Best Helmets

whellman1030

I need a very good helmet for the road mainly, but I don't care about the weight.

I care about security.

But I've noticed the helmets from road don't include a chin protection.

So for maximum security should I buy a mountain Helmet?

And which brands and models are the most resistant and safe?

kenmc

get a decent ulock, be grand. oh wait, that was already suggested to you in the stolen thread.
you'll never have a totally secure helmet, someone wants it badly enough they'll work out how to steal it.

whellman1030

kenmc wrote: »

get a decent ulock, be grand. oh wait, that was already suggested to you in the stolen thread.
you'll never have a totally secure helmet, someone wants it badly enough they'll work out how to steal it.

When I say secure helmet, I mean an helmet for safety, so I don't brake any bones or teeth....

kenmc

whellman1030 wrote: »

When I say secure helmet, I mean an helmet for safety, so I don't brake any bones or teeth....

you don't need a helmet, you need to stay inside. and don't chance those stairs.

dave_o_brien

Kenmc's not being rude, it's just that helmets are a subject of great debate in terms of their efficacy:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=83742324

Seriously, they don't help anywhere near as much as people think. Don't fall over, then whatever you're wearing on your head is irrelevant. Any helmet sold in Ireland needs to meet the EU requirement, which is (something like) capable of preventing concussion at around 15km/h, not shattering when dropped on a sharp edge such as a kerb unweighted and capable of taking an impact of 250g with no sign of defect. So not all that difficult. I still wear one, most of the time, but don't believe it would help me in an impact with a car, at all. Solution: avoid impacts with cars as much as possible.

kenmc

he's looking for a helmet to prevent him braking (sic) any bones. nothing can do that, besides a giant ball of cotton wool.

whellman1030

dave_o_brien wrote: »

Kenmc's not being rude, it's just that helmets are a subject of great debate in terms of their efficacy:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=83742324

Seriously, they don't help anywhere near as much as people think. Don't fall over, then whatever you're wearing on your head is irrelevant. Any helmet sold in Ireland needs to meet the EU requirement, which is (something like) capable of preventing concussion at around 15km/h, not shattering when dropped on a sharp edge such as a kerb unweighted and capable of taking an impact of 250g with no sign of defect. So not all that difficult. I still wear one, most of the time, but don't believe it would help me in an impact with a car, at all. Solution: avoid impacts with cars as much as possible.

Against cars it's impossible I know. I was meaning if you fall and hit the road when going down on a road at 40 Km/h

topcat77

I got one of these for my daily commute from sportpursuit on offer. I wear a bird nest helmet when out on a long cycle. Fantastic helmet! pure quality product.

http://www.eurobike.uk.com/details.aspx?p=50

Cee-Jay-Cee

whellman1030 wrote: »

Against cars it's impossible I know. I was meaning if you fall and hit the road when going down on a road at 40 Km/h

Any of the branded helmets will prevent a certain amount of injury but there are none that will completely save your skull if you fall head first at speed. Look on Wiggle or CRC for the most popular and buy one of those. Most people, including myself, probably bought their helmets because of the design or color scheme. Don't get hung up on it, buy whatever you like the look of.

Beasty

CJC999 wrote: »

Any of the branded helmets will prevent a certain amount if injury but there are none that will completely save your skull if you fall head first at speed. Look on Wiggle or CRC for the most popular and buy one if those. Most people, including myself bought their helmets because of the design or color scheme. Don't get hung up on it, buy whatever you like the look of.

One point to note - Wiggle and CRC will charge VAT (as will all Irish retailers) - most other UK online retailers will not, so you will probably find them cheaper elsewhere

Guybrush T

Beasty wrote: »

One point to note - Wiggle and CRC will charge VAT (as will all Irish retailers) - most other UK online retailers will not, so you will probably find them cheaper elsewhere

Aren't helmets zero rated??

