Best quality helmet to buy for cycling?



madetofly

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Apr 13, 2016
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Hey! All I am here to take some advice and want to know some personal experiences that which is the best quality brand for helmets for riding bikes?
Well! there are many so I am totally confused about it.
Can anyone tell me what would be the best fo me?
 
The best helmet is the helmet that fits you the best! The sweet spot for helmets price wise is about $100 but look for sales which this time of the year is not good, fall is the best time where you'll find $150 helmets for about $65.

Poc, Lazer, Specialized, Smith, Giro, Kask are all good brands.

This is how to fit a helmet: http://www.bhsi.org/fit.htm but to add onto that the side fit is also important, if you can move the helmet from side to side more than an inch it's not the right helmet. I have an oblong head and the Lazer fits my head perfectly while the Giro did not, I haven't tried the other brands I listed for you so can't comment on the fit, but regardless you need to try them on before you buy.
 
Firstly understand that helmets do absolutely nothing in a serious accident. What they do is keep your head from getting road rash in very minor accidents.

They are finally beginning to make round helmets again. Bell is making several models that are not "aero" which are actually more dangerous than not wearing a helmet at all.

http://www.amazon.com/Bell-Stoker-B...0840176&sr=8-27&keywords=bell+bicycle+helmets

is a good example of a helmet that will not jerk your head around in a minor fall and break your neck.

Bell are the people that invented "safety" helmets and they make as good a helmet as anyone.

Giro is also beginning to understand what is required and not simply what looks good.

http://www.amazon.com/Giro-Phase-Bi...0840343&sr=1-10&keywords=giro+bicycle+helmets
 
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Firstly understand that helmets do absolutely nothing in a serious accident. What they do is keep your head from getting road rash in very minor accidents.

They are finally beginning to make round helmets again. Bell is making several models that are not "aero" which are actually more dangerous than not wearing a helmet at all.

http://www.amazon.com/Bell-Stoker-B...0840176&sr=8-27&keywords=bell+bicycle+helmets

is a good example of a helmet that will not jerk your head around in a minor fall and break your neck.

Bell are the people that invented "safety" helmets and they make as good a helmet as anyone.

Giro is also beginning to understand what is required and not simply what looks good.

http://www.amazon.com/Giro-Phase-Bi...0840343&sr=1-10&keywords=giro+bicycle+helmets

Helmets have been proven to do more than just avoiding head rash, they reduce the chances of getting concussions. I know, there is all this false **** being spread by a small group of people saying helmets are useless, but ask any EMT technician or EMT doctor if they think bicycles helmets are useful only for head rashes.

Bell did invent safety helmets but that was a long time ago and their helmets are not as good as they use to be.

Giro has always been certified by the standards necessary to make a safe helmet, if this was not the case they would not have been allowed to sell in the USA and even Europe.
 
The best helmet is the helmet that fits you the best! The sweet spot for helmets price wise is about $100 but look for sales which this time of the year is not good, fall is the best time where you'll find $150 helmets for about $65.

Poc, Lazer, Specialized, Smith, Giro, Kask are all good brands.

This is how to fit a helmet: http://www.bhsi.org/fit.htm but to add onto that the side fit is also important, if you can move the helmet from side to side more than an inch it's not the right helmet. I have an oblong head and the Lazer fits my head perfectly while the Giro did not, I haven't tried the other brands I listed for you so can't comment on the fit, but regardless you need to try them on before you buy.

I am definitely agree with your commend, however I have a Specialized helmet since I was 15 and it is still fitting properly, last time I fell of my bike it basically saved my life, I higlyre commend you buying Specialized brand items, they're just the best.
 
I am definitely agree with your commend, however I have a Specialized helmet since I was 15 and it is still fitting properly, last time I fell of my bike it basically saved my life, I higlyre commend you buying Specialized brand items, they're just the best.

If you've had it that long, and you hit the ground hard enough so that it saved your life, get rid of it and buy another one. If you're a fan of Specialized, their Echelon model costs between $60-$70. In addition to meeting government standards for impact protection, Specialized helmets are one of a few that are also Snell certified.

And yes, they do more than prevent road rash on your head.
 
I am definitely agree with your commend, however I have a Specialized helmet since I was 15 and it is still fitting properly, last time I fell of my bike it basically saved my life, I higlyre commend you buying Specialized brand items, they're just the best.

