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Does money buy quality?

Old 03-10-19, 09:15 AM
  #26  
hillyman
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Like I always say; I don't have a $20 head and $200 feet.
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Old 03-10-19, 09:17 AM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by downhillmaster

If it was not at least $95.73 it is a cheap, poorly made helmet and unsafe at any speed.
I’m surprised you asked though as even a child knows this.
Basic consumer cycling economics(CCE)
u must be over compensating for other short comings ….sheepish if u don't spend a lot u don't get a lot is a fools philosophy
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Old 03-10-19, 09:45 AM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by oldnslow2
So the government should nationalize the helmet industry? I'm sure they'd do a better job... just like the $10,000 toilet cover.

The nice thing about capitalism is you don't HAVE to buy something.
Again, agreed! My "Yay, capitalism" was not sarcastic in any way. Having choices is good.

I'm not sure where the "government nationalized helmet industry" and $10,000 toilet cover came from.
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Old 03-10-19, 09:49 AM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by AlmostTrick
Again, agreed! My "Yay, capitalism" was not sarcastic in any way. Having choices is good.

I'm not sure where the "government nationalized helmet industry" and $10,000 toilet cover came from.
Misunderstood... Sometimes private industry is the best vehicle to find a solution and other time we need government to push technology.

NASA figures out that it's more efficient to have private industry develop launch vehicles now, but in the past only government could bear the cost.
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Old 03-10-19, 06:40 PM
  #30  
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How much is your head worth?

I have the conceit to believe that my head is valuable. So I'll spend what it takes to get the safest helmet I can.
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Old 03-10-19, 06:50 PM
  #31  
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Without any clinical data on helmet performance by type or design, it’s impossible know what’s effective and “quality” becomes a pretty empty concept, beyond cool, light, and good looking. The annals of clinical testing, be it of devices or drugs, or procedures, contain many surprising, paradoxical, findings and many, many, more null results.
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Old 03-10-19, 07:10 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by MoAlpha
Without any clinical data on helmet performance by type or design, it’s impossible know what’s effective and “quality” becomes a pretty empty concept, beyond cool, light, and good looking. The annals of clinical testing, be it of devices or drugs, or procedures, contain many surprising, paradoxical, findings and many, many, more null results.
all very true but from my perspective on the helmet I bought it seems to be a great value and quality seems good....I have bought some spendy helmets in wich turned out to be a huge disappointment...so I know a crap helmet when I see one
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Old 03-10-19, 07:40 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by robnol
all very true but from my perspective on the helmet I bought it seems to be a great value and quality seems good....I have bought some spendy helmets in wich turned out to be a huge disappointment...so I know a crap helmet when I see one
Unless you crashed and walked away, how do you know if its a disappointment?

I guess never crash and then it doesn't matter. It's that simple.
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Old 03-10-19, 07:45 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by oldnslow2
Unless you crashed and walked away, how do you know if its a disappointment?

I guess never crash and then it doesn't matter. It's that simple.
u can tell a crap helmet as soon as u put it on the fit, the materials its made of ,the manufacturing of it ,does it live up to what the advertisement said it was,,,,ect not gonna wait til I crash to see if the final selling point is true
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Old 03-10-19, 08:29 PM
  #35  
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I think more money can buy better quality but at what point do you start spending more and more money and getting less and less benefit? It's the same thing with the weight reduction on a bike, as the weight goes down the cost to do so goes up faster then the weight going down to eventually every little gram gets uber expensive. I read an article some years ago that Grant at Rivendell wrote where he said that his expensive custom built Rivendell bike was only about 5% better than his Atlantis and the Atlantis was about $1,500 cheaper (if I remember the figures correctly), but he did make a point, as you spend more and more money you get less and less return. So everything you buy has a sweet spot, you have to research where that is, but with helmets I think the sweet spot is around $100 give or take $10; the helmet thing can be tricky because one of only 4 helmets that got a 5 star crash rating was the Specialized Chamonix MIPS and it cost only $70. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyamo.../#1d10e71744e6
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Old 03-10-19, 08:39 PM
  #36  
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Don't forget that sometimes, higher end products, have been in R&D for awhile, and those setting the higher standards, bear that cost in development. There are costs in improving a product.

The lessor or cheaper versions, sometimes are just bad copies, and cut corners......
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Old 03-10-19, 09:42 PM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by greatscott
I think more money can buy better quality but at what point do you start spending more and more money and getting less and less benefit? It's the same thing with the weight reduction on a bike, as the weight goes down the cost to do so goes up faster then the weight going down to eventually every little gram gets uber expensive. I read an article some years ago that Grant at Rivendell wrote where he said that his expensive custom built Rivendell bike was only about 5% better than his Atlantis and the Atlantis was about $1,500 cheaper (if I remember the figures correctly), but he did make a point, as you spend more and more money you get less and less return. So everything you buy has a sweet spot, you have to research where that is, but with helmets I think the sweet spot is around $100 give or take $10; the helmet thing can be tricky because one of only 4 helmets that got a 5 star crash rating was the Specialized Chamonix MIPS and it cost only $70. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyamo.../#1d10e71744e6
yes I agree....spending more and assuming ur getting more is a mirage
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Old 03-11-19, 07:39 AM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by sdmc530
the only real difference is the that fancy MIMPS technology in high end lids. I am sure I have the wrong acronym for it buy other than that they have to have the same standard tests to be DOT approved. My helmet was $80 on sale. Its a really nice helmet but wouldn't have pain the $150 regular price that's for sure!
Even the price of MIPS is coming down. I bought a Giro helmet with MIPS last year for £40.

