Dear bike industry: please figure out helmet fit already. The motorsports industry gets it, with clear communication providing clearly defined head shapes. As opposed to the outdated one-shape-fits-all, just size up reasoning that persists in cycling.
So why can’t the cycling industry figure out how to communicate helmet sizing effectively? I’ve asked many in the bike industry, and even worked within the industry, and the answer is that, for the most part, many brands simply don’t care. If you’re Asian-American or you have a wide, “rounder” shaped head, you may have experienced the struggle. When I first started cycling, I recall going to multiple bikeshops as well as REI, only to find none of the helmets fit me without having to size up to a large helmet. This resulted in a lousy fit with gaps in the front and back of my head that I tried in vain to address with foam pads.
So, how do you determine cycling helmet fit?
So how do you determine cycling helmet fit before you go online? The first step is to measure the diameter of your head. ( I recommend writing this down, as well as your foot and hand length – it makes shopping for close-out deals much easier if you have these figures on hand)
Step two is to define your head shape. The motorcycle industry has defined helmet and head shapes in three buckets:
- Long oval (most common with Caucasian heads)
- Intermediate oval
- Round oval (often referred to as “Asian fit”… note, we’re not a fan of this terminology)
Most head shapes fall somewhere in this range. The problem is that for the most part, the cycling industry doesn’t define helmet shapes. In addition, most cycling publications and writers are white. If you’re in the “round-oval” category, you’ve probably already faced the challenge of finding brands and models that fit well. OR, you’re sizing up and wearing helmets that don’t fit well. Unfortunately, your best bet is to read as many reviews as you can, though these days AI can help dig through many of these for you.
Long Oval-shaped helmets dominate the US Market
The bulk of North Americans (apparently) have heads with a more oval shape, since that’s how the majority of helmet molds are shaped. And with so many brands just focused on the masses, finding a helmet with a rounder shape has always proved challenging.
I’m pleased to report that since I first started cycling decades ago, the situation has improved somewhat. It’s possible to find helmets that fit if you try enough brands and models. As a cycling blogger and someone in the outdoor media space who has written hundreds of product reviews, I have tried on a lot of bike helmets. I have a pretty good idea of what brands will fit me. The problem is that even within one brand family it can still vary by model, forcing me to develop solutions to hack the fit of a helmet to improve the comfort.
However, it can still be a crap shoot if I want to buy a new helmet. I never really know, whether or not it’s going to fit me. Why can’t bike companies figure out how to communicate helmet fit effectively?
A problem that’s already been solved: See the motorcycle industry
This is not a problem with a solution that needs to be reinvented. The motorcycle helmet industry solved it some time ago, thanks to brands like Arai. Arai has long recognized that all humans have heads of different sizes and shapes. They solved the problem by offering different fit shapes long ago and communicated this to their customers. More importantly, they’ve defined helmet shell shapes with clear, distinctive labels: Round Oval, Intermediate Oval, and Long Oval. Best of all, the entire industry has embraced this sizing model, and when you visit online motorcycle retailers, size and fit are very clearly communicated, facilitating a helmet purchase.
As a round oval and occasionally intermediate oval-shaped helmet wearer, I’m proud to own an Arai helmet.
Labels and words matter. (get it together, bike industry)
I recall with clarity asking a helmet brand marketing representative at the Interbike trade show years ago, why it was so damn hard to find a helmet that fit me. (without having to size up to a massive, oversized helmet.) The (white) marketing person I spoke to answered, “You’re looking for an ‘Asian-fit’ helmet.”
Turns out if I go shopping for a helmet in “Asia,” I shouldn’t have a problem finding a helmet model that fits. That said, I’ve always hated the term “Asian-fit” with a passion. Does that mean all the other helmets are “White-fit” helmets?
I also hate that cycling companies couldn’t be bothered to offer any of these helmets for sale in the US, although so many other places in the world are filled with people with round-shaped heads. People of Asian descent (as well as other people with wide heads) enjoy cycling too.
Safety over Fit?
I’ve spoken with several PR and marketing staffers for various helmet brands this year already, and fit isn’t even a topic of discussion. Instead, it’s the latest technology in helmet testing, boasting about how well their helmets performed in safety tests, highlighting the feedback provided by their pro riders, their adoption of the latest iteration of MIPs, and their exceptional engineering team. Or the helmet is 0.0008% more aerodynamic, thanks to digital simulation tools and wind tunnel testing.
And honestly, that stuff is indeed pretty cool. I love geeking out on this stuff.
But can we talk about making sure the damn thing fits? Regardless of the addition of your ‘slip plane protection’, if a helmet doesn’t fit well, how is it going to protect your head? (Maybe the poor fit is a form of slip plane protection? 🤔🤔🤔)
Thankfully, there are a few outliers
There is some light on the road ahead, as a few outliers are popping up. Some brands are offering models of their helmets in the US, calling them “wide fit” helmets, a term that is much more appealing than “Asian-fit”. (honestly, you may as well call it ‘big head, or ‘fat head,’ fit, which are all equally offensive IMO) I’m not crazy about the need to reinvent the wheel here, but at least some options have appeared.
This is an opportunity for brands to step up
With so many helmet companies competing for the same piece of the pie, there’s an opportunity for a brand to rise and be “the brand that fits.”
Take the motorcycle industry labels and fit models, and build a collection and a multichannel marketing campaign around it. Please. Take this concept, make a great product, and be successful. I’ve worked for bike brands that sold helmets, and they were deaf to this advice, but you can rise above mediocrity.
Like it or not, we live in a time where many people shop online, whether it’s for price, color, or other reasons. As a consumer, I make an effort to visit my local retailers, but if I don’t find it in the first store I visit, I’m not going to spend the rest of my day driving all over town; I’m going home and ordering it online. And others are likely to do the same. But here’s the problem: because if a helmet doesn’t fit well, it might just result in a crappy riding experience. And here’s the thing.
In my opinion, the bike industry should spend more energy on campaigns aimed at getting new people on bicycles, with quality gear that fits and works for them. (Remember the boom in sales during covid when regular people all decided they’d give this bike thing a try?) That doesn’t mean you can’t also release the latest and greatest aimed at the enthusiasts.
But hey, bike industry, you keep doing you.
Additional reading
Bicycle Helmets for Rounder Heads. Helmets.org
Asian-fit helmets are a lot of hot air. Xinahi Dude.