bicycle helmet question

[2000xlt]

I just got a TREK VAPOR today, I tried it on briefly at the shop, Now that i am home, i am having a bit of diffculty getting it to fit right, The adjuster at the back is adjusted to be comfortable The front strap is fixed, the rear appears to slide within the helmet, when the length of the strap is adjusted for proper "fit" the clasp or whatever you call it is closer to the right side of the chin than in the center like i thought it would be, is that right, also there is about an 1/8 to light 1/4" of space between the padding on the foam and the top of my head.

 

[binky]

One of my boys has a kid's version of the Vapor. The clasp on that is also not exactly in the middle when adjusted, but actually that might be a good thing. You wouldn't want it right above your adam's apple when you tilt your head down anyway.

Most helmets come with some extra bits of foam that you can add to the inside to make the fit more snug. Did yours come with those? I can't remember if this Vapor came with them because I usually just toss the bits into a baggie I have with loads of others.

With more regard to the spacing... I find that just as with shoes the different brands have different shapes. My head fits Giro and I think that's because I have a bean head. One of my guys has a melon. The rear-locking mechanisms help to keep nearly any shape snug to your head, but the drawback is they can make the wrong shape feel okay.

I'm not necessarily saying the Vapor isn't for you though. The top of your head is the softest part, isn't it? I'd think that a helmet should probably stay lifted off that part a bit anyway. Its design is to disintegrate when slammed so it absorbs the peak of the energy, but it can only do that if it's slammed between a rock and a hard place. I think that's the game, anyway.

 

[mechBgon]

If your helmet is like most, then you can change the location of the chinstrap buckle by unlocking the Y-buckle where the front and rear straps join, then altering the amount of "loop" that the female half of the chin buckle is on. Then lock down the Y-buckle and transfer that slack around the rear to the other side, unlock that Y-buckle to even up the rear straps, lock it down, and feed the slack on through the male half of the chin buckle.

The Y-buckles should be located so that the front straps hold the front of the helmet down, and the rear straps hold the rear of the helmet down. Try to lift your helmet off at the front or the rear, and it should resist you mightily This generally results in the front straps coming fairly straight down your temples. A pic with the general Y-buckle location you want:

:tinfoil: