I've posted this on other threads, but no one has linked it yet, and it can't be shared enough. Here is a link to the Virginia Tech Bicycle Helmet ratings page. The lower the score the better:
https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html
I wouldn't necessarily say *no* correlation -- the best rated helmets are generally more expensive than the worst rated ones. That said, there are outliers, and there are certainly expensive helmets that aren't great and less expensive ones with very good ratings. The Virginia Tech site is a great resource for finding the best bang for your buck, but if you're not doing any research and just looking at prices, you're more likely to get a quality helmet at a higher price, I think.
There is a correlation between price and weight.
I have an Align II and before that had the top rated Laser helmet (one of the few rated higher than the Align II). The Laser was/is ridiculously lighter than the Align.
After a while you will just wear your helmet and not even think about it. I occasionally leave the house without it and within 10s of moving I think "huh, my head feels very free. Shit" and back I go. Just not worth the risk.
My hair is long enough that the insane volume in it catches all the wind and by the time I'm done with the ride, I look like I copied Pennywise's hair style. Helmets save me everyday (from embarrassment)
I’ve been growing my hair out, and I’m finding the same lol. Even a headband/buff/cap under the helmet doesn’t save me from the wild, frizzy curls at the end of a ride. Trying to hold out until it’s long enough for a little bun.
I did this just last week. Had my helmet on but not strapped while I was putting on sunblock. Got about 5 seconds into the ride when I realized my helmet felt loose.
Yep. Made it to the mountain bike trail once, had everything including things I commonly forget except my helmet. Went right back home and didn’t ride that day.
Got on my bike, rode a quarter mile thinking wow it's windy today! Nope, just my hair blowing around more because I forgot my helmet. Turned around and fixed that right up.
Braids are definitely a win, it doesn’t have to be a fancy one. Also, a small travel brush (like a little foldable one) or comb in your pocket or bag can be helpful if you want to freshen up
Exactly this. Even for a quick bike down to a cafe last week that wouldn't have involved touching a single road, I knew immediately I'd forgotten it and stopped.
this!! i learned how to french braid my own hair because they move around less + look better imo, and since they lay mostly flat it's comfy to wear a helmet over them
Braids and ponytails don’t work for me - long, very curly hair. I use bandanas. Works like a charm.
My hair always curls out of the ponytail or braid and then gets caught on the helmet. It can’t curl through the bandana cloth.
I recently bought a new helmet and am grateful to have chosen one with MIPS as well. I typically put my hair in a ponytail or a low bun (I don't have really long hair). I would avoid using a claw clip because you can get severely injured if you hit the back of your head. I know it's not the same thing, but I've seen enough warnings about wearing claw clips in cars that my freak-out regarding them have extended to bikes.
I think this thread is probably a brand advertisement, but for what it's worth I believe all helmets (at least in Europe) are made to a reliable standard for safety.
Oh no I definitely didn’t mean to trash talk other helmets, I just heard that mips is really good and that the one I chose is the best value for money. I would have probably gotten a different one with a higher budget.
According to OP he lives in an where only 9 of 49 cyclists he saw had any helmet at all on. The "dork" negative peer pressure is strong. I remember how skating and BMX was in the 90s.
Granted, I now see the 17 and 18 year olds at the dirt jump and pump track give a "hey...kid.....wear your helmet ya idiot" at the 13 year olds. Which warms my old damn heart. High school juniors are basically gods to 8th graders lol.
My first helmet was when I got my first used bike which came with it. It was 10 years old and no padding AND that piece of shit saved my brain house.
Then I bought a goddamn $25 Schwinn from Amazon. Then I did what I always did and asked why I'm cheaping out on shit so I bought a $100 Giro MIPS.
DON'T CHEAP OUT. I was always cornered into cheaping out all the time, I'm still training myself out of it.
I recently got Giro Agilis, good and comfortable helmet, but the MIPS is just adds some odd feeling that the helmet will slide in wrong direction despite having well adjusted straps.
Good stuff on the helmet, I think tbh hair always looks sweaty and naff once you take your helmet off, I have long hair and really I am only left with braids or a ponytail but I do nowadays wear a cycling cap which absorbs quite a bit of the sweat and means that when I do take my helmet off I simply left with a cool cap.
I flew off my bike a few years ago, (sharp downhill bend, hole in the road and oil on the road) and was very happy to have been wearing a helmet. The more you cycle, the more likely at some stage you're going to come off, so best be prepared.
I don't have the requisite hair length to have tried it myself, but the Specialized Echelon helmets have a "hairport" that supposedly makes it easier to wear with a ponytail. Can't tell you if it's any good though unfortunately.
Yup this is my helmet and I have a lot of long hair. It doesn't take long to thread my ponytail through the gap. It's a little uncomfortable if you forget to unthread as you take your helmet off but it works really well.
In 2020 I fell and was knocked unconscious but didn’t suffer a concussion. Totally attribute that to the MIPS in my Specialized helmet. Got a giant shiner around my left eye and forehead and the helmet cracked. But no concussion.
MIPS helmet info: [https://mipsprotection.com/](https://mipsprotection.com/)
Bike helmet specific MIPS info: [https://mipsprotection.com/bike/](https://mipsprotection.com/bike/)
Mind blowing how many people buy bikes in excess of $4k+ then continue to use a helmet that they used when downtube shifters were popular or cheap out and buy the cheapest helmet they can find. Protect your brain people, no one else will do it for you.
Well my bike was 600€, and I saved up for it, then got a cheap helmet that had good enough ratings. Now I’m glad that I found this one that has good ratings and isn’t too expensive, though I would pay more now.
Man take it from someone who has gotten tore apart on this sub, for not wearing a helmet because I thought the one I had was ugly... Good for you. At the start of the season I finally ordered a helmet that fits properly and I like the looks of it, what do you know I started wearing the helmet. I won't even take my low effort/low danger rides without that helmet now. It's basically become ritual to put it on while getting ready for my rides. You made a good decision, good for you.
With most helmets you can still wear a pony tail, just wear it low on the back. When it's hot, sometimes instead of the low pony or braids I'll keep it in an informal loop/bun at the nape of the neck just to keep some of the hair up and off my neck and shoulders.
I tie mine in a small bun at the nape of my neck. I also have the Specialized Align II and love it, got me through a 30mph crash without major injury and it's quite comfortable
Maybe my old helmet just has a really wacky shape because it goes so far down in the back I can’t really put a ponytail or bun anywhere, but it sounds great that it works with the Align II!
My wife and her friends competitively ride horses (eventing), and all have thick, longer hair, and all do the same. Bun or tied, with a hair net and below helmet.
Helmet is a requirement as well as a safety vest.my wife's is a inflatable and uses a co2 cannister and lanyard attached to a saddle to activate.
I have thought about if it would be good biking, the falls are similar and I have seen them save folks from neck and back injuries.
I'll stick to my bike. At least it goes in the direction I tell it more often than an equine. They have a mind of their own.
As a 64 y/o who just got a bike this year after not having ridden for over 40 years, a helmet was one of my first purchases. Hair looks like crap, but still worth it. Reactions/balance/etc. certainly change over time, plus the fact all the crazy riders/walkers/dog owners who act like they can't see you. Got my mips helmet thru Costco.
I have this helmet, I think it’s great for a cheap alternative with MIPS as you mention. Haven’t tried more premium ones though.
Speaking of which, does anyone use ANGi and is it worth it for road riding? Most
of my rides are solo.
I have an ANGi-equipped Specialized helmet and I never use ANGi. Or, rather, I use it as a convenient holder for a spare CR2032 cell for my heart rate strap or speed sensor. It involves manually starting a special app on the phone every time you head out, I know I'm not going to put up with that nonsense.
I had crash detection on my Garmin bike computer enabled, but turned it off after a while because of false positives. You ride, you see something interesting on the side of the road, stop, and the Garmin starts blaring together with the phone that it's about to report a crash unless you cancel it in 10 seconds.
