Right up front, ANY helmet is better than no helmet at all. However, do some helmets "fit" better with certain bikes? I'm not sure about that, but there are a few things to keep in mind when buying a helmet.
What bike do you ride?
Every May I start to see the large touring bikes pull into the parking lot. The riders come in, hand over their credit card and ask for the "best" venting helmet in the store... It typically takes me about 30 minutes to explain that their bike, and a well vented helmet, don't mix. It's like oil and water. Helmets ideally need a smooth, unbroken stream of air to work at their best. If you're sitting behind a huge fairing, or wind shield, you don't get enough of this type of air.
I get comebacks such as, "I have a port (opening) in my windshield. I get air" or, " The top of my helmet gets great air. When I don't wear my helmet I can feel it." Keep one thing in mind, if you have a medium to large wind shield, at best the air has been disrupted. In a nut shell, buying a "high-flow" helmet when you're on this type of bike, is a HUGE waste of money. Focus on fit, weight, or styling. Now do great venting helmets do "slightly" better than average helmets on these types of bikes? Well, a little better, but I don't feel that the difference is worth the extra $150...
Now if you're on a sportbike, sport-touring bike, or a naked cruiser, then go for it. The extra money will be well worth it. Simply, you'll get your monies worth.
Do you ride in town mainly, or Freeway?
Simply put, price has nothing to do with venting... I could walk you around my store and show you a $200 helmet that vents as well as a $650 helmet. I could also show you a few helmets above $350 that vent great at 65MPH, but are somewhat limited below this speed.
I feel that a helmet, regardless of what it was designed for (racing, touring) should vent well below 35MPH. I think it's easy for manufacturers to get sucked into the belief that every guy riding a sport bike wants to wear a "Race" helmet. But lets face it, some things designed for the track, don't always work great during your short in town commute... Finding this middle ground is what I feel makes, or breaks a model. I've lectured it over, and over again. Nothing comes close to the all around performance of the Shoei X-11. Great in town, and on the track. Other companies appear to focus on the track performance, and their helmets work great above 65MPH. Not so great between those stop lights.
I break helmets into two categories. Passive, and non-passive venting. Non passive models are those that work at 3oMPH, and you can actually "feel" the air entering the helmet. There are only 6 models, out of all that I've tested that fit this tough standard. The Arai Models, Shoei X-11, RF-1000, Shark RSR2 and RSi, the Bell Star, and the new HJC FS-15. Yep, no Arai, Suomy, KBC, AGV. know don't get me wrong, these other companies make helmets that vent well above average, they just go about it differently. Some start to work great at around 45MPH, but below that they blend in with every other helmet on the market.
Bottom line? If you spend most of your time in town, then make sure you get a helmet that works great at those speeds. It doesn't always mean a "Race" type helmet. If you're behind a wind screen, know that whatever helmet you get will have a hard time functioning as designed.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Really? Helmets and Jackets are worth it? Really?
Lets leave the "Freedom to choose" out of this debate, because that seems to come up every time I get involved in a conversation. Lets just get a grip on what is really at the foundation here, which is PREVENTING INJURY...
Let me tell you a story about a customer who came into my store many, many years ago. He wasn't a kid under 21, but in his early 30's. He rolled into the parking lot on a very nice cruiser wearing no helmet, a tank-top, shorts, and flip-flops. It just happens that at this exact time I was having a conversation with a customer in the store, who was on the fence about buying a jacket. He had a helmet, and really thought that was enough.
When the scantly dressed customer came through the door, I got the sense he had a good sense of humor, so I went with it. After the greetings, I asked him, "Hey, can you do me a HUGE favor? We're having a debate on whether a jacket is worth the cost. Could you head back out into the parking lot, run as fast as you can, and at the end, dive face forward? We want to see how banged up you are." The customer laughed and stated, "What, you think I'm crazy?"
Lets face it, we call accidents, accidents, not on purposes...
I think you would be hard to find a football player who would take the field on game day without a helmet. Few bicycle riders forgo the helmet. On the ski slopes it hard to find someone not wearing a helmet. Hey, it makes sense right? Keeps your head warm, and protects you if you fall. Hockey players, who typically like a good fight, wear helmets (no it's not a rule that they do). These guys want to have a bad day, and go home afterward...
How about this? Stand on the tailgate of the nearest truck you can find. Bend down, grab you ankles and fall forward onto the parking lot. Better yet, wear a T-shirt, no helmet, blue jeans, and have your wife drag you behind the family car for 50 feet... The fact is, if you're sane, if you "had" to do the above, and was offered a helmet and gear, you would take it. Why is the bike different?
