- You always need a helmet wherever you ride. All cyclists crash eventually. Even a low-speed fall on a bicycle path can scramble your brains.
- Laws in your area may require helmets. Canada, much of the US, and many other countries do.
- Make sure your helmet fits. That is the best advice in this pamphlet! If the helmet does not fit it will not be there when you need it most.
- A good fit means that with the straps adjusted the helmet must be level on your head, touching all around, comfortably snug but not tight. You should not be able to move it much in any direction, and it must not pull off no matter how hard you try. The rear stabilizers on some helmets help them fit well.
- Standards are no longer a big issue. Look for an ASTM, Snell or CPSC sticker. We have detailed information on helmet standards.
- Buy a bright color for visibility. You want motorists and other cyclists to see you. Reflective tape helps too.
- Common sense tells you to avoid a helmet with points sticking out, a squared-off shell, inadequate vents, excessive vents, an extreme "aero" shape, dark colors, thin straps, complicated adjustments or a rigid visor that could snag in a fall.
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