Make Replacement Pads for a Cycling Helmet.

This is how I made a set of replacement pads for my cycle helmet.

The cycling season is about to begin so I decided to spruce my cycle helmet with a new set of pads.

I have a size 8 head which is difficult to get a helmet big enough for, I bought this  XL helmet about 5 years ago (the biggest available then) and spend a very long time with a sanding pad to get the helmet to fit.  I recently tried to find a helmet big enough and found only one company that makes a street style helmet and even worse I could not find a single retailer that had one in stock all stockist where sold out.

The helmet had been sitting in storage for the last few years as only took up cycling last year again when I bought my cruiser.  The existing pads had become very worn and grubby looking so I decided to replace them until I could find a retailer who has a helmet the right size.

To make the pads I car window demister mitt that i bought in the poundland store. It was made of suede and microfiber cloth backed with a very thin foam pad.

I prepared the pads and then got my mum to do the sowing, I have driven a sowing machine before but not all that well so decide to get someone to do it properly.

I hope you find this Ible useful, thanks for looking.

Step 1: Marking Out.

I started by cutting along the seam of the mitt until I had two halves.  I was originally going to only use the suede side but there was a seam across the middle of the suede that would have been uncomfortable  on the pad that sit on my forehead.

I used the old rear pad as a template and used paper templates to make the outer pads for cutting.

The front pad was cut from the cloth side.

The 2 layers of the mitt are not joined together so i decided I would get my mum to sew them with an overlocking stitch on the sewing machine.  If you cant sew or have no access to a sewing machine the 2 layers could be glued together with a contact adhesive spray.

Step 2: Pinning and Cutting.

Once all the pads had been marked out I pinned the top layer to the foam backing before cutting out with scissors.

Step 3: Sewing.

At this stage i passed the task of sewing the pads to my Mum, I can use the sewing machine but not to well and I would only get shouted at if I messed the machine up.

The pads where sewn using a overlocking stitch.

If you have no sewing machine or cant sew you could use contact adhesive spray to join the 2 layers together before cutting out.

Step 4: Fitting the Pads.

Once the pads had been sewn I placed them upside down on a sheet of paper and sprayed them with a coat of spray adhesive.

Allow the adhesive to go tacky before fitting them in place in the helmet.

Thanks for looking, I hope you find this Ible useful.

Comments

[ifeito]

Not kidding, the styrofoam that makes your helmet is gone, specially if you sanded it to fit. Avoid using it.

[mack_turtle]

If your helmet is five years old, THROW IT AWAY. the materials used in a bicycle helmet break down over time due to sweat and exposure, so a five year-old helmet is basically a hat. http://www.smf.org/helmetfaq#aWhyReplace

[prettyboytim]

That's not really what that link says. It's main point is that helmet tech will have moved on over five years.

The helmet will still be the same plastic-shelled lump of expanded foam it was when you bought it, and will offer the same minor protection against small and medium impacts it did at the start. There's nothing magic about these things.

[huey.smith.54]

Some good ideas there. A couple of points on the glue side of things:

1. Use of contact adhesive to stick the pads layers together may not last that long due to prolonged contact with sweat absorbed by the pads.

2. Be sure to check that the spray adhesive you use to stick the pads to the helmet foam is compatible with polystyrene as some adhesives attack polystyrene and melt it.

[CrazyHowiesBikes]

I too have a large head, and a helmet with worn pads. I think I have one of these mitts lying around. Thanks a bunch!! I'm going to do this tomorrow!!!

[Dr Qui]

Glad it was of use to you.

It a joke that a size 8+ helmet costs 3 times the price of a standard helmet, and even harder to get a street style one that big.  its sizest that we are held at ransom if we want to ride our bikes safely.