Helmet ventilation and cooling for hot desert riding?

[UtahPete]

On a recent 4-day trip across the Southwest desert, temperatures varied between 95 and 114 deg Fahrenheit. I've been working on keeping my skin from burning and core from overheating with the judicious use of non-armored shirt and pants (this is NOT a debate about the wisdom of THAT strategy). But, no matter what I did as far as adjusting vents, visor, etc, I could not avoid having my head overheating. There's just not enough ventilation in the helmet (I have a white HJC-IS Max modular helmet)

So, I've started researching this issue and it seems none of the major helmet manufacturers has solved this issue for long-distance desert riders. EXCEPT this company. For $600, it provides not only adequate ventilation with the use of two fans (powered by the bike's electrical system), but also a 'cooler' using the same technology found in high-end vehicles with cooled and ventilated seats (my 2018 GMC Canyon has them and they're fantastic).

What do you think of this solution? And, is this truly the only solution out there?

https://feherhelmets.com/collections/helmets/products/ach-1-silver

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=51&v=ef8y2aKRqUU

 

[Jeriatric]

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Bfromla]

There was another just a year or so ago

 

[UtahPete]

There was another just a year or so ago

Interesting adaptation. Here is their website. They're in India and I don't see any outlets in North America yet. https://thebluarmor.com/

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[carsong]

I met a retired Palm Beach County motorcycle cop last week. He told me about Seer Helmets. He said they were the only helmets that were cooling enough to wear when on duty. They make half, modular and full face helmets. Expensive, though.

 

[Zoot]

I use a Shoei with decent venting. When I've been riding for a while I can't feel the vents doing anything; stop at a light or something, and I can really feel the cool when I take off again (after some sweat has a chance to accumulate.)
I will point out though, behind a windshield the helmet vents mean approximately nothing....

 

[RICZ]

Utah Pete....I'm curious to know if you are looking through or over your windshield. If you're looking through it, you might consider cutting it down lower so yo can look over it and catch air in your upper helmet vents.
Cool vests and cool ties work well as does Cycle Gear's Heat-Out underliners - great stuff.

 

[Peter Aawen]

I use a Shoei with decent venting.....

SHOEI GT-Air - forward top vent open; rear top vent open; front chin vent open; looking over the windshield; & opening the faceplate to its first click up works for me & the Missus in the +40° C heat here. hyea:

 

[pegasus1300]

I have the Bell Predator modular helmet. I also ride in many of the same conditions you do. The only thing I have found that works is putting he windshield down and the chin bar up. Or starting at 6:00 Am,riding till noon, finding a public library that is air conditioned and hanging until the temp goes down. I like the idea of the "air conditioned helmet" and would like to see it further developed. I used to have planes for adding a heat exchanger/heat sink that was supposed to pull the temp in the helmet by quite a bit, don't remember how much. I will have to look in my files and see if I can find that. I am guessing it didn't work too well or was too cumbersome as nothing ever came of it product wise. Maybe the new units that pump cold water thru a vest can divert some of that cool water thru a helmet.

 

[UtahPete]

SHOEI GT-Air - forward top vent open; rear top vent open; front chin vent open; looking over the windshield; & opening the faceplate to its first click up works for me & the Missus in the +40° C heat here. hyea:

Peter, back in 2012 there was an Ozzie company peddling a helmet insert called Airhead. It was designed to provide more space for ventilation at the top of the head. I'm not sure what happened with those. The point being that several attempts have been made over the years to solve this problem in different ways.

In response to your suggestion and the other posts above, I have tried riding with windshield down and even standing up to get my head in the airstream, but that makes no difference in airflow over the scalp. Ditto opening the face shield and raising the chin bar. All this does is to blow very hot air onto my face, which doesn't help cool my scalp.

I used a water-soaked cooling vest under my shirt, but it dried out in an hour and then became a layer of warm insulation. Even when wet, of course, it only cooled my core, not my head (although it probably lowered my blood temperature a little, which is always a good thing). I have since bought an expensive cooling vest that is supposed to stay wet for 3 hours, and I will use that.

But, this doesn't solve the problem I'm trying to solve, which is to improve airflow over my scalp.

 

[UtahPete]

I like the idea of the "air conditioned helmet" and would like to see it further developed. I used to have planes for adding a heat exchanger/heat sink that was supposed to pull the temp in the helmet by quite a bit, don't remember how much. I will have to look in my files and see if I can find that. I am guessing it didn't work too well or was too cumbersome as nothing ever came of it product wise. Maybe the new units that pump cold water thru a vest can divert some of that cool water thru a helmet.

That's the direction I'm leaning. Let me know if you find your notes.

 

[UtahPete]

I met a retired Palm Beach County motorcycle cop last week. He told me about Seer Helmets. He said they were the only helmets that were cooling enough to wear when on duty. They make half, modular and full face helmets. Expensive, though.

I didn't see any full face or modular helmets on their website, just the modified 3/4 helmet with ear muffs. I'm not sure they have any better air flow over the scalp, but worth looking closer at them. Not too expensive - about $350.

