# Helmet is hurting my head



## Anonymous1502 (26 Jun 2020)

Today was the first time I went on a long bike ride wearing my new helmet after wearing it for about an hour it hurts my head in both sides towards the back of the head. I tried loosening it and repositioning it a bit forward and then back. But it persisted hurting my head.

Why is this happening does anyone have any tips? How tightly should my helmet be worn and should how should i position my helmet how low at the back? Is the helmet the problem or am I not wearing it properly?

When i take it off my head no longer hurts so it is not a headache.


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## fossyant (26 Jun 2020)

You ideally need to try them on first as some head shapes don't work well with certain helmets. Your helmet shouldn't be tipped back, you need it to cover your forehead. Does it have an adjusting dial on the rear. Needs to be tight enough it doesn't move, but not too tight.


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## davidphilips (26 Jun 2020)

Some helmets just dont fit some heads, sorry can not give any tips apart from try before you buy, bit like saddles, one type of saddle may be great for a cyclist and another cyclist might just find it very uncomfortable?


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## Darius_Jedburgh (26 Jun 2020)

Your helmet is hurting your heart?
I suspect you have bought slightly the wrong size.


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## Supersuperleeds (26 Jun 2020)

Bin it and wear a cap............


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## Anonymous1502 (26 Jun 2020)

fossyant said:


> You ideally need to try them on first as some head shapes don't work well with certain helmets. Your helmet shouldn't be tipped back, you need it to cover your forehead. Does it have an adjusting dial on the rear. Needs to be tight enough it doesn't move, but not too tight.


In the shop it was comfortable it has an adjusting dial in the back


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## Anonymous1502 (26 Jun 2020)

Darius_Jedburgh said:


> Your helmet is hurting your heart?
> I suspect you have bought slightly the wrong size.


I had it fitted in the bike shop i would have expected them to get it right.


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## CanucksTraveller (26 Jun 2020)

Vickster is right, it's most likely that it's just the wrong shape for your head. Hopefully not... do check it's not dialled up too tight though, and yes, don't wear it on the back of your head. The front rim should sit just above your eyebrows. 
Like so:


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## Anonymous1502 (26 Jun 2020)

CanucksTraveller said:


> Vickster is right, it's most likely that it's just the wrong shape for your head. Hopefully not... do check it's not dialled up too tight though, and yes, don't wear it on the back of your head. The front rim should sit just above your eyebrows.
> Like so:
> 
> View attachment 532624


Ok thank you


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## Ian H (26 Jun 2020)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Bin it and wear a cap............


It's a magic hat. It confers immortality.

But seriously... https://www.cyclinguk.org/campaign/cycle-helmets-evidence


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## vickster (26 Jun 2020)

CanucksTraveller said:


> Vickster is right, it's most likely that it's just the wrong shape for your head. Hopefully not... do check it's not dialled up too tight though, and yes, don't wear it on the back of your head. The front rim should sit just above your eyebrows.
> Like so:
> 
> View attachment 532624


Umm I didn’t say a word. I’ve been out cycling in my rather comfortable Kask Mojito 

That said I should have worn my Uvex which goes far better with that bike but would have clashed with the jersey I’m wearing


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## Sniper68 (26 Jun 2020)

Helmets and saddles are probably the hardest things to get right.
There are certain brands that I simply can’t get comfortable in.
I’m currently wearing a Kask and it’s probably the most comfortable (as in I forget it’s there) helmet I’ve used
Some brands I can tell straight away that they’re not for me.


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## Globalti (26 Jun 2020)

Helmets, shoes, gloves. I always buy from a shop.


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## Drago (26 Jun 2020)

Giro dont fit the shape of my noggin well and can hurt quite quickly. Uvex seem to for me the best. Daft fact is the shape or your head and your lid probably aren't right for one another , and the only cure is a new lid.


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## glasgowcyclist (26 Jun 2020)

You need to file down the areas of your head where the helmet feels tight.


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## Phaeton (26 Jun 2020)

Bought from a shop, take it back, tell them they got it wrong


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## newfhouse (26 Jun 2020)

glasgowcyclist said:


> You need to file down the areas of your head where the helmet feels tight.


Or gently tap with a hammer, like this.
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/being-furloughed-and-keeping-myself-occupied.263585/post-6047624


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## CanucksTraveller (26 Jun 2020)

vickster said:


> Umm I didn’t say a word. I’ve been out cycling in my rather comfortable Kask Mojito
> 
> That said I should have worn my Uvex which goes far better with that bike but would have clashed with the jersey I’m wearing



Apologies, it was @fossyant 
You have similarly dingy avatars. 😄
That said, I know you'd have said something along those lines so at least I'm not falsely accusing you of saying something controversial.


