May is bike to school month and it is important to the entire team at Second Gear Sports that we help keep your kids safe. One of the quickest and easiest ways is with a proper fitting helmet. Check out the tips below or stop in today for a complimentary helmet fitting.
HELMET FIT: Different helmets fit differently sized and shaped heads. Your helmet should fit snugly, but not so tight that it gives you a headache. If it does not fit snugly, try a different size, style or brand. Your child’s head grows so the helmet they wore last year may not fit as well this year!
EYES Look up with your eyes, to make sure you can see the brim. Your helmet should be worn low on your forehead and level on your head. There should be no more than a finger's width of space between your helmet brim and your eyebrows. You should not be able to push the helmet off your forehead.
EARS Position the side buckles so they rest just below your ears. The proper placement of the buckles will keep the helmet from pushing off your forehead in a crash. If you can push your helmet off your forehead, shortening the front straps will keep the helmet in place.
MOUTH Buckle and tighten the chin strap so it is snug. When you open your mouth wide, you should feel slight pressure on the top of your head. You should not be able to fit more than two fingers between the strap and your chin. Loose straps can allow the helmet to shift off your head in a crash.
WHEN TO REPLACE A HELMET:
Straps are frayed or torn or stitching is coming apart or missing.
Buckle is loose or does not stay buckled or is cracking.
Styrofoam is indented, cracked, compressed or has pieces missing.
Helmet has been dropped or had a previous impact/accident.
Outer plastic shell is separating from the styrofoam.
Helmet is more than 5 years old (check the date sticker inside the helmet).