Helmets

km991148

Hi all,

Really dont want a should wear/shouldnt wear debate - but have decided for various reasons that its about time I started riding with one (nagging gf/ close shaves etc!) - want something comfortable but not inexpensive so was thinking of this.

I have never worn one before, so would like to know:
are cheap ones worth it/ Should it be something to try b4 buying rather than ordering online? /Are there any out there that offer great/better value for this budget?

Thanks,
Km

Lumen

First find out which brand fits your head shape.

I have a Bell head. I tried various cheap (in Halfords) and expensive (in Cycle Superstore) variants, and the fit was identical, so I got a Bell Ghisallo (medium price, looked nice). I found Giros were not comfortable at all, relatively.

TinyExplosions

The Giro Indicator is a decent helmet -saved my friends life on Saturday, and pretty cheap!

rubadub

km991148 wrote: »

Really dont want a should wear/shouldnt wear debate

Under starters orders!

TinyExplosions wrote: »

saved my friends life on Saturday

And we're off!


This is meant to have tips http://www.helmets.org/

TinyExplosions

rubadub wrote: »

And we're off!

This is meant to have tips http://www.helmets.org/

Not starting the debate, simply using it as a reccommendation! (and also I feel guilty 'cause I caused the accident!)

I don't care if folk wear one or not!

km991148

rubadub wrote: »

Under starters orders!

And we're off!


This is meant to have tips http://www.helmets.org/

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Not starting the debate, simply using it as a reccommendation! (and also I feel guilty 'cause I caused the accident!)

I don't care if folk wear one or not!

lmao! Brilliant a debate about the debate!...

thanks for the info though!

blorg

Don't think it is appropriate to kick off the yes/no debate on a thread looking for a helmet recommendation.

Personally I would be of the view that any helmet passing the relevant safety standards is likely to be as good as any other and that you pay more for comfort, lightness, aero advantage, etc. - and of course the maker's marketing budget. But that is just a personal opinion from someone who only sometimes wears a helmet (now 7 years old, so I imagine I should replace it, I believe they go bad with time.)

km991148

blorg wrote: »

Personally I would be of the view that any helmet passing the relevant safety standards is likely to be as good as any other

thats a point actually, what are the standards I shuld be looking for (I cycle to commute with the occasional fitness spin when I can be bothered!)

penexpers

Any helmet that is sold in a reputable shop should conform to the minimum requirements.

Turbulent Bill

km991148 wrote: »

thats a point actually, what are the standards I shuld be looking for (I cycle to commute with the occasional fitness spin when I can be bothered!)

I think the only standard for European helmets is EN 1078, which seems to be fairly basic - there should be a sticker on the inside of the helmet stating this. Some helmets also meet a Snell standard which is supposed to be more stringent.

petethedrummer

blorg wrote: »

(now 7 years old, so I imagine I should replace it, I believe they go bad with time.)

Safety helmets for constructions sites go off and have a date printed on the inside. I never checked on a bike helmet. must have a look when I get home.

cyclopath2001

km991148 wrote: »

are cheap ones worth it/ Should it be something to try b4 buying rather than ordering online? /Are there any out there that offer great/better value for this budget?

The most important thing is to chose one of a colour that will help you be seen. Avoid black or dark coloured helmets. Look for ones with good reflective features at the rear.

oobydooby

If it's your first helmet I would recommend trying first or buying in your local bike shop. They are mildly uncomfortable, but as I understand it, if they don't fit you right they offer limited protection. Likewise if they are not strapped correctly they may shift in a violent accident (the most likely type you'll encounter?) again offering limited protection.

I got a specialised Chamonix in cycleways a few years ago before a charity spin and have grown used to it. Had to try on a few different makes/models/sizes before I found one that fit my turnip head snugly though.

CheGuedara

oobydooby wrote: »

If it's your first helmet I would recommend trying first or buying in your local bike shop.... if they don't fit you right they offer limited protection..... Had to try on a few different makes/models/sizes before I found one that fit my turnip head snugly though.

True, in finding ones that fit me properly I ended up trying all different brands (Giro, Met, Bell & Rudy Proj.) before finding the one whose helmets fitted best so there does seem to be a difference between brands. Hop into your LBS and try out every crasher in your price range you like the look of. No point having one if it doesn't fit right & you have a tip or a spill.

xz

Try this, I use it, 2 for €50 in cycle superstore
http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=140&idproduct=13788
comes in 4 different colour combos

Lumen

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

The most important thing is to chose one of a colour that will help you be seen. Avoid black or dark coloured helmets. Look for ones with good reflective features at the rear.

Nonsense. The most important thing is that the helmet matches your choice of jersey, tights and paint job. The whole ensemble must be consistent.

What are the ambulance crew going to think if they turn up to find you're juxtaposing a blue helmet with green seatstays, or worse still Ultegra cranks with a Chorus front mech? They'll probably drive off again!

BostonB

I'm surprised the thread hasn't been locked already tbh.

You have to try them on, different ones fit different head shapes. I was using a Lidl one, now looking for a new one, and finding it hard to find one that fits aswell as the lidl one did. I find a lot of them sit very high on the head, especially the cheaper ones. The more expensive ones seem to let your head into the helmet more. maybe that my imagination though.

Raam

petethedrummer wrote: »

Safety helmets for constructions sites go off and have a date printed on the inside. I never checked on a bike helmet. must have a look when I get home.

4 to 5 years is what I have heard.

Lumen

Raam wrote: »

4 to 5 years is what I have heard.

The helmet mfrs have a vested interest in our replacing them often.

I have an unmarked 15 year old Giro if anyone wants to test it (Tiny, flickerx, Caroline...).

Or maybe I'll stick a pumpkin in in and drop it out of my first floor window tonight.

rubadub

Lumen wrote: »

The helmet mfrs have a vested interest in our replacing them often.

They certainly do. Also all "best before dates" are calculated using worst case scenarios. In most cases this is extreme temperature/humidity cycling. If you lived somewhere with extremely hot summers and cold winters your helmet would be subjected to far more stress, it would be contracting and expanding a lot more than here, going into and out of cold environments. If your helmet was wet then some people might stick it on a heater to dry it off, they take this abuse into the calculation/estimate. They must take all this into account since if somebody did crash and the helmet did not do the job then they could be liable.

Same with beer, if stored in a dark cellar it is fine for years, but if you store the likes of miller (clear glass) in a shop window in spain then it will degrade exponentially quicker.

Tinned & jarred food lasts indefinitely, and the BB dates on them is not only for spoilage concerns, but also marketing, they do not want a shop selling 10year olds tins of beans with their old logo, the labels will fade too and look tatty. I expect helmet makers do not want an old range still on sale, and it forces shops to ditch or sell off old stock.

Bruce11

Used a Giro Ventoux in years past, then changed to a Met Ippogrifo. The Met was medium size; sat on the top of my head high and the large was not a snug fit.

Have since changed to a Limar pro104, lightest helmet available. Expensive but fits better and is cool, in fact too cool with winter so wear a skull cap.

bobtjustice

Can't really go wrong with the Giro brand. I currently use a Hex. Nice and light. Good helmet and reasonably priced too.

Lumen

bobtjustice wrote: »

Can't really go wrong with the Giro brand.

You can if they don't fit you.

bobtjustice

Lumen wrote: »

You can if they don't fit you.

That would go for any helmet sh** or not. My point was Giro make good helmets at a good price. IMO

Civilian_Target

Like they said, most important thing is, it fits and is correctly attached.
And second is that it's a visible colour (current is silver, previous was red)
Both were giro. I smashed the red one and my head came out fine, so replaced it with the same...