How to Choose a Helmet
If you’re wondering about whether or not to wear a helmet when you ride, think about this. Wearing a helmet is a lot cheaper and less of a hassle than being laid up in a hospital with a skull fracture. Maybe it won’t come to that, but how would you know?
Helmets reduce serious head injuries by as much as 85%.Get a helmet. And wear it every time.
Styling
Your basic categories are road, sport and mountain bike helmets. All of them will protect your head and offer a well-ventilated design. All will come in pretty colors. After that, the differences break out like this:
- Sports helmets. Sports helmets are made for “fitness enthusiasts,” who are looking for a bargain.
- Road bike helmets. Road bike helmets are aerodynamic and light. Some are made especially sleek for time trials.
- Mountain bike helmets. Mountain bike helmets are equipped with visors and extended covered on the back of your head. They usually have extra firm retention systems too, to hold the helmet on your head if anything happens. Because in mountain biking, anything does.
Sizing
By law, all the helmets sold in America must comply with the safety standards set out by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CSPC). But a helmet will not protect you if it doesn’t fit right.
Getting a helmet that fits is key. Most helmets adjust to fit a range of head sizes. They can be made to fit more tightly or loosely with their sizing pads and adjustable straps. Still, not every helmet is right for your odd and strangely shaped head.
Here’s the test to see if the helmet fits:
- Is it snug?
The right helmet will sit level on top of your head, coming down to about two fingers’ width above your eyebrows. It should already fit your snugly, before you tighten or adjust anything. - Does it shift?
Before you buckle the straps, check to make sure the helmet doesn’t shift. If you can move it from side-to-side, put in the pads that come with the helmet and make that stop. - Will it tighten?
Then buckle the strap under your chin. This should make the helmet tighten against your forehead. If it doesn’t, it’s still too loose. Make the strap tighter or readjust the pads till it does.
Some helmet strap system are extremely uncomfortable. If you come across this problem, keep looking. Not all systems are like that. You can fine on that’s comfortable enough that you don’t mind having it tight against your chin — that’s also easy to buckle and unbuckle.
After that, you’re free to go for whichever one looks cool.