Fitting a bike helmet is a very important part of wearing a helmet. A helmet will do little good if it is allowed to flop around and can come off in the event of an accident. Any individual should expect to spend 10 to 15 minutes fitting a new helmet.
The first thing to do is to adjust the fit pads.
Helmets that fit with pads come with a minimum of one set of foam fitting pads. If a person has a second set of thicker ones, it can be used to customize the shape. The first place to start is with the top pad. Taking this out lowers the helmet on the head which brings the protection it offers down further on the sides. The downside of this move is that it can reduce the flow of cooling air slightly. The difference is not enough that most will notice.
Next, the side pads need to be adjusted. If the wearer’s head is narrow and there is too much space, put the thicker pads on the sides of the helmet to take up space. If the wearer’s head is short, the thick pads should go at the back of the helmet. The pads can also be moved around, particularly on the “corners” in the front and back of the helmet. Leaving spaces will improve the air flow through the helmet. The pads should touch the head evenly all the way around but not in a way that makes the helmet too tight.
Once the pads are adjusted, the helmet should sit levelly on the head with the front sitting just above the eyebrows. Basically, if a person were to try and walk into a wall with the helmet on, the helmet needs to hit before the person’s nose does.
The second step is to adjust the straps of the helmet.
The straps of the helmet should be adjusted to the Eye-Ear-Mouth test developed by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine:
1. When looking up, the front rim should be barely visible to the eye
2. The Y of the side straps should meet just below the ear
3. The chin strap should be tight enough that when opening the mouth very wide, the helmet pulls down