Tuesday, 7 October 2025

Level Headed...Lids, Mental & Physical Loads


 





“It doesn’t matter how good a rider you are (or believe yourself) you will always come off”. Source my late father, who had for a time worked for Matcheless Motorcycles in Plumstead, South London. His role was in personnel, looking after the test riders who were employed to test machines in some cases, literally to destruction.   

I hold dear the right to choose when it comes to helmets, but I also hold dear the ability to think, to make decisions and enjoy my own sense of agency. Against this backdrop, I ‘ve been sent this MET Miles Mips helmet. It’s a sub £70 model defined as being “A touring model with roadie spirit”.

On paper at least, specification is favourable, taking everything into account. Aside from the MIPSC2 system, we have seventeen vents, washable pads, ponytail compatibility, compliance with CE, AS/MZS and US standards.  This one’s gloss white but there’s four other choices, including a very fetching teal.

Loosely speaking, MIPS should be thought of as a roll cage for the head, protecting the head against twisting, rotational forces which are contributary to concussions and more serious brain injury. Afterall, falls and crashes tend to involve tumbles, not s singular strike onto a hard surface. It’s a very thin, low friction layer moving within the helmet, helping to redirect this force and with it, brain injury. 

Neurological injuries have scary, life-changing implications. I’ve worked with acquired brain injuries and related conditions, such as stroke and cardiovascular incidents in previous careers. Sometimes full recoveries are possible, but sometimes the person we knew is lost. I recall walking into a Regional Neurological Rehabilitation Unit and seeing a woman in her mid-twenties who could only cry-no other form of expression. She had been the pillion rider in a motorcycle accident. It turned my blood cold.

It's important to note that helmets, like locks are only effective if used correctly. Anecdotally, I see a lot of people riding with badly fitting helmets, whether this be down to sizing, or adjustment. A helmet tipped back exposing the wearer's forehead will offer no protection in a crash and could also cause injury.  Measure your head's circumference (using a fabric, not steel) tape measure) just above your ears and brow in centimetres.

This will give you the correct size, but it's worth noting some styles and designs may also influence this, so it's worth trying a few. "Ponytail ports" have become increasingly popular in recent years, allowing an easier exit for one's mane and seem genuinely more comfortable for riders with longer hair.   Similarly, trail, or commuter models often come with peaks and a profile more accommodating of lights and similar, although I'd resist fitting action cameras and similar tech, since these can also cause injuries in a spill.  


The helmet should sit horizontal and with a small (1-2 finger width) above your brow. Fine tuning the helmet is usually a question of loosening, or tightening a thumbwheel, or similar ratchet-type system at the back and either slackening or tightening the straps.  These should, ideally sit just below the ears and snugly around the chin, while still allowing you to chew, or chat comfortably. With the chin straps secured, tweak the ratchet type closure and check there's no movement, but without the sensation of your head being compressed in a vice.  From here, you're unlikely to adjust frequently, only when wearing a cap, or similar beneath.  


 A life without risk is no life at all. I’ve also run services for people with learning disabilities and while an understandable reaction, many parents had wrapped their children in bubble wrap and sought to eliminate any potential risk. This was very sad and regrettably also backfired.

Just a small snapshot of my thoughts while meandering down the backroads, lanes and trails. A drier, mild interlude has seen me exorcising sections of superficial surface rust along the KA’s sills (signalled by unsightly bubbling) and return to Denise, testing the Weldtite wax lube, stem swap and Gaciron Cetus 1700 front light.  All continue to impress, albeit with some limitations and compromises, although nothing I couldn’t live with long-term.  There’s still a few weeks before I reach any firm conclusions.Meantime, I'll leave you with my review of the Magicshine Hori1300 Magicshine HORI 1300 Front Light | cycling-not-racing

 

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