I use the Ghisallo and would really recommend it. Great helmet and cool colors (get CSC!)

Bargain at Performance on the Bell Alchera. It is about 42 bucks. With the coupon code you can get 20 percent off. It's a year or two old - so it's cheap.

To me, it looks exactly like the Ghisallo without the cachet.

This is my second one. The first sacrificed itelf when it saved my melon.

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With the coupon code you can get 20 percent off.
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Where did you get the copuon code? Care to share it?

Thanks

Andrew

second for the alchera, just picked one up for my g.f. and it looks every bit as nice as my pneumo which was twice as much.

had a pneumo, liked it, but one day at a race the back part got tightened and I couldn't get the damn helmet on my head. fought with the stupid thing for at least a minute. anyway I got a ghisallo last winter (my lbs got a bunch from a liquidator) and the dial-adjust-a-thingy gives me more confidence. Also, the ghisallo has less cushions to pull out to wash & dry. oh, but the bell stickers came off like what, on day two?

 I have a pneumo and it's nice. I tried on both. They have a slightly different shape so one might fit your head better.

6000387 gets you 20% off until something like December, I think.

I got a Pneumo about a month ago. There are some good deals out there since this is now an "old" model. Really light and more hole than helmet. I can feel the wind in what is left of my hair and I think my bald spot got sunburned last weekend.

Seriously - this thing is so vented that I am going to use my old helmet when it gets cold.

Barry,

This site has a ton of information on helmets.

http://www.bhsi.org/

Check out the, "Bicycle Helmets for the 2004 Season."

My personal opinion is that it's just like a bike... it's all about the fit.

Scott

"Bargain at Performance on the Bell Alchera"

You know, I have one of these, and was reading in consumer reports that this helmet (along with the Influx, which is this helmet with a visor) was not recommended because of the restraint system. After I read this, I went home and tried to understand what they were talking about. Sure as shit, the helmet would stay on just fine if you hit the top or back of your head, but if you face plant, it slides right up as if it were never there at all.

I actually had a high impact crash with this helmet - hit the asphault with my head and shoulder at around 25Mph. It broke in five places and saved my life, but now that I see it's weakness, I am planning on taking it back to Performance and exchanging it for something a bit more highly rated - like the Ghisallo or the Pneumo.

I wear the ghisalo. bell helmets fit my head better than any other. this is my second ghisalo; the first one saved my brain in a crash. the helmet broke in 3 places, but I'm still functioning. the replacement was only $30 or $35 (I forget which, but that's not a result of the crash) from bell under their crash replacement policy.

That is interesting. My crash incurred impact on the back of the helment and I was fine - helmet was wrecked.

What does the Ghisallo, or any other helmet, have that makes it better for a face-plant. I can't envision how a helmet can evn protect you in a face impact crash. But I am open to buying new, sexy, expensive gear if it really makes me safer.

Specialized S1 - Relatively good price and they managed to put a lot of holes around the structure!

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'to give anything less than the best is to sacrifice the gift'...Pre

I got a Limar F707 this year. I was kind of nervous because its not the biggest brand, but I love it. Huge vents. It definatly gets the job done.

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"I push the envelope so hard it says, 'excuse you'." -MC Paul Barman

I've worn the Limar (F109? 107?), The Giro Pneumo, The Bell Ghisallo and the Giro Atmos.

My favorite is the Giro Pneumo. The Atmos was the "coolest" in terms of ventilation to me but had an amazing amount of wind noise. The Pneumo is acceptably cool and reasonably quiet.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I don't think any helmet will protect your face, I was more concerned with my forehead. You hit face first (could be primary or secondary impact), and the helmet slides up exposing your forehead.

A good helmet will stay in place during this kind of impact. I tried to adjust the Alchera so it would offer better protection, but I just couldn't get it to adjust properly - which is probably why Consumer Reports gave it a solid black dot.