 Poster: A snowHead
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I will have to get one. The chance of someone bumping into me seems greater every year.
A number of issues :-
Firstly, they all seem on the small side. I could not find a single helmet to fit in Intersport in Innsbruck ...and that is a big shop, on three floors. A cap will fit me if it is 59 or 60. Why can I not even get a helmet past my forehead in that size ?
I am not sure about the warmth issue. Can you wear a hat underneath ? I can't say I have noticed many doing this. I am not sure about vents either. Are they effective ? Are the plugs integral or do you have to carry them separately ?
Do those detachable ear pieces wear out like the foam on headphones ? If yes, can you get replacements ?
I am a skinflint. It concerns me that bike helmets in the Argos catalogue are under a tenner and ski helmets are nine times that price. What extras will I be getting for my money ? Please don't tell me it is money well spent if you take a fall. I am not doubting the benefit of a helmet -just querying the reason for the cost.
The Giro 9 seems popular but some of the other brands are around the £50 mark. Any benefits in getting a Giro over other helmets.
Once I have some pointers I will wander in to Snow and Rock, and try and find one that will fit. Once I know my size I can source it somewhere cheaper or wait till the sales.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Latchigo wrote: |
Firstly, they all seem on the small side. I could not find a single helmet to fit in Intersport in Innsbruck ...and that is a big shop, on three floors. A cap will fit me if it is 59 or 60. Why can I not even get a helmet past my forehead in that size ? |
The cap probably stretches, a helmet won't.
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| I am not sure about the warmth issue. Can you wear a hat underneath ? I can't say I have noticed many doing this. I am not sure about vents either. Are they effective ? Are the plugs integral or do you have to carry them separately ? |
Insulation is fine until about -5/-10C, depending on how hot you like to be: I find it's the cheeks/lower face which gets cold first. You can get (very) thin balaclavas for use under them, which (in my experience) takes them down to -20C fine.The more vents there are, the more effective they are. Haven't come across ones with 'plugs'.
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| Do those detachable ear pieces wear out like the foam on headphones ? |
Not noticed them wearing out.
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| It concerns me that bike helmets in the Argos catalogue are under a tenner and ski helmets are nine times that price. What extras will I be getting for my money ? |
No extras (unless you go for one with integral headphones). Price is driven by supply and demand: rather more bike helments are sold that ski helments, so the price is less.
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| The Giro 9 seems popular but some of the other brands are around the £50 mark. Any benefits in getting a Giro over other helmets. |
In terms of protection they all have to meet the same standard, the more expensive ones will look nicer, be easier to adjust, have more vents and so on. As you are a 'skinflint' avoid Giro and go for unknown brands: last time I was in Ski Warehouse (Tamworth), they had helmets from £25 (not listed on their website: http://www.skiwear4less.com ).
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Once I have some pointers I will wander in to Snow and Rock, and try and find one that will fit. Once I know my size I can source it somewhere cheaper or wait till the sales. |
Helmets are a bit like ski boots: what the manufacturer thinks the shape of a head/foot is varies, so it's not just as simple as knowing the size: the fit even varies between different models from the same manufacturer.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I've been on the hunt for a helmet as well and, with a 59 cm bonce, large seems to be the right size in most ranges. If you want a Giro, be warned that some models are like gold dust - I don't think Giro's distribution is what it might be. Also there seems to have been a rush on helmets this year - in the 3V a few weeks ago I'd say around a thrid of all skiers were wearing them.
As far as I could tell through lengthy internet research, everywhere in the UK has run out of the Giro G10 (I ended up buying one over the internet from the USA) and there were none in the shops I went into in France recently (Giro is a US firm and French resort shops seem to sell home-grown only - ie Cebe). Slush & Rubble don't seem to have much stock at all in its central London branches. But Ellis Brigham (Covent Garden) did have the Giro Nine 9 in Large, which fits me well, so I'm hoping the G10 is the same pattern.
On price: it is said go for fit first. But I have a Giro bike helmet and it is excellent quality.
On venting: the more vents, the more expensive (it means the design has to be more sophisticated if it is to pass safety certification tests). Vent plugs (eg in the Giro Nine 9) generally need to be removed and put in your pocket. The Giro 10 and the Giro Fuse (it's most expensive skiing helmet - not sold by anyone in the UK, so far as I can tell) both have sliding vent covers: additional expense, but adjustable on the move without taking the helmet off and you can't lose what doesn't detach.
Warmth: everyone says how warm helmets are, but on really bad days I guess you could wear a thin skull-cap, available for under bike helmets as well.
Earpads: you probably can get replacements, but if helmet availability is anything to go by, I bet it's pretty difficult! Not sure they'll wear out in the first place, though.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The Giro G10 has a different fit from the Giro G9, just for info. And yes, the distributor of Giro Snow helmets in the UK is not great. They also bring in Sidi cycling shoes, fantastic shoes, but they just do not carry stock, and its like banging your head against a brick wall dealing with them. Maybe thats why they have decided to do helmets? If only the Giro snow helmet range was bought in by the Giro cycle helmet importer, Madison, we wouldnt have availability problems!
