john4789

What helmet is everyone riding with? Road, BMX-Skateboard, none?

I use a BMX style shell helmet. I feel more secure with the lower back and sides since you never know how you will land if hit by a car. I crashed on a metal grating bridge once and hit the side of my head, not sure if a typical road helmet would have covered that low down.

Only one problem, heat! Great for the winter but it is too damn hot in the summer. Anyone know of a BMX shell type helmet with more vents than a typical model?

jlam

I'm currently using a Bell Faction skate-style helmet. However, now that it's warming up, I'm in the lookout for a lightweight road helmet so when I take my helmet off, it doesn't look like I've slathered petroleum jelly all over my hair. My commute is 40km round trip.

Depends where you're riding... If I were commuting through a downtown area, I would probably stick with a skate-style helmet for protection for all types of falls and collisions for those just-in-case moments. But if I'm on long stretches of road, then an aero-helmet all the way.

gerv 

$40 Bell commuter helmet. There's no reason to pay more.

Myosmith

Bell Citi, good safety rating, comfortable, inexpensive and neither too aero (highly aero racing helments look silly on a heavy guy cruising on a touring bike in my opinion) or too conservative. Looks like something a bike messenger or avid commuter would wear.

AlmostGreenGuy

Bell Muni. Love the Blackburn Flea attachments.

stdlrf11

I've got a Giro MTB helmet. Took off the visor and added some reflective tape. Its getting old and the pads are falling apart, so it will soon be time for a new one.

SuncoastChad

Triple-8 skate helmet. With my cruiser being aero is the least of my concerns!

arbysovenmitt

Works for me too.

Igo

Yep. All day comfort, cheap and looks just as stupid as all the expensive ones.

sm1960

standard bike helmet. skull cap underneath when its cold, baseball hat under when its raining, dump my water bottle through the holes when its hot.

Mostly rural riding, one busy road but wide shoulders.

chefisaac

You make a good points. I wonder what the safety ratings are with the road helments versus BMX helmets.

Schwinnrider

I wear a Bell Metro, which was Bell's first "commuter centric" helmet. It's blaze orange with reflective material on the straps. Bell designed it as a helmet system, so I have the rain cover which snaps on, the mirror which folds into the visor when not needed, and it was the helmet which introduced the rear blinkie strap.

This is my second one. The first one sacrificed itself when I was hit by a truck. Good helmet. If/when I replace it, I'll look at the Bell Muni.

JeremyZ

I use a typical style bike helmet, a Trek model with quick adjust in the back. It was a good mix of ventilation, modern shell adhesion, and value. I think it was $40 or so.

When I was a kid, bike helmets were only for racers, and we wore hockey helmets. They're vented too, so probably a good alternative to anything without vent holes.

Monster Pete

I don't normally wear a helmet for road riding, but if I did I'd choose something that's well ventilated for (the summer at least) and that gave good coverage, based on the principle that no protective gear can protect what it doesn't cover. If there's a wide temperature swing between summer and winter, it might be worthwhile having two, or some means of insulating a ventilated helmet in the winter.

I see quite a few commuters wearing BMX/skate type helmets. It seems more sensible than some road-style helmets that are pretty much perched on the top of the head, with no protection lower down. The best protection would come from a full-face helmet MTB riders sometimes wear, but it's up to you whether you feel the need for such measures.

AdamDZ

I currently have three helmets:

- commuter helmet, usually cheaper Bell or Giro MTB helmet, $50 at most, don't care much about ventilation or weight
- a better helmet for mountain biking, lighter, more ventilation, $100 at most
- I just bought a very light, well ventilated helmet for road riding for about $100 too

I found that the cheaper helmets I used for commuting are kind of heavy and I start feeling their weight after a few hours of riding. Also the better helmets tend to have more comfortable straps and webbings that work better on longer rides. So $100 is a lot for a helmet but it does make a difference IMHO.

Wolfwerx

I just bought a Bell at Costco for $20. It feels just like the $40+ one that I just cracked. I can't see spending a whole lot of money for some strips of styrofoam for myself. Some are more comfortable than others, so that is my only real consideration.

snowman40

$130-$150 Bells, prices when I purchased them. They seem to be the only ones that fit me comfortably/correctly. Only complaint is it whistles in the right wind conditions....

Good thing I don't fall....now where's that 2x4 of mine, I need to knock on some wood.

mikeybikes

None.

chipcom 

an old ball cap

lightning60

Bern Macon in hi-vis yellow

https://www.bernunlimited.com/Product...elmetType=Bike

Commodus

A yellow MET something or other. It was expensive. I just shopped until I found one that fit the best and bought it.

jlam

Is there any reason why the low end helmets tend to bulge out at the sides? Does it offer more protection or is it just cheaper to design it that way?

Seems like you have to spend a fair bit of money to get a nice looking helmet

KonAaron Snake 

I use a Uvex touring/mtb helmet...

Uvex has the best retention system I've used, it has bountiful ventilation, netting that does a great job on the little winged buggers and I love the clasp system. I've never used a better helmet and it fits my large'sh dome extremely well. They're also on clearance through REI right now.

ItsJustMe

Bell Metro. I buy them on end-of year specials, I've paid about $35 or $40 for the last couple. I had a Citi when I first started and couldn't wait for sales.

I've never been bothered by the heat.

I tape up the vents in the winter.

onehappypanda

Bern skating helmet. What's the difference in protection between a skating helmet and a bike helmet? I wasn't sure, so I went with mine because it looks slightly less stupid, is slightly more comfortable, and I could also get one that covers my giant head for cheap.

Granted, the one and only time I've crashed my bike was also the one and only time I left the helmet at home. Go figure. So I can't really rate its performance.