Attention! Attention!
This public service announcement is brought to you from a forever cycling newbie to other cycling newbies, or those who may just be afraid to ask.
Your helmet straps. Cut them.
It may seem harmless, and in fact it is, but that extra helmet strap fabric is made to be cut and fit to you. Don’t be like me and just tuck it in for over a year and a half. No, you are much wiser than I am.
Simply follow these easy steps for the perfect helmet straps.
1 – Put on your helmet and figure out where you want to cut the straps. Err on the side of caution.
2 – Cut.
3 – Burn. Don’t hold it in one spot, but move in a slow and steady fashion for probably 10 seconds total. (Thank you Chicken Face for being the hand model.)
4 – Rejoice! You are one step closer to that yellow jersey. Now if only I can learn to change a flat tire…
Happy Running and Cycling!
Always looking for an excuse to use fire in daily applications. Thanks for the how-to!
Next up: don’t wear your panties under your chamois. A mistake you’ll (hopefully) only make once! 🙂
Hahaha, thankfully I haven’t experienced that one.
Haha, I’m a newbie! Mine’s been flapping in the wind and hitting me in the face for over a year now! Thank you for this kind public service announcement 🙂
Hahahahahahahaha yeah, I did not know this. I mean, my helmet has a little rubber band at the end of one of the straps, so I just assumed it was to hold all the extra.
I never knew you were supposed to cut them! Guess that’s another thing on my to-do list!
the extra on my helmet is currently wrapped with a band… guess that means i should cut it before i bike outside (if the snow ever melts) 🙂
HA this is awesome. I need to do this!!!
Oh I am that person with the strap all banded up. I really need to do this.
First time reading your blog and I have learnt something already! My extra long helmet strap seriously annoys me every day on the way to work and then again on the way home and I have never once thought to cut it.
This is brilliant. I just thought the strap was supposed to occasionally knock me in the eye so I’d suffer a little more. Thanks!
I do not approve of the fit of those helmet straps. Any incident will knock that helmet right off your head, rendering it completely ineffective. Please tighten. Thank you!
DONE!
Just happened on this site years after your posting while searching something similar. As an experienced road cyclist of 40+ years, I can say that in the “after”, thumbs-up photo, the helmet retention strap is way too loose and unsafe. If you’re going to be giving helmet advice, I recommend that you provide good basic information. Also, the temples of the sunglasses go OVER the straps. You’re welcome!