fff

Went to my LBS to check out a helmet since my cheap Giro helmet I bought at Sportsmart is now 3 yrs old. First thing I looked at was the new Giro Iionis. Wowsers! It is light. It is also extremely expensive at $195 on sale. I bought a demo model (not worn on a bike but people have tried it on) Giro Atmos instead for $100.

I got what people consider to be a good deal. But really, just look at it...it's foam! There's no moving parts and it is a straightforward product to both use and produce. Seriously, why is it so much? I understand there are some R&D costs that need to be recouped but these things probably cost less than $20 to produce. Or am I missing something? Oh well, the helmet is nice...

Kachunk

you can buy helmets that cost $35. Why did you pick one of the expensive models?

Phantoj

https://pricepoint.com/detail/13929-2...elmet-2005.htm

save your $$$.


On a similar topic, what's the difference between an $80 stem and a $10 one?

SVOboy

R&D, brand image, LBS cut, lawsuits, lots of junk...however, I do think that's pretty nuts. More than some motorcycle helmets.

I'm not an industry insider though...

JBS103

You're paying a lot for the style, name, cooling (and now even weight).

That's the bulk of it, at least. Does a cheap helmet work just as well? Probably.

WxGuesser

my dad always said... "if you have a $10 head.. get a $10 helmet."

p.s. my dad isn't dead or anything.. i just haven't heard him say that in years..

DiabloScott

Because you'll pay it.

If there were enough schmucks out there willing to buy $300 helmets they'd make them too.

JBS103

And they do.

mista_chewey

helmets that pass snell standards is all that i need. so i just got a schwinn which passed snell from walmart for 20bucks
the extra 100bucks or so is for name and marketing

mezza

There ARE aren't there? Some are as much as $600au, so you 'Mericans must be paying as much as $500us for some of your top-o-the-line cranium protectors...

fff

When I checked last week on the Ionos, on Performance Bike's site they were sold out.

Pamestique 

All helmets are rated to protect you equally - from the $20 ones sold at Walmart to the $300 ultra light weight ones. The key difference is weight (the lighter the more expensive) and air flow.

I always bought a $50 helmet (Giro Havic - sometimes $35 on sale) but recently purchased an E2 on sale. I love the E2. It's 3 times the price of the Havic but so much more comfortable and better fitting. Just remember, no matter what price you pay if you fall and hit your head, the helmet is toast and you need a new one. One reason why I always purchased cheaper helmets. Seems like I fell on my head alot!

Bike enthusiast

Yes.... It's all economics. I hated it when I first realized that my bike tune-up costs more than a tire rotation and an oil change on a car........

ElJamoquio

(Synthetic) Oil Change and Tire Rotation: $20

Bike Tune-up: $0

Szczuldo

the majority of tune ups on bikes can be done with tools you will find at home. Learn how to do it and start doing it. Saves money and makes you actually knowledgeable..

patentcad

>>Any reason why helmets are so expensive?<<

We should dispatch a Road Nazi OCP Death Squad out to find this member for having the balls to post such a question here. Why is bike schwag expensive?

Are you sure you're on the right website? This is Bike Forums, OCP Capital of the Universe.

Treefox

Better designed venting and less weight on the expensive ones - sometimes better strap systems too.

Most of the cost is insurance for when people sue after their kid gets hit by a steam roller and the helmet doesn't protect their legs.

DrPete 

Wear a $30 helmet for a few weeks, then try a Giro Atmos. It may not be worth it to you, but the reasons for the price difference will be apparent.

bigdufstuff

I had the LBS sale guy explain why helmets are so expensive.

He said, "you'll pay for it, because people want to keep their heads." He admitted he was ripping me off, but said people buy helmets because they don't have a choice.

People that say you're paying for the vents are missing the point. It doesn't cost the manufacturer MORE to add these vents once they've acquired the non-recurring costs. But they continue to charge high amounts because no one wants a head injury, and they can exploit the cycling niche.

DinoShepherd

Great question.

I'd really like to see the financials on one of these projects.

I remember when the first hardshell Giro helmets came out. Just over 15 years ago now? That silly neon green and black one that Greg LeMond wore. They were about $60 and made in America.

So now you can pay three times that amount for a made in China Giro helmet.

-Z

CastIron

A $200 helmet lasting a mere three years is still $66/year. That still makes it pretty cheap compared to other bits we buy. Having said that, the prices of some of these things do give me pause.

DrPete 

The idea that the more expensive helmets protect more/better is pretty much crap.

Comfort, ventilation, light weight, swanky design, wind tunnel testing, pro sponsorship, and just plain coolness are what you're really paying for with the expensive lids.

ri_us

They're priced like that because people will pay for that much for them. Don't believe the R&D story. Or the design one. It's simply because that's what the market will bear.

Zinn-X

Why is ____ so expensive?

Because that's what people are willing to pay for it.

K now, this made me crack up

azoomm

I pay $600 for a motorcycle helmet. But, that has a visor, and clips and it's bigger (but weighs almost the same) than my bicycling helmet.

My last bicycle helmet was about $175.

What baffles me are the laws that require someone to wear a bicycle helmet but not a motorcycle helmet.