Helmet recommendations needed

[smittykitty]

Bikes can be so demanding sometimes. Its very thoughtful of you to take it out for a ride!

No advice here on keeping cool. The weather man just announced that we have had a total of 78 minutes. Yes, thats a total of 78 minutes of summer this year!!! Let's trade a little weather!

Just call me Cool, Cool Kitty

[DarcyInOregon]

The helmet I love to wear hasn't been mentioned yet. It is more pricey, but I have three of them now, purchased on sale. The helmet is the Rudy Project Sterling: http://www.e-rudy.com/index_inner.ph...id=3&cat_id=88

My Madone is orange and yellow. I wear the Rudy Sterling helmet that is yellow and blue when I ride my Madone, which is my primary bike, and members of my training groups tell me I am visible for a long distance, even when I am in the shade of trees or it is raining.

There is a pink version for those of you with pink bikes.

The Rudy Project Sterling is the best helmet I've owned, fits well, adjusts well, ventilates well, and protects well.

[macski]

I have the Giro Atmos and I love it - very light and well ventilated. My partner has the Ionos and he loves that. Both are better ventilated than any other helmets we've had before. But as others have observed, you need to get one that fits your head.

Giro works well for me - I also have had Giro ski helmets.

[Catrin]

Giro/Bell are just too round for me. I like Uvex helmets for road riding - and it is a mountain bike helmet with the visor.

The nice thing about my Uvex is there are lots of vents, and also there is netting underneath the vents in the front of the helmet to prevent bugs from getting inside If I can find a link to my Uvex helmet I will post it tonight. It was a little expensive, around $120, but it is the best helmet I've had for the road to date. I do like the visor, which is the main reason I use mtn. bike helmets for road riding.

[Ritamarie]

Do helmets come in women specific fit, or just women's specific styling?

I'm in the market too since I cracked mine a few weeks ago!

[nscrbug]

Do helmets come in women specific fit, or just women's specific styling?

I'm in the market too since I cracked mine a few weeks ago!

There are a few women's helmets on the market, but I have found most of them to be "one size fits all" and the ones that I've tried are all too small for my big head. The very first helmet I bought, was a Women's Giro Skyla and it ended up being too tight on me. Now I just buy a unisex helmet in a size medium, and I'm good.

[Aggie_Ama]

I found WSD means they make sure there is a hole for the pontail. Although my Bell Sweep is unisex and has it. My Specialized Echelon does not but I have seen it on the WSD Trek and Specialized helmets.

Uvex sent my friend a new helmet (no charge to him) when he wrecked hard. He had serious injuries and was in ICU but has recovered fully. That is a testament to their helmets because he went off a blind 3' concrete drop. He broke multiple bones in his face and had some brain swelling but he made a full recovery with minimal therapy needed (mostly speech after breaking his jaw). Seem like a good company. I *think* Hammerhead Bikes or maybe Monkey Wrench sell them in Austin. I know he races for Monkey Wrench.

[ehirsch83]

I've used Giro (atmos) LG (Diamond) and now I have a Laser. I have to say the Laser is my favorite, I am in Central Fl and it vents great- I love the adjustability on the top, so it tightens throughout the helmet and it is really comfy.

I will have to say that I did like the LG more then the Giro and I had multiples of both helmets.

I really think you need to try them on though, because everyone's heads are shaped differently and not every helmet will fit every head correctly.

My SO rides in a Rudy project and he loves his helmet, he doesn't use anything else.

[OakLeaf]

Wikipedia has a summary of sexual dimorphism in human skulls. Short version: there are statistical differences, but the dimensions we're talking about here - "long oval" vs. "round oval" - are not known to differ by sex. So other than the pony tail holes (which aren't a unique need of women, either), there's no reason for men's helmet shells to be shaped different from women's. We may have to adjust our straps differently, though.

Maybe the LBS you visited needs to stock some more helmets that use the "long oval" Shoei shape ...

[goldfinch]

I would like a high viz green or yellow helmet but have yet been able to find one. You would think high visibility would be a desirable characteristic.

[Velocivixen]

I just read good things about the Bell Muni & Arella (women's version). Lots of vents, optional attachment points for lights & mirror, visor & $65!

[Velocivixen]

@goldfinch the Bell Muni comes in high vis yellow.

[Catrin]

I just read good things about the Bell Muni & Arella (women's version). Lots of vents, optional attachment points for lights & mirror, visor & $65!

I had the Bell Arella - just didn't fit. The problem, for me, is the ability to adjust the straps are limited to three "settings" - there is no dial adjuster in the back because of the Flea Lights that are installed where the adjuster is normally found. So if one of those 3 settings fit you then you are golden. For me, it didn't work and I gave the helmet to Winding Road. It fits her perfectly So try them on - and if you can't find where it adjusts then ask LBS staff. I had to for the Arella

I didn't realize at the time that the Bell/Giro helmets didn't really fit my head well anyway, not until I tried the Uvex - I had figured a helmet is a helmet is a...

Love my Uvex and Fox Flux helmets - I scored the latter in a raffle

[OakLeaf]

Rudy Project Sterling also comes in hi-viz. Pricey, though.

[tzvia]

I wear a L.A.S. Istrion helmet while road riding, and a Specialized Vice helmet for MTB and commuting. Both do very well in the venting department. But I also found that the large vents let the sun beat down on my hair, making my head hot, so I wear a white headsweats under the helmet always. It sounds counter-intuitive, but having that white cap on really reflects the sun's heat but I don't feel it impeding the airflow. And it really wicks away the sweat from my brow, cooling it and stopping my sweat from running into my eyes.

That Specialized helmet, though heavy (it's an all-mountain helmet) really does an amazing job in the heat. I've ridden on my 34lb commuter in 102f heat and my head is about the only part of my body that is not cooking. When the time comes that I retire that L.A.S., as good as it is, I am going to look into a Specialized road helmet.