question about helmets

Okay, this is probably going to sound like a really dumb question but I have to ask. I would rather seem dumb with you girls than ask someone face to face and see the look they give me. LOL

Can you like, hose out your helmet? I mean I have really thick hair and I sweat very heavily from my head amongst every other place. :eek: I don't want my helmet to start stinking because those little pad things I am sure are soaking up some of that sweat. I mean my hair is wet when I get home. Even on a short 10 mile ride.

I just don't want to take a chance of messing up my helmet unknowingly, but I don't want to wear a stinking helmet either.

I did a search but cannot seem to find anything as far as washing your helmet out.

well, if rain and hot sweat can't hurt them, clean water won't either.
don't put it in the washingmachine though! :cool:

Dunk and swirl gently in a tub of tepid water. Be aware of getting water between the styrofoam and the plastic, let it drain well and leave it to dry.

Works for me.

Well, DUH!!! :rolleyes: I didn't even think about the fact that sweat is wet. LOL

I haven't ridden in the rain yet so didn't think about that either.

Thanks Mimi, and no I wasn't planning on using the washing machine. LOL

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Originally Posted by DDH

Well, DUH!!! :rolleyes: I didn't even think about the fact that sweat is wet. LOL

I haven't ridden in the rain yet so didn't think about that either.

Thanks Mimi, and no I wasn't planning on using the washing machine. LOL

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It was just a funny thought i didn't think you were going to do that.
clunk clunk clunk clunk clunk

DDH: you may laugh but I actually got the idea here on the board: I take my helmet in the shower with me after a particurlarly hot/sweaty ride. I only use pure soap anyway so I just rinse the helmet under the shower, soap up the straps and pads and rinse everything out. I then hang the helmet on the shower head to dry before my next ride.

A friend of mine told me to do the following:

1. Get in the shower and get your hair lathered up with shampoo
2. Set the helmet on your head and smoosh it around so that you get shampoo all inside
3. Lather up the helmet straps
4. Rinse and let dry

I thought this sounded a little weird, but asked at my LBS. They asked the Giro rep who said "that's a great idea". Now all the guys at the shop do it. Apparently, the shampoo doesn't damage the foam and will go a long way towards getting rid of the salt and grime.

Cheers,

Susie

There are no dumb questions....
only dumb answers!! :D
Just kidding.
If I *don't* wash my helmet, my blue straps get stained white with salt. It's pretty nasty. So I routinely wash out the helmet under running water, shake it out and hang it up to dry. Occasionally, I remove the pads (they're just held in with Velcro and it's pretty easy to figure out how they go back in), and wash them separately in a little bit of Woolite. The pads will eventually look a bit tattered, but they still work and don't stink. Don't want a stinky helmet!

I've managed to pads in a washing machine and have them come Ok. The only discliamer is they were for a Limar, not a Bell/Giro

Great, thanks girls!!

I was starting to think I was being weird I mean I asked DH and then when we were in the bike shop one time, I asked the guy in there and niether of them give me an answer and kind of look at me funny.
Maybe it's a girl thing:D

And here I was thinking of the dishwasher.

Oh wait, that's for fencing masks! (seriously-I about had a stroke the first time Younger Daughter put her $expen$ive$ mask in the dishwasher:eek: )

If I weren't in such a hurry to get the helmet off my head, it might actually make it into the shower with me. As it is, the thing stays in the garage... I'll try to do better

You should see the salt crust on my camelbak. eeew. I wear a coolmax beanie under my helmet. Keeps the sweat from running into my eyes. I often soak it in ice water halfway through my ride for the swamp cooler effect. I'm sure it is saving some wear on my helmet pads.

And here I've been thinking about rinsing down my bike in the shower. I can just see it now: I'll come home from a long ride, yank the wheels off the bike, yank everything off of me but the helmet, climb in the shower with the bike and helmet...

Would that qualify as loving your bike (and gear) too much, or just plain being cuckoo?

I have the Bell Ghisallo, and I'm not sure how many helmets have this feature, but my pads actually come out so I can wash them. You may want to check your helmet to see if you can take them off.

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Originally Posted by Kalidurga

And here I've been thinking about rinsing down my bike in the shower. I can just see it now: I'll come home from a long ride, yank the wheels off the bike, yank everything off of me but the helmet, climb in the shower with the bike and helmet...

Would that qualify as loving your bike (and gear) too much, or just plain being cuckoo?

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Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.... ;)

You girls are cracking me up!!! :D

Thanks for all the good advice and helping me to not feel like I am being strange or something. LOL

Although, I can be a little out there sometimes. :p

Hi Everyone!

