I have granddaughter 4 months old. Is there a proper, safe, bike helmet for this age?

sequim2005

They live in Florida, so it is biking is all the time. What helmet do you recommend? I am more concerned about safety not price. Cost not a problem. It takes a minute for a tumble and at this age, so vulnerable. Also what type and brand for a almost 5 year old.

Answer
Don't you mean four YEARS old? If not, this would be neglectful on your part. Babies are not meant to ride at four months old. They do not have the correct muscles. Bicycling happens after they learn how to walk. Furthermore, they do not have sufficient motor skills at four months.

About the helmet: you can search for a child's helmet either online or at a bike shop. (Wal-Mart's selection is too limited). Find one for her size or age. It is better to bring a child to get one fit, that way it stays on better, and works better in a crash.

All helmets sold have to meet ANSI II standards, you will see the proof on the packaging. The reason why helmets can cost upward of $300 is because more money buys more vents (serious cyclists like ventilation).

are carbon fiber helmets safe for everyday use?

Packman52

compared to a regular helmet? and what is the safest helmet for road biking?

Answer
Only Wal-Mart has $30 helmets now and... vented? Really John? Shopped helmets lately? I think you are talking about the $70 price point now days.

I agree all helmets must pass the same testing -- they are all the safest. Don't use one that has a manufacture date of more than 5 years old.

A carbon fiber helmet therefore is safe as any helmet for everyday use. Just a lot more expensive. If you are looking in that $200 price point (where carbon fiber helmets hang out) you might consider a Catlike. A little different looking with the round vent holes but once you try one you really want it. Very cool in the heat.

I have a Giro Monza I found on sale at Performance for $79.00. Huge difference in cooling over the past 3 more economical helmets I have owned. In the hot humid weather it cured the sweat drips that used to get on my glasses -- yes that much cooler.

Helmets don't protect from concussions, rather only from skull fractures. READ: http://www.bicycling.com/senseless/ Not peculiar to bicycle helmets as even football helmets as heavy and padded as they are can't protect from concussions. So if you do hit your head while riding --even with a helmet-- go to a doctor and be checked for concussion symptoms.

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Bicycle helmet for a child, how do we fit the helmet?

iceniequee

Ok my daughter is 4 years old and we are having a hard time with her bike helmet. It is a âtoddlerâ size helmet but my daughter is a bit big for her age (same size as the average 5 ½ year old). I know that helmets are supposed to fit âsnuglyâ but we are having a hard time getting the dumb thing to go on her head all the way! She is also having issues with the chinstrap; I know that is supposed to be snug as well but it cuts across her neck at a funny place and it irritates her skin because she has eczema. The real problem is this: I have only been able to find toddler sizes and adult sizes⦠arenât there sizes for children? Also what is the best way to keep the chinstrap from irritating her skin? Is there a way to figure out what her helmet âsizeâ would be?

Any advice would be great! Thanks for taking the time to read and answer.

Answer
Search around....there are plenty of "youth" sized helmets available. If you can't get the toddler helmet onto her noggin, don't force it. lol. Not only will that drive her crazy, but in the event of a crash it could actually hurt her instead of protecting her.

Any bike shop can get one for you if they don't happen to carry youth models. If you check http://www.jensonusa.com , http://www.nashbar.com , and http://www.pricepoint.com they should have a few to pick from (I'm positive that Jenson does....too lazy to check the other two but they normally have the bases covered).

To measure properly for size, just use a flexible sewing tape measure or a non-stretchy piece of string.....circle her head with it just above the eyebrows and measure it. Check the description on the helmet you're interested in and it should show the range of sizes it will fit. A helmet that fits her shouldn't irritate her skin if you adjust the straps properly. If her eczema makes that an issue, you could make some little tubes to cover the straps...maybe some microfleece or something soft like that.

Hope this helps....and good on you for caring enough about her safety to get advice! too many parents are so lazy about this...I cringe at some of the kids I've seen riding mtb trails without helmets or with really poorly fitted helmets. All it takes is one good crash.....

Bicycle helmet for a child, how do we fit the helmet?

iceniequee

Ok my daughter is 4 years old and we are having a hard time with her bike helmet. It is a âtoddlerâ size helmet but my daughter is a bit big for her age (same size as the average 5 ½ year old). I know that helmets are supposed to fit âsnuglyâ but we are having a hard time getting the dumb thing to go on her head all the way! She is also having issues with the chinstrap; I know that is supposed to be snug as well but it cuts across her neck at a funny place and it irritates her skin because she has eczema. The real problem is this: I have only been able to find toddler sizes and adult sizes⦠arenât there sizes for children? Also what is the best way to keep the chinstrap from irritating her skin? Is there a way to figure out what her helmet âsizeâ would be?

