Advocacy & Safety - Bell Citi Helmet high reviews

HI,
I was reading reviews about helemt safety on a couple consumer magazines and they mentioned the Bell Citi Helmet has the highest reviews with testing, they mentioned the smoth surface prevent unusual pressure on the neck muscles and bones if you slid on your head across the ground, some helmets may grab on and pull hard on the neck.
SO I thought hey what the heck I went to bike island and ordered one .

http://bikeisland.com/images/citiblk.jpg

My wally-world helmet was starting to fall apart.. dang nab entry level reject.. hey it was only 14 bucks..you know the say about cheap isn't always a good deal..

the problem with those helmets is..their retention systems suck, half the time they don't fit properly on your head because of it and they fail at ventilation and in turn are as loud as jet engines at speeds around 20mph.

I need a helmet with more ventilation. Are there reviews somewhere?

If you need more ventilation, this isn't the helmet for you. If your head fits (my Metro does, although it came in more sizes), the retention system does well enough.

I'd have gone with the Metro instead if you can also find the accessory pack, which includes a mirror that snaps into the visor and folds neatly out of the way when you don't need it, a snap-on, taut-fitting rain cover, and a light for the rear strap (mine came with a Mars 3.0). There's also a kit that blocks the vents for more comfort in winter weather (which may be Citi compatible, but I really don't know).

. . . as loud as jet engines at speeds around 20mph.

That sure is true of my Specialized. Great retention, adequate ventilation, and right annoying wind noise.

It there any way to check noise before buying?

I have a Bell Citi in safety-yellow, and I love it.

http://cn1.kaboodle.com/hi/img/2/0/0/37/7/AAAAAipTNKIAAAAAADd3Mw.jpg

I also put a reflective stripe around it (Amazon link here (http://www.amazon.com/Halo-Brand-Reflective-Helmet-Bands/dp/B0000V3XHG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1224522914&sr=8-2)]

http://www.webbikeworld.com/r3/halo-helmet/halo-band-rear.jpg

http://www.webbikeworld.com/r3/halo-helmet/halo-helmet-band.gif

Couple that with the ANSI Level 2 vest that I wear at all times (even in the daytime), and I get constant requests for directions when I bike downtown because people assume I'm either a bike cop or a city employee.

I opted not to get any of the attachment accessories for the Citi because of the same reason I got the Citi in the first place (smooth rounded curvature with no snag-points). I'm afraid that a mirror or light could act as another snag point if the helmet ever impacted the ground.

EDIT: Another plus about the safety-yellow edition is that the chin/face straps have reflective dots on them.

If the helmet fits, wear it. If not, find a different one.

Some queries:

1) If not having "snag" points is a plus for safety, then why does the Bell include a rear strap to hang a blinky from?
2) And why does the rear strap point said blinky at an upward angle, instead of straight back at the traffic?

I bought this helmet for commuting. I want helmet-mounted lights, but I'm also concerned about the "snag" issue.

That visor looks like a lot bigger snag point than any helmet mounted mirror I've ever seen.

When they're talking about snag points, they're mainly talking about the big, pointy shapes at the rear of typically aero-shaped bike helmets. An extreme example would be a time trial helmet; less extreme shapes (like on my Giro Pneumo) could still catch on surface irregularities and/or try to rotate your head sideways (imagine lying on your back and laying your helmeted head on the floor -- does it go straight back or rock sideways on a point?). A rear light strap is pretty innocuous by comparison, and blinkies have an ability to get knocked off anyway.

If aiming the rear light is a concern, there's the Planet Bike helmet blinky that swings on a pivot to stay horizontal:
http://ecom1.planetbike.com/3010.html

Visors pop off pretty easily, which doesn't count them as a snag point to me (but probably an eye hazard when they're loose...).

That visor looks like a lot bigger snag point than any helmet mounted mirror I've ever seen.

Which is why I never wear the visor (it's easily removable). Most helmet mounted accessories are probably fine, but note that the CPSC (or whichever organization that certifies helmets) does all of their tests without any visors or attachments.

I get around the lack of a helmet light by putting the reflective band around the circumference. I also run dual lights on the front (1 blinking, 1 steady), 2 on the rear (same), and Planet Bike BRT LED straps (blinking) on both calves. I also have blinking LED bar end plugs, plus the aforementioned ANSI Level 2 vest (I have an ANSI Level 3 raincoat as well). I figure there is no way that anyone with their eyes open can miss me. If they do, then I just use my Airzound.