Not only the accident thing that mpre53 brought up but they styrofoam inside the helmet is only good for about 5 to 8 years depending on how much you used it and the degree of sweat that it took and the amount of sun exposure it had. I can tell when my styrofoam is going bad when I get tiny bits of dark debris on my forehead after a ride, that debris is the styrofoam degrading and depositing those small bits on your head.

Specialized is really making nice helmets, but the Snell thing is a voluntary certification, Specialized in this case volunteers to send their helmets to be tested by Snell, the other companies rely on the CPSC, ASTM and the SEI certification which is supposedly a bit more difficult to pass then the Snell is now, so any helmet manufacture who has a Snell cert has it only as decoration because they have all the others too so I guess they hope that people will think that more certifications is better than less.

One thing to consider concerning helmets is the new MIPS protection system, unfortunately MIPS for the time being is only found on helmets costing more than a usual helmet, however prices are dropping because I just saw this one on sale: https://www.westernbikeworks.com/product/giro-savant-mips-helmet But the new Smith helmet intrigues me the most, it's also on sale but you can read about it here: https://www.westernbikeworks.com/product/smith-optics-forefront-mips-mtb-helmet
 
Helmets have been proven to do more than just avoiding head rash, they reduce the chances of getting concussions. I know, there is all this false **** being spread by a small group of people saying helmets are useless, but ask any EMT technician or EMT doctor if they think bicycles helmets are useful only for head rashes.

Bell did invent safety helmets but that was a long time ago and their helmets are not as good as they use to be.

Giro has always been certified by the standards necessary to make a safe helmet, if this was not the case they would not have been allowed to sell in the USA and even Europe.

Please do not tell me about things you do not know anything about. I was under the influence of a concussion I obtained from falling off of my bike while leaning forward to adjust my speedo pickup. This was a fall of approximately 2 1/2 feet. I was walking and talking without any short term memory for two and a half years before my friend, an NCIS agent, got me to a specialist that understood concussions. I was literally weeks from starving to death because I could not even remember to eat.

A helmet cannot pass the Snell tests and protect against concussions. And they cannot protect against skull injuries if they are constructed to prevent concussions.

What's more only a few specialists can recognize the symptoms of a serious concussion.

There is no and cannot be any difference in the protective capacity of a helmet because of the limitations of the size and weight a person would be willing to place on his head. So virtually the only difference in helmets is the name on them.
 
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If you've had it that long, and you hit the ground hard enough so that it saved your life, get rid of it and buy another one. If you're a fan of Specialized, their Echelon model costs between $60-$70. In addition to meeting government standards for impact protection, Specialized helmets are one of a few that are also Snell certified.

And yes, they do more than prevent road rash on your head.

Holy jesus I dod not really know about that, matter fact I was already looking to buy some new gear this month, thansk for the information though.
 
Please do not tell me about things you do not know anything about. I was under the influence of a concussion I obtained from falling off of my bike while leaning forward to adjust my speedo pickup. This was a fall of approximately 2 1/2 feet. I was walking and talking without any short term memory for two and a half years before my friend, an NCIS agent, got me to a specialist that understood concussions. I was literally weeks from starving to death because I could not even remember to eat.

A helmet cannot pass the Snell tests and protect against concussions. And they cannot protect against skull injuries if they are constructed to prevent concussions.

What's more only a few specialists can recognize the symptoms of a serious concussion.

There is no and cannot be any difference in the protective capacity of a helmet because of the limitations of the size and weight a person would be willing to place on his head. So virtually the only difference in helmets is the name on them.

PLEASE DON'T TELL SOMETHING YOU DON"T KNOW SCHIT ABOUT EITHER!! I never said that a helmet can protect you against any and all concussions. PLEASE REREAD MY LAST POST, I said "helmets REDUCE THE CHANCES of getting a concussion". Your reading skills and comprehension are subpar, you must still be having long term effects from your concussion.

So what? you have an example of getting a concussion, which I have to take your story for granted because like the one I'm going to tell neither of us prove it. I went head first through the side window, with the window closed, smashing the window out and then I was tossed back out of the car and as I did that I rang my bell against the car's door post and continued to fall where I then smacked my head on the pavement. The helmet was cracked and the styrofoam inside destroyed. Guess what smart guy? I didn't get a concussion and the EMT guys that came to my aid who also happened to witness the accident said if I hadn't been wearing the helmet I would have probably died.

AGAIN, ask any EMT technician or emergency room doctor if they think bicycle helmets don't do a whole lot of good other than protect from road rash.
 
