The best and safest bike helmet (Testing site reference)

[Hugo Stiglitz]

https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-rati...

I came across this site, some of the usual crowd don't fair well

The Specialized Tactic 4 - you're safer but boy it's not a looker

[Mr Scruff]

Yup, fair to say my Smith Signal hasn’t come out too well there! Ah well, not going to change it as a result.

[Pablo16v]

Interesting. I was aware of the Virginia Tech ratings but hadn’t paid much attention to it recently, but good to see all our Specialized helmets fare well. A mate is a Specialized dealer so I’ve ended buying a few Tactic, Ambush and Camber helmets from him over the years for the family and I.

[Rough101]

The overall safety of bike helmets against serious injury is a joke, it’s degrees of crapness.

They all make your head, and therefore neck a bigger target and more likely to hit the ground and transfer the shock in minor collisions.

[dontlookdown]

Rough101 said:

The overall safety of bike helmets against serious injury is a joke, it’s degrees of crapness.

They all make your head, and therefore neck a bigger target and more likely to hit the ground and transfer the shock in minor collisions.

I always wear a helmet, but am inclined to agree that they could offer a lot more protection whilst still being unobtrusive to use. Perhaps a newer/better safety standard would help drive up the protection levels?

[Rough101]

dontlookdown said:

I always wear a helmet, but am inclined to agree that they could offer a lot more protection whilst still being unobtrusive to use. Perhaps a newer/better safety standard would help drive up the protection levels?

I think the concept is fundamentally flawed, in that you can’t excercise in anything that would offer decent protection.

I wear a helmet about 50% of the time.

[ecs]

There's a good video about their testing by Seth Alvo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKbYaOiz5U4&ab...

[Portofino]

Years back I used to wear a helmet or not, based on how hot it was that day.

One day, wearing my helmet, coming down the side of a hill on my MTB hit a tractor track that was hidden by the long grass. Got pinged into a fence post, hit it with my forehead left temple area, the helmet deflected the blow & I got away with mild concussion & a torn left ear.

Ever since I’ve worn a helmet every time I ride.

[Daveyraveygravey]

Portofino said:

Years back I used to wear a helmet or not, based on how hot it was that day.

One day, wearing my helmet, coming down the side of a hill on my MTB hit a tractor track that was hidden by the long grass. Got pinged into a fence post, hit it with my forehead left temple area, the helmet deflected the blow & I got away with mild concussion & a torn left ear.

Ever since I’ve worn a helmet every time I ride.

I have to agree; I've had enough crashes on and off road to have found out the hard way it is almost impossible to NOT bang your head when you come off a bike of any kind. I won't claim they are life savers, I would argue passionately against them being compulsory, and they won't save you from an idiot driver but they do give your head some protection.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Daveyraveygravey said:

Portofino said:

Years back I used to wear a helmet or not, based on how hot it was that day.

One day, wearing my helmet, coming down the side of a hill on my MTB hit a tractor track that was hidden by the long grass. Got pinged into a fence post, hit it with my forehead left temple area, the helmet deflected the blow & I got away with mild concussion & a torn left ear.

Ever since I’ve worn a helmet every time I ride.

I have to agree; I've had enough crashes on and off road to have found out the hard way it is almost impossible to NOT bang your head when you come off a bike of any kind. I won't claim they are life savers, I would argue passionately against them being compulsory, and they won't save you from an idiot driver but they do give your head some protection.

+1. I wear a skateboard style helmet, as I prefer them to bike helmets. I know if I get hit head on by a cement mixer, it ain't gonna help, but hopefully a head injury following a minor off might be avoided or mitigated

[hoegaardenruls]

Another +1 here

I've always worked on the principle that you can't choose your accidents, especially since I wiped out when by back wheel clipped a wet manhole cover when taking a corner. I hit the ground hard enough to break two ribs, and my head followed onto the tarmac hard enough to crack the helmet.

I've no doubt the helmet saved me from further damage on that occasion, and that was echoed by an A+E doctor who sent me for a Cat scan just to make sure

[Hugo Stiglitz]

Years ago I bought a Giro £100 road helmet. I thought one fine icy morning sod it ill wear it on my commute, black ice straight down. Not even time to take my hands off the hoods.

Helmet written off first ride err.

Tactic 3 bought. The medium (my usual) was tiny, wouldn't even fit over my head. Large bought.

Also bought a Specialized Align 2 - in part as it fitted so nicely in ML size.

[BunkMoreland]

Glad to see my Synthe was a good scorer.

I have 3 helmets currently. (2 Giros and a Bell) Though I only really wear 2 of them and the 3rd Giro Cinder makes me look like a






All of them are VERY old now. 2010, 2015 and 2016! Should probably consider a new one imminently

[Salted_Peanut]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-rati...

I came across this site, some of the usual crowd don't fair well

Kask’s propaganda people will be going into overdrive to downplay their poor performance, whereas it can’t have done Giro’s Aires sales numbers any harm.

Also, Sweet Protection and Specialized must be smiling smugly at Kask’s reputation taking a bump to the head.

[Julian Scott]

Thats really interesting. I've used a Sweet Protection Falconer MIPS for years, mostly because my LBS stocked them, they were comfy and didn't make me look like Kinopio-kun. When I first got one, 2019, I'd never heard of them.

Pleasantly surprised it's #3 on that list.