Protecting Your Melon

Every time you ride a bike a helmet should automatically be on you head. In California it's the law for kids to wear helmets but adults have a choice. To me that choice is either protect your noggin, your melon, your skull, your dome, your brain box... whatever you want to call it, OR be an idiot. It seems to me that a helmet is the least you can wear to protect you if you are unfortunate enough to have an accident.

While you may not HAVE to wear one as an adult in California, you DO have to wear one when you race in a triathlon. The rules state:

(a) Type of Helmet. All participants shall wear a protective head cover, undamaged and unaltered, which meets or exceeds the safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Helmets manufactured prior to March 10, 1999 must meet or exceed the safety standards of (i) the American National Standard Institute (ANSI Z-90.4), (ii) The Snell Memorial Foundation (Protective Headgear for Bicycle Users), or (iii) ASTM F-1446 or F-1447, and which is clearly labeled by the manufacturer as satisfying such standards. Removal of helmet cover, if required for that helmet to meet such safety standards, shall constitute an impermissible alteration in violation of this Section 5.9(a). Any violation of this Section 5.9(a) shall result in disqualification.


(b) Chin Strap Violations. The helmet must be fastened before the participant first mounts the bicycle, at all times when the participant is on the bicycle, and must not be unfastened until the participant has dismounted. Any violation of this Section 5.9(b) which occurs while the participant is in the transition area shall result in a variable time penalty. Any other violation of this Section shall result in disqualification. This Section 5.9(b) shall be enforced at all times while at the event site on race day.

Old helmets are not a good idea. If you have one from the 1990's or early 2000's it may be too old to use. Look at the helmet and see if it has a CPSC approval sticker somewhere on the inside. If it was bought at a retail store in the United States in the last few years, it will probably have one. If it's old or was purchased outside of the US it may not have this sticker. Without the sticker the helmet is not acceptable to wear in the race. Since you'll need one that's approved for the race you might as well get one now so you can get comfortable and be protected.

You do NOT need to get anything fancy. You should be able to spend under $40. Bike shops, Sports Authority, Target, Big 5, REI, or any large sporting goods store should have them. All of them are essentially styrofoam and a plastic shell, plus the web strapping that helps the helmet fit so the main thing to look for is an easy-working inside strap that ratchets down with a turn of the dial (a dial-to-fit type of system), a comfortable fit, and something you like the looks of. As long as it's an actual helmet meant for a bike and has a CPSC approved sticker inside, you're good to go. Essentially, if it's a helmet sold in a retail store in the US it will meet the standards. (Just make sure there's a sticker inside.) These should last you for many years.