PLEASE DON'T TELL SOMETHING YOU DON"T KNOW SCHIT ABOUT EITHER!! I never said that a helmet can protect you against any and all concussions. PLEASE REREAD MY LAST POST, I said "helmets REDUCE THE CHANCES of getting a concussion". Your reading skills and comprehension are subpar, you must still be having long term effects from your concussion.

So what? you have an example of getting a concussion, which I have to take your story for granted because like the one I'm going to tell neither of us prove it. I went head first through the side window, with the window closed, smashing the window out and then I was tossed back out of the car and as I did that I rang my bell against the car's door post and continued to fall where I then smacked my head on the pavement. The helmet was cracked and the styrofoam inside destroyed. Guess what smart guy? I didn't get a concussion and the EMT guys that came to my aid who also happened to witness the accident said if I hadn't been wearing the helmet I would have probably died.

AGAIN, ask any EMT technician or emergency room doctor if they think bicycle helmets don't do a whole lot of good other than protect from road rash.

Let me repeat - if a helmet can pass a Snell test it cannot protect you from a concussion. A concussion is caused by decelerative actions on the skull and brain. The brain will tear loose from the interior of the skull and slap against the opposing side of the skull.

The deceleration that a brain can withstand is so slight that the deceleration required to pass a Snell certification of allowing the skull to be undamaged in a 6' fall (from memory).is significantly greater than that which would cause a concussion. As far as concussions are concerned you might as well be wearing a rock.

Are there helmets designed to reduced concussions? Certainly. But since a helmet is limited in size to allow vision and to not look funny these have essentially NO EFFECT. What is an example? The aero sections of helmets used to be solid foam. The problem with this was that if you fell off in the common manner of a sideways fall and your head twisted sideways the rear of the aero section could hit and spin your head around breaking your neck. The helmet manufacturers started constructing these rear aero sections from much softer foam spaced quite a bit further apart with open areas. This would allow this section of helmet to break in the case stated above. However - this helmet could not then pass the Snell certification from that direction. And it really did not save you from concussions but rather from a broken neck.

Since a broken skull is far more lethal than a concussion the Snell certification still stands as the safest helmets on the market.

Concussions are not funny. They are not something that you get if you're a football player. They are common enough on bicyclists but luckily you and I almost never fall on our heads and so we can make false claims about the protective ability of our helmets easily enough.
 
I'm not familiar with the studies, or the technology involved, but MIPS helmets are reported to reduce the incidence of concussions. I don't own one. And I would agree that a standard helmet does little to protect against one.
 
I'm not familiar with the studies, or the technology involved, but MIPS helmets are reported to reduce the incidence of concussions. I don't own one. And I would agree that a standard helmet does little to protect against one.

The MIPS system somewhat detaches the helmet liner from the outer shell. This allows your head and the inside liner to rotates inside of the outer liner in the case of an indirect blow. I can see this having some very miner effect if you are landing very indirectly on your head. But certainly not a direct blow which is how most concussions are caused. Of course any improvement would be welcome but I wonder if this isn't accomplished by reducing the skull fracture resistance?
 
In 2008, IIHS stats show that 714 cyclists were killed. Only 58 of those cyclists were wearing helmets. The rest, 656, were lidless.
 
I like a good quality helmet with nice vents. I ride a lot in the heat, 100+ temps. When you are climbing in hot weather the vents really help. I've used lower end models like the Giro Eclipse. ($70) Though it has decent amount of vents, it still does not have the air flow of my Giro Ionos (sale $170). It just fits around my head better too. Once I used this helmet I have a hard time going back to the lower end models mainly because of the comfort factor.

As far as protection, I flipped at 25 MPH once. The back of my head hit a rock splitting the helmet from back half way to the front. If I had not been wearing a helmet, I would have about 100 stitches in my head. Who knows, maybe I would not be alive today. But I got up and walked away without any head injuries or even as much as a ring of the bell.

So in my case, I don't give a rat's ass what others think of helmets or whether they protect my balls or not. I wear a helmet because it's the smart thing to do. :cool:
 
I like a good quality helmet with nice vents. I ride a lot in the heat, 100+ temps. When you are climbing in hot weather the vents really help. I've used lower end models like the Giro Eclipse. ($70) Though it has decent amount of vents, it still does not have the air flow of my Giro Ionos (sale $170). It just fits around my head better too. Once I used this helmet I have a hard time going back to the lower end models mainly because of the comfort factor.

