I have recently brought wrath of some twitter folks by agreeing with another gentleman that I don’t get why somebody wouldn’t wear a helmet while riding a bike and added that when a friend of mine admitted to not having one (his wife has been nagging and he never could get around to it by his own admission), I quickly ordered one for him on Amazon as a present. I genuinely didn’t know that it could lead to that much hate!
Why wear a helmet?
Well, I don’t understand why would people decide not to wear bike helmets on purpose. Maybe if you are cruising by the beach at super-slow speeds for a couple of miles? Well, maybe. But if you are doing something serious – why not?
On Twitter, one of helmet opponents said ‘are you doing it out of fear? That’s stupid!’. Yes, I am afraid to develop a head injury while I crash. Yes, I am afraid that my friend would hurt himself. Hitting your head and getting seriously hurt is a true risk and I mitigate it by wearing a helmet.
I looked into studies of benefits of wearing helmets and yeah, it’s totally worth it. To those who say people who wear helmets get hurt more often: yes, it’s because those also, on average, people who go faster, further and more often.
Enough of me ranting! Time for real information.
Type of helmet
Not all bike helmets are the same, so before you go shopping for one, you should at least know what you are looking at. Start with this: we are talking about bike helmets, so skip ski helmets, hard hats and such – they are meant for a completely different activity and are built with different types of impact and colliding with very different surfaces. So just keep moving through that store aisle (whether real or virtual). Here are your actual choices:
Road helmet
Those are the ones you see most often when you are on a ride. They have a ton of vents, so people’s heads don’t overheat during exercise. Road helmets are not perfectly round, making them aerodynamic.
Commuter helmets
Commuter helmets are similar to road helmets, but frequently come with additional stuff, like those rear-view mirrors or lights. That’s because they are meant for people riding on roads and they are more about being practical when sharing roads with others than about bring sleek and enhancing performance.
Trail helmets
Apparently those are their own class. Their main differentiating feature is reaching lower in the back. May be nice for preventing exposed forehead if you struggle with your helmets sliding back…
Kids’ helmets
You have probably seen them – those are the clunky-looking things. If you’re an adult, that is definitely not the aisle for you. But they are nice good for little ones and tend to provide a lot more coverage, frequently with fewer vents.
Aero road
Aren’t these cool? They are small and very aerodynamic. On the down side: it comes at the expense of vents. If, like me, you live in a place where it gets really hot, you understand why helmets of this type aren’t going to be your go-to for daily exercise…
Downhill mountain bike racing
Combo of a road helmet with vents with mountain bike protection for your face. They are still pretty light and nice, but will probably look a bit silly on a city bike path.
BMX
There is a range of helmets in this category, but you are definitely venturing towards motorcycle look. They will protect your head well on impact, but they will also make you sweat like crazy due to limited air circulation. Also: looks ridiculous when worn on a civilized road away from mountain trails and trick parks.
Chrono
Those are those super cool time trial ones. They are awesome, but I think they are rather out of place on every day roads…
Proper fit
Size
Your helmet should fit snugly on your head. This means it should actually be around your head, not weirdly stuck on top of your head. Helmet is not meant to be able to do a 360 around your head while you’re wearing it. There should be a bit of space, but you shouldn’t be able to turn it around. It should not cut off circulation to your brain, either…
Position
Have you ever seen people with their helmets on the side of their head? Yeah, no… It needs to be straight on top of your head. With the inside of the helmet touching top of your head. It should also be pulled over your forehead without obstructing your view. Those people who wear them all the way in the back, so they don’t have tan lines on their face? They are definitely doing it wrong. Remember: helmets are not there for making you look pretty. But they sure can announce to the cycling community that you aren’t that bright…
FYI: handlebars are not the correct positioning for your helmet. It won’t help you there.
Straps
Use them. They are there for a reason. They should lay flat on your cheeks and be tight (but again: no cutting off circulation) under your chin. In case of a fall, you need the straps to keep the helmet on your head. Let them do their job, it’s the only one they have!
Do helmets expire?
Yes. There is no official law about it, but 5 years is about the right retirement age for your helmet. A few things will happen over that period, not the least of them being progress in technology. Many of us though don’t replace objects just because newer, shinier one became available (although when safety is in question, that’s not quite that wasteful). There are some quite real reasons why your helmet will need replacing though. First of all, there is a good chance that it will be banged up by that time. You may not have had any major crashes (if you do – just replace the helmet because you can’t know for sure that its integrity wasn’t compromised), but it probably came into not-so-gentle contact with other surfaces. You know like accidentally dropping it on the ground by being a klutz or your kids kicking it around just because they thought it was a good idea. The environment will also take a toll on the materials in your helmet. Oils from your head (especially is you sweat a lot). Sunscreen. Sun itself. Rain. Freezing temperatures. And many, many other things. You probably can’t tell that your helmet is getting old, but it’s feeling it!
Please stay safe out there and enjoy the ride!
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