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Ever blinded by your helmet?



 
 
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  #21  
Old November 13th 04, 12:13 PM
Michael J. Klein
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On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 17:48:53 -0500, "B Paton"
wrote:

I was thinking about my own helmet use the other day, particularly in
response to the helmet issue here in Ontario.

It occurred to me that helmet-wearing actually creates hazards for users
under certain circumstances.

For example, many times I have been blinded by sweat on fast descents when
air pressure squeeezes sweat out of the pads and into my eyes. The oily,
salty sweat causes near-total blindness for 3-10 seconds before the tear
ducts can flush them out. Knowing that the helmet will partially protect me
from the hazard it causes is not comforting. It's occured with every helmet
I have ever owned. It occurs frequently while riding around here. It is a
hilly area with lots of 6--12% grades.

I was wondering who else has experienced this feature of bike helmets. Is it
my physical features that are at issue, do I just ride too hard, or what?

Thanks, note the spam trap in the reply address.

Blake


I think that far more people are blinded by the statistics, rather
than the helmet itself.

Michael J. Klein
Dasi Jen, Taoyuan Hsien, Taiwan, ROC
Please replace mousepotato with asiancastings
---------------------------------------------
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  #22  
Old November 13th 04, 06:03 PM
JRKRideau
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Alex Rodriguez wrote in message ...
In article ,
LETETHIS says...
I was thinking about my own helmet use the other day, particularly in
response to the helmet issue here in Ontario.
It occurred to me that helmet-wearing actually creates hazards for users
under certain circumstances.
For example, many times I have been blinded by sweat on fast descents when
air pressure squeeezes sweat out of the pads and into my eyes. The oily,
salty sweat causes near-total blindness for 3-10 seconds before the tear
ducts can flush them out. Knowing that the helmet will partially protect me
from the hazard it causes is not comforting. It's occured with every helmet
I have ever owned. It occurs frequently while riding around here. It is a
hilly area with lots of 6--12% grades.


You must be going amazingly fast if the air pressure squeezes the sweat out
of the pads. I've never had this problem going down hill.


Not sure about Mr Patton (the OP) but it does not take air pressure to
do this. I, as mentioned before have had it happen twice. Once was at
~ 70 km/h downhill and once on the flatat about 25 km/h. All it takes
is a hot humid day and time for the pads to absorb the moisture until
they are saturated. Then all you have to do is nod your head and
suddenly your eyes are flooded with extremely salty moisture.

You might also
try wearing a sweat band. That will keep the sweat out of your eyes.
-----------------
Alex



John Kane
Kingston ON.
  #23  
Old November 16th 04, 05:38 PM
GaryG
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"Peter Cole" wrote in message
news:fOJkd.28740$5K2.10613@attbi_s03...
"B Paton" wrote in message
news
I was thinking about my own helmet use the other day, particularly in
response to the helmet issue here in Ontario.

It occurred to me that helmet-wearing actually creates hazards for users
under certain circumstances.

For example, many times I have been blinded by sweat on fast descents

when
air pressure squeeezes sweat out of the pads and into my eyes. The oily,
salty sweat causes near-total blindness for 3-10 seconds before the tear
ducts can flush them out.


Many/most helmets are sold with "open cell" foam pads. These act like
sponges, soaking up sweat and concentrating it into brine. The solution is
to replace the open cell pads with closed cell pads which are not
absorbent. Your LBS should have bags full of pads, used for helmet
fittings. Replace at least the pads in the front of the helmet.

Good headbands are a necessity when wearing a helmet, I've had good luck
with the Pearl Izumi ones, pricey at $10, but work well. Other solution
used by some is to wear a cycling cap underneath the helmet.


The "cycling cap under the helmet" approach works well in my experience. It
wicks sweat from my mostly hairless head, and keeps the sun out of my eyes.
If I'm going downhill, or spending time down low on aero bars or in the
drops, it's simple to flip it up out of the way.

FWIW, I find that wearing a helmet is often cooler than not wearing one.
Modern helmets are very well vented, and by shading your head they can make
it feel cooler than it would otherwise be. If I was doing a long hot climb,
and had to choose between a dark colored cycling cap (e.g., this year's
Postal team cap), and a good helmet, the helmet would win out.

Disclaimer: my opinions are influenced by my lack of head hair, and by the
fact that I live in an area where 20% relative humidity is considered
"muggy" (but daytime summer temps can often exceed 100 degrees F). YMMV

--
~_-*
....G/ \G
http://www.CycliStats.com
CycliStats - Software for Cyclists


  #24  
Old November 16th 04, 05:52 PM
Peter Cole
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"GaryG" wrote

The "cycling cap under the helmet" approach works well in my experience.

