Originally Posted by jsigone

I cracked a $150 giro MTb on a crash couple yrs ago that saved my life or drinking from a straw the rest of it. Get the best you can afford and don't look back! If I was wearing a cheap $40 lid I normally used to use on that crash I think the outcome would have been different. I rolled off a small 4ft drop + bike and body height, landed head first on a rock, got up and kept spinning to the right. Had to wait 15 mins or so before I can even walk using the bike to hold me up. CT scan showed a nice concussion. Next day I threw out all cheap lids I had, and told the wife I'm gonna spend some money on more helmets, spent about $350 on a road and MTB helmet.

This time of the year, you should be able to find 2012 models on a good sale price. More expensive helmets are lighter, stronger, more vents. Again get the best you can afford, you never know when it can save your life....