GEAR UP HELMETS

They are worth wearing and worth wearing right! They'll also protect faces; gravel rash on the face is not nice! And keeping your teeth and nose in one piece usually keeps your mum happier too!

Better, especially if you have the face guard that goes with it, They look just like those old motorbike helmets (hey some of them are!) but they will at least protect your face and the sides of your head a bit better.

Open face helmets are not allowed for official race meetings
Read the latest BMX NZ Rules Circular

These are recommended ... BUY ONE and BUY it SOON! As well as looking like a real racer you get to go hard out without having to worry about taking your teeth home in a jar! You'll pay from NZ$150 up for one of these but hey .. new teeth cost way more! And they last well ... some helmets take some hard hits but they remain solid.

Check them for cracks regularly (especially after a fall) and if it's broken toss it ....

Remember to do it up tight, if it comes off when you bail you may as well not be wearing it.

Standard road helmets don't do such a good job when racing but if you wear them properly they can help.
Try this ... put on your helmet and do it up, now grab the front and push up ... if it ends up over the back of your head it's a waste of time. Now put the front level with your eyebrows and adjust the straps so they are firm, make sure you can still breathe, but not much more. The side adjusters should be just under your ears and you should be able to get just two fingers underneath the strap without turning blue.

Remember that you will be able to ride at club days in a road helmet at HVT, but some clubs may not let you ride at all.

IS everything!
If it's too big, or too small it's no good ... with roadies it not so obvious. Ideally it should sit down over your head so that when the front is level with your eyebrows the bottom of the helmet is level with the ground. If it's a full face it's really obvious ... too small and you'll struggle to get it on. It's really hard to ride if your head feels like it's in a vice! If it's too big the risk is it'll slide down, up or sideways while you're riding and voila, it's dark!

The full face should be firm on your head. If you grab hold of the chin guard and shake your head should go with it. Some full face helmets come with additional fatter pads for the inside that can give you some adjustment to make them last a bit longer, but usually if you're racing hard you'll have knackered it before you grow out of it.