UKC

Looking for a new helmet and not sure how much to pay?
Does the price of a helmet reflect the amount of protection it offers?
Is my head safer in a £100+ helmet or will a sub £50 do the job just as well?

Cheers

Gra

In reply to Gra B:

Buy the one that fits your head shape and is comfortable.

Generally, the more you pay, you will get lighter, better ventilated, cleverer strap system (so more comfort).

I pay around £80-£90 on a helmet for those reasons.

In reply to Gra B:

You can get a great lid for around £ 40
http://www.bananafingers.co.uk/helmets-c-47.html

In reply to Gra B:

I bought a new helmet for road cycling recently.

The fit is the most important thing, and varies from person to person. So try before you buy. I very nearly bought a Specialized Propero II online, because it had received loads of great reviews and was exactly my budget. But I didn't, and I'm glad cos when I tried it on it the shop the fit was terrible!

In the end I chose a helmet from a lesser known brand called ZeroRH+, simply because it was light, well ventilated, and fit my head perfectly.

In reply to Gra B:

No significant increase in safety - main change is usually weight. Also there's some a cut-off price point where better strap systems may be used...

As with shoes I think this is a piece of kit where you're much better off trying on (and preferably buying) from your LBS as different manufacturers helmets can suit certain head shapes better

Cheers
Mark

In reply to Gra B:

I know i'll be flamed for this but I went and tried on helmets and shoes at my LBS but when I went and looked online the prices were at least 50% cheaper so bought online.

In reply to Gra B:

I've been pretty happy with the helmet I picked up for £15 at Halfords. I'd be very hard pressed to notice any significant comfort difference between it and £50 helmets.

At the end of the day there is a limit to how much differentiation you can add to a piece of expanded polystyrene.

In reply to Gra B:

I tend to get one that's on offer as a last year's model and reduced from £100 to around £60. Head shape is what I worry about most. It seems I have a fat head and things like Rudy Project are too narrow.

In reply to Gra B:
No difference in protection at all by price.

As others have said fit is everything. I have an s-works which I am pretty happy with in terms of a close secure fit. My friend who still races a lot had one that looked superb (no doubt discounted from his sponsor) and like it would do it's job but it was eye wateringly expensive (even for someone who forked out just under 100 notes for an s-works one).

Cheers

Toby

In reply to Springfield:

I'm surprised. I rarely see shoes and helmets discounted by anything like that. My LBS discounts a fair bit anyway, but the problem is usually limited choice in store.

In reply to GrahamD:


It's more about how much you can take away. My current helmet it appreciably cooler than my previous (less expensive) one, because it's more full of holes

In reply to GrahamD:


Can i trump that with my £10 Lidl one?

If i was prepared to pay another 50 quid plus then i am assured that i could save several grams in weight and be able to lose heat more effectively.
Well, as i tend to switch between mtb and road bike then I'm not so obsessive about weight. And i bike at times in 40C where no amount of money is going to cool you down…you just learn to get on with it.

Its marketing and 'style'…choice is yours how much you wanna spend

In reply to Alun:

I have two zero RH helmets partly because I have two pairs of Zero RH sunglasses and they fit perfectly in the vents on steamy climbs. They're not the lightest but they are comfy and I like the adjustment system.

In reply to The New NickB:

I bought my last ones form chain reaction and were discounted by 60% each over rrp.

I would love to support my lbs more but until they can get closer to online prices it's not worth using them - I know people will say I have used them to try stuff on, but if push came to shove I would rather buy online and then have to exchange and deal with that hassle for a 60% cost difference than have the right size instantly but for 60% more

In reply to Gra B:

I got a kask something or other, it's paying for my lbs owner to go on a good holiday this year but it was the only one I tried that fit well (it has an odd double hinged bit on the back) and that's that I guess.

In reply to andy:


Rule 39?

In reply to Gra B:

I've been very impressed with the Giro Athlon I got a few years back - fits well as it comes in three sizes rather than one size fits all.

I do find myself having to check I'm wearing it. In fact I recently went out not wearing it and didn't realise for 20 minutes!