ETA, OK I looked and they aren't in Ireland. Should have checked before I posted.

doozerie

The safety standard that cycling helmets sold in the EU have to meet is EN1078. As far as I know that same safety standard applies to full-face (cycling) helmets as to regular road or MTB helmets. As such, while a full-face helmet might offer some extra protection to your chin and face in a crash, it might not offer any more protection to your skull than a regular helmet.

The safety standard is a minimum standard though, and it is quite possible that some helmets vastly exceed that minimum requirement while others struggle to meet it. So, some helmets might be capable of absorbing much greater forces in an impact, for example. But helmet manufacturers won't tell you how their product compares to the safety standard, they may bang on about how their helmet is "brilliant" in their marketing guff but they won't give any real data to allow you to truly compare their product either with the safety standard or with a competitor's product.

The safety standards themselves differ in different parts of the world though, the standards in the US and Australia have tougher criteria to meet in some of their tests - or used to at least, I haven't read up on this in a while. So arguably you may get a "safer" helmet by buying one sold in the US or Australia, or by buying a model here that is also sold in those countries, on the assumption that it is the very same model (they might not be).

Of course, the amount of protection offered by a helmet at all is, as mentioned, a topic of long running debate in itself too. Helmet manufacturers would have you believe that their product is essential to keeping you safe in a fall and they'll cite studies that support this claim, but there are other studies that cast doubt on that claim. So it's not as clear cut as many would have you believe.

dave_o_brien

whellman1030 wrote: »

Against cars it's impossible I know. I was meaning if you fall and hit the road when going down on a road at 40 Km/h

If you fall and hit the road at 40km/h, you've hugely exceeded the design requirements for the helmet.

Somebody here once described it as "being like putting on gardening gloves and sticking your hand into a lawnmower expecting your hand to be fine", or something like that. They probably said it wittier than I.

So why do I wear one? Well, I don't know, really. Habit? It might help, in a tiny, vanishingly unlikely set of scenarios, and I am required to wear one racing, so why not?

More importantly, and don't take offence, but this thread shouldn't be allowed to start. Someone asks this question at least twice a month. If you did a search of the forum, you'd see how divisive an issue this is. The definitive helmet thread will tell you everything you need to know, and more.

Otherwise, if weight is really not a concern, and you really care about safety, motorcycle helmets are designed to a very high safety standard.

wanderer 22

dave_o_brien wrote: »

Otherwise, if weight is really not a concern, and you really care about safety, motorcycle helmets are designed to a very high safety standard.

and we promise not to laugh at you

dave_o_brien

colm18 wrote: »

and we promise not to laugh at you

You can promise away, I can foresee a stitch in my side.

Anyone have anything I can buy to protect me from a stitch?

rab!dmonkey

doozerie wrote: »

The safety standard that cycling helmets sold in the EU have to meet is EN1078. As far as I know that same safety standard applies to full-face (cycling) helmets as to regular road or MTB helmets.
[...]
But helmet manufacturers won't tell you how their product compares to the safety standard, they may bang on about how their helmet is "brilliant" in their marketing guff but they won't give any real data to allow you to truly compare their product either with the safety standard or with a competitor's product.

The safety standards themselves differ in different parts of the world though, the standards in the US and Australia have tougher criteria to meet in some of their tests [...]

EN1078 is indeed the applicable standard for full-face helmets, but they usually conform to the CPSC standard (they do so more frequently than open face helmets sold in the EU anyway). Sometimes they'll conform to ASTM F1952 too.

I've never encountered a helmet manufacturer attempting to differentiate their product with claims of increased safety - with the exception of POC describing their MIPS technology. Even then, their language is very circumspect.

The standards in USA and Australia are different. The jury is out on whether they are better. They're definitely not better if your aim is to wear as light a helmet as possible.

dave_o_brien wrote: »

If you fall and hit the road at 40km/h, you've hugely exceeded the design requirements for the helmet.

That's not true. Your forward speed has very little bearing on the energies passed through the helmet - providing the helmet doesn't have a high-friction (e.g.: fabric) surface.

dave_o_brien

rab!dmonkey wrote: »

That's not true. Your forward speed has very little bearing on the energies passed through the helmet - providing the helmet doesn't have a high-friction (e.g.: fabric) surface.