I want to think that deep down inside, we all know that safety gear like helmets, gloves, jackets, pants and boots help prevent injury. If so, why do I see so many people "deciding" against them? Comfort? My local customers are shocked to find that they will actually be "cooler" on a 110' day wearing a mesh jacket, and an above average venting "full-face" helmet. Sure, there are products out there that just won't fit you right. I can guaranty that if you walk into my shop, I can find something that fits well. Jackets, the same. It might take time, but we have more of that, than layers of skin...
We have a "unwritten" law in Arizona that many people aren't aware of. You might want to check your own State. While we're a no-helmet State, the insurance companies have something to say (they always do..)...
If you're involved in an accident in Arizona, and sustain injury to your head that could have been prevented by wearing a helmet, they PAY NOTHING.. This holds true, even if the other person is AT FAULT... You're riding down the street, someone yanks a left in front of you, and you plow your head into the side of the car, NOTHING.
I'll be the first to admit that there are times when the helmet comes off, and I ride. I'm always out in the middle of no where, very little traffic, and I feel I'm in control. Sure, I could hit a rabbit and crash, but to me it's worth the risk. When traffic picks up, I slap on a helmet. This is my personal opinion... If you ride a bike without a helmet in town, on busy highways, or NEVER, you're NUTS.
I'll close with this. I tell new riders that, "Everyone out there is trying to kill you. Ride like your life depends on you knowing this."
Let me tell you a story about a customer who came into my store many, many years ago. He wasn't a kid under 21, but in his early 30's. He rolled into the parking lot on a very nice cruiser wearing no helmet, a tank-top, shorts, and flip-flops. It just happens that at this exact time I was having a conversation with a customer in the store, who was on the fence about buying a jacket. He had a helmet, and really thought that was enough.
When the scantly dressed customer came through the door, I got the sense he had a good sense of humor, so I went with it. After the greetings, I asked him, "Hey, can you do me a HUGE favor? We're having a debate on whether a jacket is worth the cost. Could you head back out into the parking lot, run as fast as you can, and at the end, dive face forward? We want to see how banged up you are." The customer laughed and stated, "What, you think I'm crazy?"
Lets face it, we call accidents, accidents, not on purposes...
I think you would be hard to find a football player who would take the field on game day without a helmet. Few bicycle riders forgo the helmet. On the ski slopes it hard to find someone not wearing a helmet. Hey, it makes sense right? Keeps your head warm, and protects you if you fall. Hockey players, who typically like a good fight, wear helmets (no it's not a rule that they do). These guys want to have a bad day, and go home afterward...
How about this? Stand on the tailgate of the nearest truck you can find. Bend down, grab you ankles and fall forward onto the parking lot. Better yet, wear a T-shirt, no helmet, blue jeans, and have your wife drag you behind the family car for 50 feet... The fact is, if you're sane, if you "had" to do the above, and was offered a helmet and gear, you would take it. Why is the bike different?
I want to think that deep down inside, we all know that safety gear like helmets, gloves, jackets, pants and boots help prevent injury. If so, why do I see so many people "deciding" against them? Comfort? My local customers are shocked to find that they will actually be "cooler" on a 110' day wearing a mesh jacket, and an above average venting "full-face" helmet. Sure, there are products out there that just won't fit you right. I can guaranty that if you walk into my shop, I can find something that fits well. Jackets, the same. It might take time, but we have more of that, than layers of skin...
We have a "unwritten" law in Arizona that many people aren't aware of. You might want to check your own State. While we're a no-helmet State, the insurance companies have something to say (they always do..)...
If you're involved in an accident in Arizona, and sustain injury to your head that could have been prevented by wearing a helmet, they PAY NOTHING.. This holds true, even if the other person is AT FAULT... You're riding down the street, someone yanks a left in front of you, and you plow your head into the side of the car, NOTHING.
I'll be the first to admit that there are times when the helmet comes off, and I ride. I'm always out in the middle of no where, very little traffic, and I feel I'm in control. Sure, I could hit a rabbit and crash, but to me it's worth the risk. When traffic picks up, I slap on a helmet. This is my personal opinion... If you ride a bike without a helmet in town, on busy highways, or NEVER, you're NUTS.
I'll close with this. I tell new riders that, "Everyone out there is trying to kill you. Ride like your life depends on you knowing this."
Saturday, June 6, 2009
June 6th, 1944.. We Should ALL REMEMBER.
June 6th, 1944 - D-Day
There are many days we, as a Nation, can look back on with inner pride. As a NATION that has a past, let us not forget those that have, are, and will, represent us with unimaginable character.
Today is an appropriate day, to walk outside, and proclaim in a resolved voice....
