helmet straps
If you look at a lot of the pros they often have their helmet straps very loose. I wonder if this is just due to buckle-creep or if they have them that way intentionally because it's more comfortable.
I must admit I've sometimes been tempted to loosen my helmet straps a bit to stop them irritating my neck. With a lot of modern helmets the fit is quite secure once the plastic strap at the back of the head is done up tightly. Now, I'm sure for maximum safety you should have all the straps done up tightly and the manufacturers will insist on this. However, I wonder what difference this makes if you can achieve a snug fit with the rear retainer, so that the helmet doesn't move at all when you shake your head violently and you can feel the skin moving when you attempt to shift it. In that case, the helmet is presumably not going to move until it makes first contact with the ground. The chances are that the first impact is going to be the hardest one. If you bounce a few times or if the helmet scrapes along the ground it's going to move if the straps aren't done up very tightly (perhaps even if they are), but as long as they aren't very loose the helmet isn't going to come off and as long as it's on your head in the correct position before first contact this may not matter so much.
Or is the function of the helmet completely nullified if the straps aren't very tight?
I must admit I've sometimes been tempted to loosen my helmet straps a bit to stop them irritating my neck. With a lot of modern helmets the fit is quite secure once the plastic strap at the back of the head is done up tightly. Now, I'm sure for maximum safety you should have all the straps done up tightly and the manufacturers will insist on this. However, I wonder what difference this makes if you can achieve a snug fit with the rear retainer, so that the helmet doesn't move at all when you shake your head violently and you can feel the skin moving when you attempt to shift it. In that case, the helmet is presumably not going to move until it makes first contact with the ground. The chances are that the first impact is going to be the hardest one. If you bounce a few times or if the helmet scrapes along the ground it's going to move if the straps aren't done up very tightly (perhaps even if they are), but as long as they aren't very loose the helmet isn't going to come off and as long as it's on your head in the correct position before first contact this may not matter so much.
Or is the function of the helmet completely nullified if the straps aren't very tight?
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Comments
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Helmets should not be able to move about on the head, so the strap should be done up securely. I don't wear one myself because I don't like them, and I think many of the pro's feel the same and go for comfort first, especially on the climbs.0
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The thing is that however tightly you do the straps up, the helmet can always move if you push it hard enough. But with the rear rok-loc / retainer / whatever, you can sometimes get almost as secure a fit even if the chin strap isn't very tight. So I wonder how important the chin strap is in that situation. Obviously it's going to help, but I wonder how much.0
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If the helmet is not a snug fit it will peel off your head on impact, which in itself can do some serious damage by twisting your neck. It will always be possible to move it if you push it hard enough, but it should not be able to flop about.0
