Recommended Helmets

dan1502

I'm completely new to this and need to get a Helmet. I popped to Evans yesterday and tried a few and have also measured my head which is 58cm. Of those I tried, I think the medium and large both fit in most cases - the medium pretty much on the biggest setting and the large towards the smallest.

Anyway I will be riding on the road and also on trails. I have narrowed it down to the following but am happy to consider others. Price is a consideration but I always hunt for the best deal so will not be paying anywhere near list price for any.

Giro Hex
Giro Athlon
Met Kaos
Met Kaos Ultralight
Bell Slant

Am I right thinking that a white helmet is best due to the heat soak of black in the summer? I have a white/green/black bike. I do like the look of the Athlon as the 2009 model is available in white/green and the 2010 in black/green/white.

I hate the look of helmets full stop so am also interested inwhich look the most ok if you know what I mean.

Thanks

nfrang

Met Kaos(normal version) Comes in a nice green...

http://www.fudgescyclestore.com/index.p ... 91&o=98991

That or the Ultimalite would be my vote out of those.

Andy B

Sod which one looks best, get the one that fits best

blister pus

I'd nip in a shop and try a few out, some heads better suited to some designs and brands. Hex is good value though.

dan1502

I did try the Hex and the Chaos and some more expensive Giro's but I'm not sure which. The Giro Athlon's are perfect in terms of colour as they're the same schemes as my bike:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=44597

http://shop.2wheelsonly.co.uk/giro-athl ... 2872-p.asp

http://www.konabikes.co.uk/2008/kula/20 ... -9-big.jpg

but being a race helmet are they suitable and worth paying a bit more for?

nfrang

dan1502 wrote:

but being a race helmet are they suitable and worth paying a bit more for?

I would say yes. I used to have a Giro Flak which was £26.99 and in terms of comfort a bucket on my head would've been better. Just got a Xen and the difference is huge. As with most things you get what you pay for.

Andy B

nfrang wrote:

dan1502 wrote:

but being a race helmet are they suitable and worth paying a bit more for?

I would say yes. I used to have a Giro Flak which was £26.99 and in terms of comfort a bucket on my head would've been better. Just got a Xen and the difference is huge. As with most things you get what you pay for.

The Flak was the wrong helmet for you then if it was not comfortable.

You can get cheap comfortable helmets, just as you can get expensive comfortable helmets.

Which is why everyone should try them on before buying.

I have a £30 Met helmet that is just as comfortable as my £70 Met helmet

blister pus

See I found the Giro Indicator really comfortable just not good in Summer. So you need a balance of lightness, venting and protection. All that starts at the Hex upwards. Which is why you need to try before you buy tbh. And some brands will suit you better than others.

dan1502

The Giro's all fitted fine but I don'e know what they looked like. I might pop in again and check if they have the athlon because at £60 the above link seems a good buy.

dan1502

I had another look in Evans today and tried a few on again and talked to them about price matching. I've read a few reviews that have put doubts in my mind about the Giro Athlon which is a shame as the colours are a spot on match for my bike though I might still go for one.

I also like the Met Kaos. Looking into this I came across the Kaos Ultimalite. I realised this is more expensive but there is one feature that might swing it for me but I would first like to hear whether it's any good. It has a gel pad which supposedly stops sweat dripping down your face and glasses. I wear glasses and when working hard (I found this a problem when landscaping my garden in the summer) sweat drips down my glasses and is a pain to sort out. If this feature really works than I would probably go for it. I would then need to find a good deal. The best I've found so far is about £74.

Andy B

Not tried the Ultimate, but the regular Kaos has a non gel pad at the front which stops sweat from getting in my eyes & on my glasses, in fact most helmets have a pad at the front for this reason.

Dunno if a gel pad works any better than a regular one though.

I paid £70 for my Kaos when they first came out

dan1502

Apologies for my indecisiveness but I've narrowed the choice to two - the Giro Athlon in the colours to match my bike or the Met Kaos Ultimalite. I can get the Giro for £59.99 or the Met for £74 in white or £68.95 but in anthracite.

My size is right at the beginning of the Kaos large (58-61) and somewher in the middle of the Giro Athlon (55-59) - I'm 58. I have tried loads of helmets on including a these (though the Kaos was a standard one) and though the feel different it's hard to tell which was best.

Any final thoughts? (reading all the reviews is getting confusing)

siber0

Save another £2 on the Athlon here....

http://www.onyourbike.co.uk/Search-Results?keywords=athlon&x=20&y=9

Just got one myself.

Si

Daz555

If you are going into a bike shop to ask advice/try stuff on etc, then you should really be buying from there as well.

Yes it might cost more but then the LBS has provided you with a better service than the online retailer.

The Spiderman

If you find they all fot well buy the one you like the look of!
Also how easy is to to adjust the retention system?
I like the dial adjustment on my Bell,much better than the adjster on my Hex.

blister pus

Spidey, what model Bell is that you have?

Surf-Matt

For the best in ventilation, get a Spesh 2D S Works - can be found cheap if you buy last years model.

Utterly brilliant lid.

The Spiderman

blister pus wrote:

Spidey, what model Bell is that you have?

Bell Alchera road helmet and an older Bell Venture.

dan1502

I went for the Giro Athlon in the end. Thanks for the link to the cheaper price but it was a bit late for me. I tried the helmets on at Evans and was going to buy from them on price match but they didn't have the colour in stock. I bought some other stuff there so wasn't taking the mick. I also bought some grips at my LBS the other day at full list (not like me not to haggle). I do like the Evans price match as I can get stuff at the best internet price and take them back to a local store if anything goes wrong - best of both worlds! I wish I'd realised this before I'd spent so much elsewhere.