The best part about being human, is the fact that we have a brain and the capacity to make rational decisions. However, whatever is rational, remains to be defined.

To the filthy rich:

So what's another Benjamin or two?... That's their rationale...

To the middle class show off:

Damn! Now that I've bought that freaking helmet, I'm gonna have to buy the chicken instead of the steak!..That's their rationale...

To the poor:

Damn! Look's like I'm gonna have to wait 'til next month before I can get that Schwinn helmet!... That's their rationale...

- Slim

I prefer steak to chicken.



I never spent more than $30 on a helmet, until late last year I sprung about $50 on a LG helmet (on sale). I definitely prefer it now - mostly because it's lighter. But it doesn't really matter. The other <$20 helmets I have work and fit just as well.

Wow, so middle class people show offs?

I tend to gravitate toward mountain bike helmets, they're a little heavier and a lot cheaper, but still have decent ventilation. My last helmet was a Bell Influx from REI.

Nashbar helmet? I haven't seen those before.

Just a little humor added, Adam....

Most middle class people have enough credit that, it would never ever really get down to a choice between chicken or steak.

If a bike helmet has been damaged and dented, it should be thrown away. The absorbtion of the styrofoam has been lost. The bike helmets with the seperate outside shell hold their own shape and not the shape of the styrofoam underneath. With this type of bike helmet any damage is hidden. A bike helmet with the shell bonded to the styrofoam will show the shape and condition of the styrofoam. This makes it easier to tell if a helmet has been damaged and should be thrown away.

www.bicycleclothingguide.com

While I agree that one shouldn't reuse a helmet that has sustained damage from a crash. I do not think that it/they should just be thrown away. I mean it probably isn't too much of a stretch to say that that "silly, dorky" piece of Styrofoam saved your life, so why just throw it away?

It almost certainly is too much of a stretch to say it saved your life, the stats seem to show that bicycle helmets save few if any lives. It's much more likely to have saved some superficial but nonetheless painful injury.

However, once damaged it should certainly not be reused, as whatever protective effect it once had has been compromised. So if you're not going to throw it away, what are you going to do with it? Hang it on the wall?

Ventilation of a cheap helmet (Schwinn in this case):


Ventilation of a Catlike (since it was mentioned in this thread):


Now -- does the construction really account for the $150-200 difference in price between helmets like these? I don't think so. What I do think creates the price difference is incremental differences between helmets and the marketers' requirement to create price tiers to separate them all.

Specialized, for example, has three basic levels of road helmets, starting at $60 with a midrange around $110 and topping out at $240. I'll bet that the $240 helmet doesn't really cost four times as much to make, but if it cost just $90, a lot fewer people would buy the cheap helmet (which itself might have to drop to $20) and even fewer would get the midrange helmet.

Having said all that -- which helmet should you get? I'd say to get the one that you like. Don't get the cheapest one and end up saying, "I spent only fifteen bucks on this lid, but my god, it's uncomfortable and it's hot any time it gets over sixty degrees." Conversely, you don't want to blow a couple hundred just to complain later that it doesn't fit right and the superlightweight retention strap broke when you tried hanging it off the handlebar.

Go to a store, try out as many as you can, and get the one that's the most comfortable. If you're going to spend money on one, you might as well get one that you will use often, if not every time you ride.

the examples in #20. in order to have more airflow and less foam,
without any compromise in safety, the engineering, and testing continues .
and that costs more ..

+ if they have them on the heads of the Professional cyclists ,
guess where they shift the cost of giving the Pro Teams Freebies?

Okay hat. off-kilter logo. ;-)

other possible responses: Of course you can get away with that as your chosen headgear: 1) after all, there's clearly nothing in the noggin of a Marine that needs protecting... 2) after all, a marine's skull is ten times harder than anything it might hit...

I used to wear an inexpensive Bell a helmet that fit very well, but found it too hot in the summer. Especially on longer rides or on tour. I bought a Giro Atmos when it went on sale in the fall 6 years ago, and just replaced it with a new Atmos. I found that the reduced weight and better venting made a big difference in my comfort level, so to me it's well worth the money.

Thanks for the personal experience. I think I'm going to watch sales and see what I can find that fits well and might be lighter and more ventilated.

You're welcome. You may also find that different brands will fit you differently, depending on the shape of your head. The Specialized helmet didn't fit me as well as Giro.

Also, if you ride through cold weather you may find the cheaper, less ventilated helmets better for keeping the warmth in. And the downside of more vents is more places for bugs to get caught while you ride :-/ I guess nothing is perfect.

I just picked whichever one fit over my bun, since that's how my hair is when I ride to work.

If I had shorter hair I'd definitely go for the glowbrain Nutcase helmet.

This is what one of my (horse) riding buddies did with her Troxel when her horse tripped and she went over his shoulder and landed smack on her head. It broke clean in two.

A helmet did save my life, not biking but snowboarding. Personally I would choose comfort and ease of adjusting it over any other hats, skull caps you might be wearing.

Greg

Good point on the adjustment. That is one of the things that frustrates me with my current (cheapo) lid, as I never quite feel like I can get it right without my winter hat.

I use a Specialized $60 helmet. Was not aware that was the low-end of their line. Oh well, seems to work for me.

The problem with most helmets is they do an ok job of a direct hit but they are terrible when it comes to a glancing or oblique blow - the kind you are most likely to get. These sorts of hits set up a rotational moment on the brain that causes DAI (Diffuse Axonal Injury) aka "shearing". This is the thing that's hard to come back from and the helmets really are not very good at dealing with this. The helmets will do a pretty good job of making sure that a rock or other hard thing does not intrude into your helmet and hit your head but they won't do much for the "shaken baby" syndrome sort of brain injuries - also very common in bad crashes.

There are a whole new set of helmets coming out in the coming year that will have improved protection against DAI. Well worth it to look at and look closely at. They won't be cheap. An example is the POC Trabec Race MIPS. MIPS is the name of the Swedish company that developed the technology and is licensing it to helmet manufacturers.

J.

^^^^ I've been wondering when the new helmets would be coming out. Heard about them maybe two years ago, then that was about it.

https://mipshelmet.com/home

There are several. I think there are something like 4 major manufacturers coming out with new helmets shortly (next several months).

The reason I know this is one of my kids sustained a severe traumatic brain injury due to a sports accident and I've been researching this because he can't have another serious injury like this but sports is a big deal for him. I've been talking to the behind the scenes technical people at the helmet companies.

The standards for testing helmets is almost laughable and does not represent real world usage. I'd be looking for comfort, to make sure it is a proper fit and for straps etc.. that will hold up and hold it in place well. Cheap helmets are cheap helmets. They meet the standards but the problem is the standards are not very good.

J.

I'm getting back into riding, so I stopped by a Specialized store today and saw these helmets. I can't see why any recreational rider would buy such a high-end helmet.

I did (an S-Works), but not at MSRP; knew a friend of the shop who got me a major deal on it. I can honestly say that it never felt hot, heavy, or uncomfortable in any way. That's an awful lot to spend, though, and I still wouldn't have gotten it if it didn't fit nicely. There are some other high-end helmets that I wouldn't want to wear even if they were gifts.