Nothing to do with pens

[wolf creek knives]

Sorry this has nothing to do with pen turning, or any type of wood working at all.
Recently my Orthopedic Doc suggested I start riding a bike after having both knees replaced. So...my wife and I went to our local bike store in Great Falls and invested in some new 7 speed bikes. Really nice bikes and they should fit our needs for where we live, lots of gravel trails and such. However, Safety First, so I'm looking for suggestions on bicycle riding helmets. The bike shop had some really nice helmets but I didn't want to donate a kidney in order to buy one of them. So my wife and I have reviewed probably 50 to 60 different styles, and costs. I'm looking for any help with anyone on this site that might have a helmet they recommend that doesn't cost a months wages. Thanks for any help you might offer.

 

[Joseph]

DEFINITELY something with protection against concussions such as "MIPS" (a special liner inside the helmet to protect against rotational forces).
Last I had looked you could get some nice ones around $60-80.

I would recommend one with dual density foam as well if your budget allows. Bicycle helmets are required to protect for a much harder impact than is likely to occur, resulting in a very hard foam being used. This hard foam however does little to cushion impacts seen in a normal bicycle crash. The dual density has a hard foam for high impacts and a less dense foam for the more common smaller impacts.

My dad went over the bars while we were mountain biking and suffered a concussion wearing a walmart helmet that had none of the above mentioned features. He basically spent eight hours with no short term memory. Every couple minutes he would ask me what had happened, where he crashed, and how he got to the hospital. It was about twelve hours before he was really back to being his self. He thankfully recovered fully, but still has no recollection of the accident. I believe a better helmet would have greatly reduced, if not prevented, the effects of his crash. The medical bills cost waaaay more than a good helmet.

After that we researched safer bicycle helmets and learned about MIPS and dual density foam helmets. I had never known about either.

My dad now uses the Fox Dropframe Pro helmet, and I like the Fox Speedframe Pro (there is the normal speedframe that just has MIPS and the speedframe Pro that has MIPS and dual density)

When researching and shopping for a better helmet I found this report helpful.

Bike Helmet Ratings

Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings - Bike helmets have been tested to evaluate their ability to reduce brain injury risk.

www.helmet.beam.vt.edu

 

[Ted iin Michigan]

Good info from Joseph above. Not familiar with dual density foam.
I've been riding (roads) seriously for 40 years and have gone through my share of helmets. And I must say that the one I have now is right up there with my favorites. It's a Bontrager (store brand for Trek) and has superior protection against head injury like your dad suffered. Plus, it's quite comfy.
But most of the "big" brands will give decent protection (Specialized and Giro are known brands).
One thing that is seldom mentioned is that if/when you crash, a thorough inspection of the helmet is mandatory. Cracks, dents or anything that impairs proper fit means the helmet goes away and is replaced.
Good riding!

 

[wolf creek knives]

DEFINITELY something with protection against concussions such as "MIPS" (a special liner inside the helmet to protect against rotational forces).
Last I had looked you could get some nice ones around $60-80.

I would recommend one with dual density foam as well if your budget allows. Bicycle helmets are required to protect for a much harder impact than is likely to occur, resulting in a very hard foam being used. This hard foam however does little to cushion impacts seen in a normal bicycle crash. The dual density has a hard foam for high impacts and a less dense foam for the more common smaller impacts.

My dad went over the bars while we were mountain biking and suffered a concussion wearing a walmart helmet that had none of the above mentioned features. He basically spent eight hours with no short term memory. Every couple minutes he would ask me what had happened, where he crashed, and how he got to the hospital. It was about twelve hours before he was really back to being his self. He thankfully recovered fully, but still has no recollection of the accident. I believe a better helmet would have greatly reduced, if not prevented, the effects of his crash. The medical bills cost waaaay more than a good helmet.

After that we researched safer bicycle helmets and learned about MIPS and dual density foam helmets. I had never known about either.

My dad now uses the Fox Dropframe Pro helmet, and I like the Fox Speedframe Pro (there is the normal speedframe that just has MIPS and the speedframe Pro that has MIPS and dual density)

When researching and shopping for a better helmet I found this report helpful.

Bike Helmet Ratings

Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings - Bike helmets have been tested to evaluate their ability to reduce brain injury risk.

www.helmet.beam.vt.edu

Good info from Joseph above. Not familiar with dual density foam.
I've been riding (roads) seriously for 40 years and have gone through my share of helmets. And I must say that the one I have now is right up there with my favorites. It's a Bontrager (store brand for Trek) and has superior protection against head injury like your dad suffered. Plus, it's quite comfy.
But most of the "big" brands will give decent protection (Specialized and Giro are known brands).
One thing that is seldom mentioned is that if/when you crash, a thorough inspection of the helmet is mandatory. Cracks, dents or anything that impairs proper fit means the helmet goes away and is replaced.
Good riding!

