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Helmet

Old 06-08-20, 06:51 PM
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katiemar11
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Helmet

Curious - Do people care what they look like out riding with a helmet?

I can't seem to find a helmet that actually looks good and doesn't make me look like an idiot on the road.

Does anyone else suffer from this? Would this be someone that someone is interested in? A bike helmet that is safe and actually looks good while riding... Thoughts? Would love some feedback!
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Old 06-09-20, 10:54 AM
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Are you selling something?
This sounds like the kind of a question that somebody who doesn't really ride would ask.
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Old 06-09-20, 11:32 AM
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Saw a 1 off artist project a styrofoam Beret ,, painted black..


Just go with it https://nutcasehelmets.com/collections/adult


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Old 06-09-20, 12:38 PM
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Originally Posted by DiabloScott
Are you selling something?
This sounds like the kind of a question that somebody who doesn't really ride would ask.
Isn't everybody?
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Old 06-09-20, 12:55 PM
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Commuter Helmet

I am only speaking for myself. My objective is a safe commute; if being ugly helps me get noticed then that works.

My ideal commuting helmet:

Available in fluorescent green
Has attachment points top, front, rear and side to accommodate lights and fixture so I can attach my Take-A-Look mirror.
MIPS or other improved suspension
Reasonable ventilation

I currently use a Bell Muni because it has a rear light bracket and I can kludge the top and front. Not MIPS.

I believe it is discontinued and the commuter helmets on Bell website aren't looking promising. In a few years I'll have to see what's on the market then.
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Old 06-09-20, 03:23 PM
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It's probably like clothing -- anything that's designed to be fashionable will also look dated in a year. I actually don't think helmets look all that bad. Whether I look like an idiot or not depends more on how I ride.
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Old 06-09-20, 08:27 PM
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Oh, yes, I care about how my helmet looks, I like pink, and then put feathers allllll over it...I don't care what a helmet looks like, good grief.
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Old 06-10-20, 09:10 AM
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This helmet represents the epitome of safety, function and style in the Covid Era.

Energy Dome Helmet
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Old 06-10-20, 01:17 PM
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I admit, I bought one that matched my bike.

If this is product design homework, know that you are on a well-beaten path. For a helmet to meet basic standards, the cushioning has to be thick enough to reduce the g forces to a sufficient level on impact. Thicker than that is safer. That's the primary influence on the silhouette.

Motorcyclists can get fashion helmets that are not up to code, and even fake DOT stickers that say they're ok, but this is usually to fake compliance to helmet laws. A cyclist is more likely just to leave it home.

Ladies have a lot more societal expectations of and for their appearance than men. They are expected to do their hair and makeup on their own time in their own home and arrive at work fresh as a daisy. That makes it more of a problem for them to exercise on the way to work and wear a helmet, or to use facilities at work men might take for granted, like a shower in a locker room.
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Old 06-10-20, 03:17 PM
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A lot of people care about the look of their helmets and go for helmets that are more moto/skater in style. Minimally or totally unvented hard shells. Look at Bern's line, Thousand, and others. There's also some niche ones like Yakkay that have "cover" options to basically disguise that one is wearing a bike helmet, but to me the look sillier because the covers make one look like one is wearing a gigantic baseball cap or an ill-fitting hat of some other sort.

Even when I was riding a ton for basic transportation and riding a bike to go out, socially, I just went with the "race"-style helmet that I had chosen for "real" riding, for fit, weight, and venting reasons.
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Old 06-10-20, 07:43 PM
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Sure if I was younger and in competition, I'd care what kind of helmets I buy and wear but not now and especially not into spending 100's of dollars.
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Old 06-13-20, 04:44 PM
  #12  
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I feel this

Originally Posted by katiemar11
Curious - Do people care what they look like out riding with a helmet?

I can't seem to find a helmet that actually looks good and doesn't make me look like an idiot on the road.

Does anyone else suffer from this? Would this be someone that someone is interested in? A bike helmet that is safe and actually looks good while riding... Thoughts? Would love some feedback!
Not gonna lie, I also enjoy helmets that have an aesthetic appeal to them. No shame in being safe and looking good at the same time! :-D I heard about thousand helmets company on NPR a few years back, and they design quite chic helmets. I can't link because I'm new, but you can google it.
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Old 06-13-20, 05:04 PM
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I wish I could get a helmet with a full brim. The brim itself would give an effective width of 2.5 inches (from my head, where a hat band would be) and it would be vented for forward transport (in the same function that a MTB helmet visor does). I'm OK with currently available helmets, except that they don't shade the Sun coming from various angles. Maybe go with the shape and size of a full-brimmed hard-hat but make it with the impact-protection and venting-direction of a bicycle helmet.
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Old 06-13-20, 07:34 PM
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Originally Posted by Nyah
I wish I could get a helmet with a full brim. The brim itself would give an effective width of 2.5 inches (from my head, where a hat band would be) and it would be vented for forward transport (in the same function that a MTB helmet visor does). I'm OK with currently available helmets, except that they don't shade the Sun coming from various angles. Maybe go with the shape and size of a full-brimmed hard-hat but make it with the impact-protection and venting-direction of a bicycle helmet.
Strange how some things feel like they should've been invented ages ago!
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Old 06-14-20, 09:13 AM
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Originally Posted by Nyah
I wish I could get a helmet with a full brim.
I mean... this thing has been around forever.