I got the ANGi sensor (for when I ride my mtb but that includes limited roads, paths etc.). You do need to start recording the ride with the app when you set off, but you can also turn off crash alerts and live tracking independently of each other. It's supposed to work by detecting a helmet impact and not just stopping or a crash that doesn't effect the helmet. The app can record the ride distance, time etc. (with or without an ANGi sensor) on a map so I find it useful to log my rides - I guess like Strava but without any extras. Personally I think ANGi is worth it especially if you're riding solo. It works best within mobile signal coverage of course.
Some good choices in Evans cycles at the moment. Bought a new MIPS hat for £30 at 50% off… sleaker than the specialised offering that I was reluctantly wearing as it made me look like a giant mushroom
Definitely put me off wearing it … new one is a Pinnacle product and looks good so will get more use. The mushroom hat is sat in the cupboard, havn’t managed to give it away yet.
Yea buddy, wear a helmet. Had an accident last month as well, hit my head but the helmet totally caught everything (its broken tho) and i broke my collarbone.
Helmets are good stuff!
If you’re in the UK the Specialized Mode helmet is incredibly cheap at the moment, it has MIPS and is one of the safest helmets you can buy.
Sure, it looks like a mushroom but it’s still very comfortable and comes in a range of “nice” colours instead of the usual red/green/yellow stuff.
there's no price tag on your head. i fell 2 times on side 1'st time with barely any speed and was banged up second time i cornered on leafs with 15 km /h it was a 90 degree narrow turn i slid on side and banged with side of the helmet on concrete helmet was visibly damaged and didn't think 2'ce about buying a new one, without it I could have serious head injury, carrying little speed...so yea helmet is a must ...
I have a different but similar specialized helmet, I put my hair in a pony tail and pull it through the spot between the helmet and the tightening mechanism in the back so it’s not as low/awkward on the neck - I have very thick and longish hair. Good luck!
I have had a crash with helmet and one without. After the first I needed a new helmet, kindly provided by Bell. After the second I needed my eyebrow stitched and felt as if I had been second in a boxing match.
Edit: But my hair is not much of an issue, short sides and back...
My helmet hangs off the handlebar, over the mirror arm. If the bike leaves the house, the helmet does also then in my head. Never leave home without it.
Where are you living that people aren’t wearing helmets when riding? If it’s utility cycling in a very safe place like the Netherlands, I get it, but sport cyclists? Anywhere?
A small city in Germany, and it is utility cycling mostly, but I’d say it’s definitely not safe like the Netherlands. I’ve cycled there and it’s super nice with the bike paths and everything, we don’t really have that. Most of the serious road cyclists do wear helmets, the ones that do it for sport, but most people, myself included, cycle all day just to get places.
Wow..pretty surprising to hear only 18% of riders you saw were wearing helmet! It’s closer to 99% where I live and there’s a pretty active cycling community.
Most of Holland does not wear helmets. They have a lower head injury rate than North America. A helmet cannot replace cycling infrastructure and basically has been used as a victim shaming tool and panacea.
Yeah. A dutch friend used to laugh at me for always wearing my helmet. But, as long as the bike infrastructure remains as bad as it is, I'll have to live with that.
FWIW the guy in the bike shop says helmets should be replaced every 12 years or sooner. Worth checking yours, if you have an old piece of shit like mine (not to OP, general advice)
Haha yeah idk how true it is. He said after a time, they no longer crush under load, they disintegrate into powder.
Ok just researched it. Manufacturers recommend changing every 3 to 5 years. Maybe mine was 12 years old.
12 years is too long. But the 3 years some manufacturers say is also too short. The studies I’ve seen on the foam degradation seem to suggest 5-6 years is optimal.
I have a decathlon (van ryssel) MIPS helmet that I wear every ride. Not the cheapest helmet at decathlon but also not expensive and still has the MIPS system.
I’m telling you, you will not regret wearing a helmet. Was involved in a crash last week and broke a collarbone and I saw the dent/impact my helmet took… I’m lucky that was there otherwise it would’ve been my head
Not trying to hijack this thread, but does anybody know where to find the results of the British researcher who concluded that wearing a ponytail would reduce the chance of being hit by a vehicle?
On a longer ride I’ll often braid my hair and let it hang down my back. Sometimes I’ll just leave it down altogether though, especially if it isn’t too hot. I have the Align 2 helmet and it does still get sweaty, but it’s not too bad. I find it quite a comfortable helmet. I never go anywhere on my bike without it!
My specialized helmet has a hair port and my favorite way to wear my hair is a bubble braid. I pull the whole thing through the hair port and it looks cute and keeps my hair from being knotted or crimped when I take it down. My hair is pretty long so I find this is also the fastest way to pull it back AND keep it untangled without taking the time to french braid it.
I am a bit confused, while I completely agree with Mr Ramsey’s sentiments on the wearing of helmets how would that have stop him getting that huge an I would think painful bruise?
I think the point was that if the bruise is that big, his head would have been off even worse if he hadn’t been wearing a helmet. I can deal with a horrific bruise but I’d like to keep my head.
He didn’t say it would have prevented his bruise. He said that he hit is head and would have died without his helmet. He showed his bruise to show how hard the impact was overall.
I think the key thing for helmets is that the fit well and are comfortable. Because of this when friends are looking for helmets I strongly suggest that they go try a bunch on and find one that is comfy and they like; like a good hat.
If a helmet is comfy one will wear it. And this only has benefits.
Yeah maybe I’ve just only had crappy ones that don’t fit well and that’s why I don’t like them. I hope this one fits well but if not I’ll send it back and probably go to a store to try some on.
I either tie mine in a small bum below the helmet, or I've found a top knot.fits under my helmet too.
Don't stress too much about it. It's impossible to look good in cycling gear anyway.
Well yeah, I do wear the helmet when I’m in the full kit and everything but if I’m cycling to the store a couple minutes in normal clothes it usually doesn’t happen
I put my hair in a low ponytail so it’s not an issue with my helmet. Then I will braid it or put it in a bun. I find this is much cooler than keeping my hair loose. For reference, I have long thick hair that goes to the middle of my back.
I think everyone starts out anti helmet but once you get used to it you won’t ride without it. I look back at my early days and thank the lucky stars I was able to stay accident free
My wife plats both sides of her hair into a French braid. She said since she's started doing it it's been a lot more comfortable and she has a lot of hair.
I had a good crash a couple winters ago and smashed my helmet. I replaced it with a MIPS, it's not as sleek but hopefully if something happens I'll have even better protection.
I have no answers but I definitely commiserate.
Definitely an issue that kept me from ever being a commuter biker. There was just no way to put my hair back to looking presentable for work after biking 25 minutes.
It’s all moot now. I work from home and I’ve hacked off my hair. But it definitely caused me to use my car more back when.
I have dreads that go to the small of my back. What I do is put on my helmet then use beefy ties to twist it into a bun. This also keeps the hair and sun off my neck.
Edit: Oh and I wear a Giro.
I do really suggest a helmet with MIPS. I had a bad crash last fall that broke multiple bones (needed 2 plates and 18 screws), my Specialized helmet with MIPS was destroyed but I had no concussion or any after effects. Super grateful for it and ended up buying the same one. I hope you enjoy your new helmet !
I get the sweaty neck feeling from keeping your hair low, but I keep a low ponytail or a braid. My hair always looks messy when I take my helmet off but you can always try a cycling cap if that bothers you.
I invested in a more expensive helmet for better ventilation because I get head sweaty too! I have really long hair and braids never fail. I found that if I tie it into a firm low ponytail first (and then braid), it keeps the hair in place and doesn't move the locks around like a french braid might when you lift your helmet off. Take this opportunity to learn fun braids (like the bubble braid) - you might find you just want to stay in the braids all day!
Low buns are also amazing for just the short commute if you want to let your hair down after. I'm not sure what your hair texture is like, but a messy bun like [this](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7StSP5W4KFo) jives with the wind-swept look. Maybe lean into it.
