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Bell Metro '06: thumbs down for summer

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Bell Metro '06: thumbs down for summer

Old 05-28-06, 02:24 PM
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Bell Metro '06: thumbs down for summer

I'm returning the Bell Metro Commuter helmet to Nashbar, in case anyone's considering this helmet.

In short, I'm returning it in favor of the Bell Citi 05' which is less than half the price but still gets good reviews from Consumer Reports. Here's what you get for your extra $30 with the Metro:

--Lots of weight, to make your head teeter. When I was wearing this thing I did everything in my power not to raise my head.
--You will be remarkably free from having any pesky wind hitting your head.
--Concomitant with that your head will feel like you're wearing a ski hat.
--You will look like you're wearing a salad bowl. It's bulky.

On the (seemingly) plus side, you will get:

--A little plastic bar to attach your blinkie to. Wheeeee! I'm blinking! From my head!!!
(Two caveats: unless you have a tiny blinkie, this makes the weight problem of the helmet ridiculous. I was using the Cateye TL1000. Also, when the blinkie is on the back of your head, you can't see it! this means you have to take off the helmet to turn it to the right pattern, or memorize which pattern is where and press it blind and hope it's on. The third alternative, taking off the blinkie and putting it back on the back of the helmet, is difficult and takes more time than removing the whole helmet.)

I don't recommend this helmet. I didn't notice any difference in fit between the large Metro and the Citi, by the way. Save yourself some cash.
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Old 05-28-06, 03:55 PM
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I like my Metro, and I live in Florida.

I have not found it to be nearly as hot or as heavy as you are making it out to be. Either you just are not used to wearing anything on your head ever, or you have a very weak neck. Maybe the fact that I have a hell of a lot of hair, and am thus used to a fair bit of weight on my head is what makes the difference, I dunno.

Don't wear a TL1000 on it. It's too big and has too many buttons and patterns to deal with on the back of your head. I use the Blackburn Mars 3.0 on mine and have no issues turning it on/off. You can stand next to a wall before you leave to see if its on btw.

I wear a medium, so it is smaller than the Citi would be on my head.

Not that the Metro will be worth it over the Citi for everyone, but I think you are exageratting the negative points of the helmet. Not to mention that you are replacing it with a helmet that will have all the negatives you describe anyways!
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Old 05-28-06, 04:14 PM
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I like the Bell Metro also...

Love the winter inserts and ear muffs too... course now that WARM weather is finally here, I don't need all that... but... I still wear my Bell Metro all year!

I like the Blinky Strap. Been a good all around helmet.

I have heard people say it is heavy too, but come, how much heavier can it be????
Course I am a 6'4" guy weighing in at about 231 lbs.

I tend to carry a lot of weight on the bike, so I am not by any means, A Weight Weenie! LOL
 
Old 05-28-06, 04:32 PM
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Another who likes her Bell Metro. The blinky strap is great and I find that the helmet mirror is really secure. I am saving for the rain and winter kits, too.

I tried both on and they didn't seem all that different. No head lifting problems, but my neck is holding up almost waist-length hair and a larger than female-average head. Maybe the two keep my neck in condition.

Hey, the Citi is a great helmet, too. My college student housemate just couldn't afford the Metro, and she's really happy with the Citi. It's a good value, for sure.
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Old 05-28-06, 08:37 PM
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I had looked at the Metro, but I didn't find a need for all the extra stuff it came with so I opted for a yellow Citi helmet that was on sale for $25 at Performance and am very happy with it.
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Old 05-28-06, 08:52 PM
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People who complain about the weight of bike helmets need more iron in their diet, and that's as nice as I can be.
Seriously, idiotic thread. Both of those helmets are nice, but you can hold both of them in your hands and tell which is better made, and the Metro is no heavier than the Citi, LOL.
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Old 05-28-06, 09:29 PM
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Here's another happy Metro user. It is way better than the circa 1982 Bell Biker that it replaced. I chose the Metro over the Citi because of the GPS Fit System.... it's easier to adjust. I took the brim off for better visibility when riding with my hands on the drops. I wear a cycling cap under the helmet and flip the brim up or down as needed. As to weight, the extra 8 grams that the Metro weighs doesn't cause me any neck pain. The number, size and placement of the vents is the same on both the Metro and the Citi.

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Old 05-28-06, 10:04 PM
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Originally Posted by KrisPistofferson
People who complain about the weight of bike helmets need more iron in their diet, and that's as nice as I can be.
Flobble-de-flee! Back in myyyyy day, we used to hollow out an old cannonball and have it naaaiiled to our skulls, and when you hit something it protected from impact but your head burst into flames, and that's the way it was and we liked it!

Originally Posted by KrisPistofferson
Seriously, idiotic thread. Both of those helmets are nice, but you can hold both of them in your hands and tell which is better made, and the Metro is no heavier than the Citi, LOL.
Bell Metro 398g
Bell Citi 312g

Why would you pay extra to put extra weight on your head?
I already returned this helmet. I didn't like it, end of story.
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Old 05-28-06, 10:41 PM
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Originally Posted by pharnabazos
Why would you pay extra to put extra weight on your head?

