Choosing a Casual Bicycle Helmet

Whether you are a person who rides a bicycle with or without a helmet, you may have found yourself trying to figure out the best protection for your noggin on at least one occasion or another. There is so much that goes into choosing a helmet - even more than I initially believed - and everything from aesthetics to fit to type-of-use seems to come into play. Some people have a wardrobe of helmets to choose from, while others prefer the one-and-only-for-all-rides option.

I freely admit that I am very likely to be found helmetless when riding around town, but almost never go on a road/sport ride without one. How that tradition started, I'm not entirely sure, but I struggle for some reason to remember or care about using one on short trips around the city. I do know that it upsets a certain segment of the cycling community to see (or hear about) me wandering about town on a daily basis without a helmet, but I am still of the belief that this is (unless required by law) entirely my choice.

But (as per my usual digressions), this is not intended as a time to argue the merits (or not) of donning a helmet, but rather, I am curious as to how others go about making a decision about a type or style of helmet, and even whether or not the looks of the helmet matter to you personally?

As I've found myself riding in the dark more frequently over the years, I've thought it might behoove me to wear a helmet around town on occasion (I am naturally clumsy and riding at night just adds to the potential for hitting unseen items in the road), and thus started my search for a helmet that wasn't too sporty-looking, that fits properly, isn't weighty, looks good (or at least acceptable), and that isn't boring. I have to admit, it hasn't been a very fruitful search.

Throughout this multi-year hunt, I've tried on, purchased and borrowed a variety of styles, and I have yet to find one that seems to check all the boxes.

Nutcase has been making helmets for a number of years now. It's easy to spot them in retail establishments because they are more than likely one of the more colorful and aesthetically creative designs one will see. Their rounded shape, unlike most of the more oblong road and mountain bike helmets is yet another easy way to spot them. Not to mention that they're placed strategically in magazines, often times when not even advertising for the Nutcase brand.

*Image from Nutcase helmets

Personally, I'm frequently drawn to this maker because of the colorful designs. I lean toward more subdued and neutral choices for clothing, but I've found the opposite to be true when it comes to bicycles and accessories. For some reason, the brighter the colors the more I seem to find myself picking up and trying a particular item. I can recall the day when I spotted "Phoebe," my former Amsterdam, in a local shop. I tried to convince the owner that I am more of a wallflower, to which he replied, "Anyone drawn to that bike is not a wallflower!"

However, I know there are those who prefer just the opposite and who seek out more subdued choices for helmets or even bicycle colors (which are also available from Nutcase). I don't necessarily object to a neutral helmet either, but it needs to tick all of the other boxes, and at about $60-70 USD, they are one of the less expensive options available.

My biggest issue with Nutcase helmets (and those of similar shape, such as Bern) is that they are on the heavy side. If I wear them for any length of time (more than a few minutes), I find that I have a strained neck for days afterward. I haven't quite decided if it's the fact that these helmets ride so low on the back of my head, or if it's the weight itself, but strained neck muscles are something I'd rather avoid.

Additionally, I also prefer more venting in a helmet, so the minimal hole design of these helmets doesn't particularly appeal to me. They seem to work fine in cool or cold months, but when the temperatures rise, I find it difficult to continue wearing this style of helmet.

*Image from Bell (Solara helmet pictured) Approx. $40 USD

Other options that I've perused and tried are the more commonly spotted helmets in shops such as sporting goods stores and include those from Bell, Giro, Specialized, and so on. They often look similar in style and shape to the one pictured just above, and come in a variety of color choices and slightly different shapes.

For me, finding the right shape for my head seems to be challenging. I own one in particular that fits well overall, has a lower profile (which I prefer), has lots of large vent holes, and is lightweight; however, I end up with painful dents in my forehead every time I wear it due to the shape of my head - which seems to be in opposition to the shape of the helmet - despite the fact that it fits better than most helmets I've tried. I've been told in the past that people have either a Specialized shape head or a Giro shaped head, but I seem to have difficulty with both brands, depending on the particular model.

*Image from POC (model is Trabec)

I spot a lot of the POC helmets (and Smith Optics are a close second) on the roads these days too. The style (at least to me) seems to meet somewhere in between the super-round helmet and the space-looking helmets. Venting seems adequate (though I still prefer more/larger venting), and I like the variety of color options ranging from neutral to more stand-out colors. At $150 USD, this one starts to tug more at the purse strings than I'd prefer. Still, it isn't the most expensive helmet available, and perhaps this could serve as both a sport helmet and casual helmet for many riders.

Helmets have such a huge range in price, and (at least in the U.S.) they all must meet Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) requirements in order to be sold on shelves. In my experience though, it seems as though the more a person is willing to spend, the lighter the weight becomes and often, though not always, they seem to look better. Is it some kind of trick to attempt to get me to spend more money on a bike helmet? Perhaps. But, I suppose the more accurate answer is that the higher the price tag, the lighter the materials the company can use to manufacture the product and still meet safety needs.

After years of looking for the near-perfect, more casual, everyday type of helmet, I still have nothing definitive to point to. There are a lot of options to choose from, but it can be challenging to know which way to go - even when able to try them all on in person. Sometimes, I find the most information when actually using the helmet on a ride, and at that point it's too late to return the one selected.

How do you go about choosing your helmet(s)? Do you prefer to have just one helmet for all different types of riding and or bicycles, or do you like to have options to choose from? If you've had problems selecting based on your head shape, what have you found to be successful? Do you care about looks more than fit, or perhaps the opposite?