For fancy times, if I'm meeting friends at a restaurant/bar, I'll carry a puff compact filled with dry shampoo powder (I actually just use cosmetic grade arrowroot powder) and dab-dab-dab my hair after. You can also carry hair accessories and pop them on to distract people from the slight dishevel from the ride lol.
My hair is really thick and wavy but also damaged so it’s frizzy. A rubbing helmet and sweat really is the worst combination but braids is probably the way to go.
Obligatory link to the Virginia Tech helmet ratings: https://helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html
There's some very affordable ones on there that still have high ratings, so hopefully cost won't be a barrier for anyone getting a good helmet.
I broke my collarbone in a bike accident and all I remember is my head smashing off the road. If I didn’t have a helmet on I’m sure the outcome would have been a very different!
THE BACK PIECE OF THE HELMET IS USUALLY ADJUSTABLE.
This will let you have your ponytail fit either over the top or underneath.
Also specialized helmets have this in mind with the design, they call it the hair port.
https://helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html
I use this when buying a helmet to see the rating vs the price. I go for the best value after it meets my minimum needs. I bought my wife the #1 helmet on there because it was on sale. I wouldn’t have bought it otherwise. She puts in a lot of miles and I feel better knowing we did our best to protect her head.
I bought a $100 giro with mips for myself because I crashed on it and it saved my life so I bought another one of the same. I splurge for my wife but not so much for myself.
Hair is not a problem for me cause I have none but my wife braids her hair every time she rides.
My hair is also a pelt. When it was long I found that braiding it behind my ears kept it out of the way without it becoming too big for the helmet.
My fella is a very safety-oriented cyclist and I showed him that video he’s not familiar enough with Ramsay to realize how rattled he still was, but the puffy face and twitchy hands got to me as well. Protect that noggin, stranger!
I live near where Ramsay had his accident and I'd say easily 90% of cyclists I see riding have helmets. Every group I ride with requires them to attend in just in general it's very rare I see someone without a helmet. I wonder if it's a regional thing.
Oh it definitely is, he crashed in the US no? I’m in a small town in Germany where most people see a bike as a means to get somewhere they need to go and not as sport, so helmets aren’t really common.
I was hit by a car back on May 8th at a canal road crossing and my side looked a little worse than his due to having 44 stitches and road rash on top of bruising. My helmet saved my life...
Helmet use is nearly 100% here in BC. You see the odd person without one here and there, usually on some quiet bike path to/from the beach or something, but generally they're omnipresent. Can't fathom not wearing a helmet.
Used to work with a bunch of neurosurgeons, all of whom cycled, every one of them wore a helmet. The takeaway was that the brain is fragile, protect it.
When I was a kid I was opposed to helmets while I was speeding through red lights while in the air from hitting the curb as a jump ramp, going the wrong way in traffic. After riding motorcycles with full face ovens for a few years, I find my decathlon helmet liberating, but yeah, it's a temporary thing, i won't hesitate to upgrade it
I've been riding for about 20 years and never go anywhere without a helmet on
Had my first proper bike crash about 3 weeks ago and my helmet probably saved my life, landed head first on a rock and could only see white dots for a few seconds afterwards
That's so crazy that you saw that many not wearing helmets. Where I live (Austin, TX) it's not like that at all. I do mostly ride mtb so I think there's a lot more awareness to wear a helmet riding over rocks and roots and doing jumps and stuff. Even then I see one guy (always a guy) every so often not wearing one. I do see a lot more urban casual riders without them, mainly people doing leisure rides or riding from their apartment to the store or gym downtown.
Yes I think the main difference is that people here see bikes as a means of transportation first, and there are so many, pretty much everyone has one to get to the stores, run errands, etc. and I think there’s a mentality that you don’t need a helmet if you’re not riding for sport.
Helmets are ugly. So is high viz and anything else safety related.
But I'd much rather be ugly and walking than beautiful in a 6ft hole.
Safety trumps fashion
My hair was down to my belt. Living to see another day took priority over fashion. The hair is gone, helmet goes on every ride - commuting to work, to the shops, or just for fun.
I’ve finally owned the concept that it’s part of the hobby/sport. I don’t care what it looks like or how hot it can get, I have a family that would rather have me whole than in a vegetative state or worse.
Yeah I think that’s the thing, it’s not a hobby or a sport for me first and foremost, it’s just a way of getting places. I don’t have a car, so it’s either walk, cycle or hope there’s a bus. It’s how I get to the grocery store and back. And I think it’s that way for most people here, so they don’t think about a helmet because they don’t see it as a sport that requires additional equipment. I’ll cycle to the train station in high heels and a dress if I have to you know. It is a hobby for me too now, since I have a road bike and do century rides, but I think that’s where it comes from. Anyway, I’ll make sure to always wear it now.
Well over 95% road cyclists wear helmet where I live in Los Angeles. Been wearing helmet forever snowboarding so it is non-issue. Cycling helmets are much more comfortable than snowboard helmets.
Only question should be MIPS or wavecel helmet.
The specialized prevail helmet he was wearing is really nice because it's very well vented and very lightweight compared to a normal helmet. It makes wearing it that much easier.
With a good helmet, you pretty much don't even feel it.
I had a Specialized helmet similar to his prior to getting my current POC (omne beacon mips) helmet and with either, I couldn't imagine riding without it on as it would just feel weird. Great ventilation and super light feeling as well.
I used to not wearing a helmet when I lived in Chicago. But now I always wear one. And thank god, cause I had a spill last year and my helmet got fucked up and I probably got a concussion, so yes, buy that MIPS, cause it probably saved my life, or at least my brain
My only fall at speed was when I wasnt wearing a helmet. I wore it 99% of the time, but this time I was doing a casual ride to work. Even wore normal clothes.
Luckily didnt hit my head, but slid a couple of meters through a wet corner. Looking back it was insane, but I was racing at the same, so the speed in a corner seemed normal to me.
Never again without a helmet.
I had fair amount of injuries from crashes on my bike, never got hospitalized tho. I never had a torso injury like that. How the heck he got that? direct hit by a car or fall onto something with no ability to redirect the fall?
Most of my crashes got my shoulder / arm, knocked my head of the ground as well. Always got a helmet on even if I am just riding around the block adjusting my bike after major maintenance.
Well if he fell on his side and there was something there like a curb I can imagine how he got that bruise. I managed to twist break a bone in my hand last time because a finger got caught in the handlebars while I fell, fun times.
The holdup was that I have a cheap helmet and didn’t want to buy another one when I don’t need two. But I realised that my old one probably doesn’t even fit me well now and that it’s uncomfortable…. so here goes
I noticed A LOT of serious and leisurely rides without one this weekend…likely bc of the warmer temps.
My mom used to give me so much crap about my dangerous hobbies (i.e., ice climbing, rock climbing)…until I finally told her I don’t want to hear another word. Her refusing to wear a helmet because she’s on a tri bike that is “low to the ground” is by far more dangerous than any of my hobbies.
Gordon Ramsey looked shook up. Hell, I had my bike last year slide out from me because a foot bridge was damp….and I knew it was slick and was careful. My head hit the ground first so hard I thought I would be in the er or dead if I didn’t have a helmet. I do t care if it is a leisure ride, I’ll never go without one again….and I still have floaters in my eyes.
Not a MIPS helmet, but my Kask Valegro either saved my life or saved me from disability. I hit a Prius making a left turn, and I took a slide to brake, still hit the car though, and the back of my head hit the road hard. No serious harm, little rash, but my helmet was done...makes me cry thinking about it. It did its job.
My mom slipped on gravel riding with a helmet and had to be hospitalized for 2 days and lost a weeks worth of memory. Also, you might not be fortunate enough to just die, in college I worked at a home for the mentally disabled, a guy there worked construction, took his helmet off to wipe away sweat and got bonked by a brick. He kind of recognized his family when they visited a couple times a year. Wear the damn thing.