One of the things I like with some more expensive helmets is that you buy replacement pads. I generally find the pads have fallen apart long before the end of life of the helmet so when I bought the Giro helmet I also bought a couple of replacement pad kits. Having said all that, the pads in this one seem to be much better than previous ones and aren't showing signs of disintegrating yet.
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Old 03-12-19, 03:09 PM
  #39  
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More money only buys more quality up to a certain point. After that you are buying snobbery and a name.
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Old 03-12-19, 03:19 PM
  #40  
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If you're buying from a shop, or Walmart, or just about any standard retailer, then all helmets meet a minimum standard. Fit and function are what sets them apart.

On Amazon and eBay, things can get murky. It might not be certified. It might be a replica of a certified model made of great stuff. It's like the last area where quality control or product safety aren't an absolute given.

That said, I got a $200 helmet on sale for $50 last summer. This is pretty common if you shop around.
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Old 03-12-19, 03:34 PM
  #41  
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[QUOTE=rosefarts;20835106]If you're buying from a shop, or Walmart, or just about any standard retailer, then all helmets meet a minimum standard. Fit and function are what sets them apart.

On Amazon and eBay, things can get murky. It might not be certified. It might be a replica of a certified model made of great stuff. It's like the last area where quality control or product safety aren't an absolute given.

That said, I got a $200 helmet on sale for $50 last summer. This is pretty common if you shop around.[/ a 200 dollar helmet for 50 dollars....is it less safe because u paid 150 less for it....bike riders can be seriously sheepish and prone to the placebo effect
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Old 03-12-19, 04:34 PM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by robnol
....is it less safe because u paid 150 less for it....bike riders can be seriously sheepish and prone to the placebo effect
It's safe because it's a known brand from a known dealer and it fits.

It's cool because I got a good deal.
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Old 03-13-19, 06:23 AM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by rydabent
More money only buys more quality up to a certain point. After that you are buying snobbery and a name.
You neglected aesthetics. Sometimes beauty requires more man hours, driving the price up. E.g., a hand-engraved, custom ti frame is going to fetch a higher price than the same frame with simple decals.

IBTM/L

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Old 03-13-19, 06:49 AM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by Wileyone
If you have a $10 Head buy a $10 Helmet...
Originally Posted by hillyman
Like I always say; I don't have a $20 head and $200 feet.
Stupidest arguments ever. My head is worth quite a bit more than the most expensive helmet one can buy, that doesn't mean I can't realize that safety-wise, that my $20 helmet provides all the protection of its $200 counterpart, just with less styling, finish quality, and name cache. Oh, but it actually fits my non-commonly shaped head, which is far more important than the dollar amount I paid for the thing.

Those sayings are for folks who want to brag about how much they've spent on cycling equipment.
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Old 03-13-19, 07:24 AM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by jefnvk
Stupidest arguments ever. My head is worth quite a bit more than the most expensive helmet one can buy, that doesn't mean I can't realize that safety-wise, that my $20 helmet provides all the protection of its $200 counterpart, just with less styling, finish quality, and name cache. Oh, but it actually fits my non-commonly shaped head, which is far more important than the dollar amount I paid for the thing.

Those sayings are for folks who want to brag about how much they've spent on cycling equipment.
I dont care how much anyone spends on a helmet really. Or if you wear one or not. It's your head. I'm just amazed how passionate both sides get over helmet issue but not as amazed as something trivial as a valve cap.
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Old 03-13-19, 09:30 AM
  #46  
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Posted on the Track forum a young woman 3 times winner of pursuit world championship wearing a helmet ,
still suffered a head injury,
which so heavily affected her mood & ability to function , she took her own life at 23,
while in Grad School







...

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Old 03-13-19, 09:48 AM
  #47  
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And while it will never be known, there is every chance that had she crashed without a helmet on, she would have died right then and there.

Football players wear helmets, still get concussions, and often end up committing suicide, possibly due to the after-effects of those concussions. That doesn't mean the helmets aren't helping.

Helmets aren't magic, they just help reduce risk. And yes, obviously to a point money does buy quality.

My first bicycle helmet was a Bell from the WalMart, and it was terrible-- it was not especially comfortable, and it would make a head sweat in the dead of winter. It would likely provide every bit as much protection as the Kask I wear now, but I'm not cycling to suffer.

I also wear expensive shoes. Not because I like spending money on shoes, but because they fit my feet, they're comfortable, and they last. Trust me, if there was a $20 helmet that worked as well as my Kask, I'd buy it in a second.
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Old 03-13-19, 10:04 AM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by rosefarts
That said, I got a $200 helmet on sale for $50 last summer. This is pretty common if you shop around.
Maybe because $200 is the scam/sucker price, and $50 is the reality based "we still made $30" price.
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Old 03-13-19, 10:43 AM
  #49  
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you guys crash too much.

Riding-a-bicycle-safely classes for many BF members. Mandatory attendance for some.
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Old 03-13-19, 11:07 AM
  #50  
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The twenty qualities I have laying on my desk right now are proof that money buys quality.
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