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## vickster (26 Jun 2020)

Not sure how the shop got it wrong, he’s the one who tried it on. It might be the right size if they measured his head but just not the right shape. I need quite a round helmet. Giro Road helmets are too narrow for me as are Catlike for example.

That’s like saying a shop sold the wrong shoes, right length and width but just the wrong shape. I doubt they’ll take it back given he’s worn it today on a hot sweaty day!


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## vickster (26 Jun 2020)

CanucksTraveller said:


> Apologies, it was @fossyant
> You have similarly dingy avatars. 😄
> That said, I know you'd have said something along those lines so at least I'm not falsely accusing you of saying something controversial.


 that’s a 2.5k Ti bike...dingy


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## Trigger369 (26 Jun 2020)

Started off with a met brand lid it was uncomfortable and didn't fit right ,straps always in the way . Next was a planetx lid .it was the same . Then a giro lid it was better .it fitted but didn't like the straps either i was always playing with them .glad I had a crash and had to replace that .now I'm on a specialized prevail. Havnt wore it out yet as I'm still recovering but it fitted well in the shop . My point is the old helmets were all cheap and didn't fit me we well .so hopefully this expensive one does .


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## Brandane (26 Jun 2020)

I have an odd shaped head; I found this out years ago when trying to find a motorcycle helmet that was comfortable. Shoei and Arai are the only brands that seem to fit properly. I've never felt the need to find out what cycle helmets are comfortable.


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## Anonymous1502 (26 Jun 2020)

glasgowcyclist said:


> You need to file down the areas of your head where the helmet feels tight.


both sides of head towards the back.


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## Anonymous1502 (26 Jun 2020)

The brand of the helmet is specialized I don't know if this helps.


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## Phaeton (26 Jun 2020)

Brandane said:


> I have an odd shaped head; I found this out years ago when trying to find a motorcycle helmet that was comfortable. Shoei and Arai are the only brands that seem to fit properly. I've never felt the need to find out what cycle helmets are comfortable.


I had exactly the opposite experience, I went out a good few years ago with the intention of buying a Shoei or Arai, ended up coming back with a Nitro, I hated the fit of the other two.


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## Trigger369 (26 Jun 2020)

Mabye a different brand is in order.


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## vickster (26 Jun 2020)

Anonymous1502 said:


> The brand of the helmet is specialized I don't know if this helps.


Never worked well for me. Very tall and mushroomy


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## CanucksTraveller (26 Jun 2020)

It's head shape that's really key. I've got headaches and tight spots from Catlike, Specialized, Bell... all too tight near the temples once they're cinched up. I've literally only ever got on with Giro or more recently POC.


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## Brandane (26 Jun 2020)

Phaeton said:


> I had exactly the opposite experience, I went out a good few years ago with the intention of buying a Shoei or Arai, ended up coming back with a Nitro, I hated the fit of the other two.


My problem is quite a large head, with a bulge at the back. Can hardly get some XL helmets over my head. And others too tight at temples, or on the back of the head. Unfortunately it sometimes doesn't become painful until after a few hours of wearing and then it is agony. I found that to my cost once after buying a flip face lid while on a tour of France. After a few hours I couldn't wear it and had to leave it at the side of the road. Fortunately it wasn't an expensive helmet (by motorbike helmet standards) and I had kept my original lid!


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## PaulSB (27 Jun 2020)

Anonymous1502 said:


> The brand of the helmet is specialized I don't know if this helps.


As several people have said different brands and designs work for different people. I'm the same.

I'd like to throw in another thought. Do you wear glasses of any sort? My helmet fits well and is perfectly comfortable. I also wear a cycle cap. 

Sometimes I wear my cycling glasses, others I don't. If I don't position these properly they can be too tight on my head and it hurts in the area you describe. As soon as I take the glasses off the discomfort goes.

For me the best position is to wear glasses over, rather than under the helmet straps. This forces the arms wider apart and relieves the pressure on the head.

If the arms are under the strap they tend to get caught by the edge of my cap and inside of the helmet and pushed in to the sides of my head.


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## Gunk (27 Jun 2020)

Anonymous1502 said:


> The brand of the helmet is specialized I don't know if this helps.



I find Specialized helmets really uncomfortable, in fact I ended up selling mine on eBay and swapping it for a Decathlon own brand helmet which fits really well.


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## Anonymous1502 (27 Jun 2020)

PaulSB said:


> As several people have said different brands and designs work for different people. I'm the same.
> 
> I'd like to throw in another thought. Do you wear glasses of any sort? My helmet fits well and is perfectly comfortable. I also wear a cycle cap.
> 
> ...


I wear normal glasses thank you for your advice I will try that.


