Ride an E-Bike? A Standard Helmet Might Not Cut It

Getting bucked and jostled while steering a bike down a rocky mountain face would sound internal alarms for most of us. In a near-vertical position, wearing extra protection becomes intuitive: knee and shin guards, gloves, a full face helmet.

But what about the risk of riding electric cruisers on paved pathways? Compared to downhill racing or launching jumps in bike parks, pedal assist commuters seem like a smooth, straightforward method of travel. How dangerous could a crash actually be for your noggin?

Higher standards

Experts in the Netherlands — arguably the best country in the world for bike commuting — started asking that question in 2015. Within a year, the Royal Netherlands Standardization Institute (NEN), a nonprofit that helps develop guidelines and regulations, connected manufacturers and scientific researchers to tackle the issue.

The working group created a set of requirements for e-bike helmets that accounts for the additional safety needed during a crash at higher speeds, plus the comfort that’s preferred while doing a cardio workout. (Pedal assist rides can still lead to sweat rings.)

In the wake of the NTA 8776 certification, we’re starting to see more helmets with the label pop up in the US Such brain buckets are built for bicyclists reaching up to 27.9 miles per hour. In the lab, prototypes are pummeled at a higher fall velocity. The shock absorption needs to be higher than a standard bike helmet. The sides and back are also extended to further protect the temporal and occipital areas.

On the fancier end, options like the Lumos Ultra E-Bike feature an integrated eye shield, the ability to pair with the Lumos app and remote-operated turn signals in the front and back. The placement and type of vents are tailored to higher speed commutes and, of course, it carries the NTA 8776 label.

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Meanwhile, The Beam Virgo crowdfunded more than $348,000, Smith has the Dispatch Helmet ($170), Giro offers the Camden MIPS ($94) and Bexley MIPS ($225), and Bern launched the Hudson ($95+), which earned a 2021 Outdoor Retailer Innovation Award.

All of those helmets feature MIPS and carry the NTA 8776 stamp of approval, too. Price-wise, Gear Patrol’s top-rated bike helmets range from $100 to $300, so legitimate e-bike helmets don’t stray from the pack, despite the honor cords.

E-bike or motorcycle?

Regardless of the flowering efforts of brands, the federal safety benchmark for bike helmets in the US remains “CPSC” as it’s listed on head armor. That means the design meets the US Consumer Product Safety Commission bicycle helmet standard “16 C.F.R. 1203” to prevent a skull fracture or severe brain injury in an accident.

Beyond the CPSC tag, many bike helmets on the market meet bonus certifications or feature extra safety components such as integrating MIPS or Koroyd for impact absorption.

Lumos

“Like a lot of regulatory standards, manufacturers develop products that they feel are superior or above that regulatory floor and market those to the public,” says Matt Moore, who leads the Policy and General Counsel for the advocacy group PeopleForBikes. But the garnish isn’t requisite.

“In the US, e-bikes are regulated the same way as bicycles, with the same mechanical testing and performance strength,” Moore says. “Similarly, there isn’t a separate standard for e-bike use helmets.”

Even so, the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute states that pulling on a standard bicycle helmet for power-assisted rides consistently reaching 20 mph exceeds the risk those helmets are built to handle (most are tested at 14 mph), recommending a NTA 8776-approved helmet or a light motorcycle helmet instead.

Not all e-bikes are the same

Where selecting the appropriate degree of skull safety gets tricky is paying attention to what e-bike category yours falls into. With everything from a Pedego Comfort Cruiser to a Rundeer Attack 10 to Enduro’s 12000w — with top speeds, respectively, of 20 mph, 35 mph and 62 mph — on the market, some two-wheelers really blur the lines between e-bike and electric motorcycle.

“Helmets for any motor vehicle — mopeds and motorcycles — are regulated by the US Department of Transportation (DOT), and that’s a different helmet standard,” says Moore. Electric motorcycles could be outfitted with 1500 to 4000-watt power, have “e-bike” in the product name and are legally a moped or motorcycle.

“They’re out-of-category electric vehicles. If you ride them on a mountain bike trail or are operating on the road, you could get a citation for breaking the law,” says Moore. “Under federal law, you need a driver’s license, insurance and to meet motor vehicle safety standards [a.k.a. motorcycle designation on your license].”

Comparatively, PeopleForBikes’s e-bike policy categorizes three types of lower-speed e-bikes with less than 750 watts of power: Class 1 and 2 both reach 20 mph while Class 3 — pedal-assist, no throttle — tops out at 28 mph, which is within the scope of protection for a NTA 8776-certified helmet.

In some states, like California, bicyclists are actually required to wear a helmet while riding a Class 3 e-bike. In Colorado, that same law applies to bicyclists under age 21. Those classes cover e-mountain bikes, too, with Class 2s and 3s often not allowed on non-motorized trails, though regulations widely vary. Do your homework, suggests Moore.

The case for NTA 8776

All of which might leave you wondering: would another type of beefed-up helmet work? ASTM International (formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials) developed the F1952 Downhill Mountain Bicycle Racing standard for bicycle helmets, for instance.

However, “E-bikes weren’t in the scope of what the working group was trying to test and the forces a rider might experience in a crash,” Moore says. “It’s a completely different use case, so it doesn’t translate very well.”

Overall, reaching for a helmet with the NTA 8776 standard isn’t bad. The criteria allows helmets to be sold in both the US and the Netherlands, and it’s the highest e-bike helmet standard available anywhere. The label is also a liability shield.

“In case of any issue, the brand can say, ‘We tested this to the highest standard in the world,'” Moore says.

Of course, choosing the best bike helmet also comes down to one that best snuggles your head, so go to a retailer for a proper fit — and be prepared to invest in quality.

“You get what you pay for with a bicycle helmet,” concludes Moore. “In all cases, a good helmet is cheaper than a visit to the emergency room.”

A handlebar-mounted remote lets you signal your intentions to drivers behind and ahead, boosting safety at intersections.

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