RSS

Tag Archives: helmet

Giro Encore 2 Multi-Sport Helmet

The days are getting longer and the average daily temperature is gradually beginning to rise—so this week I’m going to review a couple more winter cycling products, and then next week we’ll move on to warmer weather cycling gear. I always wear a helmet when I’m on my bike, but those lightweight summer helmets with the large air vents just won’t cut it in the dead of winter. When the temperature drops below 20 degrees Fahrenheit I wear a helmet that is normally intended for snow skiing. This past winter I bought a Giro Encore 2 Multi-Sport Helmet and was very happy with the way it performed.

Giro Encore 2 Multi-Sport Helmet

The Giro Encore 2 is certified as a multi-sport helmet, which means it is suitable for use by skaters, bicyclists, and snow skiers (certification: ASTM 2040 / CE EN1077 / CPSC). If you experience an unplanned dismount (crash is such an ugly word) while riding in deep snow you probably aren’t going to get hurt. However, snow can also hide some nasty rocks, broken fence posts and sharp objects—not to mentioned a layer of slippery ice.

Goggle Strap on the Giro Encore 2 helmet

Unlike regular bicycle helmets, snow helmets usually allow for a bit of customization. The Giro Encore 2 has removable ear flaps (black padding). These covers will definitely help keep your ears warm, but they do inhibit your ability to hear ambient noises. If you are riding off-road where you are not worried about getting hit by a car, you can install a set of Skullcandy headphones into these ear flaps (like the Skullcandy Home Brew Kit). All of my winter cycling jackets have headphone ports—a small opening inside a vest pocket so you can run a headphone jack into your iPhone or MP3 player. And let’s face it, riding in a blinding snowstorm is a lot easier when you are listening to Air Supply (does that officially make me old?)

This helmet has thirteen small cooling vents with mesh covers (the mesh helps keep the snow out). When the temperature drops to below -5F I wear a Smith Optics Variant Brim Snow Helmet that has air vents I can close. Also, because this is a snow helmet, you can wear snow goggles and when you don’t need them they will rest comfortably on the front of the helmet without falling off (there is a small clip at the back to keep the goggles from moving around).

I Love The Red Accents

The Giro Encore 2 Multi-Sport Helmet retails for $60. I bought mine at a brick-and-mortar Dick’s Sporting Goods store and paid full-retail for it, but it is also available from several online retailers, including Amazon.com. This helmet is available in three sizes: Small (52–55.5cm), Medium (55.5–59cm), and Large (59–62.5cm). This helmet comes in several colors, but since the names they use won’t mean much to you, I’ll say the color selection is red, black, white, hi-viz yellow, and ivory (not all colors are available in all sizes). I chose the red helmet because, in my opinion, red objects are the easiest to see in the snow. Sometimes I have to ride on the same off-road trails used by snowmobiles—and getting hit by one of those things could make for a really bad day.

27 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on February 18, 2013 in Bicycle Safety, Product Reviews, Winter Cycling

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, helmet, ice, snow, winter

Bontrager Solstice Cycling Helmet

24 Oct

This past spring one of my sons decided to take up cycling and in the process of getting him ready for hitting the road I gave him my favorite cycling helmet (a beautiful Giro road helmet). He liked the Giro helmet because it was so lightweight (certainly lighter than the Kevlar helmet he wore in Iraq). Since I have several other helmets for special uses (night, rain, MTB) I decided to replace the Giro with an inexpensive Bontrager Solstice Cycling Helmet.

Bontrager Solstice Cycling Helmet

The Bontrager Solsctice is a durable, lightweight helmet that provides excellent airflow due to the large air vents. This helmet is a “one size fits most” and unless you are either very petite or have a large head it should fit you well. Bontrager’s propriety “Micro-Manager Fit System” make this helmet very easy to adjust.

Since I planned on using this helmet for riding on the road I took off the “removable snap-on visor” that comes pre-installed on the helmet. Unfortunately, the plastic pins that hold the visor on place broke while I was taking it off the first time—which means I will never be able to put it back on the helmet. Several “wicking pads” on the inside of the helmet not only make the helmet comfortable, but dry as well. These wicking pads are held in place with Velcro and are both removable and washable.

The Bontrager Solstice cycling helmet comes in four different color combinations and retails for $45. You should be available to find this helmet at any bike shop that carries Trek or Bontrager products. If you can’t find a dealer in your area, you can always buy it online from the Trek Store. If you are looking for a helmet that will make it easier for motorists to see you, please see the review I wrote for the Hardnutz Hi-Vis Yellow Bicycle Helmet.

