Bicycle Commuting Guide
Bike Helmets
All about Bike Helmets
Besides your bike, a helmet that fits is your most important piece of bicycle commuting equipment.
Why should you wear a helmet?
It's a fact: About 1,000 American bicyclists die in crashes each year and around three-fourths die from head injuries. Hundreds more suffer permanent brain damage. Many of these are experienced, careful riders maybe just like you.
And
most of these head injuries can be prevented with bike helmets. You say a helmet's
too much of a hassle? It'd make your head sweat? Give you hat hair? It's too
expensive? You'd look like a geek? Think how good these sayings would look on
your gravestone. Helmet basics
Most helmets on the market today are called hard shell helmets. These have a thin plastic surface, which will skid across rough surfaces. The shell also keeps the helmet's core (the soft foam part) from getting scratched, nicked or punctured. Soft shell helmets usually have just a cloth or nylon cover over the foam core. If you wear a soft shell helmet, make sure the cover is stretched tight so it'll slide if it needs to.
If you have a crash and your helmet takes an impact, replace it right away. An impact usually damages a helmet's foam core, meaning it won't protect you again. You should also replace your helmet at least every five years, because its foam core becomes brittle.
What to look for in helmets
Rating: Look
on the inside of the helmet. You should see a sticker from one of the following
organizations meaning the helmet is designed to meet stringent crash 
safety standards:
- The Snell Foundation
- The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), F1447 certification.
| How To Check For A Good Fit - The helmet sits level on your head. - You can't easily shift the helmet to the front, back, or sides of your head. - With the strap tight, you can't possibly get the helmet off. |
Cost: Good Snell- or ASTM-rated bike helmets start at about $30. Hard shells cost a little more than soft. More costly helmets usually aren't much safer, but have better ventilation and weigh less. Buy your helmet based on fit.
Ventilation: A helmet's ventilation depends on front-to-back airflow. Good airflow comes from long, wide air vents, and air passages (or troughs) between the vents.
Weight: Cheaper helmets usually aren't much heavier than expensive ones, and most cyclists don't notice a difference. If you think you need an ultra-light helmet, test-ride a regular one to make sure.
On to: Bike Locks…
Back to: Accessories
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