#bikeschool: Showering With Your Helmet?
It all started with a harmless discussion about what to do after you finish a ride. This discussion took place on the Cycling360 Podcast with myself and Rob suggesting that someone can take their helmet into the shower with them to rinse it off. Victor, being the wild man that he is, laughed at this and imagined us wearing our helmets into the shower. We had a good laugh and that was the end of it….until it came up again in the Washing and Maintaining your bike podcast. The podcast listeners also had a chance to hear about this discussion by now and there was no shortage of crazy tweets circulating around showers and helmets.
It all got blown way out of proportion (but in a good and fun way) and I’m still laughing at many of the jokes that followed. This discussion got so big that even the producers of the kids show, Phineas and Ferb caught onto it and included this sweet little clip in their Tour de Ferb episode (this episode also just happened to include a cameo by Greg LeMond).
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh7aglNZSwU[/youtube]
Our own Loving the Bike UK Correspondent and #bikeschool contributor, Stevie, was right in the middle of all the joking and twitter antics, and went so far as to take showing with your helmet to a whole new level. Check this out:
Okay, so with all of this nonsense and kidding aside….what do you think about taking your helmet into the shower to get cleaned off? Let’s hear your opinion and any suggestions that go along with it.
I live in Singapore, so sweat is a part of life. I don’t wear it in the shower, but it gets a quick rinse in the bathroom and hangs drying over the tub before I get in the shower.
Hi Chris, thanks for checking this post out. Thanks for sharing your technique.
With how much many of the pads in helmets start to deteriorate I wonder if showering with it would help or hurt the situation. Personally I let the helmet air out rather than shine it up then I replace it every season or two.
That’s the best advice I’ve heard yet. Yeah, my padding is trashed from getting washed and instead of replacing the padding, it’s a much better idea to get a new helmet every couple years. Thanks for commenting.
The sunglasses make the picture! I know my Velcro padding underneath my lid need to be wringed out after a hard ride – can’t see how taking your helmet for a rinse in shower would differ much in experience. Quality post, really enjoyed that!
HAHAHAHA! I love that pic. Hilarious. Although it seems just as easy to spray it off using the outdoor hose after a hard, exceptionally sweaty ride (like I already do). The tweet-conversation about the subject was quite entertaining though.
Did you really get the cartoon to do that helmet cameo?! That’s awesome. Perhaps I’ll give it a try.
It is pretty coincidental isn’t it? I can’t prove it, but I”m pretty sure the Phineas and Ferb producers were creeping on our podcast.
I wash my bike in the shower all the time, but have never washed my helmet in there… Probably easier to maneuver a helmet in the shower than my bike tends to be.
My helmet includes a cleaning instructions label (short compared to all the legalese disclaimers). They recommend simple soap and water. They warn against solvents and cleaners. Don’t where that puts shampoos and conditioners.
So I guess wearing in the shower is certainly one way to achieve cleaning.
I hadn’t thought about that and my helmet is pretty stinky because I tend to sweat a lot. Guess I’ll try it and… wait, how do you get the shampoo through all those little helmet vents?