my son needs a new bike helmet (turning 5 next month) anyone have any recommendations? (his head size is 54cm)

Quite like the look of UVEX Uvision Junior Helmet because it looks like it has more protection down the back of the head, anyone have one?

Bell Fraction, it’s tough and comes in some pretty cool designs. It’s actually the same a size S Faction (the grown-ups version)

2nd the Fraction, kids love em .. just ordering another for No.2 son as a reward for getting pedalling.

No helmet. Teaches them to ride within their limits and how to fall off more carefully.
Helmets have been proven to be pointless. I’d also worry about rotational injury with a child of 5 with such a large head.

GW, you are just goading TJ now aren’t you?

Specialised small Fry are pretty good. Plenty of protection round the back of the head

Mastiles, had you ever worn a cycle helmet at 5yr old? Other than on TV I’d only seen them on pro riders in the milk race.

Mastiles, had you ever worn a cycle helmet at 5yr old? Other than on TV I’d only seen them on pro riders in the milk race.

I’ve worn one from the age of ten, but thats not the point or the question. He was asking what helment to buy, not IF HE SHOULD BUY ONE. 🙄

Mastiles, had you ever worn a cycle helmet at 5yr old? Other than on TV I’d only seen them on pro riders in the milk race.

Crikey, is it still the 70s? 😆

my kids have the Giro Flume. They like it. I think it’s very similar to the Bell one mentioned above, aren’t Giro and Bell the same company now??

GW out for a blast yesterday

My boy has one that with cars on that he likes to wear, It also fits properly. I can’t remember the brand, giro or bell I think.

We also have a rule – if he wears a helmet then so do I, and visa versa.

Nothing boils my wee more than
1) seeing parents riding sans helmet and kids with – it’s either a good idea or it’s not
2) Parents that absolutely insist their kids wear a helmet when they even touch a bike or scooter and then slap an ill fitting saucepan on their heads and don’t even do the strap up properly.

I got evil stares from some parents a while back when my boy borrowed a go on a bike and I told him not to bother with a helmet as the only one available was too small and he’d be better off without. Their kids were happily riding around with helmets perched atop their heads feeling safe.

Sorry, I’ll stop ranting now.

Crikey, is it still the 70s?

With a sausage lid 🙂

But GW if you are being serious – I would rather my kids didn’t learn to ride within their limits WITH a helmet than learn without one.

Pictures of bikes get posted here all the time, and I’m not all that well up on bike models so mostly it all goes over my head as to what they are and what’s special about them.

However, I’m reasonably sure that the pic Binners just posted is a Mk2 Raleigh Grifter in pale blue.

With a sausage lid

Blimey – didn’t save that bloke did it?!

Bell Fraction here too.

Thick pads in the summer and thinner ones to allow for a hat in the winter 🙂

No helmet. Teaches them to ride within their limits and how to fall off more carefully.
Helmets have been proven to be pointless. I’d also worry about rotational injury with a child of 5 with such a large head.

Go on then I will bite, there is an orifice you are talking out of and it’s not your mouth.

Blimey – didn’t save that bloke did it?!

LOL!

BY the way, one of my 2 yr olds (3 tomorrow 🙂 ) was on her scooter on Sunday, just going up and down granny’s drive. Somehow she catapulted over the front and face planted, but she was wearing her (correctly fitting) helmet and the lip of it took the force of the blow. So in my considered opinion, helmets are a good idea. So there.

A mate had these for his kids, I’ve just got them too based on how great they seem to be.

lids on microscooters website

trb –
so, let me get this straight, you made up a pointless rule for YOUR family but it angers you that other families oblivious to YOUR rule don’t adhere to it? Not only this but YOU can ignore your own rule when you feel like it? the icing on the cake seems to be that you actually do care how these other families view you and your crazy rules, have you thought of printing out a rule book and handing it out to keep them right? 😆

Bernard – everything I typed is factually true.

If you want to buy a helmet for your child, the exact same advice as buying one for yourself applies. ie. try on a few and get one that fits properly whilst giving adequate protection/coverage with little discomfort.. nothing wrong with getting an idea of what’s out there to buy first but I wouldn’t recommend blindly buying the helmet most praised by complete strangers on the internet without first trying it (whether for yourself or a child).

My little lad in his Trek Vapour.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5fpN0CRNrA[/video]

…and it doing its job. 😐

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocSY6QsSnzg&feature=plcp[/video]

😆 kid doesn’t even take the fall on his head, he lands on his cheek before the helmet is pushed out the way.. possibly causing rotational injury? 😉

Bernard – everything I typed is factually facetiously true.

kid doesn’t even take the fall on his head, he lands on his cheek.

The peak of the lid took the hit, but the helmet didn’t rotate on his head. The Vapour has a retention system at the back like an adult helmet.

The only mark on his face was a split lip.

…and it doing its job

£250 on You’ve Been Framed for that 🙂

I thought there was more risk of rotational injury from the helmet NOT rotating on the head. :/

my 2yr old faceplanted a few weeks back belting down a fairly steep hill in the wet, her only injury was a small graze above her lip, she didn’t have a helmet on at all, never mind a life saving “peak” 😯

Blimey GW. I’m sensing you have some sort of issue here so I’ll leave you to it.