As far as protection, I flipped at 25 MPH once. The back of my head hit a rock splitting the helmet from back half way to the front. If I had not been wearing a helmet, I would have about 100 stitches in my head. Who knows, maybe I would not be alive today. But I got up and walked away without any head injuries or even as much as a ring of the bell.

So in my case, I don't give a rat's ass what others think of helmets or whether they protect my balls or not. I wear a helmet because it's the smart thing to do. :cool:

Just to make a point - I am not suggesting you NOT wear a helmet. I wear one myself. What I am suggesting is you do not put yourself into a situation where you think that a helmet is going to protect you because it will not. Helmet provide a protection so minimal that statistics do not show any difference in survival rates between helmeted people and non-helmeted.

It is in relatively minor accidents such as you describe where helmets are effective. Chances are that without a helmet your head would have been significantly lighter and you would have held your head off of the rock or would have fallen in an entirely different manner or wouldn't have taken the extra chances.

I didn't notice but my stem had gotten very slightly loose and had gradually worked it's way down onto the headset making the headset very tight.. You could not tell in normal riding but I was holding the bars with one hand and looking back with my other hand off of the bars signalling a guy behind me. I hit a bump in the pavement from a tree root and the front wheel would not correct itself fast enough because of the tight headset and I went down on my side. I didn't even know my head had hit. The inside of the helmet was intact. But the entire rear aero section was shattered from what could not have been more than a tap since I was only traveling at 10 mph or so. I had fallen on my side. My shoulder, hip and knee had taken the rather light fall and only showed light road rash demonstrating the insignificance of the fall. The weight of the helmet must have caused my head to hit where it normally would not have.

So watch yourself and if you like a particular helmet that is your taste.
 
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In 2008, IIHS stats show that 714 cyclists were killed. Only 58 of those cyclists were wearing helmets. The rest, 656, were lidless.

Can you tell me what that is supposed to mean? Most fatalities occur in large cities where there are a lot of younger people riding and not wearing helmets. If you are run over by a car running a light it doesn't matter whether you are wearing a helmet or not. Unless you are willing to quote the conditions of each and every one of those fatalities please do not pretend that you know anything about statistics.

Older riders that are more likely to have the money to purchase helmets are also more likely to exercise better judgement.
 
Can you tell me what that is supposed to mean? Most fatalities occur in large cities where there are a lot of younger people riding and not wearing helmets. If you are run over by a car running a light it doesn't matter whether you are wearing a helmet or not. Unless you are willing to quote the conditions of each and every one of those fatalities please do not pretend that you know anything about statistics.

Older riders that are more likely to have the money to purchase helmets are also more likely to exercise better judgement.

I could post millions of websites proving that helmets work to some degree but you're going to disagree with all of them, you already are finding fault, made up by you of course, in statistics, so I'm going to bow out of this discussion with you because I find it difficult to carry on a reasonable discord with a block wall...people tend to think I'm nuts when I do that! LOL!!!
 
It is in relatively minor accidents such as you describe where helmets are effective. Chances are that without a helmet your head would have been significantly lighter and you would have held your head off of the rock or would have fallen in an entirely different manner or wouldn't have taken the extra chances.

Wow, all I can say s this is totally stupid! I'll keep wearing my helmet thank you.

I flipped over and my head hit a rock. Doesn't matter how much my helmet weighed, my head was hitting the rock no matter what. If I could have held my head off the rock I would make those stupid ninja floating in the air movies like Crouching Tiger. :rolleyes: Also I was not taking any extra chances.

Sheot happens when you least expect it. :eek:
 
The best helmet is the helmet that fits you the best! The sweet spot for helmets price wise is about $100 but look for sales which this time of the year is not good, fall is the best time where you'll find $150 helmets for about $65.

Poc, Lazer, Specialized, Smith, Giro, Kask are all good brands.

This is how to fit a helmet: http://www.bhsi.org/fit.htm but to add onto that the side fit is also important, if you can move the helmet from side to side more than an inch it's not the right helmet. I have an oblong head and the Lazer fits my head perfectly while the Giro did not, I haven't tried the other brands I listed for you so can't comment on the fit, but regardless you need to try them on before you buy.

Excellent writeup, thank you for that! Really appreciate the time you put into it. Is there a way to account for massive fluffy curly hair with bike helmets or do I just gotta wing it?
 

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