Bike helmets and ponytails – can’t we just get along?

[Emm]

@JustinW 163139 wrote:

I’ve suggested she go to a good bike shop and get advice, and that may happen one day. For now, please weigh in on what works for you and your ponytail, helmet-fitting-wise.

Thanks.

They make ponytail compatible helmets. Here is an example:
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/women/womens-duet/117211
A number of bike shops in the area carry specialized helmets, and you can get them online.

Giro also makes some that have pony tail ports, and I’m sure more brands do too that I just haven’t tried on yet.

Some brands are also just designed to have a high enough back to fit a decent ponytail. My lazer helmet is designed in just this way.

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[dasgeh]

I just wear my pony tail lower on my head. If my hair is already in a ponytail and I go to put on a helmet, I simply loosen the ponytail, and it sits lower on my head. After wearing the helmet, I just pull the ponytail tight and it goes back to sitting where it was.

I have extremely straight hair, so ymmv

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[dasgeh]

Also, she should join the women and bikes fb group and ask there. She’ll get a much better answer than at most bike shops

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[KLizotte]

I always wear a ponytail and my Specialized Prevail helmet works great. I presume the ponytail port is the same across all of their helmets but you may wish to check. Fortunately it allows me to wear my ponytail high up since I sweat a lot.

[Anonymous]

What dasgeh said– the only answer I’m aware of is to wear the ponytail where the helmet wants it, not where I want it. In any of my helmets, it would fit between the bottom of the helmet and the adjustment strap, though I do have pretty thin hair (and therefore skinny ponytails).

Or my current solution: pixie cut.

[Rod Smith]

Helmet should be low in front and hair should be low in back. Many try to wear helmet too far back, often to look cute I suspect. Cover your forehead. Thats the part of the head you’re trying to protect.

[Sunyata]

Braids. The answer to your question is braids. :p

French braid, braided pig tails, fishtail braid, dutch braid, regular braid, box braid. They all work wonderfully.

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Until… You chop all of your hair off and can no longer braid it. 😮

So yeah, a low ponytail also works.

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[drevil]

Four years of ignoring the barber has resulted in a large, oft-tangled mass of unruly, bushy hair for me. About 1/2 of the time I do a ponytail, but I do it up high and use helmets with a large enough port to pull my hair through (which include the Giro Xar and Fathom, and Specialized Andorra (women’s)).

First I loosen the retention system as much as possible and pull it as far down as it allows, pull my hair through, then finally spin the dial to tighten it all up. Done correctly, my hair locks the helmet in place.

I’ve tried helmets that don’t allow me to pull my hair through a back port (like the POC Trabec), so the cradle interferes with my ponytail, and I get the same result as your wife where it’s uncomfortable and the helmet doesn’t sit properly. In those cases, I’ve just skipped the ponytail or started it lower.

I tried doing braids on my own hair with 0% success. They definitely are more agreeable with helmets.

[Sunyata]

@drevil 163171 wrote:

I tried doing braids on my own hair with 0% success. They definitely are more agreeable with helmets.

I can teach you. (Well, in a few months, when my hair grows back!)

[drevil]

@Sunyata 163203 wrote:

I can teach you. (Well, in a few months, when my hair grows back!)

I’ve had lessons from a few friends and Jo. It’s embarassing, but I have a hard time reaching back behind my head and being dexterous enough to twist and braid my hair and not end up in knots. It seems like it’d be easier for folks with straight fine hair, but mine’s the total opposite of that.

[Judd]

@drevil 163218 wrote:

I’ve had lessons from a few friends and Jo. It’s embarassing, but I have a hard time reaching back behind my head and being dexterous enough to twist and braid my hair and not end up in knots. It seems like it’d be easier for folks with straight fine hair, but mine’s the total opposite of that.

I used to have very curly shoulder length hair (less curly than Ricky’s though) and it was also difficult to braid. Mostly just a tangled mess.

[Sunyata]

@drevil 163218 wrote:

I’ve had lessons from a few friends and Jo. It’s embarassing, but I have a hard time reaching back behind my head and being dexterous enough to twist and braid my hair and not end up in knots. It seems like it’d be easier for folks with straight fine hair, but mine’s the total opposite of that.

My hair is coarse and wavy, definitely get the knotty mess. Braiding in pigtails is MUCH easier, since you do not have to reach behind the head and can see what you are doing. Side braids also work well.

Granted, I can only braid my own hair (and only after I brush it into submission). I always screw up trying to braid other people’s hair since it is backwards from braiding your own.

[drevil]

@Judd 163221 wrote:

I used to have very curly shoulder length hair (less curly than Ricky’s though) and it was also difficult to braid. Mostly just a tangled mess.

Looks more straight than wavy to me…

[bentbike33]

@drevil 163228 wrote:

Looks more straight than wavy to me…

Garth Lumberjack?

[dasgeh]

@drevil 163218 wrote:

I’ve had lessons from a few friends and Jo. It’s embarassing, but I have a hard time reaching back behind my head and being dexterous enough to twist and braid my hair and not end up in knots. It seems like it’d be easier for folks with straight fine hair, but mine’s the total opposite of that.

Have you tried it while your hair is wet? (I say while ducking, since I have that straight fine hair)

[Author]

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