5 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on October 24, 2012 in Bicycle Safety, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, bontrager, cycling, helmet, trek

Psolar Balaclava Heat Exchange Mask For Winter Biking, Hiking And Skiing

05 Dec

If you enjoy winter sports like snow biking or hiking you probably already own a balaclava to keep your face from freezing. A good balaclava will certainly keep your face warm, but if you want to protect your lungs from being damaged by the bitter cold you should get a Psolar Balaclava Heat Exchange Mask.

Psolar Balaclava Heat Exchange Mask

The Psolar Balaclava Heat Exchange Mask combines a regular balaclava with a small heat exchanger (a lightweight thermal conversion module) over the mouth that traps warm air as you breathe out and then allows you to inhale warmed air. The heat exchanger looks like a very small air filter and requires no batteries to operate. The company that makes the mask claims that on a 0 degree day (Fahrenheit) your inhaled breath can be warmed to over 75 degrees before it enters your body. After several winters of use I have to tell you it works perfectly! Not only does the heat exchanger warm the air you breath in, but it also humidifies it as well (this will help keep you from getting bronchitis).

The Psolar Balaclava is not sold as a medical device for asthma patients. However, I do have asthma and I can tell you that if it were not for this product I wouldn’t even dream about participating in winter sports. I’ve gone on long winter bike rides while wearing a Psolar Balaclava when the temperature was well below zero and have not had any lung problems as a result.

The Psolar Balaclava is available in several different models. The Psolar.HX Balaclava is a little thin on the top layer and is designed to be worn under a helmet. The Psolar.BX Balaclava is thicker on the top and is designed for hiking, skiing and snowshoeing (this is the one I wear when I am running my snow blower). They also have models available that do not cover the top of your head at all, just your face and neck.

The only downside to this mask is that it can cause your glasses to fog up when you are not moving. The company sells a Vapor Shield, which is a is a small foam device designed to prevent this from happening—but it does not always work. When it is cold enough to wear the Psolar Balaclava I stop wearing my cycling sunglasses and start using a pair of ski goggles. I’ve never has a problem with this mask fogging up while wearing the ski goggles.

The Psolar Balaclava Heat Exchange Mask retails for $40. At the moment the only place I can find this item online is at The Museum Store in Milwaukie, Oregon. I might be wrong, but it appears that the Psolar Balaclava is being replaced by the ColdAvenger Expedition Balaclava (review coming soon).

2 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on December 5, 2011 in Bicycle Clothing, Product Reviews, Winter Cycling

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, helmet, snow, sports, winter

Illuminated Cycling Fire Eye 2.0 Helmet Light

28 Nov

You already know that you need a good taillight if you are going to ride your bike at night. However, the biggest problem with mounting a taillight on your seat post or seat bag is that they are situated fairly close to the ground. While the motorist directly behind you can see your taillight, the cars behind them can’t. They best way to increase your chances of being seen (and staying alive) is to use a helmet mounted light like the Fire Eye 2.0 Helmet Light from Illuminated Cycling.

Illuminated Cycling Fire Eye 2.0 Helmet Light

The Fire Eye 2.0 light consists of a lightweight (63 grams) control box and two flexible light pods. The control box attaches to the top or back of your helmet with Velcro (included with purchase). The light pods also attach to your helmet with Velcro. The Velcro attachment system makes it very easy for you to take the Fire Eye unit off of your helmet if you desire. Complete installation instructions can be downloaded from the Illuminated Cycling Website, but I think a trained monkey could put these lights on in just a couple of minutes. I have a special helmet that I use for off-road rides at night and, in addition to the Velcro, I secure the control box to the helmet with two cable ties (the trails are often rough and this way I don’t have to worry about the Velcro slipping). Just for clarification, I don’t have the cable ties on in these photos. You will also notice that this helmet also has a lot of 3M Scotchlite Reflective Tape on it.

The Fire Eye 2.0 is powered by two non-rechargeable 1/2AA lithium batteries (6.3 volts). You should be able to get around 100 hours of use from a pair of batteries. This unit is also totally waterproof—it still works even while sitting in a tank of water!

Illuminated Cycling Fire Eye 2.0 Helmet Light (side view)

I bought the original Fire Eye 1.0 about a year ago and was fairly happy with it, even though I never liked the way the switch on the control box operated. Recently Illuminated Cycling came out with a new version, the Fire Eye 2.0, and this product not only switched to a rugged toggle-switch design but also doubled to brightness of the lights! The new taillight has three modes: High power solid beam, Low power solid beam, and High power strobe. The Fire Eye 2.0 is set to the strobe setting by default. Personally, I would suggest you keep it on the strobe setting since it draws a lot more attention than a solid light. The new toggle-switch is bulletproof—just one simple touch to turn the unit on or off. When I am on the trails I often turn the light off to conserve the batteries (no one is out there to see me anyway).