I think you're being a bit literal, and are perhaps being pedantic in order to distract from my point. Helmets are not designed to absorb big impacts. If the OP thinks that a helmet is going to save him if he hits his head hard in a 40km/h crash, he needs to reconsider what a helmet can do for him.

Mathematically, of course you are correct; how can I know anything about the force imparted without knowing the coefficient of friction of the material he lands on, the angle of impact, the material of his helmet, etc, etc, etc. But common sense reads his post to mean that he believes/believed a helmet would be useful in a 40km/h head on impact. Obviously, bicycle helmet standards fall dramatically short of that.

happytramp

Oh god, the guy just asked for a helmet recommendation not a giant pile of nonsense.

Squidgy Black

You could always just cover yourself in bubble wrap.

Beasty

happytramp wrote: »

Oh god, the guy just asked for a helmet recommendation not a giant pile of nonsense.

Agreed - please keep discussions of the merits or otherwise of helmets to the megathread (which is linked from the FAQs

Thanks

ian_rush

whellman1030 wrote: »

I need a very good helmet for the road mainly, but I don't care about the weight.

I care about security.

But I've noticed the helmets from road don't include a chin protection.

So for maximum security should I buy a mountain Helmet?

And which brands and models are the most resistant and safe?

I recently upgraded from an Aldi helmet to a Specialized S3. I find the fit much better, feels much more secure on my head.
Almost all helmets meet the safety standards, but I would say try before you buy to make sure you have a nice fit.
I imagine full face masks etc would be more dangerous due to limited visibility but I have never worn one.

lookitsme

You could try one of these, i seen it on some science show with dara o'briain on bbc last week

whellman1030

lookitsme wrote: »

You could try one of these, i seen it on some science show with dara o'briain on bbc last week

This really exists?

doozerie

whellman1030 wrote: »

This really exists?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057009632

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056906698

wisjoc

To get this back on track, I have a Giro helmet and had a bad accident on Sunday in the Tour of Kildare. Touched wheels with someone came off over the handlebars at around 30kmh. Now I broke my hand, my ribs and put my front tooth through my lip but I hate to think what the damage would have been without the helmet as my head hit the ground immediately after my hands. Now I know that in an extreme situation the helmet is not going to save you but in 80% of incidents where you come off the bike the helmet is going to cushion the blow. I certainly think that without the helmet I would have been looking at a some serious damage to my head, even to the point of a fractured skull.

I know that some people will say just don't fall off but sometimes accidents just happen. By the way this is not an endorsement for the Giro brand of helmets but after this I would heartily recommend buying a good quality helmet.

monkeybutter

wisjoc wrote: »

To get this back on track, I have a Giro helmet and had a bad accident on Sunday in the Tour of Kildare. Touched wheels with someone came off over the handlebars at around 30kmh. Now I broke my hand, my ribs and put my front tooth through my lip but I hate to think what the damage would have been without the helmet as my head hit the ground immediately after my hands. Now I know that in an extreme situation the helmet is not going to save you but in 80% of incidents where you come off the bike the helmet is going to cushion the blow. I certainly think that without the helmet I would have been looking at a some serious damage to my head, even to the point of a fractured skull.

I know that some people will say just don't fall off but sometimes accidents just happen. By the way this is not an endorsement for the Giro brand of helmets but after this I would heartily recommend buying a good quality helmet.

Great advice there for anyone listening. Which particular helmet did you have. How did it stand up to the accident? Did it split or come apart in any way.

enas

I believe the Specialized Echelon rated very highly by Consumer Reports (US). As far as I remember, they carried tests themselves to test the actual crash resistance of several helmets, and found that very few helmets resisted their slightly tougher test (tougher than the standards). I think the Echelon was the only helmet that passed their test hands down. That's all very vague, but you could the info online. That's the closest to an objective assessment of the safety performances of helmets relative to one another.

