Way overdue for a new one. Mine is old, heavy and cracked and needs to be replaced. Do you like yours? what do you recommend? I sweat a LOT, have a big head and ideally would like something light. Will not buy an aero helmet. Any thoughts?
Lazer has some great helmets (very comfy too)
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I love my Giro, but I don’t know what model it is. It has big vents. The thing I need to remember is to put sunscreen on my forehead or else I get a three dot vent sunburn. Very dorky.
Go to REI or a bike shop and try a bunch on.
big fan of the Bell Sweep R. lots of vents, lightweight and sweet looking. it also has a dial fit system that insures a good fit. plus enough room in the back to put my ponytail through.
thanks for these suggestions, I am going to try some on tonight…
ALexia I checked out your blog—loved the ‘double’ report!
Thanks!
Apparently all the cool kids are wearing Catlike. They make some sweet looking helmets. I’m partial to LG because I find they fit my head best. I’ve got the Ozzy, which is apparently rather geeky:
and the Giro Advantage 2, which I like to think of as being off-the-scale cool. Others disagree. 
When you’re looking at helmets, I’d recommend looking closely at the quality of the pads. I’ve just replaced yet another helmet because the cloth liners started to separate from the rest of the pads after only a year or so.
Of course, this problem could be unique to me, as my perspiration apparently contains a potent organic solvent that, among other things, erases permanent marker within an hour.
And now for my random question on helmets – does color matter? Not in terms of style but of heat, safety, etc. I have always worm a white helmet as I thought it would be the easiest to see. Now I am thinking of upgrading to a new Giro Ionos and for some reason the white helmets are $100 more than the grey/black and black/red, etc on ebay. I guess I would lean towards the black/gray for style points as it would match my bike. Or should I just order another atmos in white? Decisions, descisions.
$100 premium for a color?
Are you kidding me?
I’d keep the Franklin in my pocket…
Make sure you try on different brands of helmets. They all fit differently. I can wear Giro, but I can’t wear Bell at all because of the shape. The “best” one is the one that fits you best.
The color doesn’t make a difference. EPS (styrofoam) is an insulator so the heat is not going to reach your head unlike a black jersey.
That’s a big premium. I’ve read only modest reviews of the Ionos so perhaps an Atmos in white might be a better match for you?
I’m currently riding the S-Works helmet. It’s the nicest thing I have ever worn. It has a unique retention system I really like actually keeps my head drier than anything else I’ve ever worn.
Thanks! I currently wear an Atmos and have always been happy with it. It is just getting in need of replacing as the pads are starting to come lose. I was thinking the Ionos would be an upgrade but maybe not…
Not from what I have read. Ventilation is no better and it’s a bit heavier. Pads are more or less pads, I’ve not experienced any correlation between price and pad longevity.
I have to say I’m partial to my Louis Garneau. I can speak from personal experience having recently suffered broken vertebre, (c2 and c7), broken ribs, and a punctured lung from a bicycle crash at speed on a long downhill. Amazingly, my head sustained no injury other than superficial cuts and road rash. My head impacted directly in the middle of the back causing the inside styrofoam there to break into several pieces and the rest to crack and absorb the shock. I would happily purchase another LG helmet although I don’t recommend putting it through its paces in the same way I did. Prior to the crash, btw, It fit great, was comphy, and I felt had adequate ventilation.
big fan of the Bell Sweep R. lots of vents, lightweight and sweet looking. it also has a dial fit system that insures a good fit. plus enough room in the back to put my ponytail through.
+1 on the Sweep R
Thanks! I currently wear an Atmos and have always been happy with it. It is just getting in need of replacing as the pads are starting to come lose. I was thinking the Ionos would be an upgrade but maybe not…
Doesn’t feel any different other than the looks. Ionos comes with Rudy project like optional net inside to prevent bugs but it is useles.
gasp! Swimfan???
big fan of the Bell Sweep R. lots of vents, lightweight and sweet looking. it also has a dial fit system that insures a good fit. plus enough room in the back to put my ponytail through.
Another vote for the Sweep R. If you’re head is generally oval shaped, the Sweep / Bell helmets are a good fit. If your head tends more toward even round, the Giro helmets do better. The Bell Volt has add’l adjustments.
I’ll bet he’s reading Tasha’s blog too
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