Helmets that make you look good



framism

New Member
Apr 24, 2006
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I've got a basic Met , but am not impressed with the way it looks on my noggin. I'm a total helmet supporter, so would never consider not wearing one, but am sure helmets are out there that complement one's style, rather than gumby it up.

Any ideas?! I commute and ride everywhere, if that's any consideration.

Cheers!

framism
 
I think the Giro Atmos looks awesome on pretty much everyone, however it is rather expensive. The Giro Pneumo is a little less (still a little expensive) and looks cool too. But that's just me.


-Bill
 
Since writing that post only a short while ago I stumbled across an informative, unbiased and objective website about bike helmets. I'm not so sure now that wearing a bike helmet is for the best but if I do choose to wear one, that Giro Atmos sure is purty...
 
How are you not sure if it is for the best? Even if the chances happened to be 1 out of a billion, is it worth that one time where you would become a vegetable or would die? You don't just wear it to look cool, you wear it as a functional piece of equipment. So in regards to the initial post, I stand ny my last reply, those are two good helmets...and they protect your head well too.


-Bill
 
I totally understand wearing it for function over fashion; my previous and current helmets are as ugly as sin. Did you read the websites? I surmised that a) compulsory helmet legislation has a negative effect on public health by way of discouraging people from taking up cycling, b) their value in preventing head injury is contentious due to the nature in which a helmet works and c) bicycle safety is more than wearing a helmet.

A helmet works through absorbing some of the force of an impact by itself deforming. The core of shock-absorbing material acts as a buffer which reduces the acceleration forces that reach the head. In this way a helmet can provide an additional margin against injury, particularly following a simple fall or a glancing low-speed collision.

However, the protection afforded by a cycle helmet is quite limited. Over half of head injuries to cyclists affect parts of the head for which a helmet offers no protection. In most serious crashes, head injury is only one element of multiple serious injuries to various parts of the body, and is frequently not the sole cause of fatalities. The life-saving value of helmets is sometimes overstated, whilst the real-life experience of countries where the wearing of helmets has become more common suggests that, overall, head injury reduction is minimal.

British Standard BS6863 [2] sets out minimum requirements for helmets, and if you decide to buy one you should ensure that it meets this or the more demanding Snell standard. However the protection afforded by a helmet is very much dependent upon achieving a good fit. Heads are different, especially in the position of the chin relative to the skull, and a helmet which is suitable for one person may be quite unsatisfactory for someone else. Always buy a helmet from a shop where there is plenty of choice and where the sales staff are able to offer advice. Check for a snug and comfortable fit around your head, after making any internal adjustments. Alter the straps so that there is no slack in any of them (but the chin straps should not be uncomfortably tight), and then try to slide the helmet off. If it does not stay firmly in place, it is unsuitable for you.

Keeping the straps tight in use is extremely important. Not only can loose straps significantly reduce the protection given, by allowing the helmet to move on the head, but this in itself can also lead to serious neck injury. Research suggests that increased neck injury, due to badly fitted helmets, can cancel out any reduction in other types of head injury.

It is a particularly serious mistake to think that wearing a helmet is at all a substitute for learning to cycle properly. The protection offered by a helmet can easily be negated if you compensate by riding less carefully or if you find that wearing one interferes in any way with the attention that you are able to give to traffic. Ensure that a helmet will not interfere with your head movements, vision in any direction, hearing or the wearing of spectacles or sunglasses. Check also for general comfort, especially the adequacy of ventilation. Inadequate air circulation could impair your attentiveness on the road. Many cyclists who normally wear a helmet take it off when climbing hills in hot weather, and this is certainly preferable to overheating in a way that reduces concentration.

Helmets have only a limited effective life, even with careful use, and damage is not always visible. It is the condition of the crushable inner liner – usually made of polystyrene – that is most important, not the outer shell (if any). It is recommended that a helmet should be replaced at least every three years. If it is subjected to a hard drop or impact (inside or out) or becomes badly scratched, it must be replaced straight away. Chemicals, detergents, heat and sunlight can all reduce the strength of a helmet.

Quoted from Cyclecraft by John Franklin
The Stationery Office, reprinted 2004

Up until today, I was a fervent believer in helmets and didn't understand why people chose not to wear them. Now, I'm not so certain of their value. If, however, I am going to wear a helmet, I may as well look pretty in it!
 
Have you had a look at the Met Stradivarius II, I think this along with the Giro Atmos looks pretty cool, but protection is more important than looks
 
Do you want something between your skull and the pavement or not? It's gonna be awfully hard to look good with staples holding your asphault-grated scalp together. Assuming you live, and all.

Buy a quality helmet, regardless of how it looks on you. Wear it in traffic, wear it when riding unfamiliar routes, wear it when riding in a group, PLEASE wear it (and proudly) when you're riding with children. If you've biked a route a hundred times and have memorized every pothole and crack in the pavement I'll at least respect your decision, as an experienced rider, when you leave the headgear at home.

I wouldn't though. My skull is too pretty to dent. As for helmets, I think my Giro Eclipse looks plenty sexy. :rolleyes:
 
kleng said:
Have you had a look at the Met Stradivarius II, I think this along with the Giro Atmos looks pretty cool, but protection is more important than looks
That looks nice but I love all the air vents the Atmos has. That's what makes the Atmos worth the money over the Met.
 
