AUTOGRAPHS

Bike Helmets – How To Find The Perfect Fit

It goes without saying that every bike rider should always wear a helmet when enjoying this activity, whether you are on mountain bikes or a road bikes.  It doesn’t matter what kind of bike you ride, your age, your experience level or the terrain; a helmet is the most important piece of gear you can own.

Years of statistics have proven that a large majority of people who died while riding were not wearing helmets.  Many of the local communities, states and several countries around the world have made wearing a helmet mandatory for at least some riders.  From personal experience, there is nothing like taking a nasty spill and seeing the crack down the middle of your helmet that would have been your fractured skull.

So, you know you need a helmet but if you don’t buy the right one, it can be practically useless and can even cause an accident.  If you’re on the hunt for a new helmet, here are a few tips for what you need to look for in order to get the perfect fit for you:

The Right Size

You can’t just slap on any old helmet, crank down the chinstrap and be on your way.  Having an ill-fitting helmet can cause it to shift while riding, causing you to not be able to see or be distracted.  Worse yet, if you take a tumble the helmet could shift and not be covering the vital areas it was engineered to protect.  Unless you like emergency rooms, you need to make sure you have the right size helmet on.  Here’s an easy way to figure out what size helmet you should be looking for:

Take a tape measure and wrap it around your head about 1 inch above your eyebrows.  You could also do the same thing with a string or something else flexible to get a measurement.

Take this measurement and find the corresponding helmet size.  Helmet makers usually offer helmets in x-small, small, medium, large and x-large sizes.  Every company varies in their interpretation of the sizes, so make sure to check their product specs.

If you can’t find the company’s specs follow this general guide to narrow it down:  X-Small:  Below 20″ (51cm), Small: 20″-21.75″ (51cm-55cm), Medium: 21.75″-23.25″ (55cm-59cm), Large: 23.25″-24.75″ (59cm-63cm), X-Large: Above 24.75 (63cm)

If you find that you’re on the border line between two sizes, always opt for the smaller of the two.

Certification

Many countries, like the United States, have laws governing the standards a helmet must meet in order to be approved for sale and use.  Motorcycle helmets must meet the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) guidelines and bicycle helmets must be meet the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s.  The CPSC makes sure that their approval sticker is on every helmet allowing it to be sold.  If you find a helmet that doesn’t have it, then it’s time to move on to another one.

Checking the Fit

Now that you have your size figured out and you know your potential helmet is legit, it’s time to make sure it fits correctly.  Almost all helmets come with a built in ring and adjustable straps so you can easily get in and out of it, while also accommodating the different shapes and curves of a person’s head.  Expand the adjustable ring and get the helmet on your head.  Once there, tighten the helmet until you have a snug fit on your head.  You don’t want it to be painful or annoying, but a snug fit is very important.  If it fits right and is being worn correctly it will sit level on your head, protecting your forehead but not more than 1 inch from your eyebrows.  Move the helmet around with your hands and shake your head from side to side.  If the helmet noticeably moves then you need to tighten it more or go down a size.

Now you need to adjust the chinstraps.  Be sure not to over tighten the straps as it will eventual become uncomfortable and cause some discomfort. Push on both the front and back ends of the helmet and make sure it doesn’t slide too far in either direction.  If it doesn’t, you have a winner!

Right for Your Riding Style

Different varieties of bike riding require different helmets.  The construction of a road-racing helmet is far different than that of a BMX or mountain biking helmet.  You want to make sure you have the right helmet for the style of riding you’re going to be engaging in.  If you’re the type who just rides casually, then a generic helmet will do.

Price

This isn’t something you want to be cheap on, consider the price you are paying in relation to the product you are getting and what you need.  If you like calm rides through the park, chances are a run of the mill certified helmet will do just fine.  If you’re doing insane tricks off a 24 foot vert ramp on your BMX bikes, then you’re going to want to invest in a higher end helmet.  More expensive helmets usually are made to higher standards.  They often are lighter while being stronger.  Many also have more vents to cool you down without sacrificing protection.

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