Anyone have a recommendation on which helmet to purchase
I'm a new Rad ST owner and I just bought one of these "Victgoal" brand helmets which has great features and quality for the price. It costs under $40, and it includes a magnetic detachable tinted face shield, and there are two optional shields for about $10 ea. (yellow tinted, and mirrored). it also comes with a removable visor, a built-in USB rechargable rear light with steady and strobe modes, and a mesh carrying bag. It is available in 10 different color combos, has good head coverage, and it is attractive, in my opinion anyways. It is available on Amazon - worth a look -
https://amzn.to/3pGXXUF
I have a Nutcase Cats in Space helmet. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being best, I'd give it a strong 6. It's also not the safest rated helmet either. But I like cats and I got it on sale.
This one is good: https://amzn.to/3eEXa01
Here is our list: https://ebikeescape.com/best-ebike-helmets/
The Sena helmets are awesome if you ride frequently with others.
Many web pages say you should replace a helmet every 5 years. I think SNELL say replace every 3 years. Just sharing.
Consider the speed these bikes cruise at you should shop for a MIPS certified helmet that fits well. Skip the cheap bargains and get one that will protect your brain if you have a crash.
I went down on my Pedego without a helmet. I sucked really bad! I still have a bald spot from hitting my head on the concrete. But any helmet is better than no helmet. And if you don't like a helmet for any reason you find excuses to not wear it. I now wear my helmet religiously. My space cats are always watching out for my head.
Whats weird is when I was a kid mopeds didn't require helmets, and all us kids had a moped by the semi-illegal age of 14. And all our mopeds hit 30mph minimum, modded they would do 45mph. A bunch of us kids were out street racing and one of our gang went down, obviously without a helmet. He was in a hospital induced coma for a week! I bought a glitter blue helmet at a yard sale a few days later and wore it all the time! Everyone else in our 'ped club got helmets as well. Don't worry, our friend recovered.
Still waiting for my bike arrive, but ultimately found myself deciding between the Thousand Chapter and the Bern Hudson. LOVE the look of the Thousand Chapter, but at the end of the day the Bern appears to provide more protection, and that the most important thing when it comes to my dome.
And I love a bargain and want as cheap as possible, but safety isn't something I'm willing to skimp on, so I'm dropping that extra 75 bucks on one of those, instead of some cheap helmet.
Quote from: Ryan on December 30, 2021, 04:16:54 PMThe Sena helmets are awesome if you ride frequently with others.
I love my Sena, even though I almost never ride with others and none of them own a Sena. I love listening to podcasts while riding, keeping my ears open to the world around me, and it's handy for taking the occasional incoming phone call. I also recommend Sena - well-built, good fit and ventilation, very good safety rating and nice features. Get the sun visor that's optional on some models.
Quote from: ClarkB on December 30, 2021, 02:56:44 PMI'm a new Rad ST owner and I just bought one of these "Victgoal" brand helmets which has great features and quality for the price.
I looked up my noggin in Kelley Blue Book and even battle-damaged from life and now fully depreciated, it said my head was still worth more than 40 bucks.
Quote from: JimInPT on December 31, 2021, 09:55:36 AM
Quote from: ClarkB on December 30, 2021, 02:56:44 PMI'm a new Rad ST owner and I just bought one of these "Victgoal" brand helmets which has great features and quality for the price.
I looked up my noggin in Kelley Blue Book and even battle-damaged from life and now fully depreciated, it said my head was still worth more than 40 bucks.
I looked at helmets from $20 to $350, and I felt that the Victgoal is as good protection as a helmet two times the price, and the features add to the usefulness. I use Arai and Shoei helmets on my liter BMW motorcycle and my enduro dirt bikes, so I value protection and my noggin'. Other than not being MIPS or having communications built in, the Victgoal is a good bargain helmet that 'punches above its price range'.
I use modular helmets now with my scooters. Schuberth or Nolan. Plus both fit my head shape pretty good. Used Arai when I rode rocket bikes.
Quote from: sc00ter on December 30, 2021, 08:07:45 PM
...Whats weird is when I was a kid mopeds didn't require helmets, and all us kids had a moped by the semi-illegal age of 14. And all our mopeds hit 30mph minimum, modded they would do 45mph. A bunch of us kids were out street racing and one of our gang went down, obviously without a helmet. He was in a hospital induced coma for a week! I bought a glitter blue helmet at a yard sale a few days later and wore it all the time! Everyone else in our 'ped club got helmets as well. Don't worry, our friend recovered.
