How much should i pay for a cycling helmet?

[SolaNova]

Needing to get another helmet after the one I had leant to a friend became misplaced by him. I cannot remember the price of that helemet as it came free with a bike I once bought.

Just wondered if anyone could recommend any brands or advice. For instance how much will get cost to get me a safe cycling helmet and at what point does the price become a victim of its own prestige for example a famous brand.

 

[Uawadall]

Needing to get another helmet after the one I had leant to a friend became misplaced by him. I cannot remember the price of that helemet as it came free with a bike I once bought.

Just wondered if anyone could recommend any brands or advice. For instance how much will get cost to get me a safe cycling helmet and at what point does the price become a victim of its own prestige for example a famous brand.

Buy from any reliable brand and safety will be pretty much identical. The higher priced helmets just may "look cooler" and have more ventilation holes for breathability. Id say to get a helmet that suits your head type and try ones on if you can. Buying online is much cheaper than in bike shops though. I busted up my first one (road over it with my car,yes I'm stupid,lol...) and bought the same one in a different color online for 50 cheaper than at my LBS. I have a oval head and a cannonade helmet suits me well. I've heard that catlike and giro are more suited to rounder/squarer shaped heads. Check out Nashbar or Biketires direct. You should be able to get a good helmet for 50+-.You can search online to see if those or any other online sites have promo codes.

 

[BikeBikeBikeBike]

I just bought a $12 Kali lid on PricePoint.
Love Kali lids they are always priced very competitively.

 

[dabac]

Needing to get another helmet after the one I had leant to a friend became misplaced by him. I cannot remember the price of that helemet as it came free with a bike I once bought.

Just wondered if anyone could recommend any brands or advice. For instance how much will get cost to get me a safe cycling helmet and at what point does the price become a victim of its own prestige for example a famous brand.

Most helmets are tested towards the same spec, and will provide the same minimum level of protection. Whether any helmets provide more - and if so, how much more - than the agreed minimum level is not known.
Meaning that as the user, about the only thing you can reasonably check and influence is fit and style. To do any good a helmet has to get used and stay in place. Something so ugly and/or uncomfortable that it gets left behing isn't any good at all.
So pick one that looks nice, fits well and has passed the appropriate testing.
I've payed about $50 for mine.
Seems to be the pricepoint where helmets for more-than-average oval heads are found.
Current brand is Abus, previous was Mett.

There is some evidence that helmets with the MIPS retention system offer a bit more protection against some types of injuries.
Then there are the fullface helmets, particularly if used together with a neck brace. Good protection at the cost of looking like a right doofus among the other casual riders.

 

[Bicycleman]

I'd pay $60 to $100. Yeah, you can get a cheap helmet, but it just depends on what you think your life is worth. I tend to buy Giro, Trek, or Bell helmets. They are good helmets. Just remember if you crash and your helmet cracks like i't supposed to do, go out and buy yourself another one. I own 4 helmets right now.

 

[oldbobcat]

All cycling helmets sold in the US must pass the same CPSC standards, and outside of the new MIPS systems found in some new helmets, we don't know if any models significantly exceed this.

Generally, more expensive helmets provide specialization (road, aero road, MTB trail, MTB enduro, etc.), lighter weight, better ventilation, better aerodynamics, and more sizes. More sizes leads to closer and more comfortable fitting. And generally, the middle price lever ($70-100) is where these features kick in.

If you look around you can find some good deals on helmets that were top of the line a few years ago. Molds are durable, so last year's latest and greatest gets some new colorways and becomes this years cool buy.

 

[Bicycleman]

I have kept the same helmet for several years. The only thing that wears out are the inner webbing and straps that allow the helmet to fit your head. I have heard that after a few years, you are supposed to replace your helmet, but I never have since I see nothing wrong with the integrity of the helmet, unless it's involved in a crash. One time, I went through the back of a car with my Bell helmet, and it never cracked. That was the old bomb proof Bell that they no longer make, anymore because it was so heavy.

 

[CAMPYBOB]

If you look around you can find some good deals on helmets that were top of the line a few years ago.

Perfect advice for those looking to save money. Bike Nashbar closeouts and discontinued models is a good start. Same with many of the online retailers.

 

[Mr. Beanz]

If your only helmet was free and you are the type to lend a helmet to a friend, I'd say $20 at Walmart.

I use Giro helmets because they are super comfortable to me and barely noticeable on long climbs and heat. I pay about $150 -$180 when I can get them on sale. But I would never lend a helmet to a friend, heck I don'e even let them look at them.

 

[kuroba]

I'd pay $60 to $100.

I agree. I currently use a Nutcase helmet, which is around that range and I've used for years for commuting/recreational rides. Now that I'm a bit more seriously into cycling I'm getting a Bontrager helmet around the same price (it's summer over here and the Nutcase helmet is WAY TOO HOT lol).

 

[Weatherby]

I have some expensive helmets but my favorite is a Limar Ultralight that I got for $45 on Sierra Trading post. Not only is it light with lots of cooling vents but the vents have a mesh to keep bugs (wasps and bees) out.

I don't put much faith in any helmet's crash protection.