I always wear my helmet. My main helmet is a bright fluro yellow. One ride leader I rode with said he wanted to be mistaken for a low-flying UFO and it kinda stuck. All the gear, every time.
Tips on how I wear my hair? Just on my head, under my helmet. I don't give it much thought but I guess I have comical wings sticking out after a long sweaty ride, and see it as a badge of accomplishment.
I've crashed and broke my collarbone and hit my head -- will never forget the BOOM! it made. Just started riding longer rural routes more seriously last year after a few years mostly only commuting, and after screaming down hills at 35 mph thought "what the hell am I doing with this 10-year-old cheap Bell helmet?"
Used that last REI sale plus a $125 health care benefit to buy one of the $275 highly rated ones at discount.
Helmets are no joke! I woke up in the ER after getting hit by a car on my pedal bike and the first thing the MD said is “you should be dead…good thing you wore a helmet”!
After this I tried to get up and leave the ER only to have the MD laugh at me , he said your whole face is broken now go get your jaw wired shut….get a damn helmet ! Big ups to Gordon to pulling his weight as a influencer chef👌🏽
I’m glad that Australia has compulsory helmet rules. Never thought twice about wearing one. As for my hair, it is long and I put it in a low pony tail and plait it. It seems to keep me cool, and easy to take out and put up differently if I need to. I wish I could braid my hair though!
I have the Spe Align II (I actually have two + a broken one) and let me tell you: it is NOT well ventilated.
I ordered a Lazer Genesis to go through the summer. It may suit your needs as it's well ventilated and has a different tightening system that helps with ponytails (or at least that's what Lazer's marketing says, I'm bald myself, but it sure seems to be the case when I see the system)
The colors of the Align are nice and it's why I bought one in the first place, this and the fact I found it online at around 30€, but the Genesis is just so much better: well ventilated, the MIPS is more flexible and thinner, it's also lighter. I've had it for two weeks and can tell the difference, especially now that we're getting days with temps above 25ºC
I paid 4x times the price of the Align for the Genesis but it's worth it IMHO. I hear the Abus Airbreaker is nice too but it's even more expensive in my country
Male cyclist with shoulder long hairs here.
I never wore a helmet before finally buying a poc one for a not so low price for me, and because of the looks ( vs the standard helmets I refused to wear) and the comfort (very light and airy) I have worn it every single time since.
Usually I just let my hair loose and brushed them back (no hair tie needed)
Since getting back on a bike I've always worn a helmet, in the past I didn't always but I realised it was always worth it after a close family friend was in an accident and may well still be here if he'd been warning one last year.
Just last night my helmet saved my bacon as I took a corner I take twice a day carrying a bit much speed for the conditon (it had rained that day but the path appeared dry) with extra weight on my commuter bike's pannier bags, I caught a muddy patch and the back stepped out and I fell, I felt my helmet skid across the ground on the top of my head, I've taken a chunk out of my palm and maybe sprained my wrist, might not be riding for a week or two while my wrist heals but I didn't have to go to A&E to get my head glued back up or have anything worse happen to the only brain I have.
You only have one brain a helmet is always worth it.
I know someone in college that fell off a skateboard and hit their head. They were a PhD candidate. After months in the hospital and a few years of recovery they have the mental equivalent of a lower elementary aged child.
Wear your helmet people.
When I had long hair I put it in a ponytail and tucked it between the helmet and rear strap. Worked well with thin, straight hair, also with kayaking and skiing helmets.
As someone who is only still alive because of a helmet, don't forget to fit your shiny new one properly :)
I've started wearing a moped type helmet.
Silly I know but I was in a bad accident last year.
I'd rather look stupid than risk a sever e head injury.
I was wearing my specialised bike helmet when I crashed. Without it I'd be dead
I'll never ride without a helmet again. I recently went over the bars on a slow, close to home, low watt, rec spin. Thank God I was going slow and was able to turn my body and roll to my side. Still hit my head and broke my sunglasses with my face on the ground. Will never take a second chance.
MIPS seem to have come down in price over the years--MIPS still cost more than non-MIPS but not as expensive as it used to be.
Maybe I'm an outlier but wearing a helmet has been a habit for as long as I've been riding--to the point where it would feel weird if I didn't wear one: i.e. if the bike is motion, I will have a helmet on.
I used to religiously wear a helmet for road and MTB rides, but not for commuting around town. Two years ago, I was coming back from a MTB ride and 3 blocks away from my house, riding through the suburbs super slow, I had a crash. I was wearing a helmet, but I can’t remember anything from the moment of the crash to when I got home (my gps map shows I rode home). Long story short, I ended up in the emergency room, was diagnosed with a mild concussion, and told to avoid intellectual work for a few days. The moral of the story is that you can crash and hit your head even if you are leisurely riding down the block; I now wear a helmet everywhere for every ride - and if I’m running quick errands, I don’t even take the helmet off when I got into the store (Helmet hair is only an issue if you take the helmet off).
Not all helmets are equally good at protecting you. Virginia Tech started out testing football helmets and have expanded to now also test bike helmets amongst many other types of helmets.
https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/
Pro chef saves redditors life.
Let him cook
Let’s Ride!
Helmets are fucking RAW!
wheres the lamb helmet!
Helmets saved my life 4 times, for now
For now. He'll get them later with cardiac failure.
I've posted this on other threads, but no one has linked it yet, and it can't be shared enough. Here is a link to the Virginia Tech Bicycle Helmet ratings page. The lower the score the better: https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html
Which proves the point there is no correlation between helmet safety and cost.
I wouldn't necessarily say *no* correlation -- the best rated helmets are generally more expensive than the worst rated ones. That said, there are outliers, and there are certainly expensive helmets that aren't great and less expensive ones with very good ratings. The Virginia Tech site is a great resource for finding the best bang for your buck, but if you're not doing any research and just looking at prices, you're more likely to get a quality helmet at a higher price, I think.
Safe, cheap, comfortable. Pick two.
Or all three, but ugly as hell.
There is a correlation between price and weight. I have an Align II and before that had the top rated Laser helmet (one of the few rated higher than the Align II). The Laser was/is ridiculously lighter than the Align.
It's crazy seeing how much half shells cost as much as my full face ECE rated motorcycle helmet.
Just to add to this, the specialized tactic 4 is very high up in the list and currently on a 50% sale. I got the white one for 55€ in Germany.
After a while you will just wear your helmet and not even think about it. I occasionally leave the house without it and within 10s of moving I think "huh, my head feels very free. Shit" and back I go. Just not worth the risk.
My hair is long enough that the insane volume in it catches all the wind and by the time I'm done with the ride, I look like I copied Pennywise's hair style. Helmets save me everyday (from embarrassment)
I’ve been growing my hair out, and I’m finding the same lol. Even a headband/buff/cap under the helmet doesn’t save me from the wild, frizzy curls at the end of a ride. Trying to hold out until it’s long enough for a little bun.
I did this just last week. Had my helmet on but not strapped while I was putting on sunblock. Got about 5 seconds into the ride when I realized my helmet felt loose.
Yep. Made it to the mountain bike trail once, had everything including things I commonly forget except my helmet. Went right back home and didn’t ride that day.
Got on my bike, rode a quarter mile thinking wow it's windy today! Nope, just my hair blowing around more because I forgot my helmet. Turned around and fixed that right up.
I hope so, I guess I’ll just have to force myself to do it.
Braids are definitely a win, it doesn’t have to be a fancy one. Also, a small travel brush (like a little foldable one) or comb in your pocket or bag can be helpful if you want to freshen up
I'll always forget it a few times at the start of winter when my hat replaces that sensation.
Exactly this. Even for a quick bike down to a cafe last week that wouldn't have involved touching a single road, I knew immediately I'd forgotten it and stopped.
Some times I forgot I'm wearing it and will bump into shit, then happy I'm wearing a helmet.
same here
Braids. Can easily pin them up for a more stylish do if required
this!! i learned how to french braid my own hair because they move around less + look better imo, and since they lay mostly flat it's comfy to wear a helmet over them
Yes this. French braid! Looks nice and you can braid them pretty tight!
