helments

[zukitek]

This si just an FYI for anyone needing to buy an economical helmet to get started with in TT.

http://www.teamdi.com/zamphelmets.html

RR

[Jedi1]

I am not disputing that that is a good deal. I just want to give a bit of perspective on this situation. The rule of thumb for pretty much everything in this life is that you get what you pay for. If you feel that you have a $150 dollar head, by all means that's the helmet for you! There are several things that I would maybe not purchase in order to spend GOOD money on SAFETY gear. Let's say you want to get into PDX or TT and you think your car needs those sway bars or strut bars or a cold air intake. It doesn't! Your head needs a really good helmet so if something bad does happen you get to go home! Just food for thought.

[Welacey]

Also Ricky, if you get a full face helmet, the Zamp lens has wavey distortions.

[zukitek]

I am not disputing that that is a good deal. I just want to give a bit of perspective on this situation. The rule of thumb for pretty much everything in this life is that you get what you pay for. If you feel that you have a $150 dollar head, by all means that's the helmet for you! There are several things that I would maybe not purchase in order to spend GOOD money on SAFETY gear. Let's say you want to get into PDX or TT and you think your car needs those sway bars or strut bars or a cold air intake. It doesn't! Your head needs a really good helmet so if something bad does happen you get to go home! Just food for thought.

Sean,

Thanks for the insight.First ,I am well versed by now in the subject of safety gear.I guess I have a $150 head because I'll probably be buying one .IMO ,if you got a 1.75" rollbar,a 6 point harness,the bar is padded with SFI high density padding ,your wearing nomex everything ,the seat is at least a SFI if not FIA.THe helmet looks like a safe buy to me .

Point being..if you are involved in an incident that even remotely requires the helmet to be better than that....you're probably in serious trouble no matter what helmet you have on your head.

It's rated SA2005 and is recognized by snell foundation and thats the spec that is required.Im curious how much better you need it to be for a track trials event ......which is the context of which I was putting out the heads up .

Irronically,a "motorcycle " dot helmet is not necessarily good enough to SCCA but most times _needs_ to be better than our racecar helmets do .I digress.




RR

RR

[zukitek]

Also Ricky, if you get a full face helmet, the Zamp lens has wavey distortions.

Thanks Wally,thats good info.

RR-

[Jedi1]

Padded roll bars can still do alot of damage. Like I said. Make sure you put the best safety equipment in your car and your on your body that you can afford. You will be amazed at how much more confidence you have in your ability to handle race situations when you have complete confidence that you are safe in the car. It really does help.

I know I haven't gone wheel to wheel with anything for quite awhile now, but I did compete in several different forms of 4 wheel competition for over 20 years of my life. The whole safety thing is something I take very seriously. That's the only reason I chimed in.

[BradleyMiller]

I rarely have any useful knowledge to contribute to this forum, but for once I actually have some useful input. I raced motocross for about 5 years (and am AMA Competition credentialed) and have been into motorcycles for about 15 years. Over that time I've read much about helmets and have conducted many impromptu tests on my own head. That doesn't make my opinion any better than anyone else's; that's just my background.

With that said, I'd say there's some credit to both points of view. One one side, your head IS invaluable, so why not protect it with the best? A good argument to be sure. On the other side, we all have to compare our needs to our available budget. So here's my input:

If a helmet is SNELL certified, it's met the toughest test out there. Whether a helmet costs $80 or $800, you will be very well protected because they both meet the same standard - and I do not know of anyone out there who claims to exceed the SNELL test standard.

That does not mean there are no differences b/t the $80 helmet and the $800 helmet - it just means that there are no differences in their level of safety. And that's the main point, to be sure.

But the biggest differences are in comfort, materials, and convenience. For example, the $80 helmet is probably made of FRP - fiberglass reinforced plastic. It gets the job done as well as anything, but it's HEAVY. So it will wear you out faster. If you pull a lot of G's in the turns, you'll feel it sooner. The lining will probably not be as soft as the more expensive helmet, and it may not be removable for washing like an expensive helmet. Expensive helmets are also have adjustable/replaceable liners to better fit your face. Some points that don't affect safety may be cheaper - like the faceshield someone pointed out, or the way it attaches and locks. And the ventilation systems aren't as good... but being in a car, that won't matter to you guys. Finally, the big kicker, the cheaper helmet will have cheaper paint and stickers on it than the more expensive one.