Now for the best part: these lights are incredibly bright, even in full sunlight. My photographs or the videos you can find online just don’t do justice to how bright these lights are! It has been my experience that the pre-dusk hours are the most dangerous time of the day to ride. Visibility is declining but most motorists don’t have their headlights on yet. If cars don’t have their headlights on then all the reflective clothing in the world won’t do you any good—you need something like the Fire Eye 2.0 to protect your life!

I have a pet name for cyclists who ride at night with only one taillight—I call them “future organ donors.” Even under the best of circumstances batteries die unexpectedly, electronics fail and mounting brackets break for no apparent reason. Even with a light as powerful as the Fire Eye 2.0, I always ride a standard taillight like the Planet Bike Superflash Turbo on my seat bag. And, if I plan to ride on a really busy road, I will also add a Portland Design Works RADBOT 1000 to my seat post.

Fire Eye 2.0 helmet lights are hand-built in the USA and are available from the Illuminated Cycling Website for $60. In my opinion, if you ride your bike at night this is one of the best investments you will ever make. If you have any questions about this product you can call Erik Shaffer at 1-888-406-7626. Illuminated Cycling also offers a light designed for use by bicycle patrol officers—a Fire Eye unit with fiercely bright blue lights (only available to Law Enforcement agencies).

Leave a comment

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on November 28, 2011 in Bicycle Lighting, Bicycle Safety, Cycling At Night, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, helmet, night, safety, taillight

Seirus Combo Clava (Fleece Lined Face Mask)

18 Nov

If you look in any cycling catalog you will quickly see that there is no shortage of balaclavas available. However, my favorite balaclava isn’t cycling specific. The Seirus Combo Clava is usually sold as a balaclava for alpine skiing, snowboarding and hiking, but it is my absolute favorite for winter cycling.

Seirus Combo Clava For Winter Cycling

The Seirus Combo Clava is lightweight, extremely warm, quick drying and highly breathable. The main body of this clava is made of Polartec fleece and the smaller face mask part is made of contoured Neofleece. Neofleece is really five layers rolled into one. The first layer is the outer shell, the second is a waterproof liner, and under that is fleece lined Neoprene, followed by Thermolite insulation and finally a wicking Microfleece lining next to your skin.

The Seirus Combo Clava fits great under most bike helmets. Out of all the balaclavas I own this one produces the least amount of fogging on my glasses. In fact, the only time it ever produces any fog is when I have to stop. The easiest way to deal with this is to pull the face mask down under your nose when you stop. While your mouth will be covered with the face mask part, I have found it to be easy to breathe through due to the holes in the mask.

Some people prefer to have their balaclavas tucked inside the neck of their jackets. Personally, I like a balaclava to sit on the outside of my jacket (I think it holds the heat in better). After a long ride the face mask part will be a bit wet, so allow it to dry before your next ride.

This balaclava is available in three sizes (ES, SM/MD and LG/XL). To determine the size you need just measure the circumference of your head just below your nose. The SM/MD size fits 20–24 inches and LG/XL size fits 22–26 inches.

The Seirus Combo Clava retails for around $30. I purchased mine from a Dick’s Sporting Goods (a brick and mortar store), but they are also available at many online stores as well, such as REI.com and Amazon.com.

4 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on November 18, 2011 in Bicycle Clothing, Product Reviews, Winter Cycling

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, helmet, snow, wind, winter

Hardnutz Hi-Vis Yellow Bicycle Helmet

05 Oct

A few weeks ago a friend of mine asked me if I knew where he could find a hi-vis yellow bicycle helmet. I told him that I had searched every supplier I could think of in the United States and had turned up empty. My friend was a bit more persistent than I was and he finally found the Hardnutz Hi-Vis Yellow Bicycle Helmet. The problem was that Hardnutz is located in the UK and he had a difficult time finding anyone who would ship to the US. However, he finally found Ski-WebUSA.com (located in Minnesota) and they were able to ship the helmet to him (I bought one as well).

Hardnutz Hi-Vis Yellow Bicycle Helmet

The Hardnutz Hi-Vis Yellow Bicycle Helmet is a well-designed bicycle helmet with a bright, hi-vis yellow outer shell. To help motorists see you at night this helmet also has 13 large reflective 3M Scotchlite panels. To keep you cool in warm weather the helmet has 21 air vents (and they work well). The chin strap is sturdy and very easy to adjust. At only 251g, this helmet very lightweight and once it was on my head I couldn’t tell the difference between it and the Trek Circuit Helmet I normally use.

