Help! Lots of it

[CookMySock]

You bikers must have so much fun

oh hell yes. hee hee. Biking leads to other things too - it gets us out and about.

For gear, what do you guys prefer out of patterned or plain helmets?

ooh you must buy the spunkiest you can afford. YOU must like it - that is the main thing, but to answer your question my wife and I have plain helmets as they go with our bikes. Actually, I don't know if I am convinced that I like mine yet.

DB

[NZsarge]

I passed! Its incredible

Congratulations

[Rosie]

For gear, what do you guys prefer out of patterned or plain helmets?

The most important thing is that the helmet fits properly. Other than that, it's a matter of personal taste. Plain helmets in lighter colours tend to be more visible, but you may decide you like some of the graphics better.
Bizarre girlie tip: silver and white are fairly visible colours, and aren't going to clash with any future bike/gear purchases (buying a pink helmet, for example, would guarantee you fell in love with a red bike at an insanely cheap price)

Have fun shopping

[Blue Velvet]

Cool gummibear, did you go back to Roadsafe or try the other outfit in Newtown?

Have you been gear shopping yet? Agree with Rosie re helmet, fit is most important. But generally you can order helmets in another colour etc.

Might pay to read up/get advice on helmet fit though. Two motorcycle shops I've been to in the Wellington region would have let me buy ill-fitting helmets if I hadn't known what to look for when trying them on.

Will try and find some links...

[gummibear]

Yea, back to roadsafe. For helmets, i really don't know how it should fit, except for "snugly" which isn't too specific, any tips would be great. I'll do a search on it though

[Nasty]

Yea, back to roadsafe. For helmets, i really don't know how it should fit, except for "snugly" which isn't too specific, any tips would be great. I'll do a search on it though

Buy your helmit from a bike shop. Try on the different brands to know how they feel as they are all different and for different head shapes. The helmit should be fairly snug, but should also be comfortable and secure. Once you try a few on and the shop had discussed what you should be looking for in a helmit you will know what you want to buy.

[Badger8]

Yea, back to roadsafe. For helmets, i really don't know how it should fit, except for "snugly" which isn't too specific, any tips would be great. I'll do a search on it though

Snugly = a close fit, but not overly tight.

You need to be able to get it on without pushing your brains out your nose (but remember the padding will squish with use), but if it's flopping around, it's too big.
Once it's on and the strap done up, try rolling it around whilst keeping your head still. If it's flopping about, or even worse if you can roll it off forward, TOO LOOSE! last thing you want is your head bashing around inside it (or even worse, it coming off) if you do get in strife.
Move your head around a bit, look over each shoulder quickly then stop turning your head quickly, if it's flopping around, too loose.
The other thing to consider is we all have different shaped heads, and all helmets are differently shaped. Some people have a Shoei shaped head, an Arai shaped head, etc etc etc. Find the helmet that fits you the best, this is a very important thing from the safety aspect. And of course check for a safety approval sticker, AS/NZS4321 (i forget the number)
And of course, shop around! go check out all the places in your area, dont be in a rush to buy the first one that fits. Be sure to find the best one for you.

Happy gear hunting!

[Rosie]

Yea, back to roadsafe. For helmets, i really don't know how it should fit, except for "snugly" which isn't too specific, any tips would be great. I'll do a search on it though

A vague description of how my helmet fits:
My helmet folds my ear lobes 'inside out' when I put the helmet on, then they pop back to normal once it's on (helmet that is too small can keep your ears pinned in 'inside out' position). Once the helmet is on, the cheek pads squeeze my cheeks a little, not enough to be uncomfortable, but you can feel that it's there. I only have to open my mouth a little wee bit to be able to feel the chin strap. It doesn't press on my jaw/neck when my mouth is closed, but it isn't far away.

And, as Badger8 said, it doesn't move around when you pull/twist it.
All helmets (legally) for sale in NZ have to comply with the same safety standards. A cheap helmet that fits really well is going to look after your head better than an expensive one that doesn't fit as well.
Comfort is also important, once you find a helmet you like, leave it on and browse around the shop for a while, to see how it feels after you've been wearing it for a while.

[Blue Velvet]

I found the helmet purchase the hardest of all the gear, finding one that fit properly etc.

Buy your helmit from a bike shop.

The two shops I mention in my previous post were motorcycle shops so it's not a total safeguard against being sold something not right for you. If it doesn't feel right or you're not sure, don't buy it just because they say it's right.

Sorry gummibear, I haven't had time to search for any information. Will try today.

Edit: This link is pretty good - http://www.thebellstore.com/Fit/fitprint.html