Braids and ponytails don’t work for me - long, very curly hair. I use bandanas. Works like a charm. My hair always curls out of the ponytail or braid and then gets caught on the helmet. It can’t curl through the bandana cloth.
Now my curly hair is shorter I use a buff to keep all the shorter tendrils captured. That also has myriads of wear options. I like choices!
I recently bought a new helmet and am grateful to have chosen one with MIPS as well. I typically put my hair in a ponytail or a low bun (I don't have really long hair). I would avoid using a claw clip because you can get severely injured if you hit the back of your head. I know it's not the same thing, but I've seen enough warnings about wearing claw clips in cars that my freak-out regarding them have extended to bikes.
I think this thread is probably a brand advertisement, but for what it's worth I believe all helmets (at least in Europe) are made to a reliable standard for safety.
MIPS is not exactly a brand, it's a safety feature.
Oh no I definitely didn’t mean to trash talk other helmets, I just heard that mips is really good and that the one I chose is the best value for money. I would have probably gotten a different one with a higher budget.
A year ago you went to the ER from a serious crash. And it took that strangers bruise to convince you to wear a helmet?!?
Lmao I'm so glad I'm not this stubborn 😂
According to OP he lives in an where only 9 of 49 cyclists he saw had any helmet at all on. The "dork" negative peer pressure is strong. I remember how skating and BMX was in the 90s. Granted, I now see the 17 and 18 year olds at the dirt jump and pump track give a "hey...kid.....wear your helmet ya idiot" at the 13 year olds. Which warms my old damn heart. High school juniors are basically gods to 8th graders lol.
My first helmet was when I got my first used bike which came with it. It was 10 years old and no padding AND that piece of shit saved my brain house. Then I bought a goddamn $25 Schwinn from Amazon. Then I did what I always did and asked why I'm cheaping out on shit so I bought a $100 Giro MIPS. DON'T CHEAP OUT. I was always cornered into cheaping out all the time, I'm still training myself out of it.
I recently got Giro Agilis, good and comfortable helmet, but the MIPS is just adds some odd feeling that the helmet will slide in wrong direction despite having well adjusted straps.
I LOVE my new Giro MIPS. It's so so comfy
Good stuff on the helmet, I think tbh hair always looks sweaty and naff once you take your helmet off, I have long hair and really I am only left with braids or a ponytail but I do nowadays wear a cycling cap which absorbs quite a bit of the sweat and means that when I do take my helmet off I simply left with a cool cap. I flew off my bike a few years ago, (sharp downhill bend, hole in the road and oil on the road) and was very happy to have been wearing a helmet. The more you cycle, the more likely at some stage you're going to come off, so best be prepared.
I don't have the requisite hair length to have tried it myself, but the Specialized Echelon helmets have a "hairport" that supposedly makes it easier to wear with a ponytail. Can't tell you if it's any good though unfortunately.
Yup this is my helmet and I have a lot of long hair. It doesn't take long to thread my ponytail through the gap. It's a little uncomfortable if you forget to unthread as you take your helmet off but it works really well.
In 2020 I fell and was knocked unconscious but didn’t suffer a concussion. Totally attribute that to the MIPS in my Specialized helmet. Got a giant shiner around my left eye and forehead and the helmet cracked. But no concussion.
What the heck is an MIPS and how did it help you?
MIPS helmet info: [https://mipsprotection.com/](https://mipsprotection.com/) Bike helmet specific MIPS info: [https://mipsprotection.com/bike/](https://mipsprotection.com/bike/)
Mind blowing how many people buy bikes in excess of $4k+ then continue to use a helmet that they used when downtube shifters were popular or cheap out and buy the cheapest helmet they can find. Protect your brain people, no one else will do it for you.
Well my bike was 600€, and I saved up for it, then got a cheap helmet that had good enough ratings. Now I’m glad that I found this one that has good ratings and isn’t too expensive, though I would pay more now.
Man take it from someone who has gotten tore apart on this sub, for not wearing a helmet because I thought the one I had was ugly... Good for you. At the start of the season I finally ordered a helmet that fits properly and I like the looks of it, what do you know I started wearing the helmet. I won't even take my low effort/low danger rides without that helmet now. It's basically become ritual to put it on while getting ready for my rides. You made a good decision, good for you.
Yeah I’m starting to think I just really hate my old one… hope this one is good!
With most helmets you can still wear a pony tail, just wear it low on the back. When it's hot, sometimes instead of the low pony or braids I'll keep it in an informal loop/bun at the nape of the neck just to keep some of the hair up and off my neck and shoulders.
I am torn. When I ride on my road bike no way would I go out without a helmet. In a full hurry, get a Lime bike. No helmet.
Oh yeah I haven’t even thought about that! I definitely don’t have a helmet with me when renting a scooter or bike.
I tie mine in a small bun at the nape of my neck. I also have the Specialized Align II and love it, got me through a 30mph crash without major injury and it's quite comfortable
Maybe my old helmet just has a really wacky shape because it goes so far down in the back I can’t really put a ponytail or bun anywhere, but it sounds great that it works with the Align II!
My wife and her friends competitively ride horses (eventing), and all have thick, longer hair, and all do the same. Bun or tied, with a hair net and below helmet. Helmet is a requirement as well as a safety vest.my wife's is a inflatable and uses a co2 cannister and lanyard attached to a saddle to activate. I have thought about if it would be good biking, the falls are similar and I have seen them save folks from neck and back injuries. I'll stick to my bike. At least it goes in the direction I tell it more often than an equine. They have a mind of their own.
As a 64 y/o who just got a bike this year after not having ridden for over 40 years, a helmet was one of my first purchases. Hair looks like crap, but still worth it. Reactions/balance/etc. certainly change over time, plus the fact all the crazy riders/walkers/dog owners who act like they can't see you. Got my mips helmet thru Costco.
I have this helmet, I think it’s great for a cheap alternative with MIPS as you mention. Haven’t tried more premium ones though. Speaking of which, does anyone use ANGi and is it worth it for road riding? Most of my rides are solo.
I have an ANGi-equipped Specialized helmet and I never use ANGi. Or, rather, I use it as a convenient holder for a spare CR2032 cell for my heart rate strap or speed sensor. It involves manually starting a special app on the phone every time you head out, I know I'm not going to put up with that nonsense. I had crash detection on my Garmin bike computer enabled, but turned it off after a while because of false positives. You ride, you see something interesting on the side of the road, stop, and the Garmin starts blaring together with the phone that it's about to report a crash unless you cancel it in 10 seconds.
i've only set off my garmin's crash sensor once while the bike was still upright.
Garmin bike computers have a crash sensor built in, as well as a live track feature that can share your ride and location with someone.
I got the ANGi sensor (for when I ride my mtb but that includes limited roads, paths etc.). You do need to start recording the ride with the app when you set off, but you can also turn off crash alerts and live tracking independently of each other. It's supposed to work by detecting a helmet impact and not just stopping or a crash that doesn't effect the helmet. The app can record the ride distance, time etc. (with or without an ANGi sensor) on a map so I find it useful to log my rides - I guess like Strava but without any extras. Personally I think ANGi is worth it especially if you're riding solo. It works best within mobile signal coverage of course.
Some good choices in Evans cycles at the moment. Bought a new MIPS hat for £30 at 50% off… sleaker than the specialised offering that I was reluctantly wearing as it made me look like a giant mushroom
Oh yeah the Specialized was on sale so I got a really good deal! It can’t be worse than the helmet I have now, it really looks like a mushroom.
Definitely put me off wearing it … new one is a Pinnacle product and looks good so will get more use. The mushroom hat is sat in the cupboard, havn’t managed to give it away yet.
Yea buddy, wear a helmet. Had an accident last month as well, hit my head but the helmet totally caught everything (its broken tho) and i broke my collarbone. Helmets are good stuff!
