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| *Vultures Knob>>>Bike Helmet |
Safest type of bicycle helmet for an adult for urban cycling? Full face? No chin guard? Snell approved? Help? |
Anybody know what the best type of helmet is, for city biking? A doctor cyclist who bikes everywhere uses a BMX/downhill full face helmet. However, a bike shop owner says chin guards can cause a neck to snap if the chin guard is pulled upwards; he claims that full face bike helmets are dangerous. I've also met several downhill cyclists who say that the BMX downhill full face helmets broke on impact and their jaws broke. Then, I read a story where a cyclist had an open helmet, crashed into a wall, and the jaw pushed into the skull, fracturing the skull, and thereby needing holes drilled into the brain due to swelling. Furthermore, a bike shop owner claims that full face helmets have restricted (dangerous?) vision. I have a 12-year old "Snell approved" bicycle helmet with a hard plastic top and foam that has turned into a hard mass due to age. However, I've glued lots of rubbery materials, in and out of it. I'm told that my helmet is "too old" and "should be replaced." What say you? Get a brand new standard road or MTB helmet from any bike shop. The reality is the full face bicycle helmet was designed for downhillers and freestylers/bmx guys to keep their bike from coming up and knocking out a tooth or something. Or to protect your face/jaw if you are flying downhill at 40mph and go over the bars...or even catch a treelimb in the face at high speed. This is a very unlikely scenario when riding in the city unless you are jumping something. The primary reason for wearing a helmet is to protect your brain from injury, not your face. It is very easy for your head to "whip" into the ground as your body impacts when you fall, even from a slow speed. Just make sure you get the right size helmet and properly adjust it. This is why I suggest the bike shop variety. One of the sales professionals will show you how to fit it and wear it. It should be worn so the front protects our forehead and the rear protects your "dome" portion of your skull. If you live in a hot area, get a well ventilated one. Good brands to look for: Specialized, Gyro, Louis Garneau, Trek, etc. This was a great question as I am in a quandary as to what kind of helmet to get for my casual rides throughout the neighborhood (for right now). Hi, I do alot of extreme freeride/extreme downhill to the normal stuff as well. I use a Giro full faced helmet $420.00....the only way your neck is going to break from is a full face helmet is landing a 50 foot drop and landing it wrong with all the impact forcing to your neck to snap it :). I have had no bad expriences with full faced helmets for what I do neither do my friends. if your helmet is too old then replace it. for your own safety :) pro freeride/extreme downhiller You definitely need a new helmet. That 'hard mass' is going to do some damage by not absorbing the shock if you ever crash. The two leaders in bike helmets (imho) are Bell and Giro - incidentally, they are actually 2 brands from the same company. That said, no helmet can give you 100% protection, particularly if you're going flat out. On the other hand, have you ever heard of anyone getting brain damage on the Tour de France? No? Despite all the crashes? Shows how effective even a non full face helmet on a speeding roadbike is. you need a dirt jumper helmet, I use one and I do XC,FR, and it barley gets scratched, the helmet I mean is like skateboarders have they are great, get a vigor or pryme |
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