Five Steps To Choosing A Cycling Helmet
Thanks to Victor Jiminez of Bicycle Lab (@bicyclelab on Twitter) for his assistance in putting this article together.
As the weather warms up ever so slowly here in North America, more and more cyclists will be leaving the trainers behind and heading outdoors to get their rides in. Before heading out we need to make sure we have all the required equipment and one of those items is our helmet. Of all our road cycling gear, I think the helmet is the most important item as it offers protection for our gray matter in the event we do crash.
Five Steps To Choosing A Cycling Helmet
- Find your price point. Road cycling helmets are typically between $60 and $250. Design, materials, retention systems and purpose are what drive the prices. They all offer protection if you crash but features like custom fitting mechanisms, visors, adjustable/removable padding, reduced weight, exotic materials, and extra ventilation will cost more. More expensive helmets tend to have more adjustable fit and retention systems. For around $100 you can get a very good quality and nice fitting helmet.
- Check the certification. Cycling helmets have certification? Absolutely. Helmets sold in the U.S. are required by law to meet testing standards as set forth by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC). The purpose of these tests is to make sure that the helmet can handle the impact if you were to crash. With helmets getting lighter and more comfortable every year a standard is necessary to ensure that you’ll be protected. Look for the CPSC stamp or sticker on the helmet.
- Pick some helmets. Road cycling helmets often sport very light weights, maximum air flow for good ventilation, and improved aerodynamic designs. All of those improvements are achieved at a cost. Take a look at the helmets available and find a few that appeal to you taking into account your budget and the helmets features. They do make road helmets specifically designed for women that have more feminine sizes, color choices, and space for ponytails.
- Find Your Size. This is the most critical step in the entire process. You want your new helmet to fit correctly so it offers the protection it’s supposed to. Some of the lower end helmets may only come in an ‘Adult’ size so you may not need to measure your head size. More advanced helmets typical come in small, medium, and large sizes depending on the circumference of your head. You can measure the circumference of your head, at it’s largest point, with a flexible tape. This will give you a good starting point as the labels on the helmets will list both the helmet size and head circumference it’s made for. This is only a starting point though and my recommendation is that you try on several brands and sizes to find the right one. You may find that a medium in one brand fits more snugly than a medium in another brand while one is more comfortable than another. Most helmets now offer some kind of adjustable retention system that lets you dial in the fit so it’s just right. This is achieved with a ratcheting wheel or mechanism on the back of the helmet that lets you loosen or tighten the fit on the fly.
- Try the helmet on.
- Hold the helmet tightly and shake your head like you are saying no ( it should be very snug with little play and generally very comfortable).
- Adjust the retention system so that the helmet stays on your head.
- Adjust the chin strap so that it’s snug when your your jaw is open.
- Get help. Don’t go it alone and ask for help when you’re in the store. The employees know how helmets are supposed to fit and can help you with both sizing and fit. That’s what they’re paid to do so take advantage of it.
Four Steps To A Great Fitting Helmet:
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15 Comments
And I always thought you were to pick a helmet that made you look good…..Just kidding. Great article guys. I would love to collaborate with both of you one day in the future.
I hate to see price being your lead off point, because some will balk at a $100 helmet. I've heard some say that all helmets meet certification so the $30 helmet offers the same protection as the $100. I'm not sure how that argument holds up. When I buy my next helmet I'm going to look at overall protection. I did that with my hockey helmet and yes I spent more but it was the only way to get my wife and doctors to let me get back on the ice and offered far superior protection over the other certified helmets.
If there is a correlation between price and protection #1 should be how much you value your noggin versus your pocket book.
Another piece of equipment that is missing in all the sport that offers probably just as much if not more protection when it comes to head injuries is the mouth piece. Ever since I started riding whenever I start I always have this feeling like I'm missing something. At first I thought I wanted gum, but then it finally dawned on me, whenever I start to ride my subconscious is telling me your starting an activity where's your mouthpiece. I've seen ads by Under Armour for mouthpieces that suit this need, I've been thinking about getting one and trying it.
