Helmet Comparison Articles ?? - Page 3 - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

07-07-2004, 06:17 AM

Rich Clark wrote:

>
> The helmets marketed by the major manufacturers all have the same
> certifications, which is the only guidance you'll find as to their potential
> effectiveness in protecting your head. Whether this is worth anything or not
> is a matter of opinion, but it has little bearing on helmet choice, since in
> this regard they're all the same.
>
> Which leaves fit, style, and comfort. Factors that don't stand up to
> objective comparisons.
>
> That's why the helmet market is all about image and subjectivity, and why
> price and "quality" have no relationship.
>
> If you want a helmet, you go try on a bunch until you find one that fits
> your head and has a retention system that will keep it in place without
> discomfort, and that you like the looks of. If you care about your place in
> the fashion pantheon, you buy one with lots of big holes that costs more
> than $100. If you don't, you buy one with lots of medium sized holes that
> costs $30.

What Rich says is basically true, but he's omitted one thing:

While all helmets in the USA have to pass the same standard, the
expensive helmets - those with maximum ventilation, minimum weight,
up-to-the-minute styling - tend to pass the impact standard with lower
margins of safety. IOW, when you buy a $20 *-Mart helmet, you get more
crash protection than when you spend $140 to look just like your racing
hero.

Consumer reports occasionally tests helmets, and I believe the current
issue has such a test.

--
--------------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com,
replace with cc.ysu dot edu]

07-07-2004, 07:09 AM

On Wed, 07 Jul 2004 10:17:50 -0400, Frank Krygowski
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>Rich Clark wrote:

<snip>

>> If you want a helmet, you go try on a bunch until you find one that fits
>> your head and has a retention system that will keep it in place without
>> discomfort, and that you like the looks of. If you care about your place in
>> the fashion pantheon, you buy one with lots of big holes that costs more
>> than $100. If you don't, you buy one with lots of medium sized holes that
>> costs $30.
>
>What Rich says is basically true, but he's omitted one thing:
>
>While all helmets in the USA have to pass the same standard, the
>expensive helmets - those with maximum ventilation, minimum weight,
>up-to-the-minute styling - tend to pass the impact standard with lower
>margins of safety. IOW, when you buy a $20 *-Mart helmet, you get more
>crash protection than when you spend $140 to look just like your racing
>hero.
>
>Consumer reports occasionally tests helmets, and I believe the current
>issue has such a test.

Not to get on one side of the issue or the other, but I happened to jot
down the top two helmets as per that issue:

Louis Garneau Zen Rev - $45 bucks
Trek Interval - $60 bucks

FWIW.

-Badger

07-07-2004, 07:09 AM

On Wed, 07 Jul 2004 10:17:50 -0400, Frank Krygowski
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>Rich Clark wrote:

<snip>

>> If you want a helmet, you go try on a bunch until you find one that fits
>> your head and has a retention system that will keep it in place without
>> discomfort, and that you like the looks of. If you care about your place in
>> the fashion pantheon, you buy one with lots of big holes that costs more
>> than $100. If you don't, you buy one with lots of medium sized holes that
>> costs $30.
>
>What Rich says is basically true, but he's omitted one thing:
>
>While all helmets in the USA have to pass the same standard, the
>expensive helmets - those with maximum ventilation, minimum weight,
>up-to-the-minute styling - tend to pass the impact standard with lower
>margins of safety. IOW, when you buy a $20 *-Mart helmet, you get more
>crash protection than when you spend $140 to look just like your racing
>hero.
>
>Consumer reports occasionally tests helmets, and I believe the current
>issue has such a test.

Not to get on one side of the issue or the other, but I happened to jot
down the top two helmets as per that issue:

Louis Garneau Zen Rev - $45 bucks
Trek Interval - $60 bucks

FWIW.

