Expensive Bike Helmets

[silva]

On condition no State Sponsoring: if they produce and sell it at that price, there's a "need", for whatever reason.

A "Safety Standard" doesn't mean they all offer the same protection, a safety standard is just a minimum requirement on a certain moment, much like a bread labeled as 800 gram is not allowed to be weighting less, but is allowed to weight more - it's only negative error that is a legal crime, positive errors are allowed, with not any limit.
So, it's quite possible, that 200+ bucks helmets offer Waaaaay Better protection than the Safety Standard.

 

[Katana]

Or at least it’s 50/50 - you’re either screwed, or you’re not.

😂

 

[silva]

Expensive helmets are just as useless as cheap ones.

Hey hey, I put one over the outside knob of my garage door, to shield it from the Elements.

 

[Katana]

My carnac is a better helmet than the giro one I had previously.

Although I haven’t bought an expensive bike helmet and the most I have spent so far was £45 on a Specialise helmet which was reduced in sale. Yes I do have couple of Carnac helmets and they have served me well over the years.

 

[Katana]

Hey hey, I put one over the outside knob of my garage door, to shield it from the Elements.

That must be one very big knob🤔😂

 

[biggs682]

And replace every 2 to 3 years

 

[Punkawallah]

That must be one very big knob🤔😂

Or a very small helmet.

 

[Punkawallah]

Expensive helmets are just as useless as cheap ones.

Yup. You only get one chance to find out if it works, and if it doesn’t you’re in no position to take it back and complain.

 

[markemark]

Yup. You only get one chance to find out if it works, and if it doesn’t you’re in no position to take it back and complain.

I’ve come off a couple of times in the last decade. It must have worked as
I’m still here. Not sure of the physics as it’s been in my loft the entire time.

 

[Punkawallah]

I’ve come off a couple of times in the last decade. It must have worked as
I’m still here. Not sure of the physics as it’s been in my loft the entire time.

It’s probably ‘quantum’.

 

[a.twiddler]

You'd think for that standard (and price) there'd be some requirement for mesh in the vents to keep insects out.

 

[Katana]

Or a very small helmet.

😂

 

[Dan Lotus]

I don't think they are intrinsically better, or safer, but they are often lighter, and have replaceable pads etc.

My daughters 2nd hand bike came with a 'free' decathlon btwin helmet, which regrettably doesn't suit her head shape, and whilst externally it pretty much looked like any other helmet, on the inside you can see where the cost cutting, on this specific helmet, had gone on.

Some odd white plastic on the outside had gone a bit malformed and bent, the pads were not of very good quality/thickness, and iirc were not removeable to wash even.

Personally I think the key is to find a make, or makes that fit you.

Lazer was my first find, they do make some really good helmets, both light, and that they sit lowish down on your noggin.
My next find that surpassed them was Scott helmets, which is lucky as I am a Scott bikes fanboi - both their Centric, and their more aero Cadence in it's new 2024 form and it's original form, probably seared into my head by the Mitchelton Scott boys wearing it, as they have that what looks to me to be a unique rear vent arrangement.
It's an awesome design, not the lightest strangely, but on my noggin, it fits perfectly, and I genuinely ride without ever thinking about it, or needing to adjust it. I'm also not someone who has ever tried to put sunglasses in the vents.
I've never paid full price though, picked up a cadence for my daughter for a crazy £25 - think the RRP is maybe £150.

 

[Mike Ayling]

Here’s a thought…do we actually need to buy OTT priced helmets with price tags of £200 and above? And do they actually provide better protection than average price helmets? I remember from my motorcycling days that BELL helmets strap line use to be, “If you have got a $10 head then wear a $10 helmet”. For motorcycling it makes sense that one buys a good quality helmet for protection especially against high speed impacts. Obviously you get what you pay for and therefore an average price good quality helmet with MIPS etc for £50-£70 should be adequate enough for cyclists! So from safety aspect do expensive helmets deliver better protection or is it just another ploy of the bike industry to skim our pockets??

The expensive ones may be a few grammes lighter but I buy Aldi at AUD19.99 which has a sticker inside saying that it complies with Aussie standards.

 

[Katana]

You'd think for that standard (and price) there'd be some requirement for mesh in the vents to keep insects out.

Actually that’s a very good point. As I often ride along the canal so very often all sorts of insects get through the vents, however in my case there’s isn’t enough hair in there for them to cling on to so usually with gentle persuasion they make their way out😂