Da Brim :: Products :: Cycling :: Sporty

I like how this thread started out negging us about looking like dorks, and instead we went all in
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Old 06-14-20, 01:45 PM
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Originally Posted by DiabloScott
Are you selling something?
This sounds like the kind of a question that somebody who doesn't really ride would ask.
Not really. I myself have never found a helmet that doesn't look stupid on me-- there is something about my head shape (plus the fact that my head is on the small side) that looks as if the helmet is perched on top of my head, rather than my head being in it (yes, even if I am certain the helmet fits properly and the top of my head is touching the top inside of the helmet). It is what it is. I look like a demented mushroom with a giant cap on. The best I can do is find a helmet that has this look as little as possible (and that is in my budget; I can't always have both). I've decided I just need to live with this. I'm probably not the only person who has this problem. It's a bit discouraging when I look at other people who can look as cool as cucumbers in a helmet, but there's really nothing I can do about it.
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Old 06-14-20, 03:34 PM
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Originally Posted by Kat12
there is something about my head shape (plus the fact that my head is on the small side) that looks as if the helmet is perched on top of my head, rather than my head being in it (yes, even if I am certain the helmet fits properly and the top of my head is touching the top inside of the helmet). It is what it is. I look like a demented mushroom with a giant cap on. The best I can do is find a helmet that has this look as little as possible (and that is in my budget; I can't always have both).
If you want the lower profile look, try on some "aero" helmets like my buddy in the red here. I have no idea if these come in a budget version.

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Old 06-14-20, 05:57 PM
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Originally Posted by DiabloScott
If you want the lower profile look, try on some "aero" helmets like my buddy in the red here. I have no idea if these come in a budget version.

I couldn't see the picture... but I can probably guess what such a helmet looks like.

Right now I've got a Specialized Chamonix that I got last year, which to me is pretty streamlined... It was pretty much what the guy at my LBS recommended; I suspect based on my budget + what they had in stock that day. The mushroom look in this definitely isn't as bad as it could be, but not as good as it could be, either. Previously I'd only ever bought the cheaper helmets such as Bells and the like, so this was the most I've ever spent for a helmet, sadly enough, even though it was only around $70. But it's also definitely the most sleek helmet I've ever had-- my last helmet was the multi-sport type (to cover more of my head and try to minimize the mushroom look, which it did with limited success) and before that, well, a Bell from the 90s, 'nuff said; I'm pretty sure it was illegal for those to look good on anyone. It'll do the job I need it to do, I assume, and the look could definitely be worse, so I can't complain.
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Old 06-14-20, 08:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Darth Lefty
I mean... this thing has been around forever.

Da Brim :: Products :: Cycling :: Sporty
I know but, if you read the details of my post, the DaBrim products don't fit the bill.
• It's way too big for what I want. The minimum necessary for shading one's face is 2.5". That's what I want, not a 3+" brim that's fastened to a helmet that already sticks out an inch and a half. Four and a half inches is overkill for shading one's face.
• There's nothing to prevent the brim from flipping up in the front, thus not a suitable shade. MTB visors are stiff by design, which is why I cited that design in my request.

I like how this thread started out negging us about looking like dorks, and instead we went all in
I figured, might as well give them a chance to know where the real demand is.
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Old 06-20-20, 05:16 AM
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It doesn't really matter your look as far your head it is protected!
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Old 06-20-20, 12:10 PM
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Originally Posted by andreakane
Not gonna lie, I also enjoy helmets that have an aesthetic appeal to them. No shame in being safe and looking good at the same time! :-D I heard about thousand helmets company on NPR a few years back, and they design quite chic helmets. I can't link because I'm new, but you can google it.
I checked out the Thousand Helmets and I like the urban style, but like other skateboard style helmets, they fall way short on ventilation for all but the most relaxed short rides (at least for me).

I have a Bolle "The One" helmet . Probably not "great-looking", but the removable vent covers sure make it versatile for all weather conditions: Bolle "The One"

This Kask helmet is interesting: it has a sliding vent that looks useful for transitioning from warm weather to cool-weather use without fiddling with vent covers: Kask Infinity

I guess form and function are integral things for me: comfort/ventilation, safety, versatility, appearance. No one criterion stands without the others.
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Old 06-20-20, 07:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Rachel Ross
It doesn't really matter your look as far your head it is protected!
Sure, but these days, luckily, there are bike helmets that are closer to attractive than in years past, so there's nothing wrong with wanting to take advantage of that.
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Old 06-23-20, 10:28 AM
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I had the hardest time finding something that looked good on my noggin. Check out Bern (FL-1) helmets. They are super low profile if that is the look you are going for.
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Old 07-21-20, 05:44 PM
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What I want is a pith helmet or full-brimmed hard-hat style - a stiff, curved brim that goes all the way around - but suitable for bicycling. There's nothing out there that I can find. I've actually considered a real pith helmet, but the way the harness of that is anchored inside of the helmet, doesn't look like a very steady, secure fit.

I just ordered a new bicycle helmet, a Kali Lunati Sync. It seems like the quintessential MTB helmet. I chose the colorway that liked the most. Looks fine to me, I just wish it had a more functional brim.
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Old 07-21-20, 07:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Archwhorides
This helmet represents the epitome of safety, function and style in the Covid Era.

Energy Dome Helmet
mount one of these babies' on top and you're the bomb!
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