Yeah, especially those of us who are now "middle-aged" or older; we did a lot of dangerous, boneheaded things when we were young, and I often wonder where the hell my parents were when we were doing them! Back in the 1960s, my brothers got a mini-bike (I didn't get one and wasn't allowed to drive it because I'm a girl. I'm still working through this...). It was the kind of thing you got in a box and assembled. The fun part was that we lived up a long, steep hill AND the mini-bike didn't have brakes. You put down your feet to slow and stop it. Except for the time my brother and I were on it, heading down the hill and suddenly realized we were both barefoot. In that case, we stopped it by running it into a ditch. I don't remember there being even any such thing as bike helmets in those days!
JillGat, if your'e on this forum you just got your first minibike! All yours! And it has brakes as well! I'm thinking about getting another moped (work related, believe it or not) but my ebike is much more fun.
The Bell Soquel helmet has MIPS and runs around $50, it's not a bad fit for summer and winter. With the twisty knob in the back for adjustment I was able to wear a double thick thinsulate hat.
Our daughter is an ER doctor at a hospital in Seattle. Sometime before Thanksgiving an older man was brought in by Emergency Services who was beat up after a cycling accident. The EMS folks did not remove his helmet as it appeared to be crushed around his skull. When it came time to remove the helmet they had to cut it away. His head and jaw had a few light scratches but nothing more and no concussion. After he was patched up and broken bones set he was sent to the hospital ward. My daughter then took a look at the helmet and noted its make and model.
For Christmas she sent me a new helmet........
I am not in anyway endorsing this helmet but what I am suggesting for your consideration is consider what your head is worth and then get the very best helmet you can afford.
Thanks for all the suggestions
Has anyone tried any smart helmets?
I would like one so I can answer and make calls. I don't want to wear anything in my ears. I was looking at the Sena but they are a bit expensive. I don't need the rider to rider intercom. I usually ride by myself.
Thanks
Jim
For what it's worth, this Sena costs more than the cheap helmets but is well made and certified; the bluetooth audio also works well. Like you, I want over-ear speakers so I stay aware of the world around me. I use it almost exclusively to listen to podcasts and receive the rare phone call, don't need or use the intercom feature. Audio is a little tinny as you'd expect from such tiny speakers, but they're fine for podcast and phone voices. Battery life is also good; several hours on a charge. I also bought the visor, which is optional on this model and really comes in handy near sunset.
If you can squeeze out the price money, I think it's worth it and you'd be hard-pressed to find similar quality and features under $100 IMHO. I got the white one "used like new" for $103 and it was new in the box, so that wasn't bad at all. If you're not in a hurry, use camelcamelcamel.com to set up a price watch on it for eventual lower prices.
https://amzn.to/3FyZ6SV
If I get the Sena I want the R2 Evo for $179. I'll hold off for now to see if I can catch it on sale somewhere.
Jim
The Sena helmet (or Sena Pi) is my go-to helmet. When riding with my wife it's awesome to talk to each other and when I'm out by myself I turn on music. If you want to make your own helmet smart the Sena Pi's are a good option though still a bit pricey at $99 each: https://ebikeescape.com/sena-pi-review/
Quote from: Ryan on January 15, 2022, 12:56:11 PM
The Sena helmet (or Sena Pi) is my go-to helmet. When riding with my wife it's awesome to talk to each other and when I'm out by myself I turn on music. If you want to make your own helmet smart the Sena Pi's are a good option though still a bit pricey at $99 each: https://ebikeescape.com/sena-pi-review/
The Pi would be a good option if you have a MIPS helmet. I looked at both but I can't make my mind up. I like the light on the R2 Evo but I do have a MIPS helmet.
Jim
Finally after SEVERAL months of waiting I received my SENA R2 EVO on Amazon. It is hit or miss on inventory. Took about 2 weeks to get (FYI).
I have several helmets. My newest is the Thousand Chapter with visor. Everything I want in a quality helmet: MIPS, Dial adjusted fitting, good ventilation; light weight; LED light on back; and FIDLOCK magnetic chin strap.
I upgraded from a cheap skate helmet to a Thousands heritage, it's much more comfortable and fits so much better!
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0836/6919/products/retro_bike_helmet_003_2000x.jpg?v=1611711971)
I'm using POC's Axion SPIN. I like its design. Its design isn't completely sealed, but it does cover more of the back and sides of the head. This model is available on Amazon (https://amzn.to/3QdK0ZF), you can find it there.