Claremont Cycle Depot: bicycles & sporting goods

Accessories → Rider Accessories →
Bicycle helmets

Wearing a helmet is a “must” on the road or on the trail. These are a few of the helmets stocked by Claremont Cycle Depot. Click on any photo to go to the company webpage for that model. (Opens in new window.)

Trek Interval

The Trek Interval is the ultimate sport level adult helmet. It comes with a removable visor, the ZipTite 2 fit system and 19 huge vents and washable fit pads.

Trek Sonic Elite

Affordable art for the road, the Sonic Elite is sculpted for speed. 24 vents and washable wicking fit pads keep your head cool and dry. A women's specific (WSD) model is also available.

Trek Vapor youth helmet

Made specially for younger riders, the Trek Vapor Youth helmet provides protection that your child will want to wear. Universal youth sizing.

Specialized Decibel

For the hottest days, the most intense efforts, and the toughest climbs, you need the Decibel. Designed with input from our world-class athletes, it's the clear choice for anyone who's after the coolest lid on the planet. Clip-on visor included. Men's and women's models (men's shown).

Specialized Air-8

A great helmet for the rider looking for a balance of performance and value. Many features from other proven models, including the ProFit retention system. Clip-on visor included. Men's and women's models (men's shown).

Why wear a helmet

Obviously, helmets are made to protect your head. While many of us think we've got hard heads, it really doesn't take that much force to get a serious head injury.

Have you ever dropped a dish? Bet it broke. Even though that dish may be a little more fragile than you are, you can still get a serious brain injury from a fall of only a couple of feet. And that dish? It only hit the ground at about 11 mph. Imagine 20 mph. Or 30 mph. Or faster. These are common cycling speeds, reached on just about every road ride and many times on the trail.

“But I never crash”

Don't worry, you will; everybody does. Every cyclist crashes, about every 4,500 miles on average, more often for racers. And when you do crash, you are most likely to land on your head or shoulders. (If you think you can tuck and roll, you better practice the technique and make it instinctive.)

You should even wear a helmet on quiet back roads. Only 12% of all bicycle accidents are between cars and bikes. There's always a pothole to hit, a crack in the pavement to catch your wheel, a dog to run out in front of you. It happens to the best. And don't even think about trail riding without a helmet!

“But helmet's are hot”

Well maybe motorcycle helmets are hot, but modern bicycle helmets aren't. Research both in a controlled environmental chamber and on the road (climbing Mt. Ventoux, no less!) showed that helmets do not increase your body temperature. Riders wearing a modern foam-filled bicycle helmet actually had cooler heads than those wearing an old-fashioned “hairnet” helmet or not wearing any helmet. And if you find that you do sweat a little more with a helmet on, wearing a Coolmax™ headcovering (Headsweat), will keep the sweat out of your eyes.

Make sure your helmet fits

In order for a helmet to properly protect your head, it has to fit correctly. Make sure the chin strap is snug. If there's an adjustment mechanism at the back, use it to eliminate any forward/backward “wobble”. A good way to make sure you've got things adjusted right is to have someone grab you by the helmet and gently shake it. If your helmet moves, but your head doesn't, things aren't quite right. Unfortunately, not every helmet will fit every head. Try on a few different models to find the one that fits you best and is the most comfortable.