Any advice would be great! Thanks for taking the time to read and answer.

Answer
measure around her head where the helmet will sit. this should be about 50cm ish.

go to a good cycle shop and try a few on. they should help you with the fitting. there are child sizes.

when you are fitting the helmet at home, make sure that the straps make a triangle around her ears.

when you fasten the chin strap, there should be room to fit one of your fingers (or 2 of hers) between the strap and her chin

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Should i be intimidated to ride a Harley?

bicycle helmet 5 year old image

Wyatt

Im 17 and really wanna get a motorcycle in the next few years. I didn't grow up with a dad so i missed out on a lot of the "man" stuff like motorcycles and cars. I have never rode a motorcycle in my life and i know nothing about them and am totally spooked about riding the first time. Is it tough? What do i need to know before trying? should i take a first time rider course? Thanks!

Answer
I read somewhere, a few years ago, that more than half of all buyers of new Harleys were either total newbies or else coming back to riding after 20-30 years (raising a family no doubt). And at the time I wondered why total noobs would want such a dauntingly big, heavy bike.

Well then a friend of mine (a woman who rides) wanted to buy one, and she began asking me questions about them. I've been riding a long time but I had never ridden a Harley. So I suggested we rent one for a day and split the cost, and take turns switching between the Harley and her bike. I have to say I was just shocked at how easy the Harley was to ride, how easy to manage and 'well mannered' it was. This was a Heritage Softail, maybe the biggest bike Harley's ever made, a 700 lb beast.

Harleys are 'cruisers'. Cruisers have a lower center of gravity, and a lower seat, so they feel much lighter than they are. Now ALL motorcycles feel pretty light once you get up to about 10 mph. On the road, weight means stability. But big bikes are a little scary when you're holding them up at a stoplight, or parking them on a slight hill. The Harley was even easy to hold up and park.

Ten minutes on this bike taught me all about cruisers. They are not good-handling, high-performance, they are stable and easy to ride. They support a relaxed, laid-back riding style, which is a lot safer than 'pushing the envelope' on a crazy sportbike. They are comfortable and relaxing to ride. The Softail would make a great touring bike, at 85 mph it's like sitting in a flying easy chair and watching the scenery go by. And I say that not exactly being a Harley fan, or a cruiser fan.

BUT I would seriously not recommend you get one to learn to ride on. You're likely to be hard on your first bike. You will almost certainly drop it once or twice (at least), nothing serious, just losing your balance in a parking lot, stuff like that. And you will almost certainly abuse the clutch. Even a halfway decent USED Harley is like $10k.

I would recommend you start on a Japanese cruiser, a used one. Honda Shadow, Kawasaki Vulcan, Yamaha Star, Suzuki C50 or Boulevard. Something between 5 and10 years old, old enough to be depreciated but new enough that you can still get parts. Maybe with a few dings and bruises already so you won't feel so bad when you drop it. 750cc is a good size to start with for a cruiser, it feels light, its easy to park, but it will still cruise on the freeway all day without the wind blowing it around. Maybe $3000. If you buy carefully, you can sell this 'old beater' a year later for about what you paid for it. And -then- if you want a Harley go get one, and it will be the same but bigger and nicer.

You don't need professional training to ride a motorcycle. You learn by yourself, by riding. The MSF course (Motorcycle Safety Foundation, in the US, in other English-speaking countries they have something similar) only teaches you some very important safety habits to keep you safe while you learn on your own. It's probably a good idea. They supply the bike, you just show up, so a lot of people do it who are just considering getting a bike and want to see what it's like and if they can even do it.

If you've never ridden a bicycle, i would start on a bicycle, just to learn about balancing and steering. If you can drive a manual-shift car, learning a motorcycle will be easier because you understand how a clutch and gearshift work. But the controls are different, you clutch with your hand and shift with your foot, so you need to develop new 'muscle memories'.

Also leave room in your budget for a helmet, jacket, and gloves, at a minimum. The gloves and jacket are about abrasion resistance when you skid on the ground.

If you know anyone who rides, pepper him with questions. Bikers love to talk (and write) about motorcycling. It really is just as much fun as it looks. 8^)

Is it legal to ride an electric scooter in the bike lane?

TALLguy18

It is a schwinn S-1000 goes about 18 MPH.
Im 15.
Could you ride it correctly in the bike lane and not get a ticket?
I live in Oceanside CA.

I would like to know the rules of that from someone who is a cop and has delt with this before.

Answer
Yes it is, so long as you are at least 16. Since you are 15, you cannot legally operate it on a public road - including a bike lane.

