A helmet protects you from brain or head injury while riding a bicycle. The best bicycle helmet is both comfortable and keeps the wearer safe. Read on, to know about bicycle helmet reviews.
The best bicycle helmets are manufactured by a company called Giro. You should always wear a helmet while riding a bicycle, for safety reasons. Riding a bicycle is far more dangerous than traveling in a bus or driving a car. A bicycle causes 170 deaths per billion journeys, while a bus causes around 4 deaths per billion journeys and a car causes 40 deaths per billion journeys. Bicycle helmet reviews can be found on websites such as Consumer Guide and Consumer Search.
Wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle is as important as tying a seat belt, while driving a car. In some states, it is illegal for children under a certain age, usually 16, to not wear a helmet. You may get a verbal warning, have your bicycle confiscated, or even have to pay a fine if you are not wearing a helmet.
Bicycle Helmet Standards
The bicycle helmet, generally need to certified by the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) standard. The helmet may also be certified by ASTM, originally known as the American Society for Testing and Materials. In the past, there was an ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standard, but it has been discontinued now. Less often, it may be certified by Snell.
A biker may slam into many objects during an accident. For example, he may hit a car, the road and the surrounding trees during the crash. The bicycle helmet should remain on the head during such a crash. You should replace a helmet if it has taken a hit. Sometimes, you have such a minor hit that you don’t even know that the helmet has been struck. You should definitely change a helmet if it has been used for five years, even if you have never been involved in a crash.
A helmet has foam that protects your head like airbags do in a car. It should have vents, which are openings in the shell of the helmet, and which are capable of cooling. The bigger the size of the vents, the cooler the helmet will be. The shell of the helmet is made of hard plastic or fiberglass. A helmet may come with or without a visor. The visor protects your eyes from sun, rain and snow. But, in case of a collision, a visor should separate itself from the helmet. If the visor doesn’t come off and it breaks, then it may cut into the wearer’s face.
Types of Bicycle Helmets
There are different types of bicycles and hence, different types of helmets. Road bicycles are meant to be ridden on the bicycle lanes on roads and pavements. Trek bicycles are designed for off-road trails, while other bikes are intended for both on-road and off-road use. Chrono helmets have a special aerodynamic shape meant for time trials. A BMX helmet is used by cyclists in the Motocross racing sport. A dual-use helmet can be used as both a bicycle helmet and a skateboard helmet, but do not use a skateboard-only helmet while riding a bicycle.
Choose a bicycle helmet whose color is white, silver, or bright orange so that it is visible from far. Helmets are available for children between 1 and 5 years old, but are not available for toddlers under 1 years. Helmets for women come in pastel colors such as pink and teal and have floral patterns on them. Women usually have long hair which they can tie into a ponytail, so helmets made for them are ponytail compatible. You cannot have beaded hair if you want to wear a helmet. You cannot wear a baseball cap with a bicycle helmet, especially if the cap has a steel base.
Cheap helmets may cost you between $10 and $30, while expensive ones may cost you between $30 and $150. Now that you know about the best helmets and have all the gear necessary, you can enjoy biking and go for a ride outside.