Unfortunately, price is a factor in anything we do. At least for me it is and I'm sure there are others that feel the same way. If I went into it with the mindset that I will only buy the best/most protective equipment then I would never be able to afford the sport of cycling. Or anything for that matter.
Will my $70 helmet provide me the same protection as a $30 or $230 helmet? I think that's a loaded question. There are too many variables (weather, road conditions, relative speed, speed at impact, angle of impact, point of impact, etc.) that would make each accident scenario unique. Would either helmet provide more protection while descending at 50 mph? On wet pavement? I'm not an expert but my guess would be that it wouldn't matter which helmet you're wearing.
I do think you bring up a good point when you say “…the only way to get my wife and doctors to let me back on the ice…” It sounds like you had a medical history (concussions maybe?) that was influencing your decision which is definitely something to consider. This reminds of the ordeal that Scott Nydam is going through with the head injury he suffered in the Tour of the Gila last year and how he's still unable to get medical approval to ride. With his pre-existing condition would any helmet provide him the protection he needs?
Mouthpieces. I played football in high school and wore one but never considered it for cycling. It's an interesting idea.
Thanks and I look forward to it.
My argument hinges on evidence that there are better protecting helmets in general scenario crashes, which is something I've never seen or heard talked about either. The car industry has standard tests that cars run through that meet the most common crash scenarios. I wonder if the helmet industry does the same with helmets. That way there is at least a baseline so we can go out and buy the SAAB of the bike helmet world. I'm sure there are some general crash scenarios that the manufacturers put their helmets through to get certified and those scenarios probably aren't the way I ride and in the conditions I'll ride in. But the data would be good to know and would help in the buying decision when it comes to outfitting my kids with helmets. I know I sure don't skimp when it comes to helmets for my boys and if there was crash test data for helmets that would be my buying point. Where's the Consumer Report for bike helmets?
There are standardized tests that bicycle helmets must go through. I did some digging and have two links:
1. Requirements for Bicycle Helmets. This is a summary PDF document that describes in basic detail what the tests are and how they're performed.
2. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 16, Part 1203. This is the more detailed document referenced in the PDF above. It's actually composed of 26 PDF documents.
I gave the summary PDF document (#1 above) a quick browse through and it's interesting stuff. I'm going to look into the more detailed documents later.
To answer your question of where's the Consumer Report for bike helmets?
1. Blog Post on ConsumerReports.org Talks about a study that inexpensive bike helmets offer the same protection as pricier models.
2. I saw 15 bicycle helmet reviews on their site but they were all kids or toddler helmets. A subscription is required to read the reviews and ratings.
The Under Armour mouthpiece is nothing like your old mouth guard – it actually makes you a better athlete (and helps protect you). Don't take my word for it though. Check out what other athletes are saying about it:
http://www.bitetech.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bite-Tech/2192879...
Frank, thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
That Under Armour mouthpiece does look interesting.
Helmets save lives. I had my first fall yesterday and whacked my head hard enough to crack my helmet in three places. Head is perfectly fine, just as beautiful as ever.
Off to the shops to get a new one. Perfectly happy with the same helmet – a department store special. Same standards met, wallet happy, head safe.
Thought of another thing to look for in helmets, the crash replacement warranty. After I split my helmet a couple years ago I bought a Bell helmet because of their crash replacement policy. Bell will replace the helmet if it is involved in a crash for $35, just send the old one back along with the receipt and a description of the accident.
Glad to hear you're OK.
Crash replacement warranty is a good suggestion.
Thought of another thing to look for in helmets, the crash replacement warranty. After I split my helmet a couple years ago I bought a Bell helmet because of their crash replacement policy. Bell will replace the helmet if it is involved in a crash for $35, just send the old one back along with the receipt and a description of the accident.
Glad to hear you're OK.
Crash replacement warranty is a good suggestion.