white and silver go with just about anything unless your bike is sprayed with neon paint :)
the blue and white option might match your bike now, but if you never get in a crash and upgrade your bike, it likely won't be matching. seems to me you should go with the one that is more universal in colors so that it always somewhat matches no matter what bike you have.

didn't somebody say that helmets have a finite shelf life - in other words that i will need a new one in 7 years even if i don't crash ? i could probably stretch this bike for 7 years ?

how often do you guys replace your bikes ? my last bike is still good after about 10 years but i barely used to ride it. i ride regularly now, so i don't know how long it will hold up.

They do, its 5 years, maybe a bit more depending on how often you are out and about, using it.
You might decide to upgrade your current bike not because it is too worn out, but because you want a lighter frame/better components/etc. If you definitely will be sticking with your current bike until it is unrideable, then you could get the blue/white helmet. However, in all honesty, no one will be looking or even care what helmet color you have and if it matches your bike. The only thing that gets my attention is if a see someone without a helmet period, which makes me angry. Having witnessed a crash at 20mph in which the rider hit her head, and having seen the helmet being completely crushed the but the rider not dead or a vegetable, it offends me to see people riding around with such a callous disregard for their own life, but that whole bit is just a pet peeve of mine :)

LOL, you keep posting idiotic threads, such as "what COLOR helmet should I get", which get bumped up to the top of several popular forums, yet I'm the "lamer"?

Maybe you should just come to terms with your desperation for attention. I can't reply if you don't post.

you are pathetic.

Ok i have ordered the White-Silver 2010 Ionos from Ebay for $161.

thanks everybody for your input ( except you colombo )

Where'd the 5 year shelf life rule come from? Is it just an old wives tale or is it actually written somewhere legit? I think it's a bunch of bull.

And to the OP - grow a sack and pick a damn helmet. I come to these forums so I dont have to listen to my wife ask which color makes her look fat.

All of these questions are valid except that some are based upon color schemes which is the only helmet consideration that doesn't matter at all. Snell (see below) recommends considering a replacement helmet about every 5 years for a variety of reasons. Technically, if one rides mostly at night and not around cars and doesn't use hair cream, and never leaves the helmet laying out in the sun, a 2000's quality helmet should last maybe 8 to 10 years without problem.

If a helmet has ever been impacted in an accident or fall of any type it is smart to err on the side of caution and get a new one. Period. If a helmet has been dropped onto a concrete or asphalt surface from from a standing height, you are in a judgment zone. You simply cannot see what internal damage may have been done. If money is no object it should probably be replaced. Likewise, if a helmet exterior shell shows cracking or crazing or noticeable fading of the color scheme, it should probably be replaced.

Which brings us to eBay purchase of helmets. Might be OK. Might be the poorest decision you ever made. The point is that this a safety device, not a style based apparel issue. Knock-off purses are one thing. A knock-off helmet can kill you or leave you as a quad in a heartbeat. There are quality shops on eBay but there are increasingly more and more dirtbag shops on eBay. Is risking your life really worth saving $50 or $100 every 5 years? I got a fair 25% discount from a quality LBS that has been around for many years and is well thought of by the community. Such a purchase helps good and valued LBS's to stay in business and increases your chances of owning a safe helmet that will last.

More importantly though, the fit of a helmet is the most critical factor in a purchase. For example, one can try on 10 "identical" Giro or Specialized helmets at an LBS and each helmet will fit slightly differently. All helmets from such quality manufacturers are pretty much identical at protecting us in a crash. But each one, even at different price breaks, will have slightly different suspension and slightly different liner hot spots. One may feel that a slight hot spot is not a big deal for the best looking and best priced helmet but that hot spot could kill you or severely injure you on a bad day.

Military pilot's helmets are heat fitted to eliminate any hot spots and to fit perfectly. Until that technology is readily available in biking helmets, the fit is the single most important issue. Period. Recently, I wanted to purchase the high end Specialized S-works helmet with Kevlar technology. Unfortunately all of them I tried yielded a slight hot spot. The same went for the Giro Ionos helmets I tried. Several other Specialized and Giro helmets gave me the same slight or even worse hot spot problems. However, several of the Giro Atmos helmets fit me like a custom hot molded liner helmet. The suspension systems were also just right for my head dimensions.

So, 1st consideration is liner fit, then suspension fit, and then, and only then, egocentric issues and pricing issues. The alternative is a great looking bragging rights helmet at a great price that just may be the worst longest lasting decision ever made.

Lastly, the more that a desired helmet departs from a simple roundish shape and gets more into racy looking spiked ridges which may or may not enhance ventilation, the more such a helmet may have safety issues with respect to crash retention and transmission of force vectors to the liner and your head. Again, judgment issues to at least be aware of at the time of purchase.


Snell on Helmets: "The five year replacement recommendation is based on a consensus by both the helmet manufacturers and the Snell Foundation. Glues, resins and other materials used in helmet production can over time affect liner materials. Hair oils, body fluids and cosmetics, as well as normal "wear and tear" all contribute to helmet degradation. Petroleum based products present in cleaners, paints, fuels and other commonly encountered materials may also degrade materials used in many helmets possibly degrading performance. Additionally, experience indicates there will be a noticeable improvement in the protective characteristic of helmets over a five year period due to advances in materials, designs, production methods and the standards. Thus, the recommendation for five year helmet replacement is a judgment call stemming from a prudent safety philosophy."

Says an overweight, shaggy faced, wannabe vegan who can't decide what color helmet to buy and can't figure out how to install a frame pump.

Right. I'M the pathetic one.

Now you two, just stop it.

If you're going to insult each other, then at least do it in epic style.

matte black/gold checkers
http://www.realcyclist.com/images/it...TBLACHE_D1.jpg
end of thread.

if you can't figure out why you're pathetic then you're stupid on top of it.

Chrome.

white/silver is the most visible. i dont buy dark helmets.

Given how many braindead threads you start, you have absolutely no leg to stand on, here. While the guy is trolling you, he does have a point. You act all tough and smart, but ask some of the dumbest questions on here, and have irrational fears and phobias that you like to brag about as if it is a great thing that you cant figure out how to mount a frame pump or are afraid of CO2 cartridges blowing up.

i don't act tough and smart. that's just you projecting your insecurities like everybody else does on this forum.

You are amusing. Almost every thread you start is about how everything is crap and fails to meet your exacting standards. You dismiss everyone else as wrong when questioned. You cannot admit failure or mistakes, as clearly evidenced by your pump thread.

I am insecure? I don't think that every helmet manufacturer is out to kill me, that CO2 cartridges will blow up and maim me, think that a popular and easy to use pump is "filth" because I can't figure it out, live in fear about traffic on the road, and all the other tin-foil conspiracy theory BS you continue to post. You are the one with irrational fears and paranoias.

Oh dear, stop responding to him, he is trolling.

...
he is trolling!

If you hug a troll, are they still a troll?

Come on people, some people are fun or just like to have fun. If you let them get to you, it's your fault. Unless they start talking about fish, that's different.