Choosing the Perfect Bike Helmet by Size and Age

Wearing a helmet while pursuing any type of extreme sport is very important. The risk of injury is high when considering everything that could go wrong, from your wheel being snagged or getting stuck, to a moment of inattention leading to an impromptu meeting with the hood of a car.

Although not thinking about such an event at all is far more comfortable, taking it into consideration would be the wiser choice. Life is short as it is, so why make it shorter by not taking proper care of yourself? A helmet could very much mean the difference between a life spent in a wheelchair and just a small concussion that can go away in minutes.

The reason most people don’t wear helmets and assorted protective gear like knee and elbow pads is that they look silly. Or, rather, that their peers would make fun of them. Human nature makes us appreciate thrill-seekers and fire-jugglers while disregarding those who play safe as being boring and uninteresting. We’d like to emphasize the absurdity of that line of thinking.

Consider the following. Let’s say that you skateboard, which is a dangerous extreme sport that can lead to grievous wounds without protective gear. This is with the assumption that you’re using a generalized helmet, which can be used for all sorts of extreme sports.

Banging your head against concrete is one thing, as we’ve all taken a fall or two as children. They hurt, and they can lead to complications, but odds are you’ll survive them, and keep going without too much discomfort.

That’s in a good case scenario, though. A best-case scenario, even. A concussion can very well crack your skull, spelling out a definitive end to your life of care-free fun, and possibly removing the option of ever having such fun again in the first place. A single bad fall could destroy your life.

If you take anything other than your head into consideration, then you could, say, fail to grind a rusty rail and fall flat on your arm, snapping it in half like a dry twig stepped on by a bear. The human body is strong, but not as much as we’d like. Its limits are made very clear in the worst of times.

When in doubt, remember the old adage: “Better safe than sorry!” No amount of ridicule is worth risking your wellbeing. That’s why we’ve prepared a bike helmet size chart to help you make the correct decisions. These helmets aren’t just good for bikes, but for any sport in which you risk injury. For the purposes of this article, we will refer to them as being bike helmets, although they’re all the same.

Pros and Cons of Wearing a Helmet

The advantages of wearing a helmet are numerous. While they have a certain stigma attached to them, it could certainly be argued in good conscience that the benefits far outweigh the risks, which are too costly to afford paying.

Advantages

• Safety - The most common injuries are those that affect the head. Hitting it after falling from your vehicle is frequent due to the way the human body is constructed, which can be a deadly last experience.

The momentum of the fall is often drawn towards the head, with the average human’s head weighing about 11lbs. That means gravity will pull it down towards the ground with more force than other parts. This is primarily why wearing a helmet is extremely important.

Disadvantages

This section does not deserve a bullet list, since the only disadvantage you have from wearing a helmet is that you might be ridiculed. Teenagers might point at you and laugh, and then how are you going to feel good about yourself ever again? That’s a joke, as we don’t believe that personal safety should be forsaken in order to satisfy the ego.

Extreme sports legends all wear protective gear. Take Tony Hawk as a skateboarding example, who always wears a helmet. It’s not surprising, since he values his life, and he knows that there’s nothing detracting from him enjoying his favorite hobby regardless of how much he gets judged for it.

Rodney Mullen - called by some the father of skateboarding - had a very protective father who forced him to wear protective gear at all times, a fact that has saved him from horrible injuries on more than several occasions. Rodney might be quite aged now, but at least he’s perfectly healthy.

Choosing the Right Helmet by Size and Age

Consult the following bike helmet size chart table in order to find out the right one for you. Make sure you don’t just guess, as you must make sure that the helmet is a perfect fit. Otherwise, you might as well not have one if it flies off your head mid-trick or keeps your head into a tight vice that doesn’t allow you to turn your head.

Child Helmet Size

Adult Helmet Size

Got a Head? Need a Helmet!

Shredding through the streets is fun, and so is exploring the great outdoors on your trusty vehicle of choice. It’s very important to remember, however, that your moments of fun can be dramatically cut short by an unforeseen accident.

Accidents happen, whether we like it or not. Even if we’re on top of our game at all times, at one point in our lives, we’re going to slip, and when we do, then we better make sure we’re wearing a helmet. The helmet is a crown, not a crutch. Wear it with pride, as it means you’re wise enough to care about your wellbeing regardless of opinions or distractions.

Remember: “Wear a helmet, ride safely!”

Thinking about buying a new bike? Why not check out our article on bikes here?