When did Helmets get so hard to choose?
This years been an expensive helmet learning curve for me, in 5 months im on my 4th helmet, let me explain how I got here.
I’ve had my current helmet, a Bell Star for about 2 years. It’s been my daily rider, to and from work 4-5 days a week, plus weekly mountain runs. It’s a good helmet, actually it’s a great helmet. For a $900 helmet its got a bunch a features, its super comfortable and majority of the time you can grab them on sale for super cheap.
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So when mine started to develope creaks and groans after getting caught in a hail storm I decided it wase time to get a fresh lid, with a baby on the way I wanted something safe, budget friendly and still with similar safety ratings, enter the KYT REVO Winter Test Replica. Id done my research, and been sufficiently influenced into locking down this helmet for all of my riding needs.
Some late night shopping and 1 week later my new KYT arrived, and I was stoked, great quality finish, and aggressive shaped and a cool finish, what’s not to love? well my first commute to work (66km of highway riding) later I found out what, it was loud, and i’m not talking general wind noise loud, like actively needing to wear ear plugs loud. this was a deal breaker for me, now don’t get me wrong, my Bell star was a loud helmet, and according to everything I can find online everyone had the noise in helmet was similar.
So 1 day of riding and I decided the KYT wasn’t for me, arranged a return, and was back on the helmet hunt. Low and behold, I stumble across a Bell Start Fasthouse edition, and I was sold, it was on sale for a killer deal and I couldn’t have hit add to cart quick enough. Another week goes past, and another helmet arrives at my door.
Monday morning comes, i’m on the bike to go to work, helmet slides on and I go to clasp it shut and low and behold one of the fixings rips out of the chin strap. Another helmet, another return, unfortunately this was the last available size in the country in any of the Star colour ways.
So the helmet hunt started again, and there’s a lot of good options out there. lets start with the obvious two brands AGV, and SHOEI, don’t get me wrong these are great options, but growing up in the world of off-road racing these brands don’t really carry the right attitude for me. there’s a bunch of other options, Kabuto have a great bunch of options but nothing really jumped out. Arai helmets are also a top contender, but again, nothing really screams out to me.
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So where did we land? As of now i’m currently running a Shark Spartan RS in the Troy Lee Designs colour way. And its great, its comfortable, breathable, compatible with a specific intercom (however works perfectly with my Sena) along with styling from one of the best in the game (Troy Lee Designs). In fact the only downside I have found with this is the fact the Spartan RS is the fact the field of veiw is smaller than what i’m used to.
And that’s how i’ve spent over $1000 on helmets in one year, for now i’m staying put on the Spartan, but who knows what will happen, in January I definetly wasnt planning on changing from my Bell.
