There is a lot of politics around helmets, some people won’t wear them and others think that they should be compulsory. In this section I will explain how to buy a helmet, and how to fit one. And I will end with the politics, which may surprise you.
Buying
Measure around the biggest part of the head with a tape measure, and the size is in centimetres, my head is 56 cm. Then try on helmets that cover that size.
If you buy one that is too small it will be stuck on top of your head, and if you buy one that is too big it will drop over your eyes as you are riding along. I have seen both of these situations, so please do not think I am just saying the obvious.
Do not buy the really cheap helmets, they have a safety mark, but need constant adjustments, as almost all helmets are adjusted badly because most people do not know how to do it a small child would not be willing or able to take their helmet off every half hour and adjust it. The buckle that should go under the ear slips down under the chin and so the whole helmet is in need of readjusting. The really cheap helmets are the one most often brought for small children, Barbie, Cindy and Spiderman ones. If you go up one price range you will get a really good helmet, no need to buy expensive. £15-£30 is the range that has a locking buckle under the ear and possibly a rear adjuster. If you buy an expensive helmet it is lighter and more fashionable and may be more comfortable, but could cost £100.00 +. Last thing about buying that helmet get your box. It has instructions and extra padding to make the thing fit, and it has to fit really well. Think of the forces that it will have to with stand if the head that is in it lands on the ground abruptly.
Measure around the biggest part of the head with a tape measure, and the size is in centimetres, my head is 56 cm. Then try on helmets that cover that size.
If you buy one that is too small it will be stuck on top of your head, and if you buy one that is too big it will drop over your eyes as you are riding along. I have seen both of these situations, so please do not think I am just saying the obvious.
Do not buy the really cheap helmets, they have a safety mark, but need constant adjustments, as almost all helmets are adjusted badly because most people do not know how to do it a small child would not be willing or able to take their helmet off every half hour and adjust it. The buckle that should go under the ear slips down under the chin and so the whole helmet is in need of readjusting. The really cheap helmets are the one most often brought for small children, Barbie, Cindy and Spiderman ones. If you go up one price range you will get a really good helmet, no need to buy expensive. £15-
Adjusting
It is not just a case of getting a piece of polystyrene and loosely plonking it on your head. When the helmet is actually being used, that is when it is in a collision between your head and the ground or a car it must take a lot of pressure. When I work in schools and I have a line of children in front of me for the first time I can walk along the line and just touch their helmets and knock them off. It is more common to find helmets not adjusted properly than otherwise. So everyone with the possible exception of very small children should get to know their helmets. They are all different, and the next one you buy may be totally different to the one you have now. This is how it should be done, but read your own instructions if you have them.
1
Untangle all straps, if your helmet is new the two end of the straps on the right hand side when it is on your head should be the same length, but if you have a used helmet these straps could have moved out of position so make them the same length. If one of them is longer than the other the helmet tends to fall back on the head, leaving the forehead exposed.
It is not just a case of getting a piece of polystyrene and loosely plonking it on your head. When the helmet is actually being used, that is when it is in a collision between your head and the ground or a car it must take a lot of pressure. When I work in schools and I have a line of children in front of me for the first time I can walk along the line and just touch their helmets and knock them off. It is more common to find helmets not adjusted properly than otherwise. So everyone with the possible exception of very small children should get to know their helmets. They are all different, and the next one you buy may be totally different to the one you have now. This is how it should be done, but read your own instructions if you have them.
1
Untangle all straps, if your helmet is new the two end of the straps on the right hand side when it is on your head should be the same length, but if you have a used helmet these straps could have moved out of position so make them the same length. If one of them is longer than the other the helmet tends to fall back on the head, leaving the forehead exposed.
2
If your helmet has an adjuster at the back open it so that the helmet falls onto the head and make the helmet rest horizontally across the head, not sloping so that the forehead is not covered. The adjuster at the back does not hold the helmet on it just feels like it does. If you do not have an adjuster just put the helmet onto you head making it level in the same way as above.
3
Look in the mirror or get help to get the buckles that slid up and down the straps under the ears. All helmets are different, the better ones have a locking sliding buckle. Get these buckles as close to the ears as possible, not under the chin, which is where they are often found. If you have loops of strap, that will not do, look at how it is put together and get rid of the tangles and loops. Make it neat and perfect.
4
Now we are ready to make the helmet tight. Tight enough to hold it on and not so tight that it is uncomfortable. It is the buckle that connects the two side straps that makes the helmet secure on the head. Look to see if you have a very small elastic band near this buckle and try not to break it while adjusting. If you do not have this elastic band you may well have a sliding plastic or rubber band instead. This is to hold the straps in place once adjusted, so that the helmets does not need to be readjusted that often. Too make the helmet tighter make the distance from the catch buckle to the ear buckle shorter, while leaving the ear buckle in place. If you can get more than two fingers under the strap when it is done up it is too loose. Now if your child has had a loose helmet and does not like this as it feels different remember a badly fitting helmet is worse than useless. Once set you can now tighten the rear adjuster, it does not hold the helmet on but makes it feel comfy, if over tightened this adjuster can give you a head ache.
This leads us nicely to the politics of helmets
The Politics of Helmets
Some people love them and some people hate them, and when members of both these groups get together they can not agree. Both sides have good arguments and so try to not give people a hard time if they are either not wearing a helmet and you are the wearing kind or vice-versa. I decide to just put links to the different arguments here so you can make up your own mind.
I know of people who wished they had worn a helmet, and older cyclist like me who have been late converters. I am also aware that cycling decreases with compulsory helmet laws I do feel that if you put one on your child you should wear one your self as children learn by example and they will aspire to the day when they also can take it off and be grown up. If you are worried that your child could get a brain injury, be worried that they may be your main carer if you get a brain injury. But if you think that the risk is small then I respect your opinion
3
Look in the mirror or get help to get the buckles that slid up and down the straps under the ears. All helmets are different, the better ones have a locking sliding buckle. Get these buckles as close to the ears as possible, not under the chin, which is where they are often found. If you have loops of strap, that will not do, look at how it is put together and get rid of the tangles and loops. Make it neat and perfect.
4
Now we are ready to make the helmet tight. Tight enough to hold it on and not so tight that it is uncomfortable. It is the buckle that connects the two side straps that makes the helmet secure on the head. Look to see if you have a very small elastic band near this buckle and try not to break it while adjusting. If you do not have this elastic band you may well have a sliding plastic or rubber band instead. This is to hold the straps in place once adjusted, so that the helmets does not need to be readjusted that often. Too make the helmet tighter make the distance from the catch buckle to the ear buckle shorter, while leaving the ear buckle in place. If you can get more than two fingers under the strap when it is done up it is too loose. Now if your child has had a loose helmet and does not like this as it feels different remember a badly fitting helmet is worse than useless. Once set you can now tighten the rear adjuster, it does not hold the helmet on but makes it feel comfy, if over tightened this adjuster can give you a head ache.
This leads us nicely to the politics of helmets
The Politics of Helmets
Some people love them and some people hate them, and when members of both these groups get together they can not agree. Both sides have good arguments and so try to not give people a hard time if they are either not wearing a helmet and you are the wearing kind or vice-