This helmet is only available in one size (54-62cms). I am of average height and weight and this helmet fit me well, but if you cannot wear a normal cycling helmet you probably won’t be able to wear this one either. The fit is adjusted by a “dial-fit adjuster” on the back of the helmet. The helmet also has a removable visor.

As an added bonus, this helmet includes a rain proof carry bag that can be used as a helmet protector or a reflective backpack (the reflective strip is fairly large).

If you live in an area where motorists are more likely to pay attention to hi-vis orange than hi-vis yellow, you are in luck—SkiwebUSA.com also sells the Hardnutz Hi-Vis Orange Bicycle Helmet with the same specifications as the hi-vis yellow. I live just south of the Wisconsin border and I know for a fact that most people on the other side of the “Cheddar Curtain” have a great deal of reverence for Blaze Orange, especially during hunting season (they are also known to venerate anything that has a Green Bay Packers logo on it).

The Hardnutz Hi-Vis Yellow Bicycle Helmet retails for $85 including postage. I’ve ridden in this helmet long enough to tell you it is comfortable and well-made. I am also an advocate of hi-vis yellow cycling clothing. I highly recommend this product for all cyclists.

Leave a comment

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on October 5, 2011 in Bicycle Clothing, Bicycle Safety, Cycling At Night, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, helmet, hi-vis, hi-viz, reflective, safety

Trek Circuit Helmet

27 May

A few weeks ago I was in the mood to buy a new bike helmet before the start of summer. I had planned on buying the super-lightweight Giro Ionos Road Bike Helmet because its massive air vents were very appealing to me. When I tried the Giro Ionos on in the store it was very comfortable. However, when I got down into the position like I would normally be in when riding in the drops I could easily see the bottom edge of the helmet above my sun glasses. As a result, I started looking for another brand of helmet and settled on the Trek Circuit Helmet.

Trek Circuit Helment

The Trek Circuit Helmet is only slightly heavier than the Giro Ionos, but about $130 less (the Giro Ionos retails for $230, while the Trek Circuit retails for $100). While at the bike shop I held the Giro Ionos in one hand and the Trek Circuit in the other and the difference in weight was very insignificant.

The Trek Circuit Helmet has 21 well-placed vents that provide excellent air flow. Trek’s ZipTite 2 fit system is excellent and the helmet is so light and fits so well that it is easy to forget you are even wearing it. I rode over 500 miles with this helmet in the past few weeks and would highly recommend it to any cyclist.

Leave a comment

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on May 27, 2011 in Bicycle Clothing, Bicycle Safety, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, helmet, safety, trek, triathlete, triathlon

CycleAware Reflex Flexible Helmet Mirror

02 May

Cycling snobs beware: I ride with a helmet mirror. Yes, I know they look dorky, but I have finally reached that point in life where I value my life more than I fear the disdain of bike snobs. I’ve purchased several different brands of helmet mirrors, but my favorite is the CycleAware Reflex Flexible Helmet Mirror.

CycleAware Reflex Helmet Mirror

This mirror mounts securely to your helmet with double-sided tape (included with the mirror). I own four cycling helmets and I use this mirror on three of them. There is no way to mount a mirror on my winter cycling helmet since my snow goggles have to slide up on top of the helmet when not in use. My oldest helmet is four years old and is about to be replaced, but the CycleAware Reflex Flexible Helmet Mirror has hung on for every mile, both on the road and on the trails.

When riding into a headwind of over 30 MPH you might see the mirror vibrating a bit, but other than that it is very stable. CycleAware claims the mirror is removable, but I have never even tried. It is much easier to just buy a mirror for every helmet you own. The flexible shaft between the mount and the mirror itself is very easy to adjust. The large oval shape of the mirror provides a great field of view with a fantastic depth of field.

I have purchased several of these mirrors from a nearby Performance Bicycle store for around $20.00 each. You can also buy the mirror from CycleAware’s Website or Amazon.com.

Leave a comment

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on May 2, 2011 in Bicycle Safety, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, CycleAware, cycling, helmet, safety

JetLites A-51 Bicycle Headlight

20 Apr

Have you ever purchased an item for your bike and after a few months wondered, “Why doesn’t everyone have one of these?” That is exactly how I feel about the A-51 LED Headlight from JetLites. I purchased my A-51 late last September when it first came out and I have not regretted it one bit!

