Impressions of the Torch T1 helmet.
It was 86ºF, sunny, and very humid when I strapped on the T1 by Torch for its maiden voyage. I start with this because, if you've seen the helmet, you've gotta think it looks hot-- as in boiling, not Kim Kardashian-- but also because while it's tempting to think of this helmet purely in terms of the nighttime benefits, the fact is probably that you'll wear it as much during the day, if not more than at night, so this is probably an issue worth addressing.
The great news is that it's really not uncomfortably warm, even for a big guy like me who tends to heat up pretty quickly. I was pleasantly surprised by this part of its performance, and while I did miss the typical airflow over the forehead that you get with a racing type helmet, the T1 really worked pretty comfortably. I think the secret to it's success is the pair of channels that run front to back down the middle, under the the vents. I did about 10 miles, across town over to the west side, over some gently rolling terrain which can get one's heart rate boiling if they so desire, and while I got up enough perspiration to soak the pads, I wasn't going nuts waiting to get the helmet off.
The big story, of course, are the lights, so let's get down to that part. There are fairly wide lenses front and rear, call 'em 2" front and 3" rear, behind each of which are 5 LEDs, white forward and red rearward, obviously. Front and rear are independently switched via a small textured button in each lens, and you can set either to one of two flash modes (faster/slower) or one of two steady modes (brighter/dimmer). The lenses are clear, but textured to diffuse, but the LEDs are clearly visible nestled in their cutouts in the foam behind the lenses, both when on and off.
In terms of brightness, to be sure, you're not getting light enough to see where you're going, unless, perhaps, you're really short or ride prone like Graeme Obree. Even on the high setting, this doesn't throw a lot of lumens in either direction, and the light is very diffused, with no apparent beam. I have seen no manufacturer indication of lumens, lux, or anything like that.
That said, for enhancing rider visibility, I think it's a great addition in active lighting. Being at your head height, especially in traffic where a row of cars may be overtaking you, the helmet light can be visible when your frame mounted taillamp may be obscured to other drivers by a car that's alongside you.
There are separate batteries front and rear, each with it's own recharging port. A Y cable is supplied so both can be charged simultaneously from a single USB outlet. I've neither run the lights to exhaustion nor recharged them from zero, so I can't speak to claimed run or recharge times. See the manufacturer for that info:
T1 Bicycle Helmet-Black | Torch Apparel
Build-wise, the helmet has what I'd call a "handcrafted" look to it, meaning some of the lines for the various cutouts aren't perfectly straight, but it appears it's due to a type of bleeding over from the foam as it's molded to the shell. It's not unappealing, though and is actually suitable, in a way, to what feels like a young, small company with a startup product. If this were a Giro, Bell, Specialized, it'd be out of place, for example, and I'd expect different finish and materials values.
I bought a S/M size, for what I thought was my size 56 melon, or as I've been told, my small head. This helmet just fits. I had to max out the dial-adjust to get it on, but it's comfy when on, if a tad on the snug side, but that may be me being unused to the extended coverage-- I usually wear race helmets-- and 644gm weight. It doesn't necessarily feel heavy in hand or on head, but my other lids are in the 300gm range, so this is significantly heavier by comparison, and is probably felt in some way.
Overall, then, it should be apparent that I like this helmet quite a bit. I don't love it, primarily because I'd prefer it lighter, better ventilated, and fitted with a more sophisticated lighting array. As it sits, it's cool, and project-like, though more like something I'd have expected to see 5 or more years ago. That we didn't see a helmet like this back then probably speaks more to my unrealistic expectations than it does to meaningful shortcomings with the helmet.
I'm definitely happy to be adding this helmet to my toolbox, and can see it being extremely useful, as my family has multiple bikes per person, and keeping track of all the light units (both physically and in terms of charging) can get a little challenging. I'd be satisfied enough to set off with just the Torch for a night ride in my well-lit, bike lane equipped downtown, and would even be content with just the helmet on my kid, along with her reflectors. I watched my daughter riding down the street with it, and was impressed with the visibility. For commuters (especially in mild climates) looking to augment their navigational lights with some marking light, this is pretty nifty, and IMO, worth the asking price.
Here are a few lousy pics I quickly snapped:
