Opinions on the best bicycling helmet for the money? Where did you buy it? Cost? Thank you.

Mike A.

I bought a used bicycle for $200. I don't want my helmet to cost more than my bicycle...

Mike A

A major part of the cost of expensive helmets is in making them lighter, more aerodynamic and cooler., not (except possibly MIPS) safer. If you're only riding short rides (i.e. under 30-40 miles) and not racing, then these attributes are unimportant so you should buy the cheapest ASTM or Snell-rated helmet that fits well. For myself, I ride many century and longer rides in hot weather where keeping cool and reducing the weight on my head and neck is quite important, therefore I buy more expensive helmets.

Last 5 rides
.......8/1 -- 131 miles
7/28 -- 102 miles
......7/25 -- 130 miles
7/20 -- 102 miles
......7/10 -- 169 miles 68th Birthday ride, 13 days following prostate cancer surgery

Helmet of choice $29.95 from Nashbar, a LGarneau purchased a few years ago on a closeout. Whatever floats your boat.

My first helmet when I resumed cycling in 2015 was a Bell Solar from Nashbar for $20. Worked fine. Saved my noggin in May when I was hit by a car and my head smacked the pavement. The rest of me wasn't so lucky, but the head seems more or less as bad as it was before.

I replaced it a couple of months ago with a Bell Formula MIPS, about $65 from REI. I tried on several helmets, most fit pretty well. The Formula had a full polycarbonate shell, no exposed styrofoam like my cheaper Solar helmet. Lots of nice little touches, like rain/sweat drip channels, better padding, etc.

I tried on some Giro helmets too, all equal to the Bell in the same price range. I actually liked the Giro straps and snaps better -- the straps are softer and the snaps are easier to manage one-handed. But REI didn't have a hi-viz yellow in that particular model so I got the Bell.

If your budget is tight, as mine was in 2015, check Nashbar. But you'll need to spend $49 to get free shipping in most cases. Occasionally they'll ship certain items free regardless of price, but you need to spend time on the site.

Ditto Jenson USA and others. Lots of bargains, just takes time to shop around.

I read an article about a study that founds MIPS helmets to be far superior in preventing brain trauma. It mentioned that price wasn't the best guide - better to look at these ratings. The Specialized Chamonix appears to hit the sweet spot.

Im looking for a warm winter helmet with an insulated liner covering my ears..

Hours of reading about helmets from a nonprofit outfit that's been in the game since 1989:

https://helmets.org

I found that spending enough to get the lightest and most well ventilated helmet I could find was worth the extra $$. It's the one area where it is worth it to me to spend more money for what seem to be relatively modest differences. But I certainly wouldn't advise spending more if the cheaper helmet is equally comfortable.

And in a report this past May the Snell Foundation, testing helmets and writing standards since 1957, found "no significant improvement in the MIPS helmet's performance over the non-MIPS model."

The difference is the "test". Various testing labs have created their own test protocols & methods that they feel analog real world accidents.

It'd be sweet if there were an easy answer for all the world's cyclists. For the affluent cycling enthusiast, just get yourself a 6D ATB-1T EVO.

In the winter I just wear a wool or polartec headband to cover the ears and forehead, then put a rain cover on the helmet to block the vents.

...and you're in the USA, go to Walmart and try on their molded-in-shell Bell helmets with True Fit. Same CPSC certification as every other helmet sold in the USA.

And yet I've never seen a cyclist wearing a FIA 8860-2010 approved helmet.

You might have to look for a while.

Several years back Bell offered the Metropolis 'helmet system'. The Metropolis helmet could be fitted with optional visor, mirror, foam inserts to plug up the ventilation slots, ear muffs that slipped onto the straps and a snap on rain cover. There were attachments where you could clip little LED to-be-seen lights onto the front and rear. It was a helmet for riding at all hours in all seasons and all weathers.

It was universally panned on bike message boards and sold very poorly. It lasted a single year on the market. Charitably, this was not a money maker for Bell. I picked one up, with all the accessories, on deep discount closeout a year later. IMO it was a brilliant design and I'm still befuddled why it didn't find its niche in the world of cycling.

So anyway, don't look for a bike helmet company to repeat the mistake of offering an all weather helmet system anytime soon.

I was using a Metropolis up until back in May when I was doing a 45mph descent, and got hit with the abrupt crosswind from hell.
It knocked me off the road, and I did a front flip, landing on my head, then right shoulder, then back.
The helmet got cracked between the brow line and the first vent, then another crack between the first and second vents.

The visor was useless to me since it extended down into my field of vision, but was thankfully easily removable.
Sadly, that also made the mirror useless, since it was attached to the visor, so I bought a 3rd-party mirror and adapted it.

I think you may need to consider getting a new helmet to attach the mirror to.
Or perhaps you think that it saved you worse damage then, so will do so again!

Due to my oversized melon, I need an XL size, and the Metropolis was one of the few available in that size.
I located a Bell Stoker XL, to replace it.
And yes, I moved the mirror to it.

After buying a helmet a few years back that has the turn-tight on the webbing similar to a construction hardhat, I will never go back to the chinstrap only style. I always felt like I was being choked by the chin strap before, and if I left it loose enough so it didn't strangle me, it moved around on my head all the time. I still use the chin strap, but it's only there to keep the helmet from falling off if I get jarred hard on a trail or something.

That's not quite correct. The turn-knob on the back of the helmet is only to adjust the size of the retention system, not to hold it to your head. The chin strap is the retention system which must be somewhat tight in order to keep the helmet attached to your head when it hits the roadway.

bike-ski helmets is probably where i'll go, such as, Products

Myself; I visit the LBS just go with what fits the best & has a comfortable chin strap. I'm usually almost always in-between sizes, so fit is an issue for me. I currently go with KASK - the medium fits fine - and I find the helmet very comfortable.