Intro to Women's Cycling: Buying Your Cycling Helmet

Once you have figured out which bike you want to buy, the next step is to figure out which cycling helmet you want to buy. Wearing a helmet is extremely important, no matter what type of cycling you are doing. There are a few technical terms to be aware of when looking into helmets: 

 1. MIPS Technology: Simply put, MIPS is a layer in between the EPS foam and the helmet liner and is designed to reduce rotational impact forces. MIPS allows your helmet to move/rotate at the point of impact, creating less direct energy force to your head and vibration inside your brain. It is designed to reduce concussion. 

2. EPS Liner: The EPS foam is bonded to the outside shell of the helmet and is what absorbs the shock. Changes in the EPS density can affect the weight and safety of the helmet. 

There are different styles of women's road cycling helmets, but we personally always look at the brand's history and reptuation within the safety market. The helmets mentioned below can be used for commuting, road cycling and gravel cycling. For more specific activities like mountain biking, we believe it is best to buy a helmet specific for that activity. 

One brand we love is Bell, an established helmet brand in the automotive, motorcycle, and cycling world. 

1. BELL Avenue Mips: This helmet is "designed with a friendly price tag", according to Bell. It also comes in 8 different colors, including your classic black or white, but also other very appealing colors.

Giro is another well-known cycling helmet brand that we believe has great safety standards:

1. GIRO Women's Agilis Mips: The same helmet as their popular Agilis Men's helmet. They market this helmet as a women's version, but the difference lays only in the color options. 

2. GIRO Aries Spherical: This helmet has a spherical technology powered by MIPS that helps redirect impact forces. It also has an improved design for ventilation. According to Giro, this helmet it the best performing helmet that Virginia Tech has ever tested. Unfortunately, the color options for women are not great...but white always works!

Lastly, POC is another brand that we trust when it comes to safety. They have a few road cycling helmets that we would recommend for their safety and ventilation, including the POC Omne Air Spin MIPS and the Ventral MIPS. However, we wanted to bring attention to an eco-conscious cycling helmet:

1. POC Myelin Helmet:  The unique thing about this commuter helmet is that it is made from 50% recycled materials AND it can be deconstructed at the end of its life into its individual pieces so that all the pieces can then be recycled. Instead of using adhesives, POC placed fasteners that can be easily cut by the user. It comes in a few colors and has a very affordable price. So what about safety? Well, it still passes the safety standards! This innovative concept mixes safety with sustainability! 

How often should you replace your cycling helmet?

A good bet is every 3-5 years, but of course this really depends on the use of the helmet and if you have crashed or not. The EPS layer deteriorates over time with daily use because of the daily small hits here and there. The biggest mistake is to not change the helmet after a fall. Many times, the EPS is damaged without this damage being visible on the outside layer; cyclists might think their helmet is fine, but it is very important to replace it after a fall!