|
Helmets have gotten lighter & there's far more models/fits so I think mfg's now pay little attention to foam cushion bits. I saw a name-brand mid-price helmet where the thin cushion strips were coming off even just sitting in the box. Often replacements not available. Winter use is ignored, ideally they'd offer thicker pads for summer & thinner winter pads to leave room for cap. Also, how many riders strap the helmet on tight enough?
|
What helmets are suited best to long distance touring?
|
Originally Posted by DropBarFan
(Post 18949711)
Helmets have gotten lighter & there's far more models/fits so I think mfg's now pay little attention to foam cushion bits. I saw a name-brand mid-price helmet where the thin cushion strips were coming off even just sitting in the box. Often replacements not available. Winter use is ignored, ideally they'd offer thicker pads for summer & thinner winter pads to leave room for cap. Also, how many riders strap the helmet on tight enough?
|
Modern helmets come in all sorts of colors, often not very high-visibility. I've even seen kids' helmets in camo style (?). Should be more helmets in safety colors. Anyway I see there's some interesting new models & features. On link below there's helmets with adjustable ventilation, light/camera mount, detachable rain covers etc.
The 16 Best New Helmets of 2016 : Martone Cycling Helmet V2 | Bicycling |
neat article, but they seem all to be at least $200 and I imagine here in Canada, they are all at least 250-300+ $can. which I find a heck of a lot for a helmet, where a 75-100 can. helmet will weigh maybe 50-75-100g more, but cost a third as much.....and still be a pretty darn good helmet with great ventilation.
|
Originally Posted by pdlamb
(Post 18946675)
Unless you have the price tag. I had to replace one last month, and my wallet still trembles from the experience!
If I 'kinda' pranged the $22 Bell, I'd replace it without a second thought. If a rider 'just sorta' whacked their new $270 Giro Synthe, well, the MFR sez they should replace it too, but I wonder if they would? |
Originally Posted by Coldhands
(Post 18949873)
What helmets are suited best to long distance touring?
|
Originally Posted by AdvXtrm
(Post 18959118)
I'd say both durability and comfort are at the top of that list.
I personally like visors for keeping sun out of eyes. |
Originally Posted by djb
(Post 18958667)
neat article, but they seem all to be at least $200 and I imagine here in Canada, they are all at least 250-300+ $can. which I find a heck of a lot for a helmet, where a 75-100 can. helmet will weigh maybe 50-75-100g more, but cost a third as much.....and still be a pretty darn good helmet with great ventilation.
|
Originally Posted by 79pmooney
(Post 18948131)
And as for expense vs safety for modern helmets: think about who the manufacturers are marketing the expensive helmets to - racers and wannabe racers. Racers pay big bucks to be fast. That means the best possible balance between weight, aero and comfort/heat dissipation. Notice that safety does not show up. CPSC standards must be met for a US sold helmet. So manufacturers are burdened with making the CPSC limits while finding that optimum blend of the important stuff. Improving safety would come at the cost of at least on of the elements of weight, aero and comfort/heats dissipation. Those high end helmets are going to toe closer to the CPSC minimum than the Walmart job because real engineering time is spent to get there.
Bottom line - if you want safety, stay away from big dollar helmets. (Except that the MIPS technology may radically lower your injuries under the right conditions.) I paid real money for the POC Trabec. Better safety at the cost of aero and weight. (Surprisingly comfortable, even in hot weather.) Ben |
So what do you all think of "MIPS" technology? The concept makes good sense to me, but how well it's actually been implemented and real-world results are pretty much an unknown at this point.
|
I had to Google it to see what it was, and yes the concept seems logical to me, reducing rotational forcing when the end of the helmet but first and can cause a neck forcing injury, well that's my take on it.
I see this has simply another step in incremental gains and understanding of force dispersion etc etc. Look at motorsport, which I've followed closely for 35 years, helmets are much lighter than before, reducing the forward force in accidents, devices like the HANS device has gone a long way to reducing fatal and serious neck injuries, cars themselves are designed to disperse energy with crumple zones etc that has clearly tricked down to regular cars and the overall advances in safety of regular cars. It's all incremental, and any good idea in bike helmets will trickle down to affordable models, case in point is the retention system with ratchet that holds a helmet in a proper position and keeps it there after an initial impact. So for me, this concept is great, one more advancement. |
Originally Posted by tcs
(Post 18958858)
I bought a new Bell down at the local big box store. Highviz. True Fit. Fusion construction (mold-in-shell). Same CPSC as every other helmet. ~22USD.
That's where I started, but $22 Bell helmets are not shaped like my skull. :( |
Originally Posted by AdvXtrm
(Post 18959712)
So what do you all think of "MIPS" technology?
OTOH, the Bell Tempo/Draft MIPS helmets are down to $35USD+shipping, and other things being equal at that street price point there doesn't seem to be any particular downside to buying in. |
| All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:32 PM. |
Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.