I found the perfect helmet and accessory for you, homeslice.
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Old 05-28-06, 11:56 PM
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Originally Posted by KrisPistofferson
I found the perfect helmet and accessory for you, homeslice.
Does this meet your weight requirements?
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Old 05-29-06, 07:29 AM
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I have the Citi and like it a lot...didn't see the need for all of the bells and whistles found on the Metro. Just my 2 cents worth.
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Old 05-29-06, 07:46 AM
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Fit, fit, and fit are the three key factors in selecting a helmet. The actual weight differences between most of Bell's adult models is too small to notice. Bell makes good helmets that are designed to be easy to adjust and get well fitted. Just buy the cheapest Bell that fits you well.

I'm too lazy to attempt even a semi-scientific test, but my head tells me that white or silver helmets are cooler to wear under Houston's tropical sun than black or dark colors. And, maybe a bit easier for motoriest to notice. Ventilation slots are greatly over-rated. If the helmet is fitted correctly, the air coming through the slots is blocked by your head or hair. But reflecting solar energy off your head does keep your head cooler.

An odd thing I've noticed about wearing a helmet. Usually, Houston motorists are divided into two groups. The ones who pretend not to see bikes, and run you off the road "by accident". And the guys in pick up trucks with the KKK flags and the Bush 04 bumper stickers who run you off the road on purpose.

Yet, when Houston motorist see someone riding wearing a helmet, they often slow down and move over to carefully pass on the left. Somehow, the sight of a helmet triggers some dim thoughts about "safety" and "caution" buried deep in their subconcious.
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Old 05-29-06, 08:10 AM
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I just LOVE the fact that I can attach a taillight on the back of my Bell Metro helmet. I wish other helmets had the same feature. It puts the light at the highest possible position on the bike/rider and makes you much more visible, with the right light. I use it with a Viewpoint taillight from Performance that is super bright and fairly lightweight. I commute at night in the winter and ride brevets at night during the summer, so this is a great safety feature for me.
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Old 05-29-06, 09:24 AM
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Originally Posted by alanbikehouston
Yet, when Houston motorist see someone riding wearing a helmet, they often slow down and move over to carefully pass on the left. Somehow, the sight of a helmet triggers some dim thoughts about "safety" and "caution" buried deep in their subconcious.
Slighty offtopic, but I noticed a similar effect with bike lights. On my commute when it is daylight, if I have a blinking light on the back of my bike, cars give me more room than if I don't have it.
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Old 05-29-06, 09:25 AM
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Originally Posted by Marcello
I just LOVE the fact that I can attach a taillight on the back of my Bell Metro helmet.
This is a killer feature for me. It makes a lot of sense to have a blinkie attached to the back of the helment.
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Old 05-30-06, 02:35 PM
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To each their own, and certainly room for improvement, but having used a Metro as a commuter/winter lid for a year now I can say it's freakin' great.
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Old 05-31-06, 11:22 AM
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Originally Posted by Marcello
I just LOVE the fact that I can attach a taillight on the back of my Bell Metro helmet. I wish other helmets had the same feature. It puts the light at the highest possible position on the bike/rider and makes you much more visible, with the right light. I use it with a
Every time I see a cyclist with a helmet mount blinkie (dozens of times) I notice that the blinkie is near invisible. Most often it adjusted wrongly for cyclist position (even the auto-leveling ones never point the right way) or blocked by bag (even a low profile camelback will block it) or the blinkie is small and dim.
If your gonna put one on your helmet, also put one on your seatpost.

Al
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Old 06-02-06, 08:27 AM
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Originally Posted by alanbikehouston
I'm too lazy to attempt even a semi-scientific test, but my head tells me that white or silver helmets are cooler to wear under Houston's tropical sun than black or dark colors.
Of course, EPS isn't known for its insulating properties...
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Old 06-02-06, 09:46 AM
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Originally Posted by pharnabazos
I'm returning the Bell Metro Commuter helmet

On the (seemingly) plus side, you will get:

--A little plastic bar to attach your blinkie to. Wheeeee! I'm blinking! From my head!!!
I'd argue that the bar to attach a blinkie to is quite possibly the best feature of the helmet.

Beeing seen is paramount in preventing a collision and a blinkie moving about as your head turns, up high, out of the "normal" area of light sources on the road, catches attention very well.

I've zip tied a red and a white blinkie through a vent on the top of mine and I've had many comments about how much more visable I am after attaching them than my previous standard red blinkie in the back and headlight up front.

I should get someone to video tape me coming down the street so I can see it for myself.
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Old 06-04-06, 09:23 AM
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Amen for lighter colors in Houston! Cooler during the day and more visible when you have to retreat to nocturnal riding...

Interestingly enough, of the few times I've been yelled at while biking, the majority of them have been to either tell me my helmet with blinky is cool, or to ask if I'm a bike cop (though this may be as much from too much gear on my bike as from the silver helmet).

Personally, I love my Metro helmet. But I admit that what I wanted was something that was an "understated" design and more geared towards safety than being the coolest or lightest helmet out there.
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