recommend a helmet - aero but to use daily

redvision

Had a Giro Synthe until today when had a mishap and cracked the helmet. Bit disappointed that a drop of less than 2 feet cracked the shell, but have had it for 2 years and got plenty of use from it. Anyway, so i'm now after a new lid and fancy a change from Giro. Ideally would like something with aero benefits. Been looking at the Kask Protone but is it worth the extra over the Mojito?

Any others you can recommend?

Budget is up to £180 max and need the lid to be in black.

Thanks

imposter2.0

Met Manta or Uvex Ultrasonic. I've got both. Different fits, but both very comfortable. Aero benefits are unquantifiable to me, but they 'look' aero, so that's ok.

w00dster

Bontrager Baliista for me. Gets good reviews. Aero. Looks good (subjective I know)

ayjaycee

The Specialized Airnet is supposed to be aero and, depending on the chosen colour, can be had very cheap. To my eyes, it looks a bit like the Synthe but, when I tried them both, the Airnet was the more comfortable for me personally. Now that the weather is warming up, I am also beginning to realise how well ventilated it is - not quite as good as my Spesh S Works Prevail (which is the best helmet that I have ever owned) but not a million miles behind. Another good thing is that it doesn't make my head look like a giant mushroom - personally, I don't believe that there is any such thing as a truly good looking cycle helmet anyway (just some not as bad as others!).

N0bodyOfTheGoat

If you have a "round" head (or at least not very oval, like mine), then grab a bargain cyan/white Met Rivale from Wiggle for ~£55... Or pay ~£100 for a black one!
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/met-rivale-road-helmet/

I had to send mine back because the top of my noggin was over 1cm away from the helmet shell, got a refund, still not sorted out an alternative and back to using my 3 years old Bell Alchera. I might die while trying to decide what to get instead, Bell officially states 3 years is game over for their helmets!

bernithebiker

Kask Protone, unbeatable.

redvision

Thanks for the suggestions. Hadn't considered MET helmets tbh but the Manta looks very interesting and reviews are good. How breathable is it? With so few vents is it too warm in the summer?

BERNI, i was thinking about the Protone. Was about to pull the trigger before i thought i would get suggestions from members here first, in case there were any better alternatives.

JesseD

If the Synthe was comfortable then make sure you try the Protone before buying, I liked both of these helmets and nearly bought the Kask but the fit wasn't quite right in a medium and pressed on my temples too much in the medium, and the large was too big and looked it as well, think Kask suit rounder heads than i have got. I went for a Synthe MIPS in the end and love it, very comfortable as you know and also light!

I tried on the Mantra and it looks good but I would question its ventilation on long hot rides or when you do a lot of climbing, I have owned aero road helmets in the past and had a BBB Tithon at the end of last season, it ran too hot for me due to lack of ventilation (which I suppose is what makes them aero), but did look the part, but I honestly cannot tell any difference between that and my Synthe or the Foray I have for winter training.

bigmitch41

Specialized Evade to add another to the mix!

redvision

JesseD wrote:

If the Synthe was comfortable then make sure you try the Protone before buying, I liked both of these helmets and nearly bought the Kask but the fit wasn't quite right in a medium and pressed on my temples too much in the medium, and the large was too big and looked it as well, think Kask suit rounder heads than i have got. I went for a Synthe MIPS in the end and love it, very comfortable as you know and also light!

Yep, the synthe was very comfy. Tbh the reason I decided against replacing it like for like is because even though I had plenty of use from it, I am still really disappointed it cracked when accidentally dropped (the drop was about two feet, I went to put it in the car but was trying to carry too much - an expensive lesson learned).

At the moment I think it's a straight choice between the Protone and the Manta.

StillGoing

The Kask Protone is unusual. Its no doubt a good helmet, but the fit isn't great. I have a Kask Mojito that fits perfectly, but when I changed to a Protone last year, the fit is not so good for the same size helmet. Have a look at the Briko Gass and Ventus as alternatives.

bernithebiker

Everyone's head is a bit different of course, so a helmet that is super comfy for one may be uncomfortable for another.

I was on Sworks Prevail before and found that very comfy, and the Kask is just as, if not more so. Both are very light, the Protone especially so for an aero lid.

But what I like best about the Protone is it's small shape; it's very compact at the back with no big silly fins. It's also very well made. We have 3, 1 for France, 1 for Majorca and 1 for my wife.

simon_masterson

I like my Lazer Z1 (it's the one with the fixed aeroshell), but my old (pre-Sky) Kask is very comfy.

imposter2.0

redvision wrote:

Thanks for the suggestions. Hadn't considered MET helmets tbh but the Manta looks very interesting and reviews are good. How breathable is it? With so few vents is it too warm in the summer?

Certainly not as 'airy' as the Met Rivale (also got one of those), but I certainly don't feel like I'm heating up in it.

philbar72

protones are renowned for being great if your head fits.

Also they don't like rudy project or long sided arms on glasses. you can actually bend rudy project arms to allow for that but initially the fit is a bit odd.

as for the met Rivale, its a fantastic bit of kit for the price. highly recommended.

burnthesheep

I own an Evade. People make fun of aero helmets, but they can stfu. Aero helmets work and are about the cheapest aero aside from a race kit you can buy.