 

[dhk2]

I trust Bell brand helmets. Last one cost about $50 at the LBS....believe it was a "Lumen" on sale. It's a bit cheaper retail than the last two Bell models I had, but seems almost identical in features and venting.

I replace them about every 3-4 years. I think the middle-range helmets are the best value, don't see that the really expensive ones are much different.

For a really cheap helmet, you can order direct from China. My buddy has bought several for $20 or less. They look good, with the round vent holes like the fancy Euro brand. And they have the sticker inside that says they meet CPSC standards. They may be OK, but I just don't trust them, and prefer to spend more to get the assurance of quality.

 

[Corzhens]

Those are cute helmets in the photo. I see some rich riders with fancy helmets that are branded. But most riders that I ride with have the ordinary ones. They reason that helmets are for safety and not for boasting. By the way, there are helmets that has a brace for a camera. Yesterday I had seen a group of cyclists with some of them having cameras atop their head. They said that it is now the standard. That I don't know why.

 

[CAMPYBOB]

I don't put much faith in any helmet's crash protection.

I've seen a lot of busted up helmets over the years...including a team mate's early Giro that ended up in multiple pieces on the road, but the only head injury I can remember from all that carnage is the gravel slide-out and fall that a friend took a couple years ago...while NOT wearing a helmet.

He woke up and had no memory of the crash. Recovery was fairly quick, thank God. And he now wears a helmet as if it is a religion practiced when on a bicycle.

So, anecdotally speaking I guess my local data says they work as advertised.

Overall, I pretty much agree with you. I do not really trust a couple ounces of Styrofoam and polymer to protect my brain or brain case from impacts speeds achieved by any practiced roadie. Luck of the draw, as much as anything...

In those nightmare crashes such as the two cyclists that died out of the group of five that was hit head-on by the pickup truck near the Cuyahoga National Park last Fall...no helmet short of a full face motorcycle helmet would give a guy a fighting chance.

 

[dabac]

I've seen a lot of busted up helmets over the years...including a team mate's early Giro that ended up in multiple pieces on the road, but the only head injury I can remember from all that carnage is the gravel slide-out and fall that a friend took a couple years ago...while NOT wearing a helmet.

He woke up and had no memory of the crash. Recovery was fairly quick, thank God. And he now wears a helmet as if it is a religion practiced when on a bicycle.

So, anecdotally speaking I guess my local data says they work as advertised.

Overall, I pretty much agree with you. I do not really trust a couple ounces of Styrofoam and polymer to protect my brain or brain case from impacts speeds achieved by any practiced roadie. Luck of the draw, as much as anything...

In those nightmare crashes such as the two cyclists that died out of the group of five that was hit head-on by the pickup truck near the Cuyahoga National Park last Fall...no helmet short of a full face motorcycle helmet would give a guy a fighting chance.

Well, if the risk was so high that it'd be reasonable to really think that "this can kill me", I wonder how much - if any - riding I'd get done.
Or simply getting out of bed in the morning.

But hey, even the easily survivable injuries can be a real nuisance. I'd happily wear a helmet for the rest of my riding life if all it ever saves me from is a split eyebrow.
And then there are those intermediate injuries.
Anytime a helmet cracks or dents, that's energy that otherwise would have gone into the skin, skull and brain.
Might not be the difference between life and death, or between vegetable and functional.
But it sure aint helping.

 

[Weatherby]

CampyBob.....I probably should have said something more like I protect my own safety by riding carefully and that the helmet is a last resort device to keep me alive. I ride a lot at night when tired and on roads that I do not know. I'm probably just think too much about my safety and don't want to even think of having to rely upon my helmet. I also bought a Specialized Evade full price that turned out to be counterfeit....the little stickers attesting to passing safety tests were perfect.

 

[dhk2]

CampyBob.....I probably should have said something more like I protect my own safety by riding carefully and that the helmet is a last resort device to keep me alive. I ride a lot at night when tired and on roads that I do not know. I'm probably just think too much about my safety and don't want to even think of having to rely upon my helmet. I also bought a Specialized Evade full price that turned out to be counterfeit....the little stickers attesting to passing safety tests were perfect.

Agree safe riding is our best defense. "Not falling counts for a lot" is a quote I heard many years ago. Another one I like to remember (at my age) is "No, you're not too old to ride, just too old to crash"......

If you want to share the story, I'm curious as to where you bought the counterfeit helmet, and how you found out about it.

 

[JeffBrown]

I usually spend around $50-$75 for a helmet. You really don't wanna go any lower because it won't be as protective as a higher priced helmet, but you don't wanna pay to much for something that works just the same has something half its price. So I would stick to the $50-$75 range.

 

[chrislee99777]

It is very depends what kind of cycling you want to have because they are from $10 to several hundred. If you want to have fun, maybe $30-$50 dollars helmets are good for you. However, if you want to have a professional cycling, you should have a helmet at least $200.

 

[jozhua130]

It depends on what you would be riding. There are cheap helmets that do fine. I have one for $20 and I had two accidents with it before I replaced it. Yeah, I know, I should have thrown it out after one but, well, that is what happened.

If you're going fast though be it mountain biking or road cycling, get one with the MIPS lining. It's going to be expensive though but worth it.