Catlike Helmets In The US?
 

I did a search and couldnt find anything.. I thought I saw where some people had posted that CatLike helmets were available in the US now. Anyone got a link where they can be purchased?

The only link I could find was http://www.catlike-usa.com/ and they definitely arent selling helmets there.

Thanks

Every Catlike helmet I've seen was purchased in Europe and brought back by the owner.

Order from Prendas in the UK. I ordered a Kompact, and it came in about five days. Very legit, very fast.

probikekit? free shipping to US i think.

PBK wont sell Catlike to anyone in the US and they have pretty much discontinued all Catlike helmets anyway.

I bet the folks at Downland Cycles in the UK would sell you one. www.downlandcycles.co.uk

I got mine from UK eBay

I got mine from Downland Cycles, but I live in the UK.

+1

http://www.prendas.co.uk/default.asp

Thanks for the replies. Guess I need to look at Prendas. I got a reply from Catlike this morning telling me that Orbea is going to be their US distributor and it doesnt look like it's going to happen anytime soon so I guess I need to start looking elsewhere.

I have heard but never tired this on PBK.com
1. enter country as UK
2. USD
3. purchase catlike and put mailing address to the US

I learned this from a guy that I saw wearing a catlike helmet. Good luck those are pretty sweet helmets...Its to bad the USD is trading so low compared to Pound right now b/c it would definitly be priced differently if being sold in the US.

Yea.. thats why I was looking for a US Source.

PBK doesnt have anything but the Catlike TT helmets, all the good stuff is gone.

If you end up finding one...keep us updated and post a picture of that beauty..

From the Prendas website...

Here's mine. I took the "Whisper" stickers off because they were cheap, and looked like they would come off on their own eventually.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/x43x/DSC01394.jpg

Newbie question... what's the big deal about them? Is it because it's a hard to find Euro helmet? you just want to be different?

I'm not a big fan of the eyelet looking holes but I guess they work.

Not trying to be facetious, just curious.

Thanks!

Just something different plus I do like the netting inside the helmet. I had a bug fly into my helmet last year, not a lot of fun try to shake a bug out while you're in a pace line.

I thought about getting an Atmos but I was afraid if I did, R600 might come find me and drop me for being a poseur.

I like the look of them. Plus they're new (or they were) so I was the first person in my street (maybe in London) with one. And I needed a new helmet.

Catlike helmets have at least 2 design features that I like a lot. Firstly I wear a Catlike Kompact helmet which gets the "kompact" name because it uses higher density foam than other cycle helmets which isn't as thick, hence compact. The Whisper helmet apears to be the same and this is a feature that makes Catlike helmets stronger. The other important feature, which is what first atracted me to Catlike helmets is the fully encompasing micro-shell. Every nook and cranny has some shell covering it and this is a VERY important feature that gives the helmets a lot of strength when compared to flimsier designs.
Basicaly foam has not structual integrity of its own. It only works in compression IF it has a shell to compress against. Many modern designs expose the foam which will just crumble the first time it see's the pavement and if it crumbles its not compressing properly to cushion you from the sudden impact of a fall.

Catlike helmets have reasonably good ventilation while still being fairly substantial helmets with considerable strength. I have some design background and I have looked into helmet design in the past. Catlike helmets look very much to me like a safety minded engineer is having a large say where as much of the competition looks like its been designed for ventilation first, safety second.

Regards, Anthony

x43x,

Is that the R248? This is color/model I want as well...

What size head to you have? Mine is 58.5 CM.....very top of a M and just below a large. I amthinking a large would be best..

I actually ended up with not one, not two but 3 Catlike helmets.

I have 2 Whispers, a yellow and white one and a black, white and carbon like x43x's and a Team Phonak Kompact edition I bought off Ebay. I guess Phonak was supposed to use Catlike helmets and ended up switching sponsors at the last minute or something.

Looking at the Prendas website, mine seems to be the R236. Carbon, Silver, and White, but I got mine off eBay UK. The R248 is the Kompact model. My head is 55cm. I think I could have gone with a size small for a tighter fit, but wouldn't have been able to fit a skull cap or ear warmer band underneath. I have a small Giro helmet that fits like a glove, but I can fit anything on my head to keep it warm. I actually took some of the extra padding from the Giro that I didn't use and put it in the Whisper on the sides towards the rear. I think my head is more long than wide.

I think these helmets run slightly small.... if you're borderline, I'd go up in size.

No engineering background here, so I have to accept your evaluation, but that doesn't explain why their helmets don't meet US safety standards, which I are assume are based on how they respond to force testing. Comments?

They pass European safety standards, and I thought the US started accepting the Euro standards since last year. So I guess they pass by default?