I AM AN AMERICAN...!
Today marks the day that our fathers, brothers, and grandfathers were called to action. Many gave their lives in the fight. While I'm sure these hero's were focused on defeating the enemy before them, and protecting their brothers to the left, right, behind and in front, they were also tapping into what has made this County the GREATEST on the planet. Bravery.
I feel that we are a Nation made up of the bravest humans on the planet. From the first Americans who dared to travel great oceans to an unknown land, to those who have "chosen" to protect our Country today. We have never been a people who have settled, just to settle.
Websters defines "Bravery" as, "A quality of spirit that enables you to face danger of pain without showing fear."
I cannot speak for anyone, but myself. When I step back and look around, I see a Nation inhabited by a people who refuse to give up. A people, with different beliefs, but share the same heart. A Nation who "enjoys" challenge so much, we yearn to create it around us... We, as a people, want to be tested. Settle? If it were possible to show us this "word" in a solid form, we would relish the opportunity to smack it in the face.
Those Americans who fought on D-Day are my hero's. 65 years later they continue to teach me a lesson about who I am. I'M AN AMERICAN. I share a history with every brave American who have passed, live today, and those that are being being born as I type this message... I owe everything that I am, right down to my most precious gift, my family, to these Patriots. Without them, I may not see my own strength as clearly. They were tested in the most brutal of situations, and shined. I too can shine because this bond rests inside me, and in you. WE ARE AMERICANS..!
Close your eyes. You're on a small boat approaching a foreign land, knowing that the door in front of you is about to drop. Horrific scenes are all around you, but yet something inside you compels you out the door and forward. Fear? It's there. Flight? You bet. One special gift lye's within each of us. Americans are able to put these aside because we love our Country, and Countrymen. Bravery is what bubbles to to the top. It's in our genes, because of our past. This can never be taken away.
Today, I'm going to hug my family. Today, I'm going to thank a Veteran. Today, I'm going to once again remind myself that it doesn't stop with me. That together, with my fellow AMERICANS, I'm going to roll up my sleeves and get to work. Acknowledge that past generations have delivered to my doorstep, through their sacrifices, an inner fire found no where else on this planet.
I AM AN AMERICAN..!
There are many days we, as a Nation, can look back on with inner pride. As a NATION that has a past, let us not forget those that have, are, and will, represent us with unimaginable character.
Today is an appropriate day, to walk outside, and proclaim in a resolved voice....
I AM AN AMERICAN...!
Today marks the day that our fathers, brothers, and grandfathers were called to action. Many gave their lives in the fight. While I'm sure these hero's were focused on defeating the enemy before them, and protecting their brothers to the left, right, behind and in front, they were also tapping into what has made this County the GREATEST on the planet. Bravery.
I feel that we are a Nation made up of the bravest humans on the planet. From the first Americans who dared to travel great oceans to an unknown land, to those who have "chosen" to protect our Country today. We have never been a people who have settled, just to settle.
Websters defines "Bravery" as, "A quality of spirit that enables you to face danger of pain without showing fear."
I cannot speak for anyone, but myself. When I step back and look around, I see a Nation inhabited by a people who refuse to give up. A people, with different beliefs, but share the same heart. A Nation who "enjoys" challenge so much, we yearn to create it around us... We, as a people, want to be tested. Settle? If it were possible to show us this "word" in a solid form, we would relish the opportunity to smack it in the face.
Those Americans who fought on D-Day are my hero's. 65 years later they continue to teach me a lesson about who I am. I'M AN AMERICAN. I share a history with every brave American who have passed, live today, and those that are being being born as I type this message... I owe everything that I am, right down to my most precious gift, my family, to these Patriots. Without them, I may not see my own strength as clearly. They were tested in the most brutal of situations, and shined. I too can shine because this bond rests inside me, and in you. WE ARE AMERICANS..!
Close your eyes. You're on a small boat approaching a foreign land, knowing that the door in front of you is about to drop. Horrific scenes are all around you, but yet something inside you compels you out the door and forward. Fear? It's there. Flight? You bet. One special gift lye's within each of us. Americans are able to put these aside because we love our Country, and Countrymen. Bravery is what bubbles to to the top. It's in our genes, because of our past. This can never be taken away.
Today, I'm going to hug my family. Today, I'm going to thank a Veteran. Today, I'm going to once again remind myself that it doesn't stop with me. That together, with my fellow AMERICANS, I'm going to roll up my sleeves and get to work. Acknowledge that past generations have delivered to my doorstep, through their sacrifices, an inner fire found no where else on this planet.
I AM AN AMERICAN..!
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