Decathlon pisspot for our little one. At under 15 quid, it can’t really be equalled.

Bernard – everything I typed is factually true

oh really

No helmet. Teaches them to ride within their limits and how to fall off more carefully.

How has that been proven? I would guess at no point during riding his bike does my son think, I know I can ride down this steep hill….it’s ok if I fall I have a helmet on

Helmets have been proven to be pointless.

Proven beyond doubt has it, well prove it to me then I would be interested to hear the evidence

I’d also worry about rotational injury with a child of 5 with such a large head

Why? you have no idea how big the rest of him is, so what has his head size to do with it? (in actual fact he is in perfect proportion)so why is he at risk due to his head size?

In actual fact, you have not stated any facts just opinion .. please see my earlier post with regard my thoughts on your opinion and it’s origin.

Buy them a decent helmet, in a colour they like. Make sure it fits and that they wear it. At this age they’ve no choice.

At some point they will decide that its ‘uncool’ to wear one, circa 13ish.

But, all my 3 sons’ (13, 17 and 18) while won’t wear them when just bumming around, they will whenever they are MTB/DJ/DH etc.

Teh answer is asalways ONE THAT FITS

GW – Member

I thought there was more risk of rotational injury from the helmet NOT rotating on the head. :/

correct

Proven beyond doubt has it, well prove it to me then I would be interested to hear the evidence

A little overstating it. what has been done is to show that the evidence for helmets is at best dubious at worst useless large scale whole population studies show little if any benefit

Why? you have no idea how big the rest of him is, so what has his head size to do with it? (in actual fact he is in perfect proportion)so why is he at risk due to his head size?

a helmet increases the size and weigh of a head – more so for a child as a % making it more likely they will hit their head. Children especially take more risks when wearing helmets

Make informed choices – but be informed and above all else if youa re going to use a helmet get one that fits properly( not using a “retention system” to take up slack) You should not be able to get a little finger between the shell and the head at any point. a helmet that is too big with a “retention system” to take up slack is virtually useless – TRL who are very pro helmet even say this.

Didn’t read it, but was that some parental advice from someone without kids there? Useful 😆

A little overstating it. what has been done is to show that the evidence for helmets is at best dubious at worst useless large scale whole population studies show little if any benefit

what has been shown is that individually when you crash a helmet will protect you more than not wearing a helmet

What remains is whether wearing a helmet makes you take more risks [ more likely to crash [ probably some truth in that but not sure for kids as most of my kids crashes are just crap riding rather than risky], makes your head so heavy that you will hit it due to the helmet[not convinced] and the impact on a community of cyclists of the effects of compulsion as reduced numbers may offset then helmet wearing benefits[ probably true but needs further investigation and can be countered by driver education].

what has been shown is that individually when you crash a helmet will protect you more than not wearing a helmet

Wrong. this is has not been shown at all. Some evidence points that way, some does not.

anyone actually interested in learning about his rather than relying on their predjudices then
http://www.ctc.org.uk/desktopdefault.aspx?tabid=4688
Is a good unbiased source of info

CTC thinks that it should be up to you to decide whether you want to wear a helmet or not, and is opposed to making it compulsory.

Compulsion laws in other countries have reduced the number of people who cycle – and the more people who cycle, the safer cycling becomes. What’s more, cycling is such a healthy activity that people are far more likely to gain from it than otherwise. It’s therefore important not to put anyone off.

Several recent reports (including four papers in peer-reviewed medical journals) have found no link between changes in helmet wearing rates and cyclists’ safety – and there are even cases where safety seems to have worsened as helmet-wearing increase

Does he really have a size 54cm head? That is the same as mine! I’m a 30yo (with a small head). I have just bought a Giro hex small for £30 from wiggle ( for 51-55cm). I really like it. It replaced my Giro Flume. I found the Hex cups my head better. Probably best if he can try them on

But before getting sidetracked please note FIT is all – do not get one big enough to grow into, do not get one with a one size fits all shell. do not rely on a cradle to take up slack a

Some people do make me chuckle, I do wonder if they actually believe the rubbish they type….anyway thanks all for any recommendations much appreciated

Wrong. this is has not been shown at all. Some evidence points that way, some does not.

Its has not been shown if you choose to ignore the Cochrane collaborations review of the evidence. Tj does not accept the peer reviewed report from the NGO WHO health organisation member who have the best reputation for world leading independent meta research. Instead you should cite an article from a cycling pressure group which only mentions the risks to us as a group, due to numbers, rather than mention what it does for an individual when they crash. Again there may be an effect in the group from helmet wearing due to

the more people who cycle, the safer cycling becomes.

However this will not affect whether a helmet works when I crash. TJ does not seem to get this distinction.

Completely wrong junkyard.

Its real peer reviewed evidence from good research and critiques of the now frankly outdated cochrane review for a variety of independent sources

Nor is it confusion about individual risk and group risk

You claiming this shows you haven’t actually looked at at the papers or understood the issues

Anyone actually interested in learning about this please follow the CTC links above.

It took TJ a while, but as soon as he arrived this thread has descended into the usual TJ wankathon.