I live in the south in the US, so hot summers. I wore it in 95 F here just fine. Plus got it on sale for like $75 US on closeout at a LBS.

fenix

You can sometimes get bargains on Kask Infinity helmets. I picked one up for winter cycling figuring it'd be cosy with the vents closed - and it's not that warm at all. I've worn it the last few UK summers with no issues. Vent open on sunny days.

jeremy1

Ok why £180, is a £180 3 times better than a £60 etc etc

bernithebiker

jeremy1 wrote:

Ok why £180, is a £180 3 times better than a £60 etc etc

It's true that £180 is a hell of a lot of cash for a bicycle helmet.

My first job was selling EPS (expanded polystyrene) from Japan to the UK and the cost of moulding these helmets is about £2.50.

The hard shell adds about a £5.

Add in straps, buckles etc. and you're at about £30 max.

The rest is design, marketing, middlemen, transport, profit ,VAT, etc.

I got our Protones for 150 Euros. which was about £120 at the time.

Is it 3 times better than a £60 lid? No, but the same applies to many bike parts and clothing. Diminishing returns, innit?

meanredspider

As a rule-of-thumb for any branded consumer durable, there's +/-50% profit for the manufacturer and the same again for the retailer in the RRP. The more premium the product (either brand or within a brand's range) the bigger these numbers are.

So a helmet that costs £25 to manufacture and distribute sells to the retailer for about £50 and the RRP is £100. A £200 RRP helmet, under the same broad outline, will cost about £35 to make.

Clearly, own-brand stuff has smaller margins partly because the "brand" and the retailer are the same company.

mugensi

I have 3 helmets which all apparently have 'aero' qualities.

Uvex Ultrasonic - very light, very neat, comfortable and looks really good.
Kask Protone - Looks really good and very comfortable, probably the most aero of the lot but my favourite in terms of looks.
Briko Fuoko - Supremely comfortable, heaviest of the three and very warm so only used in winter or cooler spring/autumn days.

redvision

Thanks for all the suggestions. Have ordered a Met Rivale and Kask Protone this afternoon. My LBS had neither so decided i may as well order both online and see which fits best then return the other.

bianchi_dave

redvision wrote:

Thanks for all the suggestions. Have ordered a Met Rivale and Kask Protone this afternoon. My LBS had neither so decided i may as well order both online and see which fits best then return the other.

What did you go for in the end and what size is your head? I'm currently between the Protone, Manta or Scott Cadence Plus (the only of those 3 with MIPS, which isn't a deal breaker for me). Can't try any on unless I order which is a real pita!

redvision

Bianchi Dave wrote:

redvision wrote:

Thanks for all the suggestions. Have ordered a Met Rivale and Kask Protone this afternoon. My LBS had neither so decided i may as well order both online and see which fits best then return the other.

What did you go for in the end and what size is your head? I'm currently between the Protone, Manta or Scott Cadence Plus (the only of those 3 with MIPS, which isn't a deal breaker for me). Can't try any on unless I order which is a real pita!

I went for the Rivale in the end and sent the Protone back. Of the two the Protone definitely looks nicer, not that the Rivale doesn't mind, but it just didn't fit my head comfortably (i wear a medium in all my helmets).

First impressions from the last week are really positive. It's pretty light and very very comfortable.
Must admit, it definitely doesn't feel as aero as my Synthe was, but that was double the price and for the money, this is imo better value for money.

bianchi_dave

I went for the Rivale in the end and sent the Protone back. Of the two the Protone definitely looks nicer, not that the Rivale doesn't mind, but it just didn't fit my head comfortably (i wear a medium in all my helmets).

First impressions from the last week are really positive. It's pretty light and very very comfortable.
Must admit, it definitely doesn't feel as aero as my Synthe was, but that was double the price and for the money, this is imo better value for money.[/quote]

Cheers, another one for me to have a look at.

joe2008

Always wore a Giro, tried a Protone, I'll never go back.

If it fits your head shape, it will nice and low at the back, and cradle the head. My favourite feature is the lack of those adjustable clips on the strap, which I was always fiddling with on my Giros. Without them the straps just sit flat to the face and fit, well mine do.

jacobpeacock

maybe add a little more and get the sworks evade.it looks sick in black

ayjaycee

jacobpeacock wrote:

maybe add a little more and get the sworks evade.it looks sick in black

Why on earth would anybody want to wear a helmet that looks sick (sic)?

jacobpeacock

ayjaycee wrote:

jacobpeacock wrote:

maybe add a little more and get the sworks evade.it looks sick in black

Why on earth would anybody want to wear a helmet that looks sick (sic)?

its slang. its not supposed to mean it looks bad. its supposed to mean cool,awesome etc. example: "that bike looks sick dude!". many people use this.

bernithebiker

jacobpeacock wrote:

ayjaycee wrote:

jacobpeacock wrote:

maybe add a little more and get the sworks evade.it looks sick in black

Why on earth would anybody want to wear a helmet that looks sick (sic)?

its slang. its not supposed to mean it looks bad. its supposed to mean cool,awesome etc. example: "that bike looks sick dude!". many people use this.

So if you're at the doctor's and he says "You look sick, dude!"

Is that good or bad?

mrb123

bernithebiker wrote:

jacobpeacock wrote:

ayjaycee wrote:

jacobpeacock wrote:

maybe add a little more and get the sworks evade.it looks sick in black

Why on earth would anybody want to wear a helmet that looks sick (sic)?

its slang. its not supposed to mean it looks bad. its supposed to mean cool,awesome etc. example: "that bike looks sick dude!". many people use this.

So if you're at the doctor's and he says "You look sick, dude!"

Is that good or bad?

Either way, if my doctor said that to me I think I'd be looking for a new doctor!