Gosh price of fancy helmets these days!
05-13-09, 08:28 AM
#1
Twincities MN
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Gosh price of fancy helmets these days!
I can't seem to get over the price of the new Giro Ionos helmet. Over $200 for a helmet? And here I thought the price of an Atmos was already sky high a few years back!
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05-13-09, 09:09 AM
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Question is, does it protect any better than my $29 bell? Probably not, they're both certified to the same standards. Might be a little lighter, might be a little cooler looking, but is that worth ~7X the price?
I figure very expensive bike helmets are kind of like Rolex watches. The reason they're so expensive is because it's recognizable as being expensive.
I figure very expensive bike helmets are kind of like Rolex watches. The reason they're so expensive is because it's recognizable as being expensive.
05-13-09, 09:48 AM
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Pricier helmets tend to be cooler.
05-13-09, 10:06 AM
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I concur that $200 is pricey, but imagine if you were Giro or some other helmet mfr, you're not making them and then years later you discover that there has been a market for them all along. How would you feel then?
I suppose saving weight at the margins, like 50g here and 75g there, can have a pronounced effect over a race.
I suppose saving weight at the margins, like 50g here and 75g there, can have a pronounced effect over a race.
05-13-09, 10:15 AM
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Slap a fancy lable on it and you'll sell more than you can make!
Sigh! Yes, the world is full of very stupid people.
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My preferred bicycle brand is.......WORKSMAN CYCLES
I dislike clipless pedals on any city bike since I feel they are unsafe.
Originally Posted by krazygluon
Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred, which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?
My preferred bicycle brand is.......WORKSMAN CYCLES
I dislike clipless pedals on any city bike since I feel they are unsafe.
Originally Posted by krazygluon
Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred, which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?
05-13-09, 10:40 AM
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I did the 160 miles of RAIN in 90 degree temps in comfort wearing a $50 Uvex Touring helmet. On more recent centuries my cheap Bell Solar has proven to be just as well ventilated and a bit lighter.
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"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
05-13-09, 06:05 PM
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I wonder how much of the "they feel cooler" talk is simply fanfare. Honestly, it seems there's absolutely nothing to justify a $200 helmet. Yes, there're "luxury" pieces available in every item, but this isn't a Rolex (vs. Timex) or Lexus (vs. Hyundai). This is a helmet, and you're on a bicycle when you wear one: you aren't making a bold social claim by strapping a two-hundred–dollar piece of protection on your skull. Those who'll buy them will do so, but I find it absurd.
05-13-09, 06:21 PM
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I prefer the middle pricepoints. Your bang for the buck decreases the higher the price.
I have yet to find a cheap helmet that I find comfortable.
I have yet to find a cheap helmet that I find comfortable.
05-13-09, 06:29 PM
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"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
05-13-09, 07:20 PM
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Cheap... bubble wrap and duct tape!!
05-13-09, 07:54 PM
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Just make sure you poke your ventilation holes before you tape it on your head...not after.
Don't ask me how I know.
Don't ask me how I know.
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"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
05-13-09, 08:13 PM
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05-13-09, 10:17 PM
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05-13-09, 10:51 PM
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In a all goods, some people want to pay more to have an exclusive item. The higher the price the greater the demand, for some people. It allows them to show people that (1) they have more money than you do, and/or (2) they have less sense
05-13-09, 11:02 PM
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So I paid triple for my Giro Animas than an LBS in house brand helmet, I happen to like wearing helmets, and not only does the Giro look cooler, it keeps my head cooler on those hot summer days.
05-13-09, 11:11 PM
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FWIW Uvex helmets are one of the few helmets that actually are made to a higher standard than required by law as they are made to Snell (or whatever they are currently called) standards.
05-14-09, 06:44 PM
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Bike ≠ Car ≠ Ped.
https://www.bhsi.org/standard.htm#SNELL
https://www.bhsi.org/stansumm.htm
Anyway, I got a great insider deal on a Specialized S-Works helmet. It's very comfortable and quite breezy. If I hadn't gotten it for (relatively) cheap, or if it wasn't comfortable, I wouldn't have it. Every nicer helmet that I've tried has been loads better in weight, ventilation, and comfort than my first helmet, a late 1990's taped-shell Giro Riviera (which would make a great ice cooler for a couple cans of beer if I plugged the vents).
At any rate, regardless of price, there are just three things I look for in a helmet -- comfort, ventilation, and weight, in that order. I've tried on some very light, well-ventilated helmets that just hit my skull in the wrong spots (particularly a small point at the very top). However, the ones I've bought feel just about as comfortable as a baseball cap.
05-14-09, 07:37 PM
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They also have a much better chinstrap securing system and come standard with bug screens in the forward vents.
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"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
05-15-09, 05:36 AM
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I had a Bell helmet that someone sold me for $10.00 , wasn't well ventilated, and I couldn't work with it very well. I used it until I bought a Giro Atlas II. This one is more comfortable, has good ventilation, and I can adjust the chin strap without any trouble. It's price was $40.00 but it was money I didn't mind spending because it fits my bicycling needs, not that it's the latest thing in bicycle helmets.
05-15-09, 05:38 AM
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"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
05-15-09, 07:50 AM
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They do look interesting. I found a few dealers in my area and plan on checking them out when it is time to replace my bell. I also plan on looking at specialized helmets.
