Tour de France-Why no helmets?
Jeff Hansen
> I wear a helmet 'cause it's stupid not to, but it's
> almost as stupid to pay $140US for styrofoam/Gecet and a nylon strap.
But you have to admit that the Giro Helios is one cool looking helmet. The
reason people pay for it is because of the look and name...the same reason
people pay 200 bucks for a pair of Oakley sunglasses (which are just a hunk of
plastic after all).
BTW: I just got a '96 Helios on sale at Performance for $89...too much money
still I know, but it sure looks nice, light and is well vented...
--Jeff Hansen
jha...@cause.org
Dave Johnson
On Mon, 04 Aug 1997 12:52:49 -0700, Jeff Hansen <jha...@cause.org>
wrote:
>> I wear a helmet 'cause it's stupid not to, but it's
>> almost as stupid to pay $140US for styrofoam/Gecet and a nylon strap.
>
>But you have to admit that the Giro Helios is one cool looking helmet. The
>reason people pay for it is because of the look and name...the same reason
>people pay 200 bucks for a pair of Oakley sunglasses (which are just a hunk of
>plastic after all).
Well, I'd never pay $200, but Oakleys are more than just the name. I
get the cheapest M-frames I can, even though I don't particularly like
their looks. I tried several pairs of cheaper sunglasses before
breaking down and buying Oakleys. Figured that it was cheaper in the
long run, rather than going through a bunch of $20-30 glasses that I
wound up throwing away. I couldn't find anything that sat high enough
on my face for road riding. I'm now looking for a pair of tinted
Fectoids. These are a Gargoyle-lookalike safety glasses from Cabot
Safety/Aearo that my employer has started supplying it's employees. I
love my clear ones for night riding, our purchasing guy says they cost
him $9, and they come in tinted, although I haven't worn the tinted
ones yet. If the tint is even halfway decent, I won't buy Oakleys
again. Unfortunately, Aearo doesn't respond well to email--They
promised info by smail, never sent it.
I was also willing to pay for the Bell Image Pro helmet, because it
fits my head perfectly--Felt almost as if it snapped in place, snug
even before I buckled it. Much more comfortable than my $20 clearance
sale Sub 6.
Sometimes it's worth paying a premium for a known product, to avoid
spending as much on trial and error before finding a good substitute.
>BTW: I just got a '96 Helios on sale at Performance for $89...too much money
>still I know, but it sure looks nice, light and is well vented...
How much per ride? Comfort is worth a lot to me.
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Avery Burdett
Jeff Hansen (jha...@cause.org) writes:
>> I wear a helmet 'cause it's stupid not to, but it's
>> almost as stupid to pay $140US for styrofoam/Gecet and a nylon strap.
>
> But you have to admit that the Giro Helios is one cool looking helmet. The
> reason people pay for it is because of the look and name...the same reason
> people pay 200 bucks for a pair of Oakley sunglasses (which are just a hunk of
> plastic after all).
>
> BTW: I just got a '96 Helios on sale at Performance for $89...too much money
> still I know, but it sure looks nice, light and is well vented...
>
....which just goes to show that helmet use is more fad and fashion than
safety.
I'm just waiting for the first safety ad quoting a Seattle study claiming
lycra jerseys reduce road rash by 85%. It's not so far fetched -
recent nonsense from Thompson et al in JAMA calls for cyclists to wear
neoprene skier-type suits (as well as full face helmets).
--
Avery Burdett
Ottawa, Ontario
Thomas H. Kunich
In article <33e85a32...@news.wesnet.com>,
Dave Johnson <djoh...@wesnet.com> wrote:
>
>Well, I'd never pay $200, but Oakleys are more than just the name. I
>get the cheapest M-frames I can, even though I don't particularly like
>their looks.
Try the Performance Radials at $30 normally and $20 on sale. I've
never bought nother type since I've started using them.
>I was also willing to pay for the Bell Image Pro helmet, because it
>fits my head perfectly--Felt almost as if it snapped in place, snug
>even before I buckled it. Much more comfortable than my $20 clearance
>sale Sub 6.
You have a round head probably. The Specialized Sub 6 uses the
"long oval" head shape as a form. Never the twain shall meet.
I just picked up a couple of sale Bell Cyclones which are my favorite
helmet. $20 each and they will last me the rest of my cycling
lifetime.
>Sometimes it's worth paying a premium for a known product, to avoid
>spending as much on trial and error before finding a good substitute.
THis is especially true with shoes. If you find a shoe that you like
and that fits you, always buy another pair immediately because you'll
never find them again by the time the first pair wears out.