There are helmets for bicycles, BMX, skaters, snowboards
and probably and bunch of others. Which kind did you choose
for riding a unicycle? I chose a skater helmet from unicycle.com
since they claim it affords more protection than a bicycle helmet.
Bicycle helmets often look aerodynamic. Unless you’re
riding a Coker, do you really need the aerodynamics while
on a unicycle? They also have lots of cooling vents.
Snowboard helmets tend to cover the ears and perhaps
the temples better than bicycle/skater helmets. Would
these be too hot to wear in the summer? Are they
overkill?
Skater helmets – are these any better than bicycle
helmets? Seems like they have fewer cooling vents.
Hey, why not a helmet built just for unicycling? One for Muni,
another for tricks, and yet another for riding a speedy
big wheel. What would they look like and what
features would they have?
Mountainbike helmets definitely…Looks good, looks fast, lotsa vents, lightweight, secure, peak to keep the sun out of your eyes, what more could you want?
Sorry, but I think BMX/skater helmets look kinda dorky (no offence to those BMXers/skaters out there).
In terms of protection, they have to pass the same test standards so look for the stickers inside the helmet; they’re probably the same. I don’t know how you would tell the extent that a helmet exceeds the standards; and thus how much more protection one helmet has over another.
As for aerodynamics- if it looks fast it’ll make you go faster.
Get something nice like a Giro or a Met though…
I’m currently using a Red Giro Havoc that matches my Muni nicely
— Import Car Fan <dsholt@hotmail.com> wrote: > > There are helmets for bicycles, BMX, skaters, > snowboards > and probably and bunch of others. Which kind did > you choose > for riding a unicycle? I chose a skater helmet from > unicycle.com > since they claim it affords more protection than a > bicycle helmet. > > Bicycle helmets often look aerodynamic. Unless > you’re > riding a Coker, do you really need the aerodynamics > while > on a unicycle? They also have lots of cooling > vents. > > Snowboard helmets tend to cover the ears and perhaps > the temples better than bicycle/skater helmets. > Would > these be too hot to wear in the summer? Are they > overkill? > > Skater helmets – are these any better than bicycle > helmets? Seems like they have fewer cooling vents. > > Hey, why not a helmet built just for unicycling? > One for Muni, > another for tricks, and yet another for riding a > speedy > big wheel. What would they look like and what > features would they have? >
The only practical types of helmets to wear are skate
helmets and bike helmets. Ski/Snowboard helmets would
deffinatly be too warm in the summer. I think any kind
of full face helmet is unpractical, not to mention
exspensive and restricting. Why go so overboard?
A skate style helmet should be more than enough for
any situation. If you think your going to hit your
head alot, like in trials, get one of these. They also
protect the back of your skull, so there better for
very unexpected falls which may occur in trials.
Otherwise go with a bike helmet, they are designed to
shatter upon serious impact. Like if you bailed on a
MUni or Coker at high speed. These are also better for
staying cool. I know that in my skatehelmet, i sweat
like crazy.
So in conclusion, deffinatly go with either bike or
skate.
The Semi has more coverage for the back of the head than you get with a regular MTB style helmet. When I’m doing things that carry a risk of falling backwards I will wear the Semi. It’s also very light for a jumper/skate style helmet. However the vents are kind of small. It isn’t so much a cooling issue (you don’t really ride fast enough on a uni to make the vented helmets work the way they are designed to). Rather, the small vents make it impossible to stick your finger in there to scratch your head. It would also be nice if the Semi used the Roc Loc style fitting system rather than the foam pads. Bigger vents (so I can get my fingers in there) and a Roc Loc fitting system and it would be an even better helmet. I really like having the additional protection for the back of the head. The Semi also works better with my helmet mounted NiteRider light than my MTB helmet.
For muni I wear a Schwinn MTB style helmet that I picked up for real good price (a $60 helmet for less than $20). A MTB style helmet does well for muni, but I would still like to have more protection for the back of the head.
>
> There are helmets for bicycles, BMX, skaters, snowboards
> and probably and bunch of others. Which kind did you choose
> for riding a unicycle? I chose a skater helmet from unicycle.com
> since they claim it affords more protection than a bicycle helmet.
>
> Bicycle helmets often look aerodynamic. Unless you’re
> riding a Coker, do you really need the aerodynamics while
> on a unicycle? They also have lots of cooling vents.
The ventilation is certainly a factor in favor of the bike helmets. Of
course, the other major factor for me is that I bike and already have a
helmet for that.
When I ride my coker, I stick to the Dicycle-type helmet. As for trials or muni riding, I am staying loyal to my BMX days and wearing my Pro-Tec. It is a great helmet, and come on… you guys have got to be kidding yourselves if you think that a regular road helmet is going to help you when you fall down a flight of stairs, or on to some jagged rocks on a trail. Be smart, know your priorities.
-David Kaplan
> Pro-Tec. It is a great helmet, and come on… you guys have got to be
> kidding yourselves if you think that a regular road helmet is going to
> help you when you fall down a flight of stairs, or on to some jagged
> rocks on a trail. Be smart, know your priorities.
Huh? You may have been joking, but I couldn’t tell. Gives me an excuse to
comment on all of this. I assume road and mountain bike helmets have to meet
the exact same specifications from the standards bodies to get the
certification stickers. this means you will hopefully be protected in a high
speed (30 mph) crash into the back of a parked car, or a low speed crash
onto pointy rocks. No, not guaranteed that it won’t hurt, but the helmets
should be able to withstand these types of impact.
Think in terms of the type of activities associated with various specialized
helmet types. Pick the type that matches the type of unicycling you do.
My own take on helmets:
Wearing one is better than not wearing one.
Having one that you like, if it means you’ll wear it, is more important
than having the most appropriate type.
For road and trail distance riding (point A to B) a bike helmet should be
fine.
For Trials, Freestyle, or other relatively stationary but difficult stuff,
surely a BMX or skate helmet offers a more appropriate protection. But even
if you’re doing this, a bike helmet is way better than nothing.
True, bike helmets are better than nothing, but they are also single impact helmets. Think of it like this, a small Porsche vs. a huge Hummer. The Porsche will get wrecked if it gets hit, but the Hummer will take a lick’n and keep on tick’n. They both meet the government standards, but only the skate style helmets far surpass those standards.
-David Kaplan
The object is to have your head servive the impact- not the helmet. Just as a spring deforms to absorb impacts, so do foam and shell helmets. Bike helmets aren’t maid to last- they are made to protect from blunt trama- and then be desposed of. My main complaint with bike helmets for off road is the vents, which allow branches to reach my skull.
“John Foss” <john_foss@asinet.com> wrote in message news:mailman.1014407977.4937.rsu@unicycling.org…
> Huh? You may have been joking, but I couldn’t tell. Gives me an excuse to
> comment on all of this. I assume road and mountain bike helmets have to
meet
> the exact same specifications from the standards bodies to get the
> certification stickers. this means you will hopefully be protected in a
high
> speed (30 mph) crash into the back of a parked car, or a low speed crash
> onto pointy rocks. No, not guaranteed that it won’t hurt, but the helmets
> should be able to withstand these types of impact.
Also, I think there was a study that showed that the pointy out bits on road
style “aero” bike helmets can catch and twist your neck around and stuff, so
mountain bike style helmets which don’t have the pointy out bits are
probably better.
