New Helmet

FWIW. If you live somewhere where it gets blazingly hot & you regularly ride when the temp is 90ºF, or above, then you may want the BELL because the vents look larger, so I presume that they are.

If you live someplace like the Pacific Northwest, then I think you may be happier with the helmet which has the slightly smaller vents.

If you live somewhere in between, then I think you would be happier with the helmet which has more venting UNLESS your current helmet has vents which appear to be the same size as the GIRO SLANT's vents and you are happy with how your current helmet feels at the end of most of your rides.

The visor may-or-may-not be meaningful to you -- if you ride a Road bike, you may end up removing it ... if you ride a MTB or a bike with FLAT bars, then you'll probably want a visor.

GIRO was bought by BELL several years ago, so the overall quality should be the same ...

BTW. Because of where 'I' live, of the two, I would choose the BELL ... or, a GIRO with approximately equivalent venting.

As stated above, Bell and Giro are the same company now, and their helmets at comparable price points are very similar. They have different trade names for their adjustment systems, but they are basically the same, also.

The two brands have some fit differences, though, in the basic shape of the helmet. One of them is a better fit for a more round head (when looked at from above), whereas the other tends to fit more oval-shaped heads better (also from above). But for the life of me I can't remember which is which.... (You'd think I'd know this, having once owned a Giro helmet, and now having a Bell.) So if you try them both on, in the comparable size, you might find that one has more relative space on the sides, where the other has more relative space at the front and back.

In terms of head protection, I think that all approved helmets are essentially the same, regardless of brand or price level. So you are really looking at comfort, style, air-flow/venting, and weight, as deciding factors.

I wouldn't buy a helmet because the vents are smaller or larger depending on my needs of where I live. I would buy the larger vented model regardless because when it's hot it will vent better, and when it's not hot you can either cover the vents on the outside with a rain cover, or when it's cold wear a balaclava, or wear both when it's really cold and raining. If your head gets hot when riding you can't drill larger holes in your helmet to ventilate, but you can take off stuff to make it cooler.

Froze said:

I wouldn't buy a helmet because the vents are smaller or larger depending on my needs of where I live. I would buy the larger vented model regardless because when it's hot it will vent better, and when it's not hot you can either cover the vents on the outside with a rain cover, or when it's cold wear a balaclava, or wear both when it's really cold and raining. If your head gets hot when riding you can't drill larger holes in your helmet to ventilate, but you can take off stuff to make it cooler.

FWIW. In addition to where a person lives as possibly being a factor, I'm under the impression that MOST people may not ride more than 5 miles on any given ride ...

So, while you-or-I might prefer a helmet with better venting, better venting may not be meaningful for everyone.

alfeng said:

FWIW. In addition to where a person lives as possibly being a factor, I'm under the impression that MOST people may not ride more than 5 miles on any given ride ...

So, while you-or-I might prefer a helmet with better venting, better venting may not be meaningful for everyone.

I think that at least 66% of the people on this forum ride more then 5 miles on any given ride.

As far as venting goes, I was just stating a fact about venting in that it's easier to warm the head then it is to cool it, thus the vents may be crucial.

But your right, if the poster only intends on riding 5 miles on any given ride then why worry about vents.

Froze said:

I wouldn't buy a helmet because the vents are smaller or larger depending on my needs of where I live. I would buy the larger vented model regardless because when it's hot it will vent better, and when it's not hot you can either cover the vents on the outside with a rain cover, or when it's cold wear a balaclava, or wear both when it's really cold and raining. If your head gets hot when riding you can't drill larger holes in your helmet to ventilate, but you can take off stuff to make it cooler.

+1

It's always been easier for me to make my head warmer than it is to make it cooler (I'm a hothead), so I like a helmet with maximum ventilation.