CheGiantForLife

Can someone speak to the quality of these ?
I think I will get one to be safe and avoid TBI

CheGiantForLife

Anyone have experience with something at this price point ?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/133729908017?

rsbob 

Never would buy a cheap non-certified helmet in a million years. After all, how much is your brain worth? About $100 - $125 will buy you a decent quality Snell/ANSI MIPS certified helmet. Look for those certs - far cheaper than a neurosurgeon

CheGiantForLife

But, the protective material is just cheap Styrofoam, right?
Plastic and Styrofoam are both cheap commodities, so what makes the $150 helmet superior?

Miele Man

Not necessarily. Really cheap helmets use really cheap materials and lack quality control. Not all helmet liners are created equal nor are the retention devices equal between cheap and quality helmets. You do NOT have to spend $150.00 to get a good quality helmet. At least get one that meets the Snell standards if possible.

Another thing that better quality helmets have is better ventilation, sometimes that's FAR BETTER ventilation but without sacrificing helmet integrity.

I too stay clear of cheap non-certified helmets.

YMMV

Cheers

rsbob 

Here is a top rated helmet my wife wears that she got at a bargain price. Comes in black or white: https://www.teamobsidian.com/collect...e-helmet-white

Friisk

Go MIPS or go home! I mean Stay home….

eja_ bottecchia

Along those lines, I recently bought a Lazer G1 MIPS helmet. Highly rated, light and well ventilated. It ticks all the right boxes.

Sy Reene

Or this one.. 3rd highest safety rating per the Va Tech methodology:
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/rev-comp-mips-giant

CheGiantForLife

Can't justify $250 for something that will likely never be used without empirical data on why its 5-10x better than a basic helmet

CheGiantForLife

Perfect pick at $30 but all sold out.
Any close substitute in this price point ?

shelbyfv

I think it's fine for you to ride w/o a helmet, they aren't for everyone.

eja_ bottecchia

You beat me to the punch.

eja_ bottecchia

My head, or rather what’s inside my head, is easily worth the price for that helmet.

YMMV, however.

Good luck to you.

daniell

I am in the process of buying a new helmet. I wonder how often it is necessary to change a helmet that has not had an impact.
New technology has evolved. Is MIPS a gimmick or a real benefit?
I ride early in the morning when the rising sun is a problem. In the past, I have had visors that forced me in an uncomfortable position.
I prefer orange but will settle for another high visibility color.

Aardwolf

I bought my first helmet a month back (30 years break from cycling) so I did some research.
I got the Specialized Align II (MIPS) for £45, it's working fine for me so far.

Review: https://bikerumor.com/2020/08/18/spe...ressive-price/
Here's an intersting report: https://road.cc/content/tech-news/sa...-tested-283839

jpescatore

I replace my helmets when the thin plastic shell starts to deteriorate, usually lasts more than 5 years. Would replace if had an impact.

For my last helmet, about 5 years ago now, I bought into two things: (1) High visibility green color; and (2) MIPS. Saw enough data on both to believe that (1) was safer for the road riding I mostly do and (2) was safer if I did have a crash with head impact. I wasn't buying Walmart helmets anyway, so neither of those choices really was much of a price impact.

My wife likes the visors, I don't - I either take them off or buy helmets without them.

I tend to buy good helmets on sale, which often means the manufacturer will be discontinuing that model. The only downside is that I sweat like a pig and always wear out the foam cushion strips before the helmet needs to be replaced - often hard to find the replacement pads 5 years after a model was discontinued, or you find them and they are crazy expensive. So, I try to buy an extra set when I buy the helmet - and put them somewhere I will be able to find them years later...

sarhog

I too, am contemplating a new helmet purchase. I have been using the Bontrager Specter wavecel helmet (bought it the day it was released). It’s been a good helmet, looks good, feels good, but I’ve worn out my second set of pads. I’d like to get something lighter with better ventilation. I’m about to pull the trigger on a POC Ventral Air Spin I think.

pdlamb

(Emphasis added)

Just where is that? I found some 20 year old pads last summer -- hadn't been able to find them while the helmet they went with was still viable.

mstateglfr 

https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycl...ormchaser.html
Here are some helmets I bought in the last year and some detailed description of helmets others bought too.

- I dont think its really necessary to replace a helmet that has not had an impact, unless the strap/buckles/retention system is starting to wear out. It obviously doesnt hurt to get a new helmet though, so get one if you want. I would decide on a budget and look for the best fitting helmet in that price, rather than look for specific features first. Helmet fit really does vary- some are round, others oval, some are deep, others shallow, etc.

- The benefit of MIPS is definitely unclear. What is clear is that it doesnt reduce safety, so from that perspective there is no downside to getting it. Cheaper MIPS helmets seem to restrict some ventilation due to the MIPS cutout not being designed/placed well. Independent testing doesnt seem to include the impact that MIPS is designed to help, so its tough to put numbers to the various rotation safety tech(MIPS, Wavecell, SPIN, etc). Then there is the reality that skin moves over your skull and so there is a sort of MIPS layer already. And everyone with hair has another layer that sorta does what MIPS was designed to do. Anyone riding with a cycling cap has yet another layer that again does the motion that MIPS is designed to do. Are all or any of those as effective as MIPS?...who knows- independent test data hasnt been released.

- If a visor is annoying, dont buy a helmet with a visor. Or buy one that has a removable visor. Use a cycling cap with brim maybe. Some helmets fit deep on the head and others are shallow- so If you have a really deep fitting helmet, that may restrict vision in certain riding positions.

- I currently have an Abus Stormchaser that does not have MIPS, but is crazy light and I love the retention strap design. I also have a MET Rivale with MIPS as it fits great and has really nice materials. Neither was available locally. I mention that just because whats local may work for you, but I wouldnt hesitate to look elsewhere- buy on Amazon or WesternBikeWorks where you have free returns if needed. That was you can try different sizes if you are between sizes or try a couple of helmets to see how deep or how oval they are, for example.

Iride01 

MiP's, Wavecell and other newcomers are probably marginal gains on helmet protection. But since there are MIP's and Wavecells out there for the same cost as everything but the cheapest of helmets, why wouldn't you buy one or the other for that marginal gain?

I did.

gringomojado

UVA and UVB attacks the molecular structure of plastics (polymers). Some plastic resins incorporate UV stabilizers, and some colorants do so also.
Black color is one of the best (carbon black) for UV ******ing UV degradation.
It is cheap insurance to replace your helmet every few years.

Now if you ride strictly at night, that is another story

Oh, Walmart helmets are not that bad, In Guatemala, I have a Black Walmart helmet (sunny every day

Keep on riding!
gm

Rolla

I just bought a new Smith Persist (MIPS) last week, and I'm loving the fit. At only $100 retail, it's easy to justify a new lid every year.

OP: It comes in orange.

PeteHski

MIPS is for real. POC and Bontrager have their own proprietary equivalents (Spin, Wavecell).
I have a Lazer Genesis (G1 in some markets) MIPS which is really light and well ventilated. Scores very highly on independent impact testing too:-

https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicyc...t-ratings.html

seypat

My advice on helmets:

Find a brand that fits your head then look at the products in their line. As someone previously stated, look for one of their high end ones that might be discontinued in the near future. Also, a particular color might not be selling well. If you can tolerate it, that can save you a few bucks.

For instance, I bought a Bell Falcon MIIPS last year. I think it was in the $110-130 range. Now it's out of stock on the website. Listed in the $60-90s range on search engines.