Table of Contents
If you are a beginner, you might be thinking about how to wear a bike helmet properly and this can be a valid question.
After reading this article, you will be able to wear your bike helmet perfectly.
Cycling is a fantastic outdoor activity for a person’s health. It also refreshes our minds.
We see people from every generation enjoying this fun activity and getting its benefits for their well being.
At the same time, it can be threatening to life if you are going out for a ride, among so many other vehicles, and not taking any safety measures.
Numerous bicycle accidents occur on a daily basis worldwide, and people get head and brain injuries, which often leads to death.
In the US, thirteen hundred people die per year from head injuries due to bike accidents.
Among these, the majority of people don’t wear safety helmets. It is more likely to cause harm if you are not wearing a helmet properly, and you accidentally fall off from your bicycle.
So it is essential to wear a helmet while riding, but you should wear it the right way. So in this article, we are going to guide you on how to wear a bike helmet properly.
You might have thought that putting on a helmet is a simple task, you are right up to some extent, but it can easily go wrong.
So below are some simple steps to adjust it precisely to make sure that it fits on you properly:
- Best fit
- Orientation
- Straps adjustment
1. Best fit for you
There are billions of people in the whole world. And everyone has a different head shape and size. Similarly, according to the needs of customers, helmet manufacturers produce helmets of different sizes and shapes.
A helmet is made of a Styrofoam that can be molded in any shape. You first need to find the perfect fit for your head. Proper helmet fit is a key to comfort and safety, luckily getting one is not difficult at all.
The process of fitting a new helmet is important and can take a little while, so work slowly and carefully. For this purpose, you should first measure the circumference of your head with the help of a measuring tape. For that, hold a tape around the head in a horizontal position, two fingers above your eyebrows.
Note down the circumference in centimetres. Then check out the size chart of the helmet you want for yourself. And find out whether your head is a small, medium, or large size.
We hope that you’ve got the right size to start with, but if you want to recheck, it should be well fit on your head, and you shouldn’t be able to get more than one finger between your forehead and the helmet.
Most helmets will have a retention system (located at the back of your helmet) you should make sure that it’s as loose as possible when you’re checking so that it’s actually the shell of the helmet and not the retention system that’s holding it in place.
Some helmets also come with extra pads, so by using those pads, you can adjust the fit of your helmet. If you are a little uncomfortable in your helmet and it is a little tight, you should change the thickness of the padding.
And in the same way, if it is a bit loose you can add a thick pad you have got with your helmet. But it would be a better choice to select a helmet that fits you before the pad adjustments. By following all these steps, now you are ready with your best fit.
2. Orientation
Orientation plays a vital role in wearing a bike helmet properly. We need to ensure that it’s sitting in the right place on your head. It should sit forward, two fingers above your eyebrows, out of your field of vision in such a way that your helmet does not disrupt your sight. And it definitely shouldn’t be sitting on the back of your head.
If you have it there, it’s not going to provide you any protection in a crash. Because in that case, your forehead will be uncovered and will not be protected by your helmet.
If you crash while wearing the helmet like that, your forehead will touch the ground instead of the visor. It also looks socially awkward.
When it’s in the right place, there are three ways of ensuring that it stays there. Firstly, let’s look again at the retention system at the back.
Find out how it adjusts, it could be pressing the two sides in, or there could be a little dial to rotate. Whatever it is, tighten it up so that the helmet feels snug against your head.
You should be able to shake your head, and the helmet remains still on your skull.
Also Read: How to remove motorcycle helmet visor
3. Straps adjustment
The next adjustment is the most important one; that’s the chinstrap, which is what keeps your helmet in place during an impact.
It’s just a case of tightening the strap up to the point where you can get about one or two fingers between the strap and your chin, and not more than that.
There is a second adjustment to make to the straps as well. You have to confirm that the straps are adjusted perfectly around the ears. The side straps should make a ‘V’ under your ears.
You have to readjust the chin straps as well, but it is worth confirming that the helmet fits as snugly and correctly as possible.
Conclusion
The conclusion is, you should be certain that the helmet sits correctly on your head.
Then adjust the retention system at the back to make sure that it’s snug and finally adjust the chin strap so that it’s going to be secure on your head in the event of a crash.
You should also check your helmet’s adjustments each time before going for a ride. Sometimes the helmet can be loosened or readjusted if you wear a cap under your helmet in the cold season.
Finally, you should never ever wear a helmet that has gone through an accident. For example, a helmet has been involved in a crash, it has saved someone’s life, but it’s now slightly cracked, so the helmet is straight for the bin. You have to buy a new one.