-Badger

07-07-2004, 07:09 AM

On Wed, 07 Jul 2004 10:17:50 -0400, Frank Krygowski
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>Rich Clark wrote:

<snip>

>> If you want a helmet, you go try on a bunch until you find one that fits
>> your head and has a retention system that will keep it in place without
>> discomfort, and that you like the looks of. If you care about your place in
>> the fashion pantheon, you buy one with lots of big holes that costs more
>> than $100. If you don't, you buy one with lots of medium sized holes that
>> costs $30.
>
>What Rich says is basically true, but he's omitted one thing:
>
>While all helmets in the USA have to pass the same standard, the
>expensive helmets - those with maximum ventilation, minimum weight,
>up-to-the-minute styling - tend to pass the impact standard with lower
>margins of safety. IOW, when you buy a $20 *-Mart helmet, you get more
>crash protection than when you spend $140 to look just like your racing
>hero.
>
>Consumer reports occasionally tests helmets, and I believe the current
>issue has such a test.

Not to get on one side of the issue or the other, but I happened to jot
down the top two helmets as per that issue:

Louis Garneau Zen Rev - $45 bucks
Trek Interval - $60 bucks

FWIW.

-Badger

07-07-2004, 07:09 AM

On Wed, 07 Jul 2004 10:17:50 -0400, Frank Krygowski
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>Rich Clark wrote:

<snip>

>> If you want a helmet, you go try on a bunch until you find one that fits
>> your head and has a retention system that will keep it in place without
>> discomfort, and that you like the looks of. If you care about your place in
>> the fashion pantheon, you buy one with lots of big holes that costs more
>> than $100. If you don't, you buy one with lots of medium sized holes that
>> costs $30.
>
>What Rich says is basically true, but he's omitted one thing:
>
>While all helmets in the USA have to pass the same standard, the
>expensive helmets - those with maximum ventilation, minimum weight,
>up-to-the-minute styling - tend to pass the impact standard with lower
>margins of safety. IOW, when you buy a $20 *-Mart helmet, you get more
>crash protection than when you spend $140 to look just like your racing
>hero.
>
>Consumer reports occasionally tests helmets, and I believe the current
>issue has such a test.

Not to get on one side of the issue or the other, but I happened to jot
down the top two helmets as per that issue:

Louis Garneau Zen Rev - $45 bucks
Trek Interval - $60 bucks

FWIW.

-Badger

07-07-2004, 07:09 AM

On Wed, 07 Jul 2004 10:17:50 -0400, Frank Krygowski
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>Rich Clark wrote:

<snip>

>> If you want a helmet, you go try on a bunch until you find one that fits
>> your head and has a retention system that will keep it in place without
>> discomfort, and that you like the looks of. If you care about your place in
>> the fashion pantheon, you buy one with lots of big holes that costs more
>> than $100. If you don't, you buy one with lots of medium sized holes that
>> costs $30.
>
>What Rich says is basically true, but he's omitted one thing:
>
>While all helmets in the USA have to pass the same standard, the
>expensive helmets - those with maximum ventilation, minimum weight,
>up-to-the-minute styling - tend to pass the impact standard with lower
>margins of safety. IOW, when you buy a $20 *-Mart helmet, you get more
>crash protection than when you spend $140 to look just like your racing
>hero.
>
>Consumer reports occasionally tests helmets, and I believe the current
>issue has such a test.

Not to get on one side of the issue or the other, but I happened to jot
down the top two helmets as per that issue:

Louis Garneau Zen Rev - $45 bucks
Trek Interval - $60 bucks

FWIW.

-Badger

07-07-2004, 07:22 AM

In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
says...
>
>
>What is a 'high quality helmet'? How is helmet quality measured?

By the amount of money they take from your wallet.

Seriously ask
any helmet maker if their super expensive model protects your head any
better than their bargain basement model and see what they say.
--------------
Alex

07-07-2004, 07:22 AM

In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
says...
>
>
>What is a 'high quality helmet'? How is helmet quality measured?

By the amount of money they take from your wallet.

Seriously ask
any helmet maker if their super expensive model protects your head any
better than their bargain basement model and see what they say.
--------------
Alex

07-07-2004, 07:22 AM

In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
says...
>
>
>What is a 'high quality helmet'? How is helmet quality measured?

By the amount of money they take from your wallet.

Seriously ask
any helmet maker if their super expensive model protects your head any
better than their bargain basement model and see what they say.
--------------
Alex

07-07-2004, 07:22 AM

In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
says...
>
>
>What is a 'high quality helmet'? How is helmet quality measured?

By the amount of money they take from your wallet.

Seriously ask
any helmet maker if their super expensive model protects your head any
better than their bargain basement model and see what they say.
--------------
Alex