BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I bought a Bern mainly because it was the only helmet I found that had a size big enough for my ginormous Irish head. After checking out the leaflet that came in the box and noting there were pictures of nothing but young fellers skateboarding and snowboarding in it, I exclaimed "Hey, I think I bought a boarding helmet!" *shrug* I like mine, the innards can be ripped out and washed easily, but I don't think it's as ventilated as I would like it for hot days... I love it on chilly days.

I use a nutcase helmet on colder days and also when I rollerblade, I imagine that it would work well for snowboarding... I scored one from REI-outlet this past spring for about $25. I usually wear a bandana with the nutcase, but I've worn a beanie with it as well (it comes with multiple pads of varying thickness to dial in the fit). I've been meaning to buy a Bern, but I haven't gotten around to it yet, so I can't compare.

CPSC has certain tests it has to pass for bicycle helmets, most likely it doesn't pass those (otherwise, why would they shrink their market?). All helmets sold for bicycle use in the US must pass their battery of tests. EN1078 is what all helmets in Europe are manufactured to, and still considered good, but usually lighter because the rules are relaxed on rear skull protection. Snell still has B95 standards as well, and Snell's standards are usually more stringent than what the federal government mandates (at least that's how the motorcycle helmets are), and it's a voluntary thing to conform to Snell standards. I haven't seen a Snell-conforming bicycle helmet in a while though, not that I have actively searched for one.

My Bern helmet is heavy and hot. I don't wear it in any other weather but the cold. I've been trying to buy a knit liner for it but they are always out of stock. I don't wear it skiing but I probably should. *shrug*

I've used my bern watts with winter liner for skiing. It's not super ventilated, so It's nice in the cold.The winter liner makes the helmet fit a bit smaller due to the bulk. I actually switched to the summer liner with a wool balaclava, I think that works a bit better for me since it didn't really change the fit of the helmet, and umm... wool! Keep in mind, bern sells 2 types of helmets. EPS helmets (bike/snow/skate) and hard hat (snow/skate). Here's a breakdown of the difference (based on my limited understanding): The hard hat has a multi-impact foam that is not rated for bike crashes, so I wouldn't trust it for cycling. It's better for smaller impacts than EPS and can take a lot of hits as long as the shell is intact. If you hit too hard, you can bottom out on the foam and then your head takes the rest of the force. These are not certified for bike use (or really certified for anything). EPS foam (or zip mold) helmets are single impact and will need to be replaced after a solid hit. The foam is meant to compress and crack to dissipate force. After a good hit, the helmet needs to be replaced. These are certified by the CPSC and are what's recommended for bike use. This is what I'd recommend. You may also want to look at POC helmets. They make mountain bike and snow helmets as well that might serve you well.

If you really want to get nerdy about helmet tech, visit helmets.org