morganw

My two year old Bell Variant just broke part of the "Twin Axis Gear" retention system. I didn't crash or abuse it, but if the plastic is embrittled by UV, I've probably left it hanging from a handlebar in California sun enough to do that.



So, I went helmet shopping and except for one Specialized helmet that had a big "corner" in the outside shape (possibly more apt to catch the road while sliding & cause rotational injuries) all of the fit webbing has itty bitty thin plastic pieces.

Is that stuff supposed to just make you think the helmet is on securely? Maybe it'll hold the helmet in place while the rider flies through the air, but the first impact is going to break it. If I loosen the fit web & see how I can make the helmet fit with only the main webbing, I can rock it back & forth pretty far.

B. Carfree

This is all part of turning helmets into "great products". A good product is one that you buy and it works. A great product is one that you have to buy repeatedly. A couple of lbs's told me that helmets are supposed to be replaced every year. I guess they are designing them to make that the case.

Seattle Forrest

sudo bike

You might look into some good ol' skate style helmets. They are generally less-vented, but pretty simple and seem to be sturdy. I'm sure there are lots of bike-specific helmets that use this design, as well.

EDIT: Something along these lines (but not necessarily this specifically).

https://www.rei.com/product/779270?pr...:referralID=NA

meanwhile

The guy is in California; I think venting is a good idea.

sudo bike

*I'm* in California.

... and Fresno, no less.

MWS

I'm a lifelong motorcycle rider, been riding since the early 70's. I seen great advances in motorcycle helmet design and materials such as composites like kevlar and carbon fiber. Bicycle helmets are a friggin joke. Sure, I'll agree any helmet is better than no helmet but this is the 21rst century and all they can come up with is a cheap plastic uv deteriorating shell lined with cheap styrofoam. We should all be lobbying the helmet manufactuers for a safer better designed product. Yes I'm a relative newb, just started riding bicycles in April but I know a piece of crap when I see it.

morganw

I searched a bit before posting and now I've searched extensively. I see debates over whether to wear helmets or not reiterated and regurgitated over & over. I see debates on whether helmets without Nutcase/Pro-Tec style hardshells are any good and over EPP vs. EPS foam and crushing vs. cracking for dissipating energy.

I haven't found any discussion of what the heck circle-fit systems are supposed to do.

Bell says "Bell helmets come with an adjustable fit and stabilizing system. These systems enhance the fit and stability of the helmet, but they are not a replacement for the helmet’s straps and fit pads"

BHSI says "Rear Stabilizer... The rear stabilizer on many of today's helmets is not really part of the retention system that holds the helmet on the head, but a means of adding some stability for comfort. It should still be inspected for structural integrity and to be sure the adjustment is working. Stretching or tugging it with moderate force will usually tell you that. "

"enhance the fit": is that supposed to mean just while wearing it cycling around or while the helmet's doing its job in an accident?

My experience is that loosening circle-fit systems results in a fit where the helmet stays on my head, but I can tilt it way back. Even with the main straps fairly tight, 10 pounds of force upward and rearward push the helmet back from an inch over my eyebrows up to my hairline.

If the mfgs. told us the circle fit is just so the helmet doesn't feel floppy and to help keep it in a position where air can flow well but the main straps must be carefully fitted, I wouldn't feel downright deceived, but how about a circle-fit that's strong folks!?

Specialized: Specialized helmets come with either the PRO Fit or FORM Fit Retention systems, which stabilizes
the helmet, helping it stay in position when you ride.

That suggests the secondary straps are only for "while riding" fit, not "while crashing," but those straps, ratchets, etc. are still called "Retention systems."

closetbiker

My old bell image had a chin strap clip that was designed to fail.

When it did, I just took a clip from an older helmet I had (back before manufactures planned for these things to break) and put it on in place of the "new" one. It's lasted.

ianbrettcooper

I have two helmets - my older skate-style one (Bell Faction) and a newer one with that rear stabilizer thingy (Giro Venti).

I did a number of twisting and pulling tests while wearing the helmets to compare the two, because the newer helmet seemed less secure. One thing I found was that, when they say 'tighten the chinstrap until it's comfortably tight', they're lying (or at least 'comfortably tight' is subjective). If you do it 'comfortably tight' (as I define it) the rear stabilizer style helmet wobbles about on your head much more than the skate-style helmet. At this level of tightness the skate helmet seems better. But if you tighten the straps until they're just bearable, both helmets seem equally secure, even with the stabilizer at its loosest.

One thing against the skate helmet - if the straps are looser it only 'seems' more secure. In an accident I think the stresses could remove it just as easily as the newer helmet. Both helmets deflect upwards about the same when they are pushed up from any angle, and if the chinstrap comes off the chin (which it can if the straps are too loose), the helmet will (of course) come off.

I still prefer the skate style helmet. It's a smaller profile, I think it looks better, and I don't notice a big difference in venting. What my tests showed me was that I was wearing the helmets too loose. I've now tightened them on both helmets so that the chinstrap is less likely to come off, and so that the helmets deflect the least when pushed up from underneath one edge. I soon got used to the new level of tightness so that, once again, I don't notice it during a ride.

I examined the stabilizer on the Giro model. Basically all it does is move the stabilizer back and forth relative to the rear straps. The straps are what are holding the helmet on, so the stabilizer really does seem to be irrelevant in terms of the helmet's structural integrity.

morganw

I ended up with a Giro Section which has a shell like the Faction but with one fewer row of vents on top and one fewer on the back and an EPS-only (single hit, not ASTM F1492) liner. I bought it in gloss white: visible, slippery and not cool. I'm not happy buying from a company that makes helmets with non-slippery goop over the shells (brown leather colorway on the Section, fabric khaki cross bones on the Xen). My kid's helmet's shell & liner started to separate this weekend, so I got him a glossy Nutcase. Same objection: they're making some seriously high-friction shell treatments these days. Nutcase also bills the helmet as bike & skate, but isn't tested for F1492. My kid does skate in EPS helmets, but he doesn't skate ramps & bowls & doesn't hit his head. If he does fall on the street & hits his head & the liner dents, I'll get a new one. I tried his landfill-bound helmet & the EPS crushed with fingers pretty easily & left obvious dents.

There might be a well-vented helmet that fits my head as well as the Section (though the Specialized Align comes close), but I haven't found it yet. I tried the Pro-Tecs (Calabazas Cyclery is BMX friendly, so had a good choice of skate/BMX style helmets) & they didn't seem to cover the lower back of my head as well.

I also found the straps need to be more "tolerable" than fully "comfortable" to keep the helmet from moving around with light forces, but with a looser fitting shell, I had to have the straps really tight.

So... I'm going to start writing the manufacturers asking for a full-coverage helmet with serious venting. Motorcycle helmets come in full (with chinbar), 3/4 scooter style (covers the ears) and 1/2 brain buckets that cover the top half. I'd call today's well-vented helmets 7/16 and the skate-style 5/8.

ianbrettcooper

I agree with you about the non-slippery thing, and the lack of bright colours is kinda weird, given that a helmet is supposed to be all about safety. It's virtually impossible to find a gloss white helmet these days, and neon yellow, green or orange - it would be easier to find one that had been dipped in owl vomit. Amazon.com does sell a helmet cover in bright yellow with a reflective strip, but that's about it.