Zt Sports

Helmet first - skates second = safety first

If you've ever taken a session from or phoned the Zt Skate School you have heard "Helmets first -Skates second". Most accidents, stumbles or falls happen at the start or end of your skate, often while standing beside your car! This is why it is so important to put your helmet on first and take it off last . In this article we'll share some basic information and tell you how to fit your helmet properly.

"What is the difference between a $250.00 top of the line Giro or Specialized and a $39.95 helmet from Canadian Tire or Price Club?" The main difference typically is total weight and how much ventilation each provides.

A variety of governing bodies have set impact standards for bike helmets. Before you purchase any helmet, ensure it has a certification sticker from one of the following: the CSA, ASTM, CPSC or Snell B90/B95. You may find the CPSC (Consumer Products Safety Commission) sticker shows up most frequently. Bike helmets sold in the US must comply with the government's CPSC standards. CPSC has also become the accepted benchmark for helmet certification in Canada . A CPSC sticker is excellent assurance of thorough testing to ensure a high level of safety. Style and brand name are factors in helmet selection but for the most part it comes down to weight and ventilation in terms ofdifferences in price.

Cycling helmets which most inliners tend to use are designed to endure one hard impact. Once the helmet has been in a crash or collision, it must be retired – even if it shows no sign of external damage. If you are unsure, replace it! A few other points to keep in mind... Do not store your helmet in a hot place like the trunk of your car. The extreme temperatures can destroy its shock-absorbing capabilities. Sweat, fresh water, or saltwater will not damage a helmet. Five years is a reasonable lifespan for your helmet.

How to fit your helmet properly

Your objective: Snug, Level, Stable

You want the helmet to be comfortably touching the head all the way around, level and stable enough to resist even violent shakes or hard blows and stay in place. It should be as low on the head as possible to maximize side coverage, and held level on the head with the strap comfortably snug.

Be Prepared for the worst

Heads come in many sizes and shapes. You should be prepared for the possibility that the helmet you are trying to fit may not be compatible with this particular head. And unfortunately, you should expect to spend ten to fifteen minutes to get your helmet properly fitted.

1. Adjust the fit pads or ring

Most helmets come with extra foam fitting pads of different thicknesses to customize the fit. Fitting pads are too squishy to help manage energy in a crash. Their only function is to make the helmet fit better. For starters, you can usually remove the top pad entirely or use the thinnest ones. This lowers the helmet on the head, bringing its protection down further on the sides. It may reduce the flow of cooling air, but probably not enough to notice.

Adjust the side fit pads by using thicker pads if your head is narrow and there is a space, or add thicker pads in the back for shorter heads. You may also move pads around, particularly on the "corners" in the front and rear. Leaving some gaps will improve air flow. The pads should touch your head evenly all the way around, without making the fit too tight. The pads may compress slightly over time, but not much, so do not count on that to loosen the fit. The helmet should sit level on the head, with the front just above the eyebrows, or if the rider uses glasses, just above the frame of the glasses. If you walk into a wall, the helmet should hit before your nose does!

There are also helmets on the market that use a fitting ring rather than side pads for adjustment. With these one-size-fits-all models you begin by adjusting the size of the ring. Some of them may require the ring so tight for real stability on your head that they feel binding, but loosening the ring can produce a sloppy fit, indicating that the helmet is not for you.

2. Adjust the straps

Now put the helmet on and fasten the buckle. Be sure the front is in front! You want to adjust it to the "Eye-Ear-Mouth" test developed by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine:

When you look upward the front rim should be barely visible to your eye
The Y of the side straps should meet just below your ear
The chin strap should be snug against the chin so that when you open your mouth very wide you feel the helmet pull down a little bit.

With the helmet in position on your head, adjust the length of the rear (nape) straps, then the length of the front straps, to locate the Y fitting where the straps come together just under your ear. That may involve sliding the straps across the top of the helmet to get the length even on both sides. Then adjust the length of the chin strap so it is comfortably snug. If it cuts into the chin and is not comfortable, it is too tight. Now pay attention to the rear stabilizer if the helmet has one. It can keep the helmet from jiggling in normal use and make it feel more stable, but only a well-adjusted strap can keep it on in a crash.

When you think the straps are about right, shake your head around violently. Then put your palm under the front edge and push up and back. Can you move the helmet more than an inch or so from level, exposing your bare forehead? Then you need to tighten the strap in front of your ear, and perhaps loosen the rear nape strap behind your ear. Again, the two straps should meet just below your ear. Now reach back and grab the back edge. Pull up. Can you move the helmet more than an inch? If so, tighten the nape strap.

For a final check, look in a mirror or look at the wearer whose helmet you are fitting. Move the helmet side to side and front to back, watching the skin around the eyebrows. It should move slightly with the helmet. If it does not, the fit pads are probably too thin in front or back.

When you are done, your helmet should be level, feel solid on your head and be comfortable. It should not bump on your glasses (if it does, tighten the nape strap). It should pass the eye-ear-mouth test. You should forget you are wearing it most of the time, just like a seat belt or a good pair of shoes. If it still does not fit that way, keep working with the straps and pads, or try another helmet.

Finally, you want the straps to stay adjusted. Some helmets--even expensive ones--do not have locking pieces on the side where the straps come together under your ear. If you can move the side buckle with your hand, it will migrate in use. We call that "strap creep," and it is a major problem. If your helmet has non-locking side pieces, that means you have to either put on a rubber band and snug it up under the side buckle, or you will need to sew the straps when you have the fit just right. If you use heavy thread you only need five or six stiches to hold it. It's an extra chore, but worth it.

The helmet fitting instructions are republished courtesy of www.helmets.org.

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