The motorcycle cops I've seen lately in Utah, riding Beemers, were wearing full modular helmets and full protective gear interestingly.

Www.Superseer.com

 

[JoshHefnerX]

Never found much relief here from the heat. I tend to not ride in the heat, just too hot out. If cracking the visor open a notch didn't get enough air flow, I doubt any helmet would via venting.

Could try a white helmet if you don't have one. Color does make a difference. Look like you're wearing an egg on your head or people confuse you w/ the PD, but it would be cooler.

 

[UtahPete]

Never found much relief here from the heat. I tend to not ride in the heat, just too hot out. If cracking the visor open a notch didn't get enough air flow, I doubt any helmet would via venting. Could try a white helmet if you don't have one. Color does make a difference. Look like you're wearing an egg on your head or people confuse you w/ the PD, but it would be cooler.

I've done all those things. That's why I'm researching better solutions because I don't want to be intimidated by the heat. I've got the clothing pretty well dialed in; now I just need to solve the problem with the head overheating.

 

[Grandpot]

Pete:

You got me thinking, so I Googled "Helmet Fan." There are several types of fan kits out there. Most seem to be for industrial use, but some might be adaptable for MC helmets. I have never tried any of these, but they do seem feasible. Here's one for an example: https://www.evike.com/products/42477/ It's hard for me to find a good fitting helmet, so adding a fan to an existing one might work out.

 

[UtahPete]

Pete:

You got me thinking, so I Googled "Helmet Fan." There are several types of fan kits out there. Most seem to be for industrial use, but some might be adaptable for MC helmets. I have never tried any of these, but they do seem feasible. Here's one for an example: https://www.evike.com/products/42477/ It's hard for me to find a good fitting helmet, so adding a fan to an existing one might work out.

That's some good thinking. I'll look into it. Thanks

 

[johnsimion]

I'm no expert on this but when we rode from Vegas to Lake Havasu, the return trip hit 114 and took at least two hours. We have Arai full-face helmets and wear mesh hi-viz jackets. The only thing we did to beat the heat was to use cooling rags around our necks and keep wetting them every 30 miles or so. Other than that and opening the vents on our helmets, nothing. What I remember most about that trip was that my head didn't get hot, my body did. And logically that makes sense. Your helmet has a couple of inches of styrofoam for crash protection. What is styrofoam? An insulator. If it's 114 out and your body temp is 98.6, the styrofoam is insulating you from the heat, not making you hotter.

The best advice I've seen here is to start your ride at 6:00 a.m. when it's cool out and finish before it gets hot. I've been doing long bicycle rides (2 hours +) but I start at 5:30 a.m. and I'm finished by 8 ... and the temperatures are always cool and pleasant at those times. And the sunrise is beautiful to watch. At 3 in the afternoon, it's 110 but I'm either in the pool or lazing in the A/C. These activities are supposed to be fun, not an endurance contest.

 

[UtahPete]

I'm no expert on this but when we rode from Vegas to Lake Havasu, the return trip hit 114 and took at least two hours. We have Arai full-face helmets and wear mesh hi-viz jackets. The only thing we did to beat the heat was to use cooling rags around our necks and keep wetting them every 30 miles or so. Other than that and opening the vents on our helmets, nothing. What I remember most about that trip was that my head didn't get hot, my body did. And logically that makes sense. Your helmet has a couple of inches of styrofoam for crash protection. What is styrofoam? An insulator. If it's 114 out and your body temp is 98.6, the styrofoam is insulating you from the heat, not making you hotter.

The best advice I've seen here is to start your ride at 6:00 a.m. when it's cool out and finish before it gets hot. I've been doing long bicycle rides (2 hours +) but I start at 5:30 a.m. and I'm finished by 8 ... and the temperatures are always cool and pleasant at those times. And the sunrise is beautiful to watch. At 3 in the afternoon, it's 110 but I'm either in the pool or lazing in the A/C. These activities are supposed to be fun, not an endurance contest.

John, I rode 1700 miles from our home in Utah to Yuma, Arizona and back in four days. Riding only when it's cool or stopping every 30 miles wasn't an option.

You're right about the helmet protecting from ambient temperatures, particularly since mine is white for that very reason. The problem is that it doesn't allow for the head to cool by normal evaporation of the sweat because the airflow is inadequate.

 

[UtahPete]

While it doesn't solve the problem of lack of airflow, a helmet liner like this may help lower head temperature. Has anyone tried that with a motorcycle helmet?

https://www.mission.com/products/cooling-helmet-liner-black?variant=10374124229

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...title_huc_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2CZTDJTS77U7N

 

[SuperG]

While it doesn't solve the problem of lack of airflow, a helmet liner like this may help lower head temperature. Has anyone tried that with a motorcycle helmet?

https://www.mission.com/products/cooling-helmet-liner-black?variant=10374124229

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...title_huc_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2CZTDJTS77U7N

https://www.cyclegear.com/gear/heat-out-coolr-helmet-liner

I use these, which are similar and inexpensive.