Beat the Heat

Summer is here and it’s definitely not going to get any cooler. I recently poled our online fan base to find out what they “couldn’t live without” while riding this summer. The most popular response was their helmet.

Strictly regarding the issue of safety, a helmet is a necessity if you expect to keep your noggin’ entact should you bounce it off the pavement. Did you know that the right helmet will also aide in temperature regulation? When it’s a high of 95 degrees or more with 80% humidity and the heat index coming off the pavement feels like 200 degrees you want the most airflow you can get.

Helmet manufactures are constantly looking at ways to increase ventilation and reduce weight without sacrificing structural integrity. The Specialized SWorks road helmet for example weighs in at a mere 225g. This is the lightest helmet in the world that still meets CPSC standards. In creating this helmet Specialized focused on weight, maximum ventilation and complete comfort. So how did they accomplish this? How do you offer that much ventilation and still maintain integrity? Specialized has developed a patent pending Kevlar-reinforced InnerMatrix which enables larger, deeper channeled vents. This internal fiber is what holds everything together. And the kevlar composition helps to reduce overall weight without compromising strength. So while all helmets are required to meet certain safety standards, none are required to keep your head cool in the heat. Here are a few that will…per ride cost based on 48 months at 2 to 3 rides per week.

Between 40 and 60 cents per ride

Specialized SWorks Road – $229.99

Giro Ionos – $229.99

Specialized SWorks Mountain – $199.99

Between 30 and 45 cents per ride

Giro Atmos – $174.99

Bell Volt– $174.99

Lazer Genesis– $174.99

Between 21 and 36 cents per ride

Bell Sweep– $139.99

Bell Sweep XC- $139.99

Giro Xen- $139.99

Giro Saros- $119.99

Lazer OTXC- $119.99

Between 17 and 26 cents per ride

Lazer O2– $109.99

Specialized Propero– $99.99

Fox Flux – $99.99