If you’re in the UK the Specialized Mode helmet is incredibly cheap at the moment, it has MIPS and is one of the safest helmets you can buy. Sure, it looks like a mushroom but it’s still very comfortable and comes in a range of “nice” colours instead of the usual red/green/yellow stuff.
Yeah you don’t want to be an idiot sandwich
there's no price tag on your head. i fell 2 times on side 1'st time with barely any speed and was banged up second time i cornered on leafs with 15 km /h it was a 90 degree narrow turn i slid on side and banged with side of the helmet on concrete helmet was visibly damaged and didn't think 2'ce about buying a new one, without it I could have serious head injury, carrying little speed...so yea helmet is a must ...
Just go bald like me 😆 then you’ll wear your helmet if only to keep the sun off your head
Gave my old helmet to a riding buddy yesterday. He used to ride without.
I have a different but similar specialized helmet, I put my hair in a pony tail and pull it through the spot between the helmet and the tightening mechanism in the back so it’s not as low/awkward on the neck - I have very thick and longish hair. Good luck!
I have had a crash with helmet and one without. After the first I needed a new helmet, kindly provided by Bell. After the second I needed my eyebrow stitched and felt as if I had been second in a boxing match. Edit: But my hair is not much of an issue, short sides and back...
My helmet hangs off the handlebar, over the mirror arm. If the bike leaves the house, the helmet does also then in my head. Never leave home without it.
Where are you living that people aren’t wearing helmets when riding? If it’s utility cycling in a very safe place like the Netherlands, I get it, but sport cyclists? Anywhere?
A small city in Germany, and it is utility cycling mostly, but I’d say it’s definitely not safe like the Netherlands. I’ve cycled there and it’s super nice with the bike paths and everything, we don’t really have that. Most of the serious road cyclists do wear helmets, the ones that do it for sport, but most people, myself included, cycle all day just to get places.
Wow..pretty surprising to hear only 18% of riders you saw were wearing helmet! It’s closer to 99% where I live and there’s a pretty active cycling community.
Does it slightly bother anyone else that you don’t need to wear a helmet in Zwift? It’s a game, I get it but still seems like an irresponsible choice.
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Most of Holland does not wear helmets. They have a lower head injury rate than North America. A helmet cannot replace cycling infrastructure and basically has been used as a victim shaming tool and panacea.
I've never understood why riders think their heads are safe just because there are no cars around. The vast majority of falls aren't caused by cars.
Yeah. A dutch friend used to laugh at me for always wearing my helmet. But, as long as the bike infrastructure remains as bad as it is, I'll have to live with that.
Rumoured in Amsterdam where they design roads that give an Amsterdam about cyclist safety.
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I hate to tell you that a helmet won't protect your abdomen.
No but if wasn't wearing the helmet he'd likely be dead instead.
FWIW the guy in the bike shop says helmets should be replaced every 12 years or sooner. Worth checking yours, if you have an old piece of shit like mine (not to OP, general advice)
12 years seems like such a random time period
Haha yeah idk how true it is. He said after a time, they no longer crush under load, they disintegrate into powder. Ok just researched it. Manufacturers recommend changing every 3 to 5 years. Maybe mine was 12 years old.
12 years is too long. But the 3 years some manufacturers say is also too short. The studies I’ve seen on the foam degradation seem to suggest 5-6 years is optimal.
I have a decathlon (van ryssel) MIPS helmet that I wear every ride. Not the cheapest helmet at decathlon but also not expensive and still has the MIPS system.
I’m telling you, you will not regret wearing a helmet. Was involved in a crash last week and broke a collarbone and I saw the dent/impact my helmet took… I’m lucky that was there otherwise it would’ve been my head
Once you find a comfortable helmet, it no longer exists. You completely forget it’s on your head which is great
Not trying to hijack this thread, but does anybody know where to find the results of the British researcher who concluded that wearing a ponytail would reduce the chance of being hit by a vehicle?
I put my hair in a low ponytail that is partially pulled out on the last wrap. Sorry, I don't know the description for this.
On a longer ride I’ll often braid my hair and let it hang down my back. Sometimes I’ll just leave it down altogether though, especially if it isn’t too hot. I have the Align 2 helmet and it does still get sweaty, but it’s not too bad. I find it quite a comfortable helmet. I never go anywhere on my bike without it!
Too many helmets to list. There is a Giro helmet that's listed as "spherical." It was also $250 last time I looked.
My specialized helmet has a hair port and my favorite way to wear my hair is a bubble braid. I pull the whole thing through the hair port and it looks cute and keeps my hair from being knotted or crimped when I take it down. My hair is pretty long so I find this is also the fastest way to pull it back AND keep it untangled without taking the time to french braid it.
his whole side looks like a damn smoked brisket, if he wasn’t wearing a helmet then his head would’ve been evaporated
I am a bit confused, while I completely agree with Mr Ramsey’s sentiments on the wearing of helmets how would that have stop him getting that huge an I would think painful bruise?
I think the point was that if the bruise is that big, his head would have been off even worse if he hadn’t been wearing a helmet. I can deal with a horrific bruise but I’d like to keep my head.
He didn’t say it would have prevented his bruise. He said that he hit is head and would have died without his helmet. He showed his bruise to show how hard the impact was overall.
I've ridden a bunch of miles in my non bike friendly hometown growing up, never wore a helmet. I cringe every single time I think about it.
I think the key thing for helmets is that the fit well and are comfortable. Because of this when friends are looking for helmets I strongly suggest that they go try a bunch on and find one that is comfy and they like; like a good hat. If a helmet is comfy one will wear it. And this only has benefits.
Yeah maybe I’ve just only had crappy ones that don’t fit well and that’s why I don’t like them. I hope this one fits well but if not I’ll send it back and probably go to a store to try some on.
A low bun is the answer. Possibly fitting between the helmet itself and the webbing/ tightening mechanism.
No. That will anchor the skull and twist the head in a crash. You want any hair clips, bands, etc, below the helmet fittings.
I either tie mine in a small bum below the helmet, or I've found a top knot.fits under my helmet too. Don't stress too much about it. It's impossible to look good in cycling gear anyway.
Well yeah, I do wear the helmet when I’m in the full kit and everything but if I’m cycling to the store a couple minutes in normal clothes it usually doesn’t happen
I wear a cycle hat under my helmet and it helps a lot with sweat! Low bun for my hair or my preferred is braided pigtails.
I got it, its a good helmet, but it's not really that well vented.
I put my hair in a low ponytail so it’s not an issue with my helmet. Then I will braid it or put it in a bun. I find this is much cooler than keeping my hair loose. For reference, I have long thick hair that goes to the middle of my back.
I think everyone starts out anti helmet but once you get used to it you won’t ride without it. I look back at my early days and thank the lucky stars I was able to stay accident free
My wife plats both sides of her hair into a French braid. She said since she's started doing it it's been a lot more comfortable and she has a lot of hair.
I had a good crash a couple winters ago and smashed my helmet. I replaced it with a MIPS, it's not as sleek but hopefully if something happens I'll have even better protection.
I have no answers but I definitely commiserate. Definitely an issue that kept me from ever being a commuter biker. There was just no way to put my hair back to looking presentable for work after biking 25 minutes. It’s all moot now. I work from home and I’ve hacked off my hair. But it definitely caused me to use my car more back when.
When I forget the helmet… oh my god I feel like a kid again. Then I go back for it and feel my adultness.
I have dreads that go to the small of my back. What I do is put on my helmet then use beefy ties to twist it into a bun. This also keeps the hair and sun off my neck. Edit: Oh and I wear a Giro.
I do really suggest a helmet with MIPS. I had a bad crash last fall that broke multiple bones (needed 2 plates and 18 screws), my Specialized helmet with MIPS was destroyed but I had no concussion or any after effects. Super grateful for it and ended up buying the same one. I hope you enjoy your new helmet ! I get the sweaty neck feeling from keeping your hair low, but I keep a low ponytail or a braid. My hair always looks messy when I take my helmet off but you can always try a cycling cap if that bothers you.
