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Helmets….choosing one….
- Fit should be tight but not painful
- Different brands do suit different head shapes
- Always buy new
- Look for light weight and good general finish
- Try as many brands as possible
- Make sure the helmet has good ventilation
- Make sure the visor adjustment system works for you
- Avoid fins - no matter how wicked they look
HELMETS….choice?
Firstly, what sort of riding are you planning on? Road helmets are designed for high sustained speeds in comfort, while dirt helmets are for relatively lower speeds and maximum ventilation and also require a good set of goggles. If you do a lot of both, you will need 2 helmets.
I'd also recommend buying something well within your budget on the basis that you have to update it in a few years' time. Why? Helmets wear out. The lining gradually compresses, so it no longer fits as well and day-to-day things like exposure to the sun's UV rays and occasional drops take their toll on the helmets ability to protect your head.
Colour Schemes and the various brands are up to the individual to choose. But I will note that the plain white helmet is the most visible and the coolest…
FULL FACE vs. OPEN FACE?
Open face helmets are uncomfortable at sustained high speeds – due to the bugs, grit, rain and noise. Having a good set of goggles or glasses is critical to making them work. Bugs and grit can be dealt with by a full-length visor on an open face helmet, but the problem of rain and noise remains. There are crash studies which say open-face helmets present a lesser risk to your neck, though the potential for damage to your face is much higher....grinding your nose on bitumen is painful!. I have first hand experience here…a work colleague who had a spill on his bike had gravel rash across a fair part of his face and a lot of damage to nose and chin….due to an open face helmet…
If you're buying one helmet, I would recommend you get a full-face one.
HELMETS….HOW THEY WORK
A helmet protects you by closely wrapping your head with a hard shell and compressible padding. If you bounce off the road, you want four things:
A shell that will absorb much of the impact
A tight fitting internal lining or padding that absorbs much of the force and stops your head from bouncing around in the shell
The lightest possible weight - less weight means less stress on the neck and spine
A nice round-ish shell that slides down the road and doesn't grab on anything (hence, NO fins)
Buy a worn-out or 2ndhand helmet and the first two don't work. Buy anything with a fin and you're risking your neck. Anything that causes neck rotation during a crash (such as a fin catching on a lip in the pavement) is a problem. The overall idea for helmet design is like that of today’s cars..a crumple zone... One crash, and the helmet dies by absorbing the impact. You live to buy another one………
HELMET FIT
This is most important…
Try as many brands as possible - they're all different and only a couple will really suit your head
It must be tight - if you can smile without any trouble (on a full face helmet), it's too loose
It shouldn't hurt - wear your selection for 10 minutes (use the time to check the bikes in the showroom!) and then, if it's starting to hurt in some places, it's the wrong shape for YOUR head;
Can you work the chin-strap and visor on this helmet as easy as others?
Never mind the paint, check the quality - how does the finish of the lining compare to other helmets of similar value?
Ask the shop staff for assistance with fitting…they should have experience in fitting and selling helmets
Other things…..
Other things to watch include helmet ventilation…and its ease of use. You need to be able to open and close the vents with a gloved hand..Try it on the helmet you want to buy.
Visors are another thing to watch. Your helmet will come with clear visor as standard. Make sure it has an AS1698 sticker on it. You may also care to have an anti-fog treatment put on the visor (especially if you ride in Winter). A breath guard can also help prevent a visor fogging up. An additional dark or tinted visor can be purchased and are great during a bright summer’s day but they won’t come with a Standards sticker and I suggest you carry a spare pair of CLEAR safety glasses with you in case you are caught at night with a dark visor. In this case, you can open your visor (or remove it) and not have bugs or grit get in the eyes (painful). I do not recommend riding at night with a dark visor down.
And you must buy a helmet, with its own AS1698 sticker. Helmets with SNELL or BS stickers are great but they must also have an AS (Australian Standards) sticker to be legal in Australia. Buying a new helmet here will guarantee you buy a legal helmet.
A final word….
Hope the above helps. And get the best-fitting, lightest and best finished helmet you can afford.
Smitty 2004
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