What Helmet advice....

The Rookie

I'm currently commuting using a Diamondback MTB lid, it's a nice sturdy helmet which no doubt is pretty good at its job (and fairly robust to handling knocks etc) but the ventilation leaves a bit to be desired (I'm a hot sweaty git at the best of times, cyling only adds to the fluid creation!)

So basically I'm after suggestions for a reasonable helmet for commuting, good ventilation, reasonably comfy and obviously reasonably robust to handling due to the nature of the way helmets gat handles as we go in/out of work! Budget upto £60.

Simon

tptvmbircn

Hello,

I use the Met Veleno D, venting is great and it's really light, the sim is not much different and within the price range on CRC. the downside to it is you may need to invest in some more inner sponges but there not dear at all however could just be my use (it has gone through 2 year of snow, rain, sunshine, cat & dog showers) however!

Terry

biondino

Helmets are like saddles, so individual to people's head shape and sense of aesthetics, that it's not at all easy to give pertinent recommendations!

Last time I needed a helmet, I knew my approx budget (£75 or so) and went into Condor with LiT of this parish and tried on every single helmet, narrowing them down by comfort, price and looks until I'd found the one that best fit all my requirements, which was a Met Inferno. It was £90 at Condor but £60 at Wiggle, so I just bought it online.



A fun lunchtime

fnegroni

biondino wrote:

Helmets are like saddles, so individual to people's head shape and sense of aesthetics, that it's not at all easy to give pertinent recommendations!

+1

Went to my local Halfords, which stocks Giro, Bell, and MET, and after trying on about 20 helmets, finally found the one that fitted me and I liked the look of, and within budget.

For example, I went in sure to buy a Giro Monza, which I liked the look of, only to find the inner ring digging into my scalp!

Now I wear a MET Forte, which I reviewed on my blog:
http://wokingham-cyclist.blogspot.com/2 ... eview.html

BTW, there is a lot of hype regarding helmets, especially in terms of ventilation (Cooling Factor) and safety (Contact Surface):

A helmet which has very high cooling factor, usually top end lids (£100+), have also a lower Contact Surface factor, which means they are less in touch with the scalp, therefore providing less protection in case of impact.

Having said that, all helmets on sale from known manufacturers pass the standard tests so are deemed 'safe'. But bear in mind, 'safe' means it is able to reduce static impacts up to 12mph: no test is actually performed using dummies on bicycles and hitting rocks or cars.
Also, the manufacturers are very clear helmets must be worn tightly secured, which usually means they can be uncomfortable: most helmets worn by pro's are usually worn well loose, defeating their objective!

The Rookie

I would ideally go try, but want to narrow it down first, as unlike you smoker's I don't have any big local cycle shops to give me a good chance of finding the best!

Simon

wgwarburton

fnegroni wrote:

... most helmets worn by pro's are usually worn well loose, defeating their objective!

I don't think pros wear helmets for any objective other than to meet the entry requirements for the competition (and possibly the terms of their sponsorship).

But hey, what do I know...?

Cheers,
W.

fnegroni

The Beginner wrote:

I would ideally go try, but want to narrow it down first, as unlike you smoker's I don't have any big local cycle shops to give me a good chance of finding the best!

Simon

I think from the advice above, and from your requirements, it is obvious to me you should keep the helmet you have until you happen to travel near a shop that stocks a few that you like.
But as I said, you can narrow it down on paper and then find out none of the ones on your list fit you.
Plus, good ventilation can only be tested on the road, not in the shop.
If it can help, the MET website rates their helmets by the two factors I mentioned: CF and CS.

The Rookie

I will certainly check out my local Halfords (especially as I get 15% family discount there) but other than that neither of my LBS really do a lot of helmets and my nearest Evans is 35 miles away and pretty small, so I need to have a narrowed down list to 'find' so I can try as I won't get to see a wide range in one place!

Simon

The Rookie

fnegroni, thanks for the tip on the MET webby, at least I can check out the ones Halfords do against that!

Simon

rich_e

WGWarburton wrote:

fnegroni wrote:

... most helmets worn by pro's are usually worn well loose, defeating their objective!

I don't think pros wear helmets for any objective other than to meet the entry requirements for the competition (and possibly the terms of their sponsorship).

But hey, what do I know...?

Cheers,
W.

I reckon it's probably more of a generation thing.

Many of the older Pro's would have ridden in a time where they didn't have to wear helmets, and if you've got by all those years without a head injury, they might find it quite annoying that they are forced to wear them.

I'd imagine that a lot of younger riders now are just used to having always worn a helmet, so it's never really been an issue.

The final factor is that top spec helmets these days actually look really good, where as the ones in the past didn't, so I can see why they would less keen to wear those ones.

El Diego

I find Specialized helmets very comfortable but as other posters have mentioned it will all depend on your individual head shape.

The Rookie

Well off topic but I have to say that the MET website is great, the giro one is shockingly bad, lots of BS, no facts (weight for example would be useful and easy, the SPEC pages just show which of there features is present, no actual SPEC at all!), if they want to treat customers as if they are stupid, then I'll go elsewhere!

Simon

fnegroni

The Beginner wrote:

Well off topic but I have to say that the MET website is great, the giro one is shockingly bad, lots of BS, no facts

When looking at the weight, bear in mind actual weights may vary.
The Forte, which I now own, is rated at 250g, yet mine weighs 230g (picture in blog).

To be fair to Giro, with the exception of the ProLight (which as the name suggests, is probably similar to what a pro would wear, at 170 grams according to media reports), most of their helmets are in the region of 280-300 grams. Even the Ionos I think is pretty heavy compared to others. But I think Giro (and sister company Bell) focus more on ventilation than weight, so you might find them better in that department, although the METs are not bad either.

fnegroni

The Beginner wrote:

So basically I'm after suggestions for a reasonable helmet for commuting, ... and obviously reasonably robust to handling due to the nature of the way helmets gat handles as we go in/out of work! Budget upto £60.

Simon

The MET Terra, IIRC, has a 'soft' shell which absorbs light impacts and therefore might withstand being knocked about a bit more.
And, IIRC, is available at Halfords.

The Rookie

Halfords I can do easily, I know giro have a good rep, but the way they present themselves via the website is not at all good.

Off to Halfords earliset to check out the MET's, although the Boardmans look quite 'tasty' so will check them out as well!

Simon