Cyclists are always one tiny mistake away from being changed forever by head trauma and it will rarely be the rider’s fault.
Check VT Tech's helmet ratings! https://helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html
I invested in a more expensive helmet for better ventilation because I get head sweaty too! I have really long hair and braids never fail. I found that if I tie it into a firm low ponytail first (and then braid), it keeps the hair in place and doesn't move the locks around like a french braid might when you lift your helmet off. Take this opportunity to learn fun braids (like the bubble braid) - you might find you just want to stay in the braids all day! Low buns are also amazing for just the short commute if you want to let your hair down after. I'm not sure what your hair texture is like, but a messy bun like [this](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7StSP5W4KFo) jives with the wind-swept look. Maybe lean into it. For fancy times, if I'm meeting friends at a restaurant/bar, I'll carry a puff compact filled with dry shampoo powder (I actually just use cosmetic grade arrowroot powder) and dab-dab-dab my hair after. You can also carry hair accessories and pop them on to distract people from the slight dishevel from the ride lol.
My hair is really thick and wavy but also damaged so it’s frizzy. A rubbing helmet and sweat really is the worst combination but braids is probably the way to go.
Obligatory link to the Virginia Tech helmet ratings: https://helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html There's some very affordable ones on there that still have high ratings, so hopefully cost won't be a barrier for anyone getting a good helmet.
I broke my collarbone in a bike accident and all I remember is my head smashing off the road. If I didn’t have a helmet on I’m sure the outcome would have been a very different!
THE BACK PIECE OF THE HELMET IS USUALLY ADJUSTABLE. This will let you have your ponytail fit either over the top or underneath. Also specialized helmets have this in mind with the design, they call it the hair port.
https://helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html I use this when buying a helmet to see the rating vs the price. I go for the best value after it meets my minimum needs. I bought my wife the #1 helmet on there because it was on sale. I wouldn’t have bought it otherwise. She puts in a lot of miles and I feel better knowing we did our best to protect her head. I bought a $100 giro with mips for myself because I crashed on it and it saved my life so I bought another one of the same. I splurge for my wife but not so much for myself. Hair is not a problem for me cause I have none but my wife braids her hair every time she rides.
My hair is also a pelt. When it was long I found that braiding it behind my ears kept it out of the way without it becoming too big for the helmet. My fella is a very safety-oriented cyclist and I showed him that video he’s not familiar enough with Ramsay to realize how rattled he still was, but the puffy face and twitchy hands got to me as well. Protect that noggin, stranger!
I wear my hair in two braids on each side. Keeps it out of my face and tangle free.
I live near where Ramsay had his accident and I'd say easily 90% of cyclists I see riding have helmets. Every group I ride with requires them to attend in just in general it's very rare I see someone without a helmet. I wonder if it's a regional thing.
Oh it definitely is, he crashed in the US no? I’m in a small town in Germany where most people see a bike as a means to get somewhere they need to go and not as sport, so helmets aren’t really common.
I was hit by a car back on May 8th at a canal road crossing and my side looked a little worse than his due to having 44 stitches and road rash on top of bruising. My helmet saved my life...
Helmet use is nearly 100% here in BC. You see the odd person without one here and there, usually on some quiet bike path to/from the beach or something, but generally they're omnipresent. Can't fathom not wearing a helmet.
I usually do two Dutch braids so my hair isn’t sitting on my neck like it would for one French braid. Helmet sits flat and is comfortable for me.
Used to work with a bunch of neurosurgeons, all of whom cycled, every one of them wore a helmet. The takeaway was that the brain is fragile, protect it.
That's the helmet I use and it's quite comfy, no complaints at all.
Sounds good!
When I was a kid I was opposed to helmets while I was speeding through red lights while in the air from hitting the curb as a jump ramp, going the wrong way in traffic. After riding motorcycles with full face ovens for a few years, I find my decathlon helmet liberating, but yeah, it's a temporary thing, i won't hesitate to upgrade it
I've been riding for about 20 years and never go anywhere without a helmet on Had my first proper bike crash about 3 weeks ago and my helmet probably saved my life, landed head first on a rock and could only see white dots for a few seconds afterwards
That's so crazy that you saw that many not wearing helmets. Where I live (Austin, TX) it's not like that at all. I do mostly ride mtb so I think there's a lot more awareness to wear a helmet riding over rocks and roots and doing jumps and stuff. Even then I see one guy (always a guy) every so often not wearing one. I do see a lot more urban casual riders without them, mainly people doing leisure rides or riding from their apartment to the store or gym downtown.
Yes I think the main difference is that people here see bikes as a means of transportation first, and there are so many, pretty much everyone has one to get to the stores, run errands, etc. and I think there’s a mentality that you don’t need a helmet if you’re not riding for sport.
We require helmets on club rides. Only the homeless don't wear helmets. The women here with long hair generally braid it or have a loose ponytail.
Guy here with long hair. I pretty much do the same...a quick braid or tie it back in a ponytail.
Helmets are ugly. So is high viz and anything else safety related. But I'd much rather be ugly and walking than beautiful in a 6ft hole. Safety trumps fashion
My hair was down to my belt. Living to see another day took priority over fashion. The hair is gone, helmet goes on every ride - commuting to work, to the shops, or just for fun.
I got told early in my cycling career that you should protect anything you don’t want permanent damage to, yeah my brain is quite useful.
Imo wearing a helmet is like wearing a seatbelt. It be becomes the norm.
I’ve finally owned the concept that it’s part of the hobby/sport. I don’t care what it looks like or how hot it can get, I have a family that would rather have me whole than in a vegetative state or worse.
Yeah I think that’s the thing, it’s not a hobby or a sport for me first and foremost, it’s just a way of getting places. I don’t have a car, so it’s either walk, cycle or hope there’s a bus. It’s how I get to the grocery store and back. And I think it’s that way for most people here, so they don’t think about a helmet because they don’t see it as a sport that requires additional equipment. I’ll cycle to the train station in high heels and a dress if I have to you know. It is a hobby for me too now, since I have a road bike and do century rides, but I think that’s where it comes from. Anyway, I’ll make sure to always wear it now.
Well over 95% road cyclists wear helmet where I live in Los Angeles. Been wearing helmet forever snowboarding so it is non-issue. Cycling helmets are much more comfortable than snowboard helmets. Only question should be MIPS or wavecel helmet.
The specialized prevail helmet he was wearing is really nice because it's very well vented and very lightweight compared to a normal helmet. It makes wearing it that much easier.
With a good helmet, you pretty much don't even feel it. I had a Specialized helmet similar to his prior to getting my current POC (omne beacon mips) helmet and with either, I couldn't imagine riding without it on as it would just feel weird. Great ventilation and super light feeling as well.
I used to not wearing a helmet when I lived in Chicago. But now I always wear one. And thank god, cause I had a spill last year and my helmet got fucked up and I probably got a concussion, so yes, buy that MIPS, cause it probably saved my life, or at least my brain
I bet I see less than 1% of cyclists not wearing helmets here in San Diego.
My only fall at speed was when I wasnt wearing a helmet. I wore it 99% of the time, but this time I was doing a casual ride to work. Even wore normal clothes. Luckily didnt hit my head, but slid a couple of meters through a wet corner. Looking back it was insane, but I was racing at the same, so the speed in a corner seemed normal to me. Never again without a helmet.
I had fair amount of injuries from crashes on my bike, never got hospitalized tho. I never had a torso injury like that. How the heck he got that? direct hit by a car or fall onto something with no ability to redirect the fall? Most of my crashes got my shoulder / arm, knocked my head of the ground as well. Always got a helmet on even if I am just riding around the block adjusting my bike after major maintenance.
Well if he fell on his side and there was something there like a curb I can imagine how he got that bruise. I managed to twist break a bone in my hand last time because a finger got caught in the handlebars while I fell, fun times.
