When I bought my helmet I went for comfort not price. I never wore a helmet growing up so it took a while to get used to and comfort was a big issue for me. Actually that is usually the biggest issue for everything I wear especially shoes. Now I couldn't imagine not wearing a helmet and it doesn't bother me a bit.

The helmet I ended up getting wasn't the most expensive but it was the most comfortable for me.

If you go to cheap it might not hold up. My stuff has to be able to take a beating. Dropped on the ground thrown in the trunk etc.

Or maybe those who have a Corvette. :)

I had a hard time finding a helmet I liked. I had a skate helmet (for skating) and thought the look was OK but the venting was pretty much non-existent. I like the look of this one better than anything else I've found and it fits me very well. It does have a plastic piece in the rear that has a chord through it and a ratcheting knob to tighten it (you can just see it in the pic). You dial it in to fit for you.

I couldn't find this helmet locally so I called Protec and they suggested an online dealer (no one I could find had black in the US) as well as telling me that the sizing was almost identical to their skate lids as far as you needing a S/M/L even though those don't have the knob adjustment.

The downside: it was $80.

http://www.pro-tec.net/bike/cyphon/2.jpg

With helmets, as with everything else, you get what you pay for. Cheap helmets meet safety standards, but they won't fit well, be comfortable, or look as good (or rather, will look even more stupid). Pricier helmets tend to have adjustable headbands, have more vents, and look way less dorky, unless, as has been said already, you get the "Alien"-looking time trial helmets.

I have a Bell Variant. It was about $100 a year ago, which is outrageous, but it fits well on my gigantic head and is comfortable in hot weather due to its venting, it looks slightly less stupid than most helmets, and I wear the thing at least a few times a day, so I consider it money well spent.

Get what fits. I was looking at a Giro that was a lil more expensive then the Trek model and I liked the style but when I put it on the fitting dial on the back hit my head wrong and was uncomfortable. So I tried the Trek version and it was very comfy and snug. Although it does give me the Mushroom look I don't care. Plus before hand I was just using a ball cap which as we all know is really comfortable but offers no protection.

At $20, that is about the same price as the generic adult helmets at WalMart/Meijer/Target. I paid $35 for my Bell Solar after having the opportunity to use my old cheapy Bell that I bought from Walmart at the beginning of summer. It fits so much better, and I feel like I'd be safer in the unlikely situation that I had to use it.

How much is your head worth?

A couple million dollars but I can't find the funding or a helmet for that price.

Jeez, they're more expensive here - the range was like $40AUD to $280AUD (specialized 2D).

>How much is your head worth?

According to that logic, very few people could afford to ride a bike.

Steve

Point is, your head is very important. Don't settle for a cheap helmet.

I would NOT buy a used helmet. There's no way to tell how they were treated. You can't tell if the foam has been fractured without breaking it.

+1. Just like used motorcycle helmets, just cant tell what condition the foam is in and I wouldn't want to need the helmet to find out there was a problem. One drop from waist height and it damages the foam protection. Just my $.02.

I usually wear skate helmets. They usually meet the same standards, and dont have funny shaped vents to get caught on things if I go down, and are usually under 30 bucks. The down side is they look like a skateboard helmet and have mostly no venting.

All helmets sold in the US have to pass the same safety test. $20, $250: it doesn't matter. The rest is all fashion;)

Why would you not use a mirror at night?

+1

If the $20 fits good and has good venting, roll with it. But let fit and venting drive your decision...

What I have always felt is that you should buy the helmet that is most going to make you want to wear it.

For me its a balance of looks, comfort, ventilation and weight.
I just bought a great LIMAR helmet from italy, and i love how adjustable it is. Plus the more money you spend on a helmet just reminds me i better wear it to get my moneys worth.

OK. Third time somebody tried to push this idea, so I had to respond. I've seen this argument all over motorcycle and auto racing forums, and it is mostly useless.

Alright, don't be so cheap as get a "vintage" helmet off of E-Bay and think you're good to go. But as long as you're comparing two "NIB" helmets that are reasonably freshly manufactured, and meet the same safety standard, the only things left to compare are fit, ventilation, looks, color, features, and so on. You cannot guarantee better protection by spending more, nor does spending less mean getting less protection (to a point).

My main concern was purchasing a used helmet.

They all have to meet safety standards. The only real considerations after that are your comfort, fashion sense and brand snobbery level.:thumb:

I have a $15 youth helmet from Target. I like it because it fits (adult helmets are too big), that it allows me to ride a bike during triathlons (the only time I ever wear a helmet) and because it has blue flames on it. But I admit I'm silly like that.:D

There are three things to look for in a helmet: fit...fit...and fit. If a $20 helmet from Target is a "perfect" fit for your head, you are good to go. I like helmets with lots of sweat pads around the forehead area...so I'm willing to pay a little more for the extra padding...say....$30 or so.

HA HA!:rolleyes: Did he also have a sign that said "LBS owner likes Johnny Walker Black, buy a $150 helmet."

Almost all the bicycle helmets on the U.S. market meet the same safety standard, the helmet buyer does not get more "safety" by spending more money.

I wish I could wear the Target helmets. I'd love a Scooby Doo helmet. My head is big though (60cm) and I can't get any department store helmet to fit. I've been using Bell Citi and Metros, though I think Giro has some that will fit fine for < $50 too. Luckily I've been finding my Bells on "last year's model" sales.

Tried it and the cheepo $20 Bell Adrenaline at WalMart was a good fit. I got the black and silver model. It saved my melon from a hard smack onto the pavement just this morning. It only looks scratched to me, but conventional wisdom says I should replace it. 'sides, it's only 20 bucks.

FWIW, sanctioning bodies in motorcycle and auto racing won't allow helmets, restraints, etc that are over 5 years old, so that takes a lot of older spec stuff off the markets.

-R