Conference noted::bicycle

    	I did a DIR/TITLE=HELMET and got the following notes:
    
    	22, 199, 216, 229, 486, 495, 616, 739, 836, 900
    	1576, 1711, 1805.
    
    	A good helmet is ANSI and SNELL Z90.4 approved. If
    	it doesn't have the SNELL sticker, I wouldn't buy it.
    
    	Scott
    
    	PS: Kudos to you for wanting to protect yourself and your
    	    little kiddo.

    I'm a loyal consumer reports advocate so I went shopping armed with
    their data.  I narrowed things down to between the Bell Quest ($60
    retail) and the Giro Hammerhead ($80 retail).  The place I went
    to had the Hammerheads on sale for $60 but I preferred the Quest
    anyway. It's very comfortable (comes with adjustable padding). 
    If you know your size, you can get it mail  order for about $40-45.

    The best bet is not to listen to others preference ;-)
    
    Seriously, go to a reputable bike shop and have the helmets properly
    fitted.  Make sure that they pass ANSI and Snell standards (they
    probably will but check anyways).  It is improtant that the helmets
    fits right for safety and comfort reason (who wants to wear an
    uncomfortable anything?).  Another factor is your pocket book but then
    the small difference in $ can be viewed as good insurance investment.
    
    Eric

    P.S.  Don't go through the trouble of having them fitted by a reputable
    shop and walk away because you can buy it from a discount/mail order
    place.  That, I consider, is unethical.
    
    Eric

One of the bike mags had something to say, that foam helmets with a thin shell
 are safer at some impact angles than only-foam helmets.  There have also
 been concerns that foam can break up on impact, thus a variety of reinforcing
 systems can be found in different designs.

Always buy Snell approved helmets.

Fitting has not been problemantical for me.  Mail ordering works OK.  If you 
 have to send it back, they might even cover return shipping if you complain. 
 Worked for me when I sent a bike rack back to Performance.

Regards, Tom

    Well, I went helmet shopping last weekend.  I choose the microshell
    style over the lycra covering style because of the better ventilation
    (lots of hot, slow uphills around here).
    
    I found that proper fitting was very important, at least for me.  The
    sizes given are very approximate.  The helmet must fit you for width,
    lenght, and height, but sizes are measured for circumferance only.  I
    suppose that works if you have "normal" shaped heads, but I guess I
    don't.  Note that the height of a helmet is important.  The Giro and
    ProTec helmets are pretty shallow, while the Specialized and Bell
    helmets are much deeper.  A good rule of thumb is that the helmet
    should come down to near your eyebrows for maximum protection, a half
    inch to an inch higher if you want to trade off protection for better
    peripheral vision.
    
    Also, there is a new Snell helmet test for 1991.  It is slightly
    stricter than the 1990 test.  Helmets passing the new test will have a
    blue Snell sticker, instead of the old green one.
    
    Finally, some of the helmet manufacturers are advertising weights as
    low as 5 or 6 ounces for their helmets.  These are somewhat bogus. 
    Some manufacturers offer helmets in very small sizes and uses those for
    the advertised weights.  The larger sizes of all the brands (microshell
    and lycra covering) all weight around 8 ounces.
    
    Ken