i’m competing now in IEA this coming season and so i went and got myself a nice helmet… At the advisement of a friend, i got the Charles Owen JR8 from Dover. I like the look of a more close-fitting silhouette for a helmet (if that makes any sense sense) so i’m unsure about how this fits. It’s a 7 1/8 and an employee thought that it fit fine (she said it’s not too small) so is this helmet just not for me? If you think it is what would you recommend? Money isn’t a deal-breaker but i’m going off to college next year so any money i can save is a huge plus! Here are some pictures, the side view is a little angled so the picture was taken a little low so that may skew your view a little… but how does it look? your opinions are much appreciated!!http://devoutfloutist.tumblr.com/post/150564333957/charles-owen-jr8-how-does-it-look-fit-wise
Is your question whether it fits or whether it looks fine?
It looks fine.
The sales lady said it fit, i have a jr8, and it fits snuggly, doesn’t shift on my head, but doesn’t give me a headache. If you’re fits similarly, then Id say it fits.
It looks the way it should, IMO. What bothers you about it? Does it fit snuggly and feel comfortable?
My pet peeve is usually a too-loose chin strap - yours appears a bit too snug. I like where the front of the helmet is above your eyebrows and the side view looks good, too. Do you feel like it doesn’t fit down onto your head all the way or is there gapping somewhere? I get the impression you think it may be too small and “too” close profile but it could be that it just fits differently from what you’re used to. Charles Owen helmets are thickly padded and that padding will compress over time, which is why a snug fit is necessary. Not painful, snug.
Did you try on any other helmets when you were at Dover. The side view looks good, but I feel like the front view sits up a little too far. CO’s give me mushroom head, and I was told mine didn’t fit when I had one that sat a lot like yours in the second picture. I needed something with a rounder fit, and I wound up going with a OneK.
I think it sits on top of your head a bit. I assume your hair is up inside, which could be the case of it lifting up or it could be the shape of your head. My older IRH fit this way and I HATED the look of it on myself, it made my head look big - but it did fit. I need a large sized helmet though (big head + lots of hair), so it looks big regardless.
Honestly from working in a tack store for a while, I’d say that if you are questioning the fit at all - it probably isn’t right. Assuming you are young (from the pic and that you are in IEA) the JR8 is meant for ‘junior’ riders, so it’s possible it might not be a good fit for you as you might be start to mature. Or the shape of the helmet might not be compatible to the shape or your head.
When fitting helmets, I want it to fit snug but don’t want it to hurt. When I move the rim up and down on your forehead, I would look to see if the skin on your forehead is moving with the helmet and I can generally ‘feel’ how tight or loose it is my moving it a bit this way. If you can move your head quickly back and forth, up and down, side to side and the helmet is moving then it’s too big or doesn’t sit on your head properly/isn’t a good shape.
I don’t personally fit in the COs very well besides my skull cap which I don’t put my hair in. I ride in a Samshield now and it fits very well. Samshield also sold me on the removable and washable liners.