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## Tom B (27 Jun 2020)

Like shoes and boots some just don't get on with your head. Once you find one that works I tend to stick with them.

Bell Helmets
Altberg Boots

Mrs TomB has just got a new Kask and it feels horrible on my sweede.

All that said I do find the wear in to some extent as the plastic frame relaxes around your head shape and the straps bed in and sodten.


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## vickster (27 Jun 2020)

Tom B said:


> Like shoes and boots some just don't get on with your head. Once you find one that works I tend to stick with them.
> 
> Bell Helmets
> Altberg Boots
> ...


You wear shoes and boots on your head?


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## vickster (27 Jun 2020)

Anonymous1502 said:


> I wear normal glasses thank you for your advice I will try that.


Make sure they have sprung arms or you could break them


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## Venod (27 Jun 2020)

Anonymous1502 said:


> I wear normal glasses thank you for your advice I will try that.



Just to endorse @PaulSB recommendation, I always wear my glasses outside the straps, I have a Specialized helmet and a Kask helmet entirely different shapes on the outside but both fit well the Specialized is very light and used mainly on the road, I tend to use the Kask for off road, having said that I am enjoying solo helmetless riding in this hot spell.


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## rogerzilla (27 Jun 2020)

They can be ok for 10 miles, then start to pinch. As a very general rule, if you find a brand that fits, other models from the same maker will be ok. However, all Giros used to fit me but an Atmos I bought a few years ago was agony and left a big V-shaped bruise on the front of my head, so they must have changed over the years. In general, as helmets have become less round and more "aero" (they'll always cause more drag than short hair!), fit has become more problematic.

It's particularly difficult as you can't take a shop one for a 30 mile test ride and, once you've bought and worn it, a helmet is almost worthless secondhand.


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## MichaelW2 (27 Jun 2020)

Some helmets have a nylon band that configures to your head shape.


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## Sixmile (27 Jun 2020)

What weight is the helmet? Some helmets, even £100+ ones, can weigh up near 500g which to me is a serious amount of weight to be sitting on your head for hours on end. I did a heap of internet shopping for a helmet last week as I wanted an urban style lid for tandem & fat bike riding as opposed to wearing my more road styled 220g MET helmet that I had. It turned out, it is difficult to get a <300g urban helmet for decent dough but I'm happy with the fit or the Alpina that I went for in the end.


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## Paulus (27 Jun 2020)

I don't think that anyone has mentioned the strap position. If the straps aren't correctly adjusted, then the lid could be at an odd angle.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyhyrITHDgw


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## Phaeton (27 Jun 2020)

Sixmile said:


> What weight is the helmet? Some helmets, even £100+ ones, can weigh up near 500g which to me is a serious amount of weight to be sitting on your head for hours on end. I did a heap of internet shopping for a helmet last week as I wanted an urban style lid for tandem & fat bike riding as opposed to wearing my more road styled 220g MET helmet that I had. It turned out, it is difficult to get a <300g urban helmet for decent dough but I'm happy with the fit or the Alpina that I went for in the end.


I used wear a helmet which weighs a lot more than that, often above 130mph & the weight has never been an issue


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## DRM (27 Jun 2020)

glasgowcyclist said:


> You need to file down the areas of your head where the helmet feels tight.


Would a rasp speed up the job, or will a normal file suffice, just asking for a friend


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## PaulSB (27 Jun 2020)

vickster said:


> Make sure they have sprung arms or you could break them


@Anonymous1502 - do heed the above quote. I was mainly think of cycling glasses.


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## vickster (27 Jun 2020)

Uu


PaulSB said:


> @Anonymous1502 - do heed the above quote. I was mainly think of cycling glasses.


my Oakleys don’t have sprung arms but guess they’re quite flexy


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## PaulSB (27 Jun 2020)

vickster said:


> Uu
> 
> my Oakleys don’t have sprung arms but guess they’re quite flexy


Yes I find cycling glasses are quite flexible and stronger than prescription glasses. I think it's the extra strength which is the problem. A quite rigid material being pushed against the side of the head for several hours is going to hurt!!!!!


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## vickster (27 Jun 2020)

I wear mine under the straps with no issues. I think the OPs issue is probably shape as has been said but worth fiddling with all the possible adjustments


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## Reynard (27 Jun 2020)

Gunk said:


> I find Specialized helmets really uncomfortable, in fact I ended up selling mine on eBay and swapping it for a Decathlon own brand helmet which fits really well.



Whereas I'm yet to find a Decathlon helmet that's anywhere near remotely comfortable.

Bell Paradox lid for me.

And the colour even matches the bikes


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## postman (28 Jun 2020)

When did you last have a haircut.


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