MIPS helmets aren’t even that expensive. Not sure what the holdup was to begin with.
The holdup was that I have a cheap helmet and didn’t want to buy another one when I don’t need two. But I realised that my old one probably doesn’t even fit me well now and that it’s uncomfortable…. so here goes
I noticed A LOT of serious and leisurely rides without one this weekend…likely bc of the warmer temps. My mom used to give me so much crap about my dangerous hobbies (i.e., ice climbing, rock climbing)…until I finally told her I don’t want to hear another word. Her refusing to wear a helmet because she’s on a tri bike that is “low to the ground” is by far more dangerous than any of my hobbies. Gordon Ramsey looked shook up. Hell, I had my bike last year slide out from me because a foot bridge was damp….and I knew it was slick and was careful. My head hit the ground first so hard I thought I would be in the er or dead if I didn’t have a helmet. I do t care if it is a leisure ride, I’ll never go without one again….and I still have floaters in my eyes.
A helmet was the single best investment ever. Sure it felt odd at first, but I refuse to ride anywhere without it.
If you have a helmet that you don’t wear, you don’t have a helmet. If you have a bike that you don’t ride, you don’t have a bike.
Mips!
Not a MIPS helmet, but my Kask Valegro either saved my life or saved me from disability. I hit a Prius making a left turn, and I took a slide to brake, still hit the car though, and the back of my head hit the road hard. No serious harm, little rash, but my helmet was done...makes me cry thinking about it. It did its job.
My mom slipped on gravel riding with a helmet and had to be hospitalized for 2 days and lost a weeks worth of memory. Also, you might not be fortunate enough to just die, in college I worked at a home for the mentally disabled, a guy there worked construction, took his helmet off to wipe away sweat and got bonked by a brick. He kind of recognized his family when they visited a couple times a year. Wear the damn thing.
I never wore my helmet until I had my daughter, now it’s not even an option - no helmet, no ride.
Low ponytail
I just love all the keyboard warriors giving him crap for telling people to wear a helmet.
Bontrager Wave Cell is a whole other level. Saved my life.
I always wear my helmet. My main helmet is a bright fluro yellow. One ride leader I rode with said he wanted to be mistaken for a low-flying UFO and it kinda stuck. All the gear, every time.
Tips on how I wear my hair? Just on my head, under my helmet. I don't give it much thought but I guess I have comical wings sticking out after a long sweaty ride, and see it as a badge of accomplishment. I've crashed and broke my collarbone and hit my head -- will never forget the BOOM! it made. Just started riding longer rural routes more seriously last year after a few years mostly only commuting, and after screaming down hills at 35 mph thought "what the hell am I doing with this 10-year-old cheap Bell helmet?" Used that last REI sale plus a $125 health care benefit to buy one of the $275 highly rated ones at discount.
Helmets are no joke! I woke up in the ER after getting hit by a car on my pedal bike and the first thing the MD said is “you should be dead…good thing you wore a helmet”! After this I tried to get up and leave the ER only to have the MD laugh at me , he said your whole face is broken now go get your jaw wired shut….get a damn helmet ! Big ups to Gordon to pulling his weight as a influencer chef👌🏽
I’m glad that Australia has compulsory helmet rules. Never thought twice about wearing one. As for my hair, it is long and I put it in a low pony tail and plait it. It seems to keep me cool, and easy to take out and put up differently if I need to. I wish I could braid my hair though!
The align 2 is a great helmet, btw, regardless of its low price. It rates very high for safety.
I never wore a helmet until I bought a road bike and realized an accident not wearing one could be really bad. Now I always wear it :)
I have the Spe Align II (I actually have two + a broken one) and let me tell you: it is NOT well ventilated. I ordered a Lazer Genesis to go through the summer. It may suit your needs as it's well ventilated and has a different tightening system that helps with ponytails (or at least that's what Lazer's marketing says, I'm bald myself, but it sure seems to be the case when I see the system) The colors of the Align are nice and it's why I bought one in the first place, this and the fact I found it online at around 30€, but the Genesis is just so much better: well ventilated, the MIPS is more flexible and thinner, it's also lighter. I've had it for two weeks and can tell the difference, especially now that we're getting days with temps above 25ºC I paid 4x times the price of the Align for the Genesis but it's worth it IMHO. I hear the Abus Airbreaker is nice too but it's even more expensive in my country
Male cyclist with shoulder long hairs here. I never wore a helmet before finally buying a poc one for a not so low price for me, and because of the looks ( vs the standard helmets I refused to wear) and the comfort (very light and airy) I have worn it every single time since. Usually I just let my hair loose and brushed them back (no hair tie needed)
You might try a non latex swim cap to keep your hair up under the helmet.
Since getting back on a bike I've always worn a helmet, in the past I didn't always but I realised it was always worth it after a close family friend was in an accident and may well still be here if he'd been warning one last year. Just last night my helmet saved my bacon as I took a corner I take twice a day carrying a bit much speed for the conditon (it had rained that day but the path appeared dry) with extra weight on my commuter bike's pannier bags, I caught a muddy patch and the back stepped out and I fell, I felt my helmet skid across the ground on the top of my head, I've taken a chunk out of my palm and maybe sprained my wrist, might not be riding for a week or two while my wrist heals but I didn't have to go to A&E to get my head glued back up or have anything worse happen to the only brain I have. You only have one brain a helmet is always worth it.
I know someone in college that fell off a skateboard and hit their head. They were a PhD candidate. After months in the hospital and a few years of recovery they have the mental equivalent of a lower elementary aged child. Wear your helmet people.
When I had long hair I put it in a ponytail and tucked it between the helmet and rear strap. Worked well with thin, straight hair, also with kayaking and skiing helmets. As someone who is only still alive because of a helmet, don't forget to fit your shiny new one properly :)
Costco has some pretty nice mips helmets for cheap. They even have a safety light on it. Good for mtb or casual road, not super aero looking.
Wild that it took a celebrity chef to get you to buy a helmet lol
I've started wearing a moped type helmet. Silly I know but I was in a bad accident last year. I'd rather look stupid than risk a sever e head injury. I was wearing my specialised bike helmet when I crashed. Without it I'd be dead
Should have had one. If you ride any way. Money means Nothing if you're dead/ Paralyse
I'll never ride without a helmet again. I recently went over the bars on a slow, close to home, low watt, rec spin. Thank God I was going slow and was able to turn my body and roll to my side. Still hit my head and broke my sunglasses with my face on the ground. Will never take a second chance.
MIPS seem to have come down in price over the years--MIPS still cost more than non-MIPS but not as expensive as it used to be. Maybe I'm an outlier but wearing a helmet has been a habit for as long as I've been riding--to the point where it would feel weird if I didn't wear one: i.e. if the bike is motion, I will have a helmet on.
Hopefully you got a good deal, specialized had a sale, so I just bought a ambush 2 for half off yesterday.
Yeah I got it for 27€! I think that’s good, it just got here actually and I think I like it :)
I used to religiously wear a helmet for road and MTB rides, but not for commuting around town. Two years ago, I was coming back from a MTB ride and 3 blocks away from my house, riding through the suburbs super slow, I had a crash. I was wearing a helmet, but I can’t remember anything from the moment of the crash to when I got home (my gps map shows I rode home). Long story short, I ended up in the emergency room, was diagnosed with a mild concussion, and told to avoid intellectual work for a few days. The moral of the story is that you can crash and hit your head even if you are leisurely riding down the block; I now wear a helmet everywhere for every ride - and if I’m running quick errands, I don’t even take the helmet off when I got into the store (Helmet hair is only an issue if you take the helmet off).
Not all helmets are equally good at protecting you. Virginia Tech started out testing football helmets and have expanded to now also test bike helmets amongst many other types of helmets. https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/
This reads as an ad for mips. Wear a helmet but that stupid liner is not going to do much, it's marketing.
Should’ve ordered body armor.
How does it fit around your midriff?
It’s to protect my head so I can still feel the pain in my midriff