mshred

newbie question...

i'm 30 years old and have ridden BMX bikes and MTBs and have never worn a bike helmet in my life. new to road biking though and looking to get a helmet for when i bite it at high speed or get plowed by a prius.

so...what makes an expensive helmet better than a less exensive helmet? cool stickers? brand names? bright colors? anything that will actually keep my head safer?

would i be wasting money to get the cheapest road biking helmet i can find on amazon?

antmeeks

Ohhhh, this ought to be be good...

Homebrew01

I think they all have to pass the same test, so theoretically all the same. But some are lighter, have better straps and adjustability, better vent design .....

RT

****

OP, Search will give you months of reading on this topic.

Hiro11

Pretty much this. In my experience, more expensive helmets are not necessarily more comfortable or better vented. All that really matters to me is that the helmet fit well and be unobtrusive.

danmc

You're touching the "third rail" of BF.

tagaproject6

They should all meet the safety standards. Price difference depends on weight, vents, brand, etc. Get the one on which you don't mind spending money. If you want more info, go over to A&S and ask the same question

David Broon 

bern makes good stuff, as well as nutcase, whose bang for the buck is pretty hard to beat.

antmeeks

He doesn't have to bother... This is gonna be sent there anyway in 3... 2...

danmc

A&S has an entirely segregated thread on this topic. Be forewarned, though, before opening it; it's like Pandora's box in there. Have a heat shield ready.

WhyFi

I think that most of your questions have already been answered, but I'll add that I think that you'd be better off buying a helmet in a store. Fit can vary quite a bit from manufacturer to manufacturer, as can sizing. Make sure it's roughly the shape of your head, make sure the retention straps keep the helmet in place when you shake your head, maybe run up and down the aisle to see how well the venting works.

edited to add - if you want to spend the least amount of money, you don't need to necessarily go to a bike shop, you can find them in just about any big-box general retailer (like Target).

antmeeks

LOL! Just lost a mouthful of coffee...

datlas 

Agree with above. Fit and comfort are more important. As of now, most helmets will offer equal protection, whether they cost $35 or $235. The more expensive ones may be a bit lighter or have better ventilation. But whatever you choose, get it in person so you can be sure it fits and feels right.

mshred

point taken. however, asking you all and getting witty responses is way more fun than the search feature.

mshred

worth starting this thread for that comment alone. good stuff.

antmeeks

you are a fast learner. you'll do well here.

danmc

That's absolutely ridiculuous and just plain silly. There's no need to run up and down the aisles; Walmarts and Targets are big enough, just hop on a bike and take it for a spin around the store. I hear that it's actually encouraged to take the bikes on test rides in-store.

RT

Indeed. Well done, sir.

seymour1910

and here I was thinking 'oh another helmet thread' .....wow....one can only imagine going into a store and seeing OP sprinting down the isle with that $15 bell helmet on.....or better yet riding that mongoose in the aero postion through sporting goods....

Yo Spiff

I just read an extensive and interesting article in Bicycling magazine about advances (or the lack of advances) in helmets. It's not been posted to their site yet, or I would link it here.

Basically, what they said was that helmets were advancing under the Snell and ANSI standards as the standards were updated as technology and the understanding of injuries got better. Once the CSPC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) got involved with a standard, the manufacturers only need to meet the CSPC standard in order to be able to sell their helmet as meeting a known standard of protection. The CSPC standard is not being updated as the others are, but nobody cares as long as the can put some kind of certification sticker on the helmet.

Better technology is available at a higher price now, but manufacturers see no marketing advantage. They are reluctant to advertise the better protection of new helmets, due to fear of lawsuits if/when it fails to provide 100% protection from injury.

The current helmet designs protect some from catastrophic trauma, but not much for a concussion at lower impact levels. The issue is how the brain rotates under impact, causing trauma and current designs don't provide that sort of protection. There are helmets just now hitting the market but they are higher priced and due to the aforementioned legal fears, they won't advertise them with clear language.

I'll see if I can find some information elsewhere and provide a link.

Added: Found a similar article from Popular Science: https://issuu.com/mipshelmet/docs/popsci_mips_2012_2/9

danmc

Hey, it's still better than a MUP...you've got the kids running loose but no dogs at least.

thechemist

+1 and now aero comes into play as well

Brian Ratliff

More expensive helmets are lighter, better ventilated, and usually can be made to fit better. They all have to pass the same minimum requirements (though I think you'd be a fool to think they all protect to the same degree).

https://www.bhsi.org/ is a good resource.

cyclezen

of course...

being wit less...

fit - shape - almost all Bell helmutts fit me well to ok, no Giro ever fits me... (same company...) some specialized fit, others don't...
yes, they're light and so forth, but 1 hr in a poor fit goes give me headaches...
I would not buy online unless you know it fits

I buy for - good vents & and a mullti fit adjust feature (sometimes I wear a headband, sometimes not..., will wear a cycling cap underneath helmutt, in the rain), light shell color, prefer white or silver - I always buy an MTB helmutt, visor is removeable and use it mostly without - BUT - come late Fall and Winter, I'm riding late in the daylight, the sun is low and most of the longer stretches in the Goleta/SB/Carp Valley go east/west - so some portion is always directly into a low sun - the visor really helps soz I don;t run into nutttin...

MDfive21

Originally Posted by antmeeks
LOL! Just lost a mouthful of coffee...

Originally Posted by mshred
worth starting this thread for that comment alone. good stuff.

Originally Posted by danmc
That's absolutely ridiculuous and just plain silly. There's no need to run up and down the aisles; Walmarts and Targets are big enough, just hop on a bike and take it for a spin around the store. I hear that it's actually encouraged to take the bikes on test rides in-store.


i always take a box fan with me when trying on helmets at the LBS. it's calibrated to blow air at my exact average speed, perfectly simulating the airflow on my rides. that way i don't look like a tool running around in the store.