Up until today, I was a fervent believer in helmets and didn't understand why people chose not to wear them. Now, I'm not so certain of their value. If, however, I am going to wear a helmet, I may as well look pretty in it![/QUOTE]
why don't you start smoking cigarettes, drive intoxicated without a seatbelt, and throw your dry clean only garments in the washing machine while you're at it:rolleyes:

JS
 
I think what is meant, is the fact that in some cases, some people tend to crash more with helmets do to certain factors mentioned, and in addition, when cyclist is in a accident that involves huge impacts, the helmet isn't going to do anything.

The only reason why I wear a helmet is....

-portects from scraping your head if you are involved in a low speed crash
-protects during some light impacts due to compression
-in some cases (full face helmets, skate style, etc.) the helmet disperses the force over a greater area due to hard shell, or soft. For example, I am downhilling and I hit a rock with my full faced helmet. The helmet did its job in protecting me from the sharp rock from smashing my head open, but the force of the impact was probably very simillar, or even greater than without the helmet (since no helmet means rock goes into my head breaking the skull, thus dispersing the engergy, like crumple zones on cars)

-lastly, they look cool

I hope people get, that if I ride into a concrete wall with no helmet and die, and then try the experiment with a helmet, my chances of surviving don't improve too much. The only things I can count on is the dispersing of pressure, or the small compression of the foam.
 
I'm hangin' for dear life onto an 04 Specialized M1. It doesn't make me look good, nothing could, but it looks fine to me.
 
jrstevens said:
why don't you start smoking cigarettes, drive intoxicated without a seatbelt, and throw your dry clean only garments in the washing machine while you're at it:rolleyes:

JS
I gave it all up to ride my bike. ;)
 
kleng said:
Have you had a look at the Met Stradivarius II, I think this along with the Giro Atmos looks pretty cool, but protection is more important than looks
Agreed. If one chooses to wear a helmet, then the primary selection factor should be it's protection value. But if one can wear a helmet and look good, why not? That Met Stradivarius II sure is hot, though. (Incidentally, Stradivarius is a name usually associated with elite stringed instruments, more often than not it's the violin.)
 
rudycyclist said:
That looks nice but I love all the air vents the Atmos has. That's what makes the Atmos worth the money over the Met.
I like the Atmos, a lot. Anyone have any experience with Catlike?
 
I bought a Giro Atmos about three months ago and its by far the most comfortable and un mushroom like helmet I have owned.Its not cheap, but if you use it a lot its well worth the price. If you shop around you can pick one up for about £100 in last seasons colours. Helmet or not - its a no brainer as far as I concerned.
 
ROBIN9 said:
I bought a Giro Atmos about three months ago and its by far the most comfortable and un mushroom like helmet I have owned.Its not cheap, but if you use it a lot its well worth the price. If you shop around you can pick one up for about £100 in last seasons colours. Helmet or not - its a no brainer as far as I concerned.
Hi the Giro Atmos has only recently been released in Australia even though it has been on the market for a while. I understand for some reason it did not meet the AS/NZS 2063 helment standard initially. Does anyone know why ?
 
framism said:
I like the Atmos, a lot. Anyone have any experience with Catlike?
i recently got a catlike kompact and like it very much. it sits on my head like an octopus instead of a dead fish like my giro eclipse. its very comfortable & well ventilated.

another plus i recently discovered now that the warmer weather is here is for some reason, with the catlike, more sweat is directed down the straps instead of into my eyes like the giro. some sweat still gets on my glasses but not nearly as much.


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kleng said:
Hi the Giro Atmos has only recently been released in Australia even though it has been on the market for a while. I understand for some reason it did not meet the AS/NZS 2063 helment standard initially. Does anyone know why ?
It may be that the helmets have to be tested in australia to the AS/NZS standard.There is very little difference in the various standards,but by law helmets have to be tested here.Testing results in the destruction of the helmet so,for a high-end helmet with a limited market in oz or nz,it becomes an expensive proposition for the manufacturer.
Can't remember the number of helmets that have to be tested (100-200?).
I think Bell actually make helmets specifically for the oz/nz market..again,can't swear to it.
The specific testing procedure may have something to do with the relatively high price we pay for helmets.
It's unlikely that the Giro Atmos helmet is any more or less safe than other helmets.
 
framism said:
I've got a basic Met , but am not impressed with the way it looks on my noggin. I'm a total helmet supporter, so would never consider not wearing one, but am sure helmets are out there that complement one's style, rather than gumby it up.

Any ideas?! I commute and ride everywhere, if that's any consideration.

Cheers!

framism
Framism, this is your third or fourth helmet thread. This is bordering on the ridicuolous. If you choose not to wear a helmet, or even if you do, it is your decision. Do what you want but I have found that these types of threads end up wasting alot of space and not changing anyone's mind. While you think this thread may spark a lively debate, it has been discussed ad nauseum. Please give it a rest. I wear my hwlmet because I choose to. I do not care why you do or do not wear one.:rolleyes: