Helmet prices

[Mikefule]

OK, so let's accept that in some circumstances, the price of not wearing
a helmet can be very high indeed. But...

My open face helmet just about gave up the ghost recently. The cradle
was held in place with Velcro discs. These lost their stickiness.
I've replace them before, but now the helmet is so old and greasy that
new ones won't stick.

So I treated myself to a new helmet.

So what is there in a helmet? An expanded polystyrene moulding. An
outer plastic shell. A couple of webbing straps. A few buckles and
catches. A plastic visor.

£50.

£50 would buy a cheap TV, VCR or DVD player. £50 would buy a cheap
motorcycle helmet.

Expanded polystyrene mouldings are part of the free disposable
packaging for almost every electrical item you buy.

You can buy a rucksack or bumbag with no end of webbing straps and
buckles and catches for about £20.

A plastic shell? Multi-part children's toys made of plastic are
virtually given away free. You can buy a CD or DVD in a plastic case,
and with loads of intellectual property on it, for £15.

Why are helmets £50? I think it's exploitation.


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[U-Turn]

Mikefule wrote:
> OK, so let's accept that in some circumstances, the price of not wearing
> a helmet can be very high indeed. But...
>
> My open face helmet just about gave up the ghost recently. The cradle
> was held in place with Velcro discs. These lost their stickiness.
> I've replace them before, but now the helmet is so old and greasy that
> new ones won't stick.
>
> So I treated myself to a new helmet.
>
> So what is there in a helmet? An expanded polystyrene moulding. An
> outer plastic shell. A couple of webbing straps. A few buckles and
> catches. A plastic visor.
>
> £50.
>
> £50 would buy a cheap TV, VCR or DVD player. £50 would buy a cheap
> motorcycle helmet.
>
> Expanded polystyrene mouldings are part of the free disposable
> packaging for almost every electrical item you buy.
>
> You can buy a rucksack or bumbag with no end of webbing straps and
> buckles and catches for about £20.
>
> A plastic shell? Multi-part children's toys made of plastic are
> virtually given away free. You can buy a CD or DVD in a plastic case,
> and with loads of intellectual property on it, for £15.
>
> Why are helmets £50? I think it's exploitation.

Yeah, I agree. Buy a CD and some duct tape, download the CD to your
iPod, tape the case on your head, and you'll come out way ahead.


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[zippy]

you looking at upto 35 pounds max for a good helmet, they don't go any
higher and if they do you being scammed :)

unless you wanna go over board with the full faced crap :P


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[Mikefule]

zippy wrote:
>
> unless you wanna go over board with the full faced crap :P



The scar on my chin says there are arguments in favour of a full face
helmet.:o

However, I do find my full facer unpleasant to wear, especially on a
hot or tough ride.


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[wobblyjohn]

Don't forget the insurance costs. Helmets imply head injury protection,
no way around that for the manufacturers. A motorcyclist head injury is
usually paid for by the rider's insurance, or the offending box
jockey's insurance. Tri/bi/uni/cyclists go to an extreme in not
insuring thier noggin, beyond the helmet, and the box jockeys aren't
liable except in the case of obvious negligence; not without an
insurance agent fighting on the cyclist's side.
At least on this side of the pond, that surely adds up to one massive
insurance bill. The safety business is a dangerous one.


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[Mikefule]

An interesting argument.

I work in the insurance industry, and spent many years dealing with
personal injury and motor claims.

The maths doesn't add up for cases under English law.

A helmet is simple to make, using fairly cheap materials. They are
mass produced, and millions are sold. The R&D costs and testing costs
are spread over a huge number of units.

For there to be a successful claim against the helmet manufacturer
under English law:


- There would have to be an accident
- The person would have to sustain an injury which they might
reasonably have expected to have been prevented by the helmet (after
taking into account all the literature sold with the helmet)
- The helmet would have to fail in an obvious and unexpected way
- If there was another person to blame (car knocks cyclist off) then
the injury would have to be very significant before the car insurers
would think about forensic testing of the helmet and trying to bring
the helmet manufacturers into the litigation
- The person holding the helmet manufacturer responsible would have
to provide strong evidence that the helmet failed to perform as
expected, and that that contributed to, caused or exacerbated the
injury
- And so on.




I am confident that the risk (average number of such incidents x
average size of claim) is pretty small.

I think that cost of the cost of the helmet is simply "perceived value
pricing". That is, a helmet is seen as important and worth getting a
good one - and £30 - £50 is seen as worth paying for something
important - regardless of the true cost of production.


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[digigal1]

You should have looked for a sale. I recently bought a new Bell
hardshell skaters helmet that met 2 or 3 different safety standards for
$16.


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[juergen_brauckmann]

Remember that you are not only paying the helmet, but also the fancy web
site, the Tour de France sponsoring, cool posters and... .

Oh, and don't forget that all those holes are very expensive.

:-)

j.


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[johnfoss]

juergen_brauckmann wrote:
> Oh, and don't forget that all those holes are very expensive.


I have not priced helmets recently, but at least a few years back, the
above was fairly accurate for road bike helmets. In the US, helmets are
mandatory in many communities for riders under age 18. This has created
a much larger helmet market, and cheaper helmets that still meet
industry standards.

So unless anything's changed, in the US you can get a perfectly safe
helmet (kids or adults) for around $20US. You can get a better-looking
helmet for a little more ($25-40). Or you can get the
latest-and-greatest designer/racer helmets for $100 & up. You get
roughly the same amount of protection at all price levels, though
comfort, fit and weight probably improve as you go up the scale. And,
as Juergen says, you pay more for holes!

The most I've paid for a helmet in recent years is probably $35. I hope
you can find something decent for less than the 50 (pound symbol not
handy) you mentioned before. These helmets do start to get "yukky"
after a while; dirty, scratched, dented, etc. so replacing them is not
a bad idea.


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[Mikefule]

I don't know why, but my computer posted the same thread twice, and two
parallel discussions have started.

I've tried helmets in two or three shops over the last few weeks, and
wasn't happy with the fit or quality. I bought one on Saturday. I was
reasonably satisfied with the fit and quality. Given that the cheaper
ones didn't suit, I had little choice but to pay the higher price.

The point being that helmets are overpriced for what they are. But I
suppose so are shoes and shirts.

I have nothing further to say on this subject. Perhaps we could
discuss religion?


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[johnhimsworth]

My local bike shop reliably informed me that the better helmets come in
more sizes, so you can get one that fits better, but it means smaller
production runs and hence hire costs.

As for the size/number of vents - it's easy to joke about, but it does
have some benefit. It's one of those things that is difficult to notice
normally, but when I switched from a cheapo £10 helmet to a more
expensive one (maybe £25, can't remember) the extra airflow was
noticeable, which is very nice for long rides on hot days. Sadly you
can't just jab extra holes through it, it needs more work on the design
to make the helmet provide marvellous ventilation but still provide the
protection.

Think of it this way - the helmet designer is probably a biker too. By
buying expensive helmets, you're helping someone to buy shiny new toys.


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[pkittle]

I just ordered a Giro Xen from Sierra Trading Post for US$80. It has MTB
looks, back-of-head coverage like a skate helmet, and good
ventilation--a must where I live, with 100+ deg F temps in the summer.
I replace my helmet about every other year, and have generally bought
high-end helmets from previous year models to save a little cash. I
don't stress over the cost much, figuring that not turning my brain to
mush in case of accident AND keeping my head reasonable cool is worth a
little extra cash.

I've been thinking about getting a helmet from 'S-One'
(http://www.s-one.com/) to replace my skateboarding helmet. They sell
ones that have soft, multi-impact padding instead of hard polystyrene,
and they just sound more comfortable than the helmet I now wear at the
skatepark. Probably pretty hot, though, as are most skate-style
helmets.


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========*
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[Niko]

I can't tell how high the production costs for expensive helmets really
are, but for me personally the better comfort is worth the extra bucks.


The MET Stradivarious I wear cost just under 90 Euros. Before that I
tried a cheaper one, and the difference is huge. With my old helmet I
sometimes got a headache after some riding (brain overheating...), now
that is gone. I also use the helmet on the bicycle, and the airflow
through the helmet makes a huge difference.
The build quality also varies greatly. Better helmets usually use
"in-molding", i.e. the inner part is molded into the outer plastic
shell. That makes the helmet more durable at a lower weight and allows
for all the extra holes.

Of course wrecking your helmet in a light crash would really suck with
this pricetag, but so far I never fell on my head. And if I do it is
still better to write of an expensive helmet instead of not wearing one
because of the discomfort.


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[underdog]

I like riding with a skate helmet for unicycling and I use a more
streamlined bike helmet for my road bike. I figure I don't need the
aerodynamic shape on the uni since I'm not doing any high speed
Cokering. I bought an el cheapo skate helmet on sale for $10US and it
worked just so so. Kind of a bad fit but it was the best I could find.
Then I found a skate helmet that fit like a glove for $40US. It fits
so much better that I'm glad I spent the money. What I'd like to find,
perhaps on ebay, would be one of those old, leather bike helmets
(anybody remember those?). I think it would provide enough cushion for
that potential head bump on the tarmac and it would have the 'old
school' look (like me:p ).


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