ABC Guide to Bike Helmets

Whatever form of bike riding you partake in, a bike helmet is essential for your safety. Crashes can happen at any place and time, and ensuring that your head is safe from concussions or even further damage can be done only with a well-fitting, good helmet. As we will discuss, various technologies used for creating helmets allow bikers to pick and choose what is optimal for their personal use. But first, let’s cover the basics:

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Know your helmet size

You will either need a string or a tape measure to find the circumference of your head. Make sure to measure right above your eyebrows in a straight line. Once you have the measurement, take a look at the sizing parameters for the brand you are looking to purchase, as all brands have different ranges for the sizes they supply. 

Know your riding conditions

Are you planning to ride in hot, humid weather? At night? On the mountain trails? Knowing where and when you will be riding will help determine what helmet you need, as different designs will provide solutions to varying degrees of discomfort or threat to safety. 

• • Weight: Lighter helmets are critical for those who are looking to minimise their load altogether, such as road bikers or bike packers. 
  • Colour: If you’re commuting at night or simply enjoy mountain biking in the depths of the forest, it may be helpful to choose a colour that helps distinguish you from your surroundings.
  • Ventilation – If you are expecting to confront hot or sunny conditions, getting a helmet with ventilation will be useful to let the breeze cool your head.
  • Aerodynamics: This is another important factor for road bikers. You’ll feel it most when descending at fast speeds, and if that sounds like something you’ll often experience, consider the helmet’s aerodynamic capability.
  • Cost: You’ll see that there is a wide range of prices for helmets. If you are a casual rider, only looking to commute around the flats, you don’t need to pay extra money for the best protection. Plenty of helmets supply premium safety at a more affordable price, fairly at the expense of less aerodynamic designs or more weight. However, it is important to know that more expensive does not equal more safety.

Know when to replace your helmet

You may not have known that helmets do, in fact, have expiration dates! If it’s been some time since you bought your current helmet, check the inside of it to find out when it expires. The material in your helmet, particularly the ones used to help absorb or redirect impact shock, degrades over time. The usual expiry date is within 3-5 years after manufacture. Additionally, helmets have features that can only be triggered once: meaning, if you have gotten in a crash at some point with that helmet, it’s time to go get a new one.

Know what technology your helmet supplies

There are three major protection systems that you can find in helmets: Inmold, WaveCel, and MIPS. Inmolds have a polycarbonate layer that will break when enough pressure is applied. The remaining shock is then absorbed by the foam layer underneath. Buyers will find that Inmold helmets are often some of the cheapest options out there. WaveCel looks like what it sounds: it’s a lining of wavy material that is more adept at absorbing shock than traditional helmets. Among the three, MIPS (Multi-Impact Protection System) is the most popular, and it is used to minimize rotational impact during crashes by utilizing a shifting, low-friction layer.

Now, with that information at hand, let’s take a look at some of the helmets we supply here at ABC.

Giro Escape MIPS LED 

Giro’s Escape Helmet uses various forms of MIPS technology, including the handy Roc Loc Sport fitting system, which allows the helmet fit to be adjusted with just one hand. Its sleek design paired with the front and rear LED lights make it an optimal choice for commuters.

Giro Fixture MIPS II 

Built with mountain bikers in mind, the Giro Fixture MIPS II is a value helmet that has many features that a higher-end mountain biking helmet would have: 16 vents, a snap-fit visor, MIPS paired with In-mold, and more. Weighing only 330 grams, it is a lightweight option that is appealing to road bikers as well.

Giro Caden MIPS II

Giro’s Caden MIPS II has all the bells and whistles of a premium biking helmet: a universal front light attachment point, featherweight webbing, and its vents have internal channeling. If you don’t think the built-in LED light on the Escape is necessary, the Caden is the perfect pick.

Giro Scamp Toddler

Its smaller size and designation as a toddler’s helmet do not mean there are any compromises on its safety capabilities. Its design is inspired by the Montaro MIPS and includes a polycarbonate Inmold shell with an EPS liner. It comes in three vibrant colors: green, red, and pink. Let your kid have their pick!

Nutcase Street MIPS

The Nutcase Street Helmet collection will bring spice and flair to your helmet game. Their designs are diverse and colorful, providing you with options that are far more eccentric than your usual helmet. Once again, safety is not compromised here, either: every helmet in the Street collection will come equipped with MIPS.

Nutcase Baby Nutty 

Continuing with children’s helmets, the Baby Nutty from Nutcase also provides a MIPS system with an EPS protective foam specifically designed for babies 1 year or older. It is heat-sealed and also has 11 vents for cooling.

Nutcase Little Nutty 

In addition to the impressive specs brought on by the previous helmet, this Little Nutty supplies a Crumple Zone EPS protective foam, as well as a new and improved visor. This helmet comes in two sizes, toddler and youth. Unlike the Baby Nutty, the toddler size here is designed for children ages 3 and up.

Overade Plixi

This folding helmet (you heard that right – it folds!) is a unique design that is optimal for urban bikers. Additionally, its 14 vents will keep you cool on any urban heat island.

Dashel Re-Cycle

The environmentalists reading this blog post may be thinking: Where should I dispose of my used helmets? Well, Dashel has the answer for you! Not only will they take care of your retired helmet, but they will also give you a discount on your next purchase. Aside from these perks, these helmets are minimalistic and stylish, coming in solid colors of sky blue, sage green, navy, and red.

What’s most important for a successful helmet purchase is to go to your local shop (that means us, if you’re a Christchurch local) and try these products out! You never know what will fit best in your head. However, you will “Goldilocks” your way to the right one, keeping you and your brain safer than ever.