Anyone who thinks they can safely ride a bike without wearing a helmet is kidding themselves. Bicycling is an inherently dangerous sport. When riding on road, it is easily possible to be hit by a car, have a mechanical failure or just simply crash. While riding off road, the terrain can be so unpredictable and the challenges of riding so hard that crashing is pretty much the norm for all serious riders. The number one cause of death for bicyclist is head injury and most of these injuries would be easily preventable if the rider has just worn a helmet.
When you go to buy a new bike, you need to factor in the cost of getting a helmet. You should just include that in your purchase price because you should not ever ride a bike without wearing a helmet. It is always a joke at the bike shop that people will come in and spend several hundred to thousands of dollars on a bike but balk at spending an extra 40 dollars to make sure they will be protected from death.
Purchasing a bike helmet is a pretty simple task. All helmets sold in the us are required to meet a standard called the CPSC which means they all perform at the same level of safety specification. What you pay more for a nice helmet is durability, comfort(increased air flow and better padding) style. So when you go into get a helmet, think about what style you want to get. That will be one important deciding factor in your decision. The main other concern is fit. You do not want your bike helmet to be riding way up on your forehead. Ask a bike shop employee to help you with this since they will know how to size the helmets so you get the most comfortable and protective helmet possible.
Read more about bike helmets and other bike related resources at the webs number one bike website: http://www.mountainbikesuspension.net/Road%20Bikes/BestBikeHelmet
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Hendrix