Only some people like to ride a car using a seat belt. Why do not people like to ride a bike with a helmet? Helmet is must in some areas where laws are very strict. People are bound to use helmet there.
All helmets sold in the US have met the safety standard of the country CPSC or Consumer Product Safety Commission. Some helmets are made by some other organizations, having non-profit Snell Foundation.
Test results aid the users to choose the best helmets which are comfortable, light and simple to handle the significant impact. Here you will get some tips which are essential to choosing the best helmet for your needs.
How to Choose Bicycle Helmet
Use your head
There is no other alternative than using helmets unlike in Australia. It is a must to use the helmet for road cyclists.
Though all the helmets have the same aim, there are many variations, if the question comes to fit, ventilation or weight or must be the price.
If you like to face riding, you must need a helmet as a ruling was passed by the UCI in the year 2003.
Meaning that, if you like to buy a helmet to be confirming it fits well, meets the safety standards and the demand you like to get from a helmet.
In the year 1970, the early hard shell cycling helmet was very dear to the users for many reasons, mostly for terrible looks as well as weight, shortage of ventilation which makes it uncomfortable.
The only type of head protection is seen in the peloton for those days must be minimal leather hairnet type of helmet gives less protection as to be more pointless.
At present, hard shells are common mainly applied by bmx or dirt jump riders. Most of the riders of the roads like to use lightweight helmets which hold vacuum formed plastic cover in molded with a polystyrene shell.
Some helmets cover all the styles and budget, with manufacturers giving options for various types of cycling from commuting through, casual riding to road racing and time trialing. In this buying guide, we are going to the key options as it comes to buy a cycling helmet.
Protection
The first thing of the helmet is the safety or protection. There are many government- instituted standards that they need to meet, that may be different in various continents or countries. (In the US, helmets should CPSC-approved; Europe, this is the CE sticker you likely to get; in Australia, it’s AS/NZS.)
Most of the helmets are made of shock absorbing elaborate polystyrene. Its job is to sacrifice itself at the time of the crash.
Then a big impact, you can see a cracked helmet- the material can do it. If it breaks again, do the same thing again.
Almost all the helmets of the present days are molded helmets. The inner material and outer shell are molded together to ensure more strength.
A system like Mips are easily available on the mountain bike helmet, add more protection to face rotational impacts is more likely on a ride.
It is very common to notice the mountain bike helmets, ensure more protection having a deeper fit and great coverage to the back.
Ventilation
Head is the most critical part of the body which aids to regulate the heat of the other parts of the body and ventilation is a great factor to keep the body cool if the temperature rises.
Ventilations happen in the form of vents or exterior holes that directly flow to the head.
This is the general question how many holes are possible to make the outer shell of the helmet. Helmet should be made with more features and have internal venting.
It must have air channel to direct airflow actually over the hottest parts of your body. The air must be channeled to the exit ports, more efficiently to the head exhaust pipes. This will aid you to stop your head becoming overheating in the hottest days.
Some mountain bikes helmets have more open vent holes and feature larger as it has lower average speed than the road cycling. The only demerit of the helmet is it creates wind noise that makes them perfect for the road cycling.
Retention system
Truly, it is down of the straps which travel down to the ahead and behind of the ear, meet the chin to put the helmet on. Today an additional retention system is found that is fit with the fine tune the fit.
As the question is retention system, there are lots of variations, and in what way they are adjusted, they all work by pulling together. What is the adjustable webbing procedure across the back and inside of the helmet?
To adjust two systems, Belgian brand Lazer’s RollSys device applies thumb wheel to the top of the helmet.
On the other hand, the Italian Frim kask uses ratchet dial to the top of the helmet. What is a necessary thing for retention system that may be adjusted by the help of one hand?
The more complex system will get in height adjustment, aid you to get the perfect size for your head shape. Finally, it would be good if you wear a cotton cap under retention system or a helmet.
What is the best retention system of the helmet is just up to your choice? For long hair what is fit would not be good for having a ponytail.
So there are some helmets only made for women like Andorra also having ponytail retention system. If you have long hair, before buying, you need to try.
If you have no idea visit a store and try to know some important things about a helmet for the first-hand experience. You need to know how it works. What is the feeling of wearing a helmet?
Aerodynamics
Most riders have more knowledge about the top aerodynamic helmets chosen by time trial riders; usually free from vents or teardrop shaped. The necessity of vents will improve air flow on the helmet, but it has no utility for comfort.
The purpose of an aerodynamic helmet is to make it fit for club cyclists or road racing. This type of helmet is made with such thing keeping in mind.
The top features of aero helmets are now easily available in the market. But in recent years is the shortage of vents, not complete lack is found in TT helmets but much to give more airflow on the helmet instead through it.
At first, the aero road helmets came to prominence while Team Sky is visible wearing Kash’s infinity helmet. The focus is given from there.
Manufacturers are now trying to make helmets to give aerodynamic advantage except sacrificing ventilation.