Since this is about helmets, and I too was interested on how best to clean my helmet.....

We have two Giro helmets from 2003, and I am thinking of getting us a couple of new ones....
My head measures 23" (big!), and my husband's head is probably 23&1/2".

I want a good coverage helmet, and was looking at the Bell Alchera helmet, and it received excellent reviews.

What do you all think??

Thanks!

Have a great day.

Denise

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Originally Posted by Kalidurga

And here I've been thinking about rinsing down my bike in the shower.

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I stay away from washing my bike with water like the plague! Water is not good for bikes! When I get home from a ride my bike is coated with dust, mud, bits of trail flora and occasionally cow pies. I let it dry and then take a variety of scrub brushes, cheap paint brushes, tooth brush, etc. and dry "wash" the pedals, chain, crank, derailers, gears, wheelset and everything else crusty. I wipe the frame down with a damp rag and then lube the drivetrain and pedals. The bike looks squeeky clean when I'm done. The only time I use water is when I've ridden through something particularly nasty like the big squishy pile of dog poop I ran over the other day which splattered all over the back of my bike.

I have a Limar 911 ( http://www.bikemine.com/proddisplay.asp?prod=2005 ) I haven't had for a ride yet (darn arm in sling!). it has a removeable pads, which most do. The pads are made to be washed. The only caution with Limar is that they won'tone fit on a Large head. I can bearly get a Medium Bell or Giro(Bell actually owns Giro) on, and with Limar, I'm an L.
Another thing, Ideally you should have another helmet to use a Backup in case you wreck. I have an old Giro Havoc that I use for that. I view helmets like shoes, I wouldn't buy one without trying it on.
Another good site to take a look at is www.helmets.org, which is the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Denise223

Hi Everyone!

Since this is about helmets, and I too was interested on how best to clean my helmet.....

We have two Giro helmets from 2003, and I am thinking of getting us a couple of new ones....
My head measures 23" (big!), and my husband's head is probably 23&1/2".

I want a good coverage helmet, and was looking at the Bell Alchera helmet, and it received excellent reviews.

What do you all think??

Thanks!

Have a great day.

Denise

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Hey Denise!

Talk about more coincidences...I used to have an older Giro helmet and I also have a HUGE head! :p I purchased the Bell Alchera at the beginning of this season and I really like it! (Is it bad that I purposely picked out the dark grey so that it would make my head look smaller...dark colors are slimming, right? ;) )

I give it a thumbs up! :D

Now we're worrying about fat heads?

:p :o

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Originally Posted by Kalidurga

I can just see it I'll come home from a long ride, yank the wheels off the bike, yank everything off of me but the helmet, climb in the shower with the bike and helmet...

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I think there are specialist sites for this type of thing...but thanks for sharing :D

Gosh, I *love* seeing how much sweat crust I can get on the straps... that and my camelbak straps. It's really gross when I do two rides on a hot day - but I'm not sure warm and soapy would be any less gross.

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Originally Posted by Bruno28

Originally Posted by Kalidurga:
I can just see it I'll come home from a long ride, yank the wheels off the bike, yank everything off of me but the helmet, climb in the shower with the bike and helmet...

I think there are specialist sites for this type of thing...but thanks for sharing :D

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Sorry, I had just seen the thread titled "Hip angles and max thrust"...


;)

*BRILLIANT!*

It's been *cough, cough* entirely too long since I've washed my helmet (so THAT explains the post-ride acne breakouts....) I have an older Bell helmet which is a few years old and beat-up enough that I could justify getting a new Giro Skyla (DGF and I each got one)... but now I even know how to CLEAN it. I only use Dr. Bronners soaps, but I do occasionally get tea-tree oil shampoo. I wonder how that would affect the pads? I'm sure it'd leave that nice mint/piney smell...:D

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Originally Posted by Kitsune06

I only use Dr. Bronners soaps

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Girl, I'm gonna have to start calling you "Mini Me"!

I've been using Dr. Bronner's since Hmmmmm, 1970 or so. Hippie-child on the commune, bathing in a horse-trough filled with creek water and using Dr. Bronner's peppermint. <no kidding>

Nowadays I use eucalyptus and lavender.

I really got into the Tea Tree, but haven't found it since Eugene... Lavendar is nice, but I'm using peppermint right now b/c it feels *nice* after a long ride... with tigerbalm. mmm

Mark Twain said something along the lines of Adam being lucky- he was the only man to be able to say anything of wit and know no one had said it before... I suppose great minds think alike ;) or something like that... :rolleyes:

I happened to find it showering with the rest of the folks @ the Ritz at the Fair... so not too far off. =)