The cycling helmet is not just a protective cycling accessory anymore, it’s a piece of fashion too, designed to complement any cycling outfit whether you are mum taking the kids to school on your cargo bike or a weekend warrior tearing up the trails at your local trail park.
Helmet technology has seen a significant shift in recent years. Gone are the old clunky and ugly ‘lids’. Modern helmets are stylish with sophisticated technical features built in.
In this guide, our expert Paul Prince will walk you through how to buy the correct size, he will talk about different styles and some of the features that protect the modern rider.
This is easy. Stand in front of a mirror, take a measuring tape and measure the circumference of your head about 2-3cms above your eyebrows keeping the tape level, close to your skin but not tight and above your ears. This will give you a measurement in cm.
Helmets are sized as a range which your measurement must fall within, e.g. Medium 52-57cm. If your head measured 55cm, this would be the correct size for you.
Paul says: If you are struggling get someone else to help you and take a few measurements to double check.
A typical helmet size guide. This may differ slightly between brands.
Let’s breakdown some of the key features in a helmet to look for:
Paul says: Focus on comfort and the correct type of helmet within your budget.
We sell five styles of helmet which align with the type of riding you may do but it’s fine to use helmets in other disciplines too:
Kids Helmets
These helmets are always colourful and designed for young children. Sizing will be dependent on age and head size. For really small children manufacturers adopt a one-size approach
Leisure Helmets
These have removeable peaks and are similar in look to mountain bike helmets but less technical and are usually a lower to mid-price point.
Mountain Helmets
These feature open face or full-face helmets with removable visors. They often include technical safety features like MIPS (see below) and good quality padding, ventilation and are low-weight. Price points are often mid to high.
Road
These helmets don’t have visors and have the widest price points. The most expensive will be super-light, aero and technically the most advanced in terms of retention system and impact protection.
Urban helmets
These are helmets that have elements that would be useful in urban environments. Often not as ventilated as leisure helmets, they may have a peak or visor and they may be reflective or sometimes incorporate a rear light.
How to check your helmet fits correctly?
Paul says: Always adjust your helmet in the mirror or get someone to help you.
MIPS technology uses a slip-plane system that moves inside the helmet. This layer is designed to rotate inside the helmet upon impact with the intent of trying to slow down the energy transfer to and from the head and ultimately reduce the effect of that impact.
Paul says: If you are at a higher risk of coming off your bike (eg MTB, Downhill riding) I would recommend a MIPS helmet for the extra impact protection it gives you
You know what size you need, and you know what type of helmet you want. Here are a couple more things to think about
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About the Author
Paul is our IT & Technical Operations Manager and has been cycling for over 35 years with over a decade of industry experience as well.
Paul started racing when he was 16 years old and has raced all over the UK on the road, track and offroad. In 2009 he opened his own cycle shop and ran that for six years until he took a brief break from the industry before returning in 2017.
He has hung his racing wheels up now preferring to ride socially with the odd event. Touring is a new passion. He likes to pack up his panniers and go on a short tour and write about it on his blog.
Paul lives in North Worcestershire and has worked for The Electric Bike Shop since 2020. He is one our most experienced cyclists and industry professionals.
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