Ponytail-friendly Helmets?

[madcow10s]

Hello All, I'm pretty new to this site, so I might have missed a previously posted thread about this before. If so, could anyone post a link directing me to it.

But my question is "are there any helmets out there that are ponytail friendly?"

I can clarify further. I like to wear my hair up in a ponytail that sits around middle of the back of my head. My hair is extremely thick, and I have yet to find a helmet that allows me to wear my pony-tail where it feels most comfortable. I have a Specialized Echelon right now. It's a nice helmet and protects my noggin, but it forces my to wear my hair down really low, so much that sometimes I feel like my pony tail will come undone, and it just doesn't feel right to me. And, before anyone suggests it, I'm not used to wearing my hair without a ponytail - just doesn't feel right, to me.

Basically, I'm looking for a helmet that either has a really low profile adjuster in the back or the helmet adjuster has a big enough hole for me to pull all my hair through it.

I've tried all kinds of helmets, cheap and expensive, but I've really found one yet. Giro is the worst for my head. Louis Garneau seems to have potential. Also a company called Lazer seems to have potential, as it seems they place their adjuster on the top of the helmet.

Any thoughts? Help a sista out!

[Zen]

I pull mine through a Bell Slant

[Aggie_Ama]

Giro Atmos for road riding, can pull my pony tail through. I have fine hair but a ton of it so it is thick. I don't particularly care for the Giro but I paid $170 and it fits to protect my head so I will wear it until it wears out.

I *think* my Rudy Project Kontact can do it but I only wear it for mountain biking and like to put my shoulder length hair in little pigtails. I have gotten my grabbed by trees and it scares me so I keep it down low on the trails. Their helmets are crazy comfortable but you may not see them in shops. This is my favorite helmet out of my 4 previous (including the Giro).

I have seen people wearing Trek helmets with hair in the back. Are you going to a shop? Just try them on.

[loopybunny]

Sounds like you don't care much for Giro, but I'm able to pull my between the helmet and rear adjustment on my Ionos. I do have to adjust it so that the tightening mechanism sits a little lower on my head though, which gives more room.

I have a much cheaper Specialized that I can't do this with. Not nearly as comfortable either.

[Miranda]

Yep... another Giro girl here too... my old road helmet was a pneumo (discontinued)... current road helmet atmos... and mtb helmet havoc.

I don't know if this link will work to show the correct view I'm trying to tell you about, but... once you click on it, shows atmos... and there is a view of the back where the ponytail fits through... pretty good sized opening.

http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodGO_120178.html

[madcow10s]

I read somewhere that Giro is the most popular helmet worn by cyclists, which is followed by Bell, and they happen to be owned by the same parent company. But I digress...I have gone and tried on many a Giro helmets in varying sizes. My hair is too thick to pull through. Scary huh? Sometimes, I wish I could go back to my college days when I wore it as a pixie cut, but I like having long hair.

I think that there is a LBS that carries Rudy Project helmets. I may go try some on next weekend...

[Triskeliongirl]

I have the Lazer and its the most ponytail friendly I've ever had cuz the locking stuff sits above the ponytail (and I also have long thick hair). Also fits like a dream with the dial in adjustment. I am between a S and M in the giro, and neither quite fits. They used to make a size S/M but not anymore, at least not in the high end helmets, but the Lazer is a perfect fit. ALso easy to adjust fit if wearing a hat underneath in winter.

[Owlie]

I have a ton of thick, curly hair. The only solution I have ever found is to just tie my ponytail a little lower. (My helmet is a Bell Ghisallo.) That said, I'm lazy and don't want to go through the hassle of trying to find a helmet that will accommodate the ponytail. I went with what was in the shop at the time.

I just looked at the Giro Atmos. And now I wish I hadn't. Want!

[nscrbug]

I'm currently wearing a Giro ProLight, which is their relatively "new" helmet that just came out this spring. One of the reasons I chose this helmet, is because the "locking" mechanism on the back is nothing but a thick, elastic band...so it's quite flexible with where it sits on your head. I can pull my thick ponytail completely through the opening above the elastic band...no pinching, pulling, or anything like that. If I feel my ponytail becoming loose, I just take the ponytail and with my hands will grab half in one hand and half in the other and just give a quick yank, and that tightens things up nicely. But the comfort of the soft elastic band instead of some hard, plastic knob or other locking mechanism, is what won me over with the Prolight.

[WindingRoad]

My new Saros does a nice job for ponytails.

[copperlegend]

I have a Trek Interval and a Trek Sonic Elite, both accomodate my fairly thick ponytail just fine. Try them! Good luck!

[kenyonchris]

I have the Lazer and its the most ponytail friendly I've ever had cuz the locking stuff sits above the ponytail (and I also have long thick hair). Also fits like a dream with the dial in adjustment. I am between a S and M in the giro, and neither quite fits. They used to make a size S/M but not anymore, at least not in the high end helmets, but the Lazer is a perfect fit. ALso easy to adjust fit if wearing a hat underneath in winter.

I love my Lazer. I don't know if I have some sort of weird head shape but most other helmets at some point would either start to slip all caddywampus (which made it hard for anyone to take me seriously) or hurt my head or my ponytail had to be just so or were hard to adjust or hard to buckle or looked just incredibly dorky or were really hot or rubbed my ears after 75 miles or, well, whatever. The Lazer is none of that (well, all helmets make me look dorky). The guy at the shop said it made me look all "pro"...I laughed and said it was going to be disappointed, but whatever.

Dumb name though. DH says, "Love your Lay - zer"

[madcow10s]

Well I finally decided on a Louis Garneau Exo-Nerv for a couple reasons:

1. most important, I can get my hair through the back

2. it's very comfortable, with no identifiable pressure points, yet

3. the straps are really soft - that's a bonus

4. it looks pretty good on my head.

5. and the price point was within my budget.

The Giro Atmos was also a nice helmet, but it was a little too expensive for me and it a little like a mushroom resting on my head.

I liked the Lazer as well, but I could only find the O2 line which was a one size fits all, and really looked too big as well.

[RolliePollie]

OK, now I have to try pulling my ponytail through...I never even thought of it! I have really thick hair that's down to the middle of my back and I just wear a low ponytail or braid right below the bottom of my helmet. But now I want to try pulling it through so maybe it can be a little higher and less sweaty on the back of my neck!

[marni]

RolliePollie- see my comment about my long haired braid wearing friend and hoow she handle it on "what do you to with your hair."

marni