1. ↔ × → Giro Helmet: When riding out on the road, I always wear my helmet and I strongly urge you to do as well. This model, a Giro Eclipse is a mid range helmet that is about half the price of the higher end fancy helmets, but is actually just as good. In fact, I compared the weight of this helmet to my higher end ‘Pneumo’ model and found it to be slightly lighter. A very important point about bike helmets is that, in order to be sold in the US, they all have to comply with the same safety certification specs. What this means to you is that any helmet you see for sale at a bike shop will provide similar protection. In other words, a $100 helmet does not protect your head 3 times better than a $30 helmet. The different prices are largely related to issues such as the number of vents, the retention system and, of course, the appearance of the helmet. Of paramount importance is the fit of the helmet. You don’t need to empty your wallet to protect your head. One time I was riding with my children on a bike path near home. My youngest daughter was zooming down a small hill ahead of me and hit a patch of mud on the path. Her bike slipped out from under her and she went down hard. I remember watching helplessly as I saw her head slam on the pavement. Thankfully, she sat up almost instantly, and looked OK. I examined her helmet. The foam structure had shattered in several places, but the shell had kept it all together. The helmet had absorbed most the energy from the crash. The helmet was destroyed, but it had done its job, it saved my daughter from a potentially serious head injury.

    Giro Helmet: When riding out on the road, I always wear my helmet and I strongly urge you to do as well. This model, a Giro Eclipse is a mid range helmet that is about half the price of the higher end fancy helmets, but is actually just as good. In fact, I compared the weight of this helmet to my higher end ‘Pneumo’ model and found it to be slightly lighter. A very important point about bike helmets is that, in order to be sold in the US, they all have to comply with the same safety certification specs. What this means to you is that any helmet you see for sale at a bike shop will provide similar protection. In other words, a $100 helmet does not protect your head 3 times better than a $30 helmet. The different prices are largely related to issues such as the number of vents, the retention system and, of course, the appearance of the helmet. Of paramount importance is the fit of the helmet. You don’t need to empty your wallet to protect your head. One time I was riding with my children on a bike path near home. My youngest daughter was zooming down a small hill ahead of me and hit a patch of mud on the path. Her bike slipped out from under her and she went down hard. I remember watching helplessly as I saw her head slam on the pavement. Thankfully, she sat up almost instantly, and looked OK. I examined her helmet. The foam structure had shattered in several places, but the shell had kept it all together. The helmet had absorbed most the energy from the crash. The helmet was destroyed, but it had done its job, it saved my daughter from a potentially serious head injury.