I was about to buy this helmet, as I found it was one of the few that fitted my very large head. But I decided against it, because I preferred the look of my Giro Savant. Stupid argument, when you consider how ugly all helmets look anyway.

wisjoc

Quote:
Originally Posted by wisjoc View Post
To get this back on track, I have a Giro helmet and had a bad accident on Sunday in the Tour of Kildare. Touched wheels with someone came off over the handlebars at around 30kmh. Now I broke my hand, my ribs and put my front tooth through my lip but I hate to think what the damage would have been without the helmet as my head hit the ground immediately after my hands. Now I know that in an extreme situation the helmet is not going to save you but in 80% of incidents where you come off the bike the helmet is going to cushion the blow. I certainly think that without the helmet I would have been looking at a some serious damage to my head, even to the point of a fractured skull.

I know that some people will say just don't fall off but sometimes accidents just happen. By the way this is not an endorsement for the Giro brand of helmets but after this I would heartily recommend buying a good quality helmet.


monkeybutter

Great advice there for anyone listening. Which particular helmet did you have. How did it stand up to the accident? Did it split or come apart in any way.



It was a Giro Indicator. Also of additional help was the fact that it has a hard peak/skip which, I believe, helped me avoided a broken nose. Unfortunately, after the initial impact I then bounced straight onto my teeth but it definitely lessened the damage. It didn't split or crack but it does have a few battle scars.

MrScootch

wisjoc wrote: »

It was a Giro Indicator. Also of additional help was the fact that it has a hard peak/skip which, I believe, helped me avoided a broken nose. Unfortunately, after the initial impact I then bounced straight onto my teeth but it definitely lessened the damage. It didn't split or crack but it does have a few battle scars.

You know it's junk now though right? These things are designed to take one significant impact and one only.

Anyway, hope you're on the mend and will be back out on the bike before too long.

whellman1030

So I'm undecided between Bell Ukon Adult Sport Helmet http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bell-Ukon-Adult-Sport-Helmet/dp/B000NOO586/ref=sr_1_2?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1376839942&sr=1-2&keywords=bicycle+helmet found on Amazon, or an Alpina PANOMA CITY http://www.alpina-sports.com/bike-helmets-city-ebike.html#0 found on the shop near me.

They say that in terms of security for the head these both helmets are the same.

Is it true?

Beasty

whellman1030 wrote: »

So I'm undecided between Bell Ukon Adult Sport Helmet http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bell-Ukon-Adult-Sport-Helmet/dp/B000NOO586/ref=sr_1_2?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1376839942&sr=1-2&keywords=bicycle+helmet found on Amazon, or an Alpina PANOMA CITY http://www.alpina-sports.com/bike-helmets-city-ebike.html#0 found on the shop near me.

They say that in terms of security for the head these both helmets are the same.

Is it true?

They will both satisfy the required safety standards - essentially it's down to personal choice, which can be influenced by fit, comfort, weight, ventilation etc

At least you can try on the one from your local shop - it's more hassle sending back one you get online if it's not to your liking

hueylewis

Long shot, but anyone wear a Kask K50? Looking for a slimmer upgrade from my mushroom MET, and really like the look of the Kask.

wisjoc

Quote:
Originally Posted by wisjoc View Post
It was a Giro Indicator. Also of additional help was the fact that it has a hard peak/skip which, I believe, helped me avoided a broken nose. Unfortunately, after the initial impact I then bounced straight onto my teeth but it definitely lessened the damage. It didn't split or crack but it does have a few battle scars.



You know it's junk now though right? These things are designed to take one significant impact and one only.

Is that correct that it should now be binned? Why is that?

Eamonnator

wisjoc wrote: »

Quote:
Originally Posted by wisjoc View Post




You know it's junk now though right? These things are designed to take one significant impact and one only.

Is that correct that it should now be binned? Why is that?

