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Siskiyou Velo

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Bike Helmet ratings, buying guide and recommendations

by Jeff Roberts on Dec, 5 2019

Consumer Reports says: “Remember: A bike helmet should be replaced every five years, or sooner if it is damaged. If the helmet has been involved in an accident, replace it, even if it does not appear to be damaged. The expanded polystyrene foam that dissipates the energy from the impact may still look intact, but bike helmets are designed to do the job just once.”

If you’re in the market for a new helmet, here are two resources to help:  

1. Courtesy of Joanne Mitani, an excellent rating of bike helmets:
Virginia Tech’s Bicycle Helmet Ratings, recently updated. Note that there are buttons to filter the list by type (road, urban, etc.).

2. Consumer Reports helmet buying and fitting guide: https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/bike-helmets/buying-guide/index.htm
(A Consumer Reports subscription is required to view their recommendations, but not the buying guide.)

Jeff

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