikeyMK

Any helmet I try puts pressure on the front and rear, never the sides. It's no problem for me as I don't wear one anyway, but it'd be interesting to hear of a company catering for us (like Reebok are nearest my foot shape in trainers).