At the present design, you will get Kask Protone that has big vents to the rear and front, a smooth top section and Giro Synth, Bell Star and Specialized Evade.
The R&D time keeps those types of helmets and the advanced manufacturing systems meaning the price is not low enough.
A helmet can work like an aero design or a regular helmet though there is the choice of Lazer’s Z1 that has aeroshell and vents to give advanced aerodynamics, leaving off for developing cooling airflow.
Certification
A certificate is given for the standard by the governing body that sets impact standards.
You have to buy a helmet that has got this standard. The helmet must have certification sticker of EN, ASTM, CSA, CPSC OR Snell B90/ B95 before buying it.
You can get the CPSC (Consumer Products Safety Commission) sticker all the time. The helmets that are constantly selling in the US have the CPSC standard.
The Canadian helmets fail to acquire more places in an American market. But CPSC standard helmets have become very popular to the Canadians.
A CPSC helmet gives more safety for the users. This result is the proved result of many tests.
Reasons to Wear a Bike Helmet
Prevent Head Injury
American Family Physician” reports that head injuries cause the deaths and long-term disabilities regarding biking injuries. Roughly 22 to 47 percent of injured cyclists encounter brain injuries, which will also oversee 60 percent of bike-related deaths.
The researchers found not wearing a helmet considerably increased the possibility of sustaining a fatal head injury. In a meta-evaluation of six studies published in the “Cochrane Library” at 2008, researchers found statistically significant declines in mortality and head injuries occurred in areas which instituted helmet legislation.
A previous 2007 review of research on brain injury and helmet usage printed in “Injury Prevention ” reasoned that helmets offer a 63 to 88 percent decline in the probability of brain and head injury to many ages of cyclists.
Set a Good Example
Adults, especially parents, who use helmets when riding place a fantastic example for children. This age group is in the maximum risk of bicycle-related accidents. If you do not wear one, children will have difficulty viewing the importance and value of wearing a helmet.
Visibility
Riding on the street in traffic poses numerous dangers. Often, accidents happen because motorists do not see the rider. A bicycle helmet using reflective strips may make you visible to drivers, particularly in the pre-dawn or early evening hours. Pick a brightly colored helmet so motorists can see you during the day too.
Weather Protection
You may not wish to ride during a storm, but weather may be unpredictable mainly if you’re riding a protracted distance. Some producers also sell winter helmets which help keep you warm if you ride in freezing temperatures.
Child helmet size chart age
To get an exact size helmet, measure round your head above the eyebrow and keep the table below. This is an exact chart. The manufacturer does not always use the similar type of labels for given situation; some are creative with medium/ large or small medium labels.
It is clear that the sizes of the helmets are not the same. Different manufacturers make different types of helmets. At first, you have the select that helmet that is fit for your head and feel snug. It must not be very tight or may not move front to back or side to side. You have a desire to spend 15 minutes playing with straps and fitting pads to have the best fit. You must re-paid for years to get a comfortable helmet.
When to Replace Your Helmet
Helmets are made to save you from the impact when your head heats the ground. When you face a hit or tumble, the helmet naturally becomes damaged.
So it is wise to change the helmet after a single impact. Besides, one needs to change it after a single important crash though it looks completely fine. Some brands offer discount offer after a crash.
You may consult with the customer service on the Torpedo7 website or may ask your local store for the replacement.
Suppose you helmet is crash-free. It has never faced any crash. Still, the normal suggestion is to replace the helmet after using 5 years.
Your helmet will be weakened with the passage of time for pollution, sunlight and so on.
After this time, the helmet would no longer be able to absorb the force of impact when it hits the ground.
How To Choose A Cycle Helmet – A Buyer’s Guide
Bike Helmet Technology
Bikes helmets are created and analyzed for their capacity to protect against severe brain injury, like a skull fracture. This thin, low-friction lining within the helmet allows the outer shell to slip a couple of millimeters throughout the skull impact, reducing rotational pressure and the quantity of energy transferred into the mind. Rotational force is an idea to become an element in a concussion.
In our evaluations of two pairs of the same brand and version helmets just one MIPS, one not that the MIPS helmets decreased rotational force around 43 percent in contrast to non-MIPS masks. The MIPS helmets price approximately $20 over non-MIPS variations of the same brand. Both helmets of a single brand are advised within our Ratings.
It is hard to show that any helmet may protect against concussion since concussions are diagnosed according to symptoms and the consequences of a neurological examination; there is no single purpose test, like a CT scan or MRI, which may ascertain if a person has a concussion. That is partially why it is impossible to say for sure which MIPS helmets can reduce the odds of a shock. But our tests indicate that there could be some extra advantage, so even if it is not definitive, a MIPS helmet could be well worth the excess price.
William Demello is a professional biker and racer with over 10 years of experience. He believes in safety first, that’s why he analyzes the helmet before other relevant elements. With this long experience, now he has decided to share his experience with others. Know more at the about page.