Thank you both for this great information. But first off, I'm glad to hear your father is okay Joseph after his tumble. My brother-in-law suffered a similar crash. First thing out of his mouth was to get a good helmet when we told him we bought a couple bikes. Armed with what you both have shared my wife and I are on are way to the bike shop to look into helmets. MIPS is very interesting and I'm glad you shared the website with us. Both of you have been a big help.

Tom

 

[GaryMGg]

I've been using Giro helmets for years.
Never bonked one but they're pretty well accepted.

 

[Woodchipper]

Good idea to keep limber joints.

 

[mark james]

I'll give a supporting vote for a quality helmet, but from a Kayaker's perspective. While doing a Father's Day run with my FIL about 30 years ago I flipped going through some rapids in the Yough (below Pittsburgh), it took me a few tries to do my roll as I was being dragged over some rocks and needed deeper water. At the end of the trip when taking my helmet off I noticed three gouges in the helmet, each maybe 1/8" deep and 3" long. That would have hurt. I love my helmet!

 

[RunnerVince]

I took a dive down a hillside more than 20 years ago, and my helmet was cracked at the back, right above the occipital spur. Glad it was my helmet, not my skull. MUCH cheaper to replace.

I'd also add that comfort is important. If it's not comfortable, you'll be less inclined to wear it. Make sure it is easy to adjust, and easy to put on and take off.

 

[wolf creek knives]

DEFINITELY something with protection against concussions such as "MIPS" (a special liner inside the helmet to protect against rotational forces).
Last I had looked you could get some nice ones around $60-80.

I would recommend one with dual density foam as well if your budget allows. Bicycle helmets are required to protect for a much harder impact than is likely to occur, resulting in a very hard foam being used. This hard foam however does little to cushion impacts seen in a normal bicycle crash. The dual density has a hard foam for high impacts and a less dense foam for the more common smaller impacts.

My dad went over the bars while we were mountain biking and suffered a concussion wearing a walmart helmet that had none of the above mentioned features. He basically spent eight hours with no short term memory. Every couple minutes he would ask me what had happened, where he crashed, and how he got to the hospital. It was about twelve hours before he was really back to being his self. He thankfully recovered fully, but still has no recollection of the accident. I believe a better helmet would have greatly reduced, if not prevented, the effects of his crash. The medical bills cost waaaay more than a good helmet.

After that we researched safer bicycle helmets and learned about MIPS and dual density foam helmets. I had never known about either.

My dad now uses the Fox Dropframe Pro helmet, and I like the Fox Speedframe Pro (there is the normal speedframe that just has MIPS and the speedframe Pro that has MIPS and dual density)

When researching and shopping for a better helmet I found this report helpful.

Bike Helmet Ratings

Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings - Bike helmets have been tested to evaluate their ability to reduce brain injury risk.

www.helmet.beam.vt.edu

Good info from Joseph above. Not familiar with dual density foam.
I've been riding (roads) seriously for 40 years and have gone through my share of helmets. And I must say that the one I have now is right up there with my favorites. It's a Bontrager (store brand for Trek) and has superior protection against head injury like your dad suffered. Plus, it's quite comfy.
But most of the "big" brands will give decent protection (Specialized and Giro are known brands).
One thing that is seldom mentioned is that if/when you crash, a thorough inspection of the helmet is mandatory. Cracks, dents or anything that impairs proper fit means the helmet goes away and is replaced.
Good riding!

I've been using Giro helmets for years.
Never bonked one but they're pretty well accepted.

Good idea to keep limber joints.

I'll give a supporting vote for a quality helmet, but from a Kayaker's perspective. While doing a Father's Day run with my FIL about 30 years ago I flipped going through some rapids in the Yough (below Pittsburgh), it took me a few tries to do my roll as I was being dragged over some rocks and needed deeper water. At the end of the trip when taking my helmet off I noticed three gouges in the helmet, each maybe 1/8" deep and 3" long. That would have hurt. I love my helmet!

I took a dive down a hillside more than 20 years ago, and my helmet was cracked at the back, right above the occipital spur. Glad it was my helmet, not my skull. MUCH cheaper to replace.

I'd also add that comfort is important. If it's not comfortable, you'll be less inclined to wear it. Make sure it is easy to adjust, and easy to put on and take off.

Thank you all for responding to my question. After reading these my wife and I went back to the bike shop and each bought a Giro helmet that had the MIPS stamp on it. The owner of the shop told us these were both great helmets and should work well for what we intend to do. Thank you all again.
Tom