It
wicks sweat from my mostly hairless head, and keeps the sun out of my

eyes.
If I'm going downhill, or spending time down low on aero bars or in the
drops, it's simple to flip it up out of the way.


I wear a helmet with a visor. It works the same to keep sun out and rain
off my glasses, I also flip it up when in a tuck. Getting brine in the eyes
used to be a problem before I swapped out the pads to non-absorbent ones.
Sometimes just turning my head would (via the strap) put enough pressure on
the pads to squeeze them out.


  #25  
Old November 16th 04, 06:12 PM
GaryG
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"Peter Cole" wrote in message
news:Zeqmd.94045$HA.53463@attbi_s01...
"GaryG" wrote

The "cycling cap under the helmet" approach works well in my experience.

It
wicks sweat from my mostly hairless head, and keeps the sun out of my

eyes.
If I'm going downhill, or spending time down low on aero bars or in the
drops, it's simple to flip it up out of the way.


I wear a helmet with a visor. It works the same to keep sun out and rain
off my glasses, I also flip it up when in a tuck. Getting brine in the

eyes
used to be a problem before I swapped out the pads to non-absorbent ones.
Sometimes just turning my head would (via the strap) put enough pressure

on
the pads to squeeze them out.


For mountain biking I use a helmet visor, but for road riding I find they
either weigh too much, or catch too much wind, resulting in a sore neck on
long rides. Also, they don't solve my need to keep the sun off of my
scalp - I've had "helmet stripe sunburn" once, and that was enough!

GG


  #26  
Old November 16th 04, 09:28 PM
Peter Cole
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"GaryG" wrote

For mountain biking I use a helmet visor,


I use the same helmet for both. I think a visor is really a disavantage
off-road, since sunlight isn't a problem in the woods, and it blocks
overhead peripheral vision.

but for road riding I find they
either weigh too much, or catch too much wind, resulting in a sore neck

on
long rides.


You're pulling my leg, right?


  #27  
Old November 16th 04, 10:12 PM
GaryG
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"Peter Cole" wrote in message
news:Fptmd.40183$V41.12470@attbi_s52...
"GaryG" wrote

For mountain biking I use a helmet visor,


I use the same helmet for both. I think a visor is really a disavantage
off-road, since sunlight isn't a problem in the woods, and it blocks
overhead peripheral vision.

but for road riding I find they
either weigh too much, or catch too much wind, resulting in a sore neck

on
long rides.


You're pulling my leg, right?


Not at all. Unless I'm sitting pretty upright (like on a mountain bike or
cruiser), my neck muscles can feel the difference after a long day. The
weight of the visor is out in front, and it does catch wind (especially at
higher speeds). However, it's been a number of years since I tried a visor
on a road bike helmet - perhaps they've gotten lighter and/or more
aerodynamic since I last used one. It might also depend on your position on
the bike (I usually ride pretty low, even when on the hoods).

I assume I'm not the only one that feels this way...on typical tours and
century rides that I take part in, I doubt that one rider in 50 wears a
visor.

GG


  #28  
Old November 16th 04, 11:03 PM
Peter Cole
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"GaryG" wrote in message
...

Not at all. Unless I'm sitting pretty upright (like on a mountain bike

or
cruiser), my neck muscles can feel the difference after a long day. The
weight of the visor is out in front, and it does catch wind (especially

at
higher speeds). However, it's been a number of years since I tried a

visor
on a road bike helmet - perhaps they've gotten lighter and/or more
aerodynamic since I last used one. It might also depend on your position

on
the bike (I usually ride pretty low, even when on the hoods).

I assume I'm not the only one that feels this way...on typical tours and
century rides that I take part in, I doubt that one rider in 50 wears a
visor.


Yeah, but I think that's a style thing. Almost everybody wears a visor'ed
helmet off-road and I can't think of any advantage to that if you ride in
the woods.

I don't know how much my visor weighs, but I'm pretty sure it adds less
than 10% to the weight of a helmet. That's been true for the ~10 years I've
been wearing a couple of (Bell) helmets. As for the aerodynamics, I don't
know, I don't feel any effect, I don't take it off to time trial, nor do I
get any fatigue, at least not on the up to 250 miles I have ridden in ultra
events. BTW, I usually ride low enough for my thighs to touch my ribs.


 




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