UK_Cyclist

From personal experience/knowledge or from reviews you've read which road helmet would you say is the best overall lid?

I'm not interested in the appearance of the helmet, and please don't consider the price of the helmet.

Giro Aeon
Kask Vertigo
LAS Victory
Specialized S-Works Prevail
Rudy Project Windmax
BELL Gage
Lazer Helium
Limar Ultralight(+)

I guess factors to consider are protection/durability, ventilation, comfort/fitting, weight.

THANK YOU

Ti Guy

Was using a bell volt, tried on a specialized prevail and walked out of the LBS with it because it was soooo comfortable. 3 weeks with the prevail and it is the most comfortable for me and very well ventilated which is very important is south Florida. It is also much lighter than the Volt.

UK_Cyclist

Weights for Medium size helmets

Giro Aeon 222g
Kask Vertigo C50 278g
LAS Victory 251g
Specialized S-Works Prevail 185g
Rudy Project Windmax
BELL Gage 230g
Lazer Helium
Limar Ultralight(+) 160g (175g)

rebel1916

They are all too ugly and expensive.

unionmade

The one that fits your noggin best.

StanSeven

Most of those helmets have unique shapes and fit on heads. Comfort is about finding one that works best for you. That said, the Giro Aeon is great for me. My only complaint with it is the strap doesn't stay in the same place permanently and I have to re-adjust it every ten rides or so.

NWS Alpine

Kask bambino



Although I find Laser helmets retention system fits my head and many others. The helium and genesis are great helmets.

abstractform20

cant speak for the Lazer Heliu, but the O2 (lower) is my favorite

whitemax

To a large extent, one pays a lot more for the aesthetics of the lid. Since that is not a factor for you, just go to Dicks Sporting Goods, buy a $35 Giro (providing you get a good fit) and save yourself some coin.

jon c. 

Haven't tried them all, but like the ventilation on the S Works. I get bad headaches when my head gets overheated, so good ventilation is a huge issue for me.

jimc101

First consideration should be fit, regardless of your budget, all helmets fit heads differently, you need to try them on to find what fits your head best.

For other factors you have listed, ventilation, does it matter if you are buying now, as for the next 6 months you will be riding with a skull cap or similar, it's too cold to ride any real distance in the UK now without something warm under the helmet.

Protection / durability, Durability in use, the more plasitc they have covering the polystyrene, the better, for crashes durability is not an issue, helmets are single use items when it comes to them, for protection, they all have to pass EN standards, so none will be significantly better than any other, or a £9.99 one from Llidl / Aldi.

Weight, you have coved this.

Another thing to look at, crash replacement policy, Giro and Specialized have good ones, claimed on Giros several times myself, for the others no experience with those brands.

David Bierbaum

I'm disappointed. I thought this thread would involve gladiators pitted against each other in a headbutting helmet destruction derby!

For me, I'll go with the cheapest brain-cage that fits my noggin comfortably. For now that choice is the Schwinn Thrasher. I could just SMOOCH the person who invented the idea of the "dial fit" system.

Are you SURE you don't care what it looks like?

Adrianinkc

Giro Aeon although the sworks is amazing also.

UK_Cyclist

@jimc101, Thank you for your reply Which helmet do you wear? Also, do you perhaps use one helmet for the winter months, and another helmet during Spring/Winter when greater ventilation is required?

UK_Cyclist

Hi Adrianinkc, Thanks for replying! Which helmet are you currently using? A Giro Aeon I presume?

NWS Alpine

If your head swells when you overheat then a Laser helmet with the Rollsys retention system is great. You just reach up and can adjust the fit. The cable pulls both the front and the back of the pads so the shell is almost floating over your head. Helps if you need to fit a halo or something else under the helmet. It has excellent venting as well. https://www.lazersport.com/index.php?...id=5&Itemid=97

jimc101

Rotate through several, mainly use a Giro Monza, Pneumo, Havoc, and a Cratoni Bullet (mainly summer use), on the road, Giro Phase and Fox Flux off road, previous helmets have been several Giro Hex, Supermoto various Specialized helmets in the mid 90's.

Much as I like the higher end helmets, the mid range work just as well, and I normally get the previous years models, as this cuts cost alot as well. Generally helmets don't change much every year, the biggest change with Giro over the years has been the Roc-lock retention system, with the 5 version being better than previous.

dmcdam

If my head is swelling I'd be thinking about getting off the bike for a bit.

UK_Cyclist

@jimc101, Thank you for mentioning Cratoni. I had never come across that helmet manufacturer before. The Cratoni Bullet looks awesome! ...only 175g in mass! I think as I become a more serious and frequent rider, I will invest in a few helmets, like you have, that I can rotate though depending on the weather conditions.

Are weather conditions the reason why your rotate through helmets? Or is it for another purpose? Thanks!

UK_Cyclist

Hi NWS Alpine. What do you mean by a "halo"? Is it some kind of hat to keep your head warm during winter, which you can wear underneath a helmet? Or have I missed your joke?

Dux_Helm

When I worked retail, the way we sold helmets was by having the customer try a few without looking at the price, then choose the one that fitted the most comfortably.
All helmets pass the same safety tests, so the comfort in my mind is #1 priority.

So now that is my advice- don't worry about user opinions, as they don't have your head

NWS Alpine

https://store.haloheadband.com/default.asp Both cold and hot. I have been using it to keep sweat off my glasses as it can get really hot here. They make some good stuff. https://reviews.roadbikereview.com/ha...nterbike-booth

Dux_Helm

It's a sweat band.
I find those unnecessary unless the helmet has a crappy liner.

NWS Alpine

No helmet liner alone is going to prevent my sweat from dripping on my lenses/eyes in South Florida heat and humidity. The halo is a huge comfort for me during the summer.

NateDieselF4i

As a guy who races motorcycles and has tons of lids believe me when I tell you that fit (head shape and helmet shape) are the two most important things.

A 250 helmet designed for a "round" shape will be a $250 piece of junk for someone with an "intermediate oval" shape like myself.

A LBS or motorcycle shop for sure will be able to help you identify fit.