tell me about your helmet!

[johnnyh]

OK, basically I have a pretty cheap helmet, approx 20 notes I think it was.
Now as I have been getting into cycling more, I have started to come to the conclusion that in most cases you get exactly what you pay for.

Certainly this has proven true with lights, and I went round the houses before ending up with a light set up I am happy with.

So, what makes one helmet £20 and another £50 and yet another £100?
And what protection difference does it make to someone who probably only covers max 50 miles a day, and that only 2 or 3 days of the week? (excluding a pub run on a weekend sometimes).

All info appreciated, as someone who thinks it is sensible to wear a helmet, I would like to think what i was wearing was up to the job.

 

[spandex]

 

[Sittingduck]

I believe you just opened a can of worms

 

[yello]

A very difficult question to answer simply. A £20 helmet is as safe as a £100 if they've both passed the same standards, are in an equal condition and worn correctly. A lot of price difference goes in comfort and venting and the like - some would say name too.

Seconds out....

 

[Crackle]

For God's sake no-one start a helmet debate.

Find one that's tested to ANSI or Snell which are American standards and will probably be labelled BS over here but if they have the same model in the States then it will actually be designed to their standard (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

Make sure it fits and fits well, a badly fitting helmet may as well not be there.

Try to get one with a more rounded outer shell, no protuberances or pointy bits as there's some evidence they can create rotational forces in an accident.

What you'll be paying the extra for is improved airflow, improved fitting and adjusting system and in the case of an ANSI helmet a better designed helmet. Oh and maybe a replacement warranty.

 

[4F]

I believe you just opened a can of worms

I must resist, I must resist

 

[Mortiroloboy]

Well, I've just replaced my Catlike Kompact Pro after a recent crash with a...Catlike Kompact Pro.

You don't see many of them about, but I'm pleased with mine, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

£75, I got mine from www.prendasciclismo.co.uk, who are one of the few UK importers of this Spanish made helmet.

 

[johnnyh]

hehehe no can of worms intended - I guess this would be the pro v anti helmet debate?

but thanks for the info, and good to hear that mine (which seems to fit fine although does lead to a bit of a headache some days) is as safe as a higher priced offering.

I'll stick with for now and next time I am in a bke shop I will try some on to see what the fit differences are.

now should I break out a welding kit to close up that can before the worms wriggle out???

 

[ufkacbln]

The problem is that all you need to sell a helmet in the UK is an EN1078 certification - one that is far inferior to the American or other standards.

Some "cheap" helmets such as the Specialized Aurora at about £50 and the Chamonix at about £25 are certified to a higher standrad than the Giro Ionos!



Giro actually refuse to state whether their helmets are Snell tested!

 

[gavintc]

For me, paying a bit more got me more air vents so I do not get hot head and a more comfy fit. I have a Met Strad 2 helmet, had it about 2 yrs now.

 

[jimboalee]

http://hotair.com/archives/2008/07/28/too-bad-to-check-new-york-cop-knocks-b

This is what happens if you forget your crash hat.

So wear it !

 

[elvisparsley]

The more you pay the less helmet you get, because it will have bigger and more vents, making it lighter. The last two helmets I've bought have been advertised as 'THE WORLD'S LIGHTEST HELMET'. Yes- I'm that gullible. The Met Stradivarius I just bought is I think 1g lighter than my previous Limar 104. I can feel the benefit too, I really really can. And the expensive helmets make the back of your head look brilliant, like it was something out of The Jetsons

 

[mickle]

In the manufacture of helmets the biggest cost is the helmet mold which sits within the injection moulding machine. A simple mold for one size of one model of helmet costs more than a hundred thousand quid. The more complex the helmet- the more complex the mold- the more expensive it is. Simple molds are in two pieces (inner and outer) but helmets made with a two piece mold can have no rear vents so the most complex and therefore best ventilated helmets require a three or even four piece mold. Costs are recouped through unit numbers sold muliplied by profit per unit, so high volume helmets quickly recoup the mold costs. It's not uncommon for a helmet model to drop in price substantially after a couple of years once the cost of the mold has been covered (and continue in production for a couple of more years until the mold is too worn out to use). The actual high density engineering grade expanded polystyrene costs little more than the packaging which came with your telly.

Other design features which affect the retail price are things like, 'In shell moulding' (a skeletal structure built in to the helmet which is designed to help it maintain it's integrity in a multi contact collision), the complexity of the helmet retention device and the amount of advertising a particular model gets.

 

[spandex]

Is there anything you don't know Mr Mickle?

 

[mickle]

I don't know.