By far the biggest advantage to an expensive helmet is comfort. Truly expensive helmets will be made entirely of carbon fiber, which can save anywhere from 1-2lbs over FRP. If you have to wear it over a long period of time, that can make a HUGE difference. Mid range helmets will use any combination of synthetics, usually CF and FRP, and they can be a good balance b/t weight and expense. I've already mentioned the other benefits - most notably the liner, then other things like adjustability and convenience.


So in brief: If two helmets meet the same certification standard, they are identical in terms of safety! If you've got a limited budget and need a helmet, don't hesistate to get one of those.
But there are measurable differences in more expensive helmets, weight being by far the most important. It will have a direct effect on how tired or not you are, which will impact your lap times.

When I buy helmets, I look at 2 things: certification (SNELL is better than DOT), and weight. Everything else is a minor detail, but I would say you should absolutely try one on before buying, b/c different makers shape their helmets differently, and some may fit you better than others. You definitely do not want to be uncomfortable.



All that said, I've tested a helmet a lot tougher than I hope any of you ever do in a car. During MX practice, I cross rutted on the face of a jump at about 40mph. I finally came to a stop about 100ft down hill from the take off, knocked dizzy and with a badly broken collar bone. My helmet and body armor was full of gashes from the rocks, but most notably was an 1/8" gash in the top of my helmet. Had that been my skull, I may not be here. That helmet was a ~$120 FRP SNELL and DOT-approved HJC brand. So don't get hung up on the cost if safety is your main goal.

[zukitek]

Wow Bradley who knew ??All kidding aside,thank you very much for breaking that down .That was VERY informative .You can call me one of those fortunate individuals who hasn't had the misfortune of being able to vouch for the safety of a helmet .I have been involved in motorsports since before I was licensed to drive and somehow have avoided needing a helmets protection .

I am after the safety aspect 100% ...the "power windows and cruise control" are at the bottom of my list.Economics are at the 75% level.


RR-

[BradleyMiller]

Haha, yeah... sorry for the huge post, but hopefully everybody's clear(er) now. As you pointed out above, if you truly need a helmet in a car, you've probably got bigger problems. Which is not to take away from what the helmet does, but you certainly don't have to worry about it breaking a 15ft fall onto rocky dirt. At least... we hope not.

[zukitek]

Haha, yeah... sorry for the huge post, but hopefully everybody's clear(er) now. As you pointed out above, if you truly need a helmet in a car, you've probably got bigger problems. Which is not to take away from what the helmet does, but you certainly don't have to worry about it breaking a 15ft fall onto rocky dirt. At least... we hope not.

TRUE dat!!!

RR-

[farrout]

THe other thing to mention about a helmet is the fit. It needs to be comfortable. It needs to be snug enough that it does not move when you shake your head from side to side. Over time and wear padding will compress a bit, so a tighter fit out of the box will loosen up a bit eventually.

Most manufacturers in their "lower" price ranges have gone to a Small/medium/large construct. If your pumpkin is an exact fit for a S/M/L, then you are truly blessed.

Bell does go to the exact sizing construct for their higher priced helmets. Different manufacturers fit different. Best to try on a bunch of helmets to see what you like best. If you wear a head sock, then allow for that as well. Even helmets of the same size from the same manufacturer can fit differently.

Take your time and do due diligence in your selection. You could be wearing the helmet for 10 years. If you amortize the cost over that period, the difference between a cheap helmet and a more expensive one is a six pack a year.

[engled]

THe other thing to mention about a helmet is the fit. It needs to be comfortable. It needs t If you amortize the cost over that period, the difference between a cheap helmet and a more expensive one is a six pack a year.

Since you put it that way I'm glad I bought a cheap helmet.