Yes it is correct. Why: because helmets are designed to take one significant impact and one only.

kenmc

wisjoc wrote: »

Quote:
Originally Posted by wisjoc View Post
It was a Giro Indicator. Also of additional help was the fact that it has a hard peak/skip which, I believe, helped me avoided a broken nose. Unfortunately, after the initial impact I then bounced straight onto my teeth but it definitely lessened the damage. It didn't split or crack but it does have a few battle scars.



You know it's junk now though right? These things are designed to take one significant impact and one only.

Is that correct that it should now be binned? Why is that?

yep, it's done it's job, like an airbag in a car, one-shot-wonder, thats why you should try not to use it.

Cee-Jay-Cee

whellman1030 wrote: »

So I'm undecided between Bell Ukon Adult Sport Helmet http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bell-Ukon-Adult-Sport-Helmet/dp/B000NOO586/ref=sr_1_2?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1376839942&sr=1-2&keywords=bicycle+helmet found on Amazon, or an Alpina PANOMA CITY http://www.alpina-sports.com/bike-helmets-city-ebike.html#0 found on the shop near me.

They say that in terms of security for the head these both helmets are the same.

Is it true?

The Bell helmet seems very cheap. I'm sure it's probably as good as a helmet 6 or 7 times it's price but I would be a little wary of buying something that cheap.

I have a BBB Hawk helmet. I bought it purely because I liked the look of it, it is one if the neatest helmets I could find under €100 and has a few large vents rather than lots of smaller vents which I don't like. The only con with it is that is doesn't have a bug mesh which ideally it could do with due to the larger vents but I still really like it, it's lightweight and neat and I forget its there after a few minutes.

rab!dmonkey

CJC999 wrote: »

I would be a little wary of buying something that cheap.

There's no reason to be any more wary of cheap helmets than expensive ones: they all meet the same standard.

magicbastarder

rab!dmonkey wrote: »

There's no reason to be any more wary of cheap helmets than expensive ones: they all meet the same standard.

because they all meet the standard does not imply that they are equal, because some may exceed the standard.
unfortunately, they don't seem to require a sliding scale, like you might see for energy ratings, which would assist in choosing.

Beasty

magicbastarder wrote: »

unfortunately, they don't seem to require a sliding scale, like you might see for energy ratings, which would assist in choosing.

That's because they can't have "half-way houses" with safety standards - Other than with innovations such as the airbag manufacturers don't ever claim their helmet is in ay way superior than another in terms of safety standards. The important thing is they do meet the relevant standard - it's then simply down to a combination of personal preference and price

Squidgy Black

As the price rises, you don't pay for security or safety at all. Think about it, they're all just foam and a plastic casing.

What you're paying for is comfort, ventilation and aero dynamics which will have little or no difference. And of course the name and colours.

doozerie

Beasty wrote: »

That's because they can't have "half-way houses" with safety standards - Other than with innovations such as the airbag manufacturers don't ever claim their helmet is in ay way superior than another in terms of safety standards. The important thing is they do meet the relevant standard - it's then simply down to a combination of personal preference and price

I think it would be very useful if there were an independent body that would test and rate bicycle helmets, but I'm not aware of one. In the motoring world there is Euro NCAP (and perhaps other useful bodies too?).

I can't imagine there being much of an appetite to fund such a body for cycling though, but that seems at odd with the enthusiasm that some countries seem to be showing for making helmet wearing compulsory - if they are truly concerned with the safety of cyclists, I don't understand why they are not concerned about the lack of means of allowing people to choose the "most effective" helmet from the wide range available.

doozerie

stetyrrell wrote: »

As the price rises, you don't pay for security or safety at all. Think about it, they're all just foam and a plastic casing.

Not necessarily. Some helmets have a sub-structure to reinforce the polystyrene, for example. Does it increase safety? Who knows, the manufacturers argue that it does, the safety standards don't help an individual to decide one way or the other.

stetyrrell wrote:

What you're paying for is comfort, ventilation and aero dynamics which will have little or no difference.

That's debatable too. There is the argument that a comfortable helmet will be worn more readily. There is also a question over whether one manufacturer's retension system is better at allowing the helmet to remain in place in the event of a crash, etc.