I also bought my (and my 2 friends) G10 helmets from the USA, the store is www.backcountry.com, and the helmet took just TWO DAYS to reach me in the UK, and the two I had delivered to US addresses whilst on business out there took three days! Make sure they put "safety helmet" in the documentation though for customs purposes.
The G10 is a great lid too, and my friends love theirs too. And if the ear pads wear out, you can always buy the TuneUps headphone versions for £25 as a replacement, work fine, and I hardly ever have them jacked in to my MP3 player.
ScottyDog
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Sun 19-02-06 21:16; edited 1 time in total
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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PS, sometimes with www.backcountry.com, if you put an item in your basket, and then leave, a voucher pops up offering you 10% off if you buy there and then. Worked for me!
ScottyDog
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The Giro G10 has a different fit from the Giro G9, just for info
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Oh. I went to S & R in Port Solent to try to get a helmet with earphones. They didn't have any, but the very helpful assistant phoned round and located a G10 (I had tried on a G9 in medium, which fitted fine, but the only earpones available, in a different S & R branch, only fitted the G10. So I hope it fits, when I go in to pick it up. If not, I guess I am not under any obligation to buy it. So, this is a highly technical reason to buy a G10. Because it was the only one I could get the earpads for..... I was surprised at how few helmets they had in S & R. The assistant pointed out that it was near the end of the season! I hope he's wrong as I intend to get a good 7 weeks use out of my G10, which makes it better value.
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btw the Giro fuse (had to purchase in the US)has removable plugs and sliding ones, done me fine down to -10 and up to +10 so far (plugs out at +10)
My missus is also after a helmet and we can't find any XS in the UK!!!
regards
Greg
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I have a 64 head and use my Cooper ICe hockey helmet, I use a helly hansen balaclava underneath for night skiing - day skiing it is warm enough.
I dont have the option of stopping the ventilation, but the hood of my jacket does fit over it which is quite nice at 9.30pm when the wind is blowing a gale through Champery.
I have smacked my head off the ice 3 times this season "on mountain" it has served me well so far.
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Try and see if you can source a POC helmet - the technology looks interesting. So do the gloves but that's another story.
www.pocski.com
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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RED helmets seem to have plenty of features and seem better VFM than the name brands. I am size 60 and had no trouble getting hold of a Skycap, which has everything you might want apart from maybe detachable earflaps. Time will tell if I regret it in the spring!
As for integral headphones:- get a life! What's wrong with hearing the sounds of the mountain? Listen to your music back at the chalet.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I ride in a Hammer H1. If you don't mind the camaflage graffics they are great. I'm a 59cm head but my Hammer is a large (57). As said before, different manufacturers seem to have different sizing.
The H1 also comes with a peak which I love. Has plenty of vents to keep cool. Each helmet is hand made to a very high standard.
http://www.filarinskis.co.uk/catalog/index.php?cPath=178_110_65
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Thanks for all the replies.
I have checked out S&R and, as mentioned, they do not have Giros in large sizes in Central London.
A Protec Ace in XL size fits me, as does a Head Pro S.
The Backcountry site mentioned above has extremely cheap prices but adding in carriage and tax erodes the saving. Filarinski is cheap and seems to have Giro in larger sizes. A trip to Havant may be worthwhile I could also get to Oggie in Southampton while I was in the area
I also saw the caps that go under helmets - a cross between a hairnet and a showercap but S&R want £16 for them.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Latchigo wrote: |
The Backcountry site mentioned above has extremely cheap prices but adding in carriage and tax erodes the saving. Filarinski is cheap and seems to have Giro in larger sizes. A trip to Havant may be worthwhile I could also get to Oggie in Southampton while I was in the area |
To my desk in Crawkey it came in at £86 so thats £14 off? It came through listed as a 'Giro Safety Helmet' Certainly cycle helmets are VAT exempt, so I queried this with UPS after paying the tax, and got a refund!
At least you have found some that fit, almost impossible to buy a helmet without trying them on, even Giro same models can chnge shaed slightly year to year, so this cant even be relied on sometimes!
Good luck!
ScottyDog
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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comprex, ouch!!!
Looks like the guy was unconscious (from the first hit) before he hit the ground.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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spyderjon, I wish I had more details for that one, as it begs several questions:
- when exactly did he black out?
- how much 'conscious athleticism' is really required for some of this aerials stuff? I mean he made quite a nice landing up until conscious absorption and braking was needed?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Would that be classified as unconsciouslessly competent, or consciously incompetent?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Kramer, 
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FAQ
lots were available in Barbie pink 
but I eventually found one in black and bought it in downtown SLC then saw one $20 cheaper in the next shop 