October 31, 2008

Indicator Helmet (courtesy, Giro)

Do you have a question of your own?

I think that when a nine-year-old kid says something “fits,” what he/she really means is, “I can climb inside.” So I am not at all sure that an adult medium helmet fits, or anything close. And this matters. Bike helmets have saved my life once and saved me from serious injury twice, so I am an absolute hardcore believer in their efficacy.

You should do a fit test. Have the young man don said helmet, and attach the chin strap. The helmet should be level and snug around the head. And the chin strap should also be sung; he should be able to open his mouth to talk or eat, but not much else. Can you wiggle a finger up under the helmet rim? Can you easily pull the helmet off by pushing it forward or back? If the answer to any of those questions is “yes,” then the helmet does not fit. Period. To do any good, a helmet must be snug and level.

That said, at age nine, perhaps a small adult helmet will fit just fine. And I’d certainly recommend him having his own helmet, rather than borrowing yours. You can fine-tune fit even with same-size helmets.

There are lots of possibilities. Giro’s Indicator ($40) is an excellent helmet—tested and approved—with lots of vents and a cool-looking visor. Bell’s Trigger ($35) is sort of a ‘tweener—a youth helmet that should fit your son well. So go to a bike shop and try on some helmets. Let him get what he likes! That way, he’ll wear it.

The 2008 Summer Outside Buyer’s Guide is now online. From riding to trail-running to camping, get reviews of nearly 400 gear must-haves.

RECENT QUESTIONS What happened to external-frame backpacks? What pack should I use for a multi-day ski touring trip in Patagonia? What should I wear while backpacking in the Grand Canyon? Know of a watch with both a pedometer and an altimeter? Is the Marin Kentfield FS a good beginner bike? Search the Gear Guy

GEAR GUY FEATURES Check out the bio of Douglas Gantenbein, aka the Gear Guy. Readers' Mailbag: The Gear Guy digs into some of your more bizarre, obscure (and let’s face it, downright weird) posts from years gone by to see if he can make sense of it all, or if it’s just time to run up the white flag. Previous column: Beat the Cost of Gear. The Gear Guy reports from the 2005 Outdoor Retailer summer trade fair, with his rundown of ten products to watch in 2006, plus the inside scoop on what shook down at the bi-annual gearapalooza.

MORE GEAR The Outside Gear Blog 2005 Buyer's Guide State of the Art: 2005 Bikes