Recently a friend of mine was bragging about his helmet (not that one, he was talking about his crash helmet). ?These cost over £600 new, and I got it for £60,? he told me, ?And it?s only three years old,? Out of sheer politeness, I ignored the fact that there?s no real way for him to know what condition the helmet?s in, and that at three years old, it?s only got a few years left before it?s passed its recommended lifespan. Even the best kit goes out of date eventually. Instead, I said ?Yeah, a real bargain. It was lucky to be in your size.? That?s when he told me that it wasn?t actually his size, and it was fairly loose, but that it?d do. I had to step in. He simply needed telling. I could be polite no more.

Wank

Because there is only one thing worse than wearing a knackered old, smashed up helmet. And that?s wearing a knackered old, smashed up helmet that doesn?t fit. In fact, even a really good helmet, a shiny new, top-of-the-range one, isn?t worth a wank if it doesn?t fit.
If you?re absolutely adamant that you don?t want to buy a new helmet, and you?d rather stick your head in something that someone else has sweated and snotted all over, that?s up to you. But please be aware that an ill-fitting helmet doesn?t stand a very good chance of saving your life, should you need it to. Before I go any further, I want to make it absolutely clear that I don?t condone buying second hand helmets; even if it fits well, you don?t know it?s history. It could have been cr...