I’ve been using the same helmet for commuting:
Mountain Biking,
and road cycling,
There’s nothing wrong with my current helmet, but I would like a less ‘racy’ looking helmet for commuting. High in my priority list is ventilation, then price. I don’t really care for the Bell City or Bell Metro.
Any suggestions?
Popularity: 7% [?]
Here ya go
http://www.villagehatshop.com/viking_horns_helmet_hat.html
People have more than one helmet??!!
I have a Giro Indicator and I am never mistaken for a racer. Of course, that probably has little to do with the helmet.
I was trashing my nice Giro helmet by commuting, then found this helmet to take commuting abuse: http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=24965&subcategory_ID=4210
It is almost identical to a Giro Encinal once you peel off the LAmE ‘Bell’ stickers!
Whatever is on sale at the LBS…
Aaron
What’s wrong with a racy helmet? And what happened to your celeste/white Giro Monza?
http://safetyissexy.blogspot.com/2008/07/lovely-in-lacoste.html
http://safetyissexy.blogspot.com/2008/07/another-sleek-helmet-design.html
Well, picture me with my racy helmet riding the Swobo Folsom or a beach cruiser…
The Giro Monza is now my road riding helmet, the Shain (my current one) will become my MTB helmet.
Well, if you put it in that perspective, I suggest one of those skateboard-style brain buckets. Except they don’t ventilate that well…
I have a question that’s not directly relevant to this post… I was reading back looking for mention of clipless pedal adapters that attach a platform to clipless pedals and allow you to ride with regular shoes. Can anybody tell me more about these and whether they’re any good?
Frankly I think you should just stick with the one helmet as it looks fine. Oh and don’t get one of those skateboard/BMX brain buckets, no ventilation and you look like a crash test dummy.
That said you could go for a more mountain bike style helmet that would both serve you better on the trails and not look so racy. I really like my Giro Hex that I wear commuting:
http://www.mtbr.com/cat/mtb-apparel-and-protection/helmet/giro/hex/PRD_365915_126crx.aspx
Alyssa, I’ve ridden with those plastic platforms on and off road. I’ve been told that I’m not supposed to ride with them because they are just for ‘demo’ purposes, but I haven’t had any issues with them. Although, I highly recommend pedals that are SPD on one side and platform on the other.
Alyssa, I think you’re talking about the Winwood inserts:
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/PE401Z18-Winwood+Decksters+Platform+Clip-Ons.aspx
Set your cleat release force to “high” and you’ll have no problem with them. These types of pedal inserts are popular with triathletes and folks who don’t want to wear special shoes every time they get on their bikes.
ive used the bell Ghisallo for a while. fits the top of my head nicely, and high-ventilation. I have it in black, with a few flower on and off for decoration. depends on my mood. comfy Id say and very light.
Once a year or so, I buy a new helmet. Usually, the inside padding is shredded, rotted or otherwise damaged which is why the replacement is needed.
As with Aaron, I tend to get whatever is cheap at the local bike shop. For head protection, they are all about the same. Occasionally, I’ll splurge for something with more holes but I don’t think I have ever spent more than about $45 for a helmet and most seem to be about $30 and change.
My last few helmets have been mountain bike style with the visor even though all my riding is on the road. I like the visor and fear sun.
I have enough trouble keeping track of one helmet — is it in the garage? back porch? car trunk? office? — I wouldn’t know what to do with more than one.
—Matt
Moe, if you want a helmet with lots of vents you’re probably stuck with “racey” ones. Racers need more vents so their helmets are naturally made with more.
The cheaper the helmet the less vents, as a general rule of thumb.
Matt, that’s why you need more than one helmet, so you can have one in the garage, back porch, car trunk and the office.
I used to carry an extra helmet on my car at all times, it came in handy when I would forget my helmet at home or when a buddy of mine would forget theirs. I ended up giving that helmet to my brother-in-law since he didn’t own one and he started to ride his bike.
I have one of those “brain buckets”. It does have some venting on top. It’s the first & only bike helmet I’ve ever had, so nothing to compare it to. I got it from http://www.nutcasehelmets.com – because I like geeky/hip designs.
Carrie, I love those Nutcase helmets (is there a BETTER name for a helmet manufacturer? I think not!). My neighbor has the 8-Ball model, and she never complains about the venting…
I need to get one of those Evel Kenieval-inspired ones to go with my Patriot singlespeed!
Does anyone own a Vigor helmet? I would like to hear some opinions about them…
It’s nice to hear that people have good experiences with the less expensive helmets. I’ve used a Giro Encinal ($45-ish) for the past four years. It’s probably time to get a new one and it’s very tempting to go for one of the $100+ models but I’m just not sure they’re worth it. Yes, my faculties are worth a few extra dollars, but there are so many other places to spend the money I would save if I decide on a cheaper helmet.
Any flat-out bad experiences out there with sub-$80 helmets?
Cheap helmets meet the same safety standards as the really expensive ones. In fact, it can be argued that the cheaper ones are actually safer…less venting can mean an overall stronger shell and fewer points of entry for debris or other potentially penetrating objects. There are other considerations, too. Check out the FAQ at the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute:
http://www.bhsi.org/quick.htm
I went with a Bern skateboard helmet. I don’t like the racy look or colors and I needed something that came in a large enough size (2XL) to accommodate my hair(dreads). It doesn’t have a whole lot of vents but I don’t think I’m that much more sweaty thn when I didn’t wear a helmet at all.
http://bernunlimited.com/2007/brentwood.html