UKC

Before I save up the £50 or more for a decent helmet would something like this do for a temporary measure for £9

http://www.sportsdirect.com/muddyfox-reax-bmx-helmet-936003?colcode=9360030...

Style wise its similar to climbing helmets. I've not used a helmet before but have started leading more and wary of taking an upside down whipper

In reply to radddogg:

The holes in the top may be an issue but you could cover them with a sheet of 3mm steel, heated to allow it to melt the helmet briefly to bond better.

The chin strap may present other hazards but I think it's better to leave it on rather than cutting it off.

These are cheap at the moment.

http://i1.adis.ws/i/washford/326121?$pd_main$

In reply to radddogg:

I guess something is better than nothing

But then again, you can get a climbing designed helmet for 30 quid at Go

In reply to radddogg:

Rock run have a climbing helmet for £19

In reply to winhill:



That might be just the ticket

In reply to goose299:


Yes but a cheap one, even £30 I would only see as a temporary measure and would be wanting to upgrade to a top end model.

In reply to radddogg:

Why??

Climbing helmets are all rated to the same standard.
The only real difference as you spend more on helmet is the weight of it

In reply to goose299:




I don't know really, we all like to have the best gear don't we - buy cheap buy twice etc.

Maybe I just need to get over to go-outdoors and have a look. They do the price match plus 10% so might be able to wangle a deal.

In reply to radddogg:


Climbing gear doesn't quite have the same motto though. Buy cheap, buy twice implies it'll break quicker

But in this case, a £30 Camp helmet will last longer that a BD Vector at £70. They're built to be more robust as they have a hard shell to them

Where the likes of the vectors and the Sirocco are just lumps of foam

In reply to goose299:


No - they all pass the same standard. The difference in performance can be considerable.

Ever wondered why construction helmets have a ridge along the top? It's because they have to pass a penetration test, which just so happens to take place where that ridge is. The test pointy cone effectively must not reach the line of the inner cradle (i.e. your head). If you put a ridge at the test point your helmet can be smaller, lighter, cheaper and still pass. If the test took place at another point, the helmet would fail. It's never as simple as assuming that because a helmet has passed a test, that they're all the same: it just means that the helmet can pass a very closely defined standard test.

The other thing is that shock absorption and resisting penetration are two very different characteristics, in opposition to one another. I've not looked at bike and climbing helmet standards and characteristics, but I'd be surprised if they were the same.

In reply to radddogg:

This recent similar thread could be worth a read.

Mike.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=619617

Thanks all for your input and guidance. I'll be going to go-outdoors before I go to Wilton on thursday. I'll be bringing a climbing helmet away with me.

Cheers

Well I took your advice and got a petzl helios from go-outdoors. Got them to price match against some random website I found on Google shopping and got it reduced from £50 to £40. Good times.