JetLite A-51 LED Bicycle Light

This LED bicycle headlight puts out 720 lumens of beautiful light and runs for over three hours on a full charge. The JetLite Website only claims a three-hour battery life, but I have been about to get three and a half hours out of it on when running on maximum brightness. You can also run the light in low mode and should get five and a half hours of light from it, or get twelve hours in the strobe mode. The connector between the battery and the headlight is threaded and waterproof. I carry the 9 ounce Li-Ion battery in my jersey pocket.

The “smart charger” for the A-51 LED Headlight is the best I have ever seen. Once you plug-in the 7.4 volt Lithium Ion battery into the charger it quickly determines how much of a charge it needs and once the battery reaches full the charger goes to sleep. The charger also wakes up every twelve hours to keep your battery topped off.

You can buy the A-51 LED Headlight with either a helmet mount or a bar mount. I chose the helmet mount since I like to have my brightest light on my helmet and a secondary light on the handlebars. The first time I rode an off-road trail with this light I noticed that some bikes ahead of me were pulling off to the side of the trail when I got close—they thought I was a car or motorcycle. When I caught up with them everyone wanted to know where I purchased the light!

You will probably never see a JetLite product in your local bicycle shop. You are going to have to either visit the JetLite Website and buy one online or find one of their few certified dealers to buy one of their lights. I bought mine online for $249, but I noticed on their Web site the price for the light, charger and helmet mount is now only $229.00 (folks, this is a steal).

This light comes with a one year warranty and it is made in the USA. If you ride at night you really need one of these lights!

Leave a comment

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on April 20, 2011 in Bicycle Lighting, Cycling At Night, Product Reviews

Tags: battery, bicycle, bike, cycling, headlight, helmet, LED, light, lumens, night

Smith Optics Variant Brim Snow Helmet

16 Apr

Why in the world would a cycling blog be reviewing snow helmet in April? The answer is that this is a great helmet for winter cycling and now just about every ski shop in America has this puppy on clearance for half price!

Smith Optics Variant Brim Snow Helmet

I wore the Smith Optics Variant Brim Snow Helmet all winter as I was biking through the snow and ice and I just love it. A normal cycling helmet with large air vents just won’t do when the wind chill is 20 degrees below zero. I used to nearly freeze to death every winter because I just couldn’t keep my head warm. I kept asking bike shops to help me find a suitable winter biking helmet and everyone told me they just don’t make them. Well, cycling manufacturers don’t, but companies who specialize in snow skiing equipment do!

The Smith Optics Variant Brim Snow Helmet has a dual regulator climate control which means you can close the vents when you get cold. I kept mine closed when the temperature is below -5 Fahrenheit. The removable ear flaps allow you to hear traffic, but still keep your ears warm at the same time. Also, because this is a snow helmet, you can wear snow goggles and when you don’t need them they will rest comfortably on the top of the helmet without falling off (there is even a small clip at the back to keep the goggles from moving around).

Curvature of the helmet is designed to match the curvature of most snow goggles and it also provides flow-through ventilation which means no fogging even on the worst days. This helmet is very lightweight and has a very comfortable fit. The Smith Optics Variant Brim Snow Helmet has safety certifications that I think would stack up well against most cycling helmets (Certification: ASTM F 2040, CE EN 1077 CLASS B).

I purchased this helmet at a sporting goods store in Wisconsin at the beginning of winter, which means I paid full price for it ($160.00). I noticed this week that many places have this model (and similar ones) on closeout for half-price.

Leave a comment

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on April 16, 2011 in Bicycle Clothing, Product Reviews, Winter Cycling

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, helmet, mtb, snow, winter

All Seasons Cyclist

Tag Archives: helmet

Giro Encore 2 Multi-Sport Helmet

Bontrager Solstice Cycling Helmet

Psolar Balaclava Heat Exchange Mask For Winter Biking, Hiking And Skiing

Illuminated Cycling Fire Eye 2.0 Helmet Light

Seirus Combo Clava (Fleece Lined Face Mask)

Hardnutz Hi-Vis Yellow Bicycle Helmet

Trek Circuit Helmet

CycleAware Reflex Flexible Helmet Mirror

JetLites A-51 Bicycle Headlight

Smith Optics Variant Brim Snow Helmet

Search This Site

Categories

Email Subscription

Top Posts & Pages

Archives

Blogs I Follow

Blogroll

Follow “All Seasons Cyclist”

Tag Archives: helmet

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Search This Site

Categories

Email Subscription

Top Posts & Pages

Archives

Blogs I Follow

Blogroll

Follow “All Seasons Cyclist”