Helmets
 

I have never worn a helment, but as I get older(65) maybe it would be a good idea. There are so many to choose from and I know nothing about them. Guess my question is, If you wear a helment want kind do you use? If you do not wear a helment no need to reply, this is not about the pros and cons of wearing or not wearing a helment.

thylton

It's more about fit. Set your buget and try some on. (I use the Bell Slant without the visor).

Any helmet sold in America conforms to the same standards that dictate helmet design/construction or whatever. So you're paying for fit and looks, find one that looks nice, is comfortable, and fits your budget.

It's all about ventilation for me. And it has to LOOK cool too. :)

Safely rode motorcycles 28 years, always wore a hight dollar full face helmet.
Never crashed.

Bicycle riding a 65 y/o started with a $00.99 helmet from Goodwill.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...heels/YC19.jpg

Bought one of these when I had more cash.

http://www.policebikestore.com/Merch...l-solar-helmet

52,000 miles on the bike and I crashed three weeks ago.

Hitting my helmeted head on this Car Stop.

Front tire hit the end, I went down on my right knee, hip, shoulder, and then my head hit the top sharp edge of the Car Stop.

When my head hit, I said : That Didn't even Hurt.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...ryFlats018.jpg

Get one that fits

Hi,

Just get a basic budget helmet with the circular
fit adjuster at the rear. Set the chinstrap properly.

Safe as megabucks helmets, next to no difference.

rgds, sreten.

sreten is entirely correct.

If the helmet is legal to sell, it will save your brain from any reasonable impact. The rest is a matter of personal preference.

I'd like to emphasize that proper adjustment is important; take the time to to get that right.

Joe

If you've got a round head, try Bell. If it's a distinct oval, go with Giro. Other brands, I don't know about.

All you need is a laptop, and you have a portable office that lets you work on the go.

LOL. Sreten was far too sensible to make so foolish a statement.

OP, it is true to say that all helmets sold have to have been tested against certain minimum standards. That does not mean, however, that they are all equal - clealry, it is possible that some exceed those minimum standards. Some (including specialized) meet more stringent Snell testing standards, you can google for it. How good any of them are at protecting you is another matter, exhaustively explored in the helmet thread in the advocacy and safety forum.

Thanks for the advice guys, guess I'll head to the LBS to try on helments.

FIFY. ;)

My current inventory consists of Bell, Specialized, and Lazer. I prefer the Lazer, but alternate between that and the Spesh. The Bell is relgated to being my winter lid, because it fits the best over a skull cap.

I've owned Bell, Giro, Lazer,and my newest is a Uvex.
My comfort and ease of fit ratings:
Bell = 5-6
Giro = 7-8
Lazer = 8-9
Uvex = 10

Hi,

I'm not sure there is such a thing as a reasonable impact ....

FWIW in terms of a bicycle helmet designed for a one off impact
there is next to no difference in protection between the cheapest
helmets and expensive ones that might be lighter / more ventilated.

I've noticed people using and I have a skateboard type helmet I use
in the winter with a beanie. They are designed for multiple impacts.

However the difference between the two is very large. Both are
obviously better than nothing, the multiple impact think a trick
gone wrong in a park, for the single impact think about being
stopped very quickly at at a good speed and the consequences.

The best materials for the two jobs are cheap but very different.
Setting about each with a hammer is probably the best demo.
One much stiffer crumples / absorbs at high load, the other
softer more elastic doesn't, much harder for a high impact.

A road helmet is unduly hard for skatepark use, generally.

rgds, sreten.

Both types fitted properly will skid on a surface avoiding
neck injuries and cranial abrasion, neither seem pleasant.

I recommend against a used helmet, as it may have been ruined by an impact.

We've always used helmets around $20, but after my wife crashed and got a concussion with bleeding on the brain, even with the helmet, she got a $200 helmet with MIPS.

Might be worth posting this:
http://www.helmets.org/limits.htm
A couple things to take away:
Bicycle helmets are designed and tested to pass only a 14mph impact - but that doesn't mean complete protection.
Just about ANY accident involving a car will exceed the protection limits of a bicycle helmet.
NOTHING protects better than a little caution.

Are you saying that it's more important to wear a helmet when you're older, or your thinking on helmets had changed as you've gotten older?

Depend on the shape of your head, some helmets will fit better than others. The design tends to fall into round vs oval and high vs lower profile. Then there are the adjustability and ventilation. I have a pencil neck so I don't like heavy helmet.

Thinking has changed

I haven't worn a helmet since I was 14 (age cutoff for the state helmet law). I have never fallen off a bicycle since I first started learning how to ride a 2-wheeler and even then I never hit my head. However with my recent thoughts of participating in organized tours, I learned they all require helmets worn by every participant, so I'm headed to my LBS to pick one out. I'm sure when I start wearing it, when required, it'll probably come natural that I wear it whenever I'm on the bike.

Summary from the linked helmet site: "Summary: A bicycle helmet offers a lot of protection, but you can exceed its capacity and be injured."
In other words, wear a helmet! And be cautious!

Lazer has the best fitting system of all time IMO. And personally, I do not own a Lazer yet, but I tried on my friends lazer and I was like "WOW." Lazers fit really snug and comfy. Then I own a bell, which is second on my list of most comfy. I think specialized and giros are for different head shapes, they just don't fit me well.

Yes, it will feel strage to wear it at first. Then after a while it will feel strange to NOT wear it.

Bell array

Other than a lot of caution, or a Volvo.