CVC 406(b) "Motorized Bicycle" states:

A "motorized bicycle" is also a device that has fully operative pedals for propulsion by human power and has an electric motor that meets all of the following requirements:
(1) Has a power output of not more than 1,000 watts.
(2) Is incapable of propelling the device at a speed of more than 20 miles per hour on ground level.
(3) Is incapable of further increasing the speed of the device when human power is used to propel the motorized bicycle faster than 20 miles per hour.

CVC 24016 "Motorized Bicycle Electric Motor: Safety and Equipment Requirements" states:

(a) A motorized bicycle described in subdivision (b) of Section 406 shall meet the following criteria:
(1) Comply with the equipment and manufacturing requirements for bicycles adopted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (16 C.F.R. 1512.1, et seq.) or the requirements adopted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (49 C.F.R. 571.1, et seq.) in accordance with the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. Sec. 1381, et seq.) for motor driven cycles.
(2) Operate in a manner so that the electric motor is disengaged or ceases to function when the brakes are applied, or operate in a manner such that the motor is engaged through a switch or mechanism that, when released, will cause the electric motor to disengage or cease to function.
(b) All of the following apply to a motorized bicycle described in subdivision (b) of Section 406:
(1) No person shall operate a motorized bicycle unless the person is wearing a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet that meets the standards described in Section 21212.
(2) A person operating a motorized bicycle is subject to Sections 21200 and 21200.5.
(3) A person operating a motorized bicycle is not subject to the provisions of this code relating to financial responsibility, driver's licenses, registration, and license plate requirements, and a motorized bicycle is not a motor vehicle.
(4) A motorized bicycle shall only be operated by a person 16 years of age or older.
(5) Every manufacturer of a motorized bicycle shall certify that it complies with the equipment and manufacturing requirements for bicycles adopted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (16 C.F.R. 1512.1, et seq.).
(c) No person shall tamper with or modify a motorized bicycle described in subdivision (b) of Section 406 so as to increase the speed capability of the bicycle.

EDIT..... to "Doodlestuff"... NEVER advise people to ask cops about the law. Cops are a horrible source of legal advice. They believe more myths about the law than tax protestors, and even if they 'do' know the law on something, they are allowed to lie.

Richard

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Is it illegal to ride a goped in California without a helmet even if I'm well over 18?

bicycle helmet 5 year old image

Joseph

I ask this because I believe there is no law requiring those over 18 to wear a helmet when riding a bicycle however goped fall into a really ambiguous category between bikes and moped so I'm not sure.

Answer
GoPeds are motorized scooters. (Veh C 407.5.) Motorized scooters can be ridden on the highway, but must use the bicycle lane, if one is available. (Veh C 21229.) If there is no bicycle lane, the scooter cannot be ridden on a street with a speed limit over 25 mph. (Veh C 21235(b).) A rider must be at least 16 years old. (Veh C 21235(d).) And, finally, the rider must wear a helmet. (Veh C 21235(c).)

What is a good road bike for a beginner?

foreverana

I would really love to start cycling this summer, but I honestly don't even know where to start. I'm female and 5' 4.5" and I need to know what kind of bike would suit me best. A specific bike or brand would help a lot or a website to go to. Thank you so much!

Answer
If you are going to really ride any miles, you want a dedicated road bike. You should invest in a good quality, aluminum-frame road bike if you want efficient transportation on pavement. I found that switching from a hybrid comfort bike to a low-end road bike increased my commuting speed 30% over my sixteen-mile daily ride.

I found a Trek 1500 that weighs about 20 pounds with narrow tires. I travel downhill at 42 MPH, level at 25 MPH, with an uphill speed of about 8 MPH. Total terrain average is 12 MPH.

I shopped around year-old models at 20% discount, but found a Trek 1500 demo model at a 40% discount in a 60 cm frame size. I am 6'2" at 195 pounds, a perfect fit. With accessories, I spent $800 with a tire repair kit, pump, and lock.

Within the first 1,000 miles, I had five flat tires. I replaced the tires with a Schwalbe Marathon Plus on the rear and a Continental Gator on the front. I had no flat tires over the second 1,000 miles. The tires cost about $100.

I spent more than $100 on Night Rider 15 watt headlight and rechargeable battery pack. I bought a back-up Cat Eye lamp with four rechargeable AA batteries. I also bought red flashers for the seat post and helmet, with a duct tape loop on the helmet to hold the LED lamp. Since I ride in below-zero windchills, I paid $160 for Hotronic electric footbed heaters in leather shoes that cost $100. I also wear layers of fleece with North Face waterproof pants and Spyder backpack cover, figure another $200.
So, I spent about $1,600 on everything that I needed for 2,000 miles of riding in the past year. Spread over five years, bicycle commuting will cost me less than $0.15 per mile, which is cheaper than driving a car and provides great fitness.

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