So I decided to write off my helmet today…

Well, actually I crashed straight into a tree – don’t ask 🙄 The helmet did its job well and took most of the force of the impact, but destroyed itself in the process. I’m left with a bruised forehead, sore neck, and the need to buy a new helmet!

So, my Bell Slant Large has served me well for a few years, and I go looking online for the same. What I find is that most reasonably priced helmets, including the Slant, are now “Unisize” – what’s that all about?

Having a 61cm head, and always having to go for large helmets in the past, I’m very dubious that one helmet can fit all – well.

The more expensive helmets still seem to come in Small, Medium, and Large, so is this just an attempt by the manufacturers to get us to upgrade in order to get a decent fit?

Anyone with largish head had experience of the unisize helmets – any good?

Do they not do a crash replacement system? I go through a fair amount of helmets 😳 , so I tend to stick with specialized, as they will give you a helmet for less then half price if you send them an old battered one.

As a fellow big head I’d suggest Giro. Xen has always fitted me fine but it is pricey. On-one have had some really good Giro deals on their website – I got a Xen for £59 in the last round of offers. Other helmets were also on simillar discount levels.

Hi Realman, good thought! I know some manufacturers have a crash replacemnet programme, but I don’t think Bell are one of them – at least I googled it and nothing came up!

Hi Oldagedpredator, yeah if I cant get a direct replacement Large Slant anymore, I’m liking the look of the Giro Phase, at 66 quid from CRC – looks like a decent helmet…

I’ve got a 62cm head, used gio xens, and now on a 661 recon

I’ve got a cheap giro in uni size, and a biggish head, and it fits fine – I’d be more worried if I had a small head.

I think on their website it says what range of sizes ate covered

Crashed my Bell Variant thurs and arranged crash replacement with them on frid
http://www.madison.co.uk/bell/
they are very helpful and replacement is half rrp
A new replacement slant is £25.
Cheers

Thanks Maccachod 😀 , but then I looked at the small print …
and unfortunately I bought mine in Hong Kong when I lived there, its over three years old, and I certainly don’t still have the receipt 🙁

Oh well, back to buying a new one then, and the question of whether the new “one size fits all” Slant will fit me as well as the old Large size one did…

I’ve got a similarly big melon and have had success with a protec unisize, damn hot though! (pisspot style) – otherwise MET do good big lids (I’ve got a Kaos) which seem to be available discounted all the time.

Aren’t Bell and Giro the same company? My Giro crash replacement went through Madison IIRC. Worth ringing and asking.

If this helps iv got a brand new (arrived friday) giro xen large in titanium cyan blue, with warranty card im selling got it from onone before they put the prices up on the xen ‘s it’s just trying to recoup the money I paid so £60 delivered if hour interested

Cheers

Tom

“Helmet saves rider from head injury shocker”
Surely it would have been your duty as an STWer to repeat the crash sans helmet to provide solid comparable back to back evidence of whether the helmet did actually protect you. 🙂

Know where you’re going with that one Nick1962 😉 – surprised ‘you know who’ hasn’t caught onto this thread yet – maybe he’s still out for a ride. All I can say is I’m bloody glad I was wearing a lid – there I’ve said it (now dives for cover and waits for the usual STW helmet vs no helmet argument to erupt!)

Tomglass20, thanks for the offer, but it has to be red & white to match the new bike (yeah I know – I’m a real tart) – and anyway I’m in Oz, so it’d be real mean for me to hold you to the 60 quid delivered offer 🙂

Glad the hat did its job and you’re ok!
In my experience (mainly with giro helmets) the unisize ones are too small for people with big heads, which yes does mean you have to buy the more expensive ones…

Thanks Beckykirk43 – head survived pretty well unscathed, but my neck did get compressed with the impact (heard the creaking sound as it was happening – nasty!) and the muscles have already gone into spasm to protect the injured vertebrae, so I’m expecting an uncomfortable week or so ahead…

Anyway, appreciate the advice on the unisize helmets – kinda confirms my suspicions. Guess the only real answer to my question is to try a few in the LBS, but I feel real guilty doing that when I know I’m going to end up buying online 😳

Ok fella no worries, well if it helps the giro large comes up quite large (funny that) but the adjustibility is excellent