Discussion
I have done a quick search but forgive me if this has been asked before.
I have an S1 with a hardtop and I want to do some track days this year, so I have joined Lotus on Track. Can anyone recommend a good helmet that is reasonably priced? Also are there any helmets to avoid due to space issues (I'm 5' 10").
Finally, any general advice welcome for a track virgin!
I have an S1 with a hardtop and I want to do some track days this year, so I have joined Lotus on Track. Can anyone recommend a good helmet that is reasonably priced? Also are there any helmets to avoid due to space issues (I'm 5' 10").
Finally, any general advice welcome for a track virgin!
Hi
Your have no probs I'm 6'1" and have space above my head with my helmet on and hard top(caberg),
But my advise would be get the best helmet you can afford at the time. (if you got a £50 head get a £50 helmet!!)
As for your time on track just take it easy and enjoy it, If theres any instrutors
there grab one your get a good confidence boost.
Your have no probs I'm 6'1" and have space above my head with my helmet on and hard top(caberg),
But my advise would be get the best helmet you can afford at the time. (if you got a £50 head get a £50 helmet!!)
As for your time on track just take it easy and enjoy it, If theres any instrutors
there grab one your get a good confidence boost.
If you're never going to drive with the roof off on track then you can use an open face helmet, which are less claustrophobic in a small cabin such as an Elise with a hardtop. If you're going to take the top off on summer trackdays, though, you'll need a full-face lid.
If you ride bikes as well then you can get away with just using your bike lid. After all, whilst accidents on trackdays are very rare, the sort of stack you can have in a car is a lot less trouble for your head than the sort of accident you have on a bike (i.e. your body and head *will* hit the tarmac or another vehicle at speed). You can get a car-only rally-type open face lid but they can be expensive - basically if you are likely to want to ride a bike at some point in the future then get a bike lid since you get double the value... Some full-face car helmets also appear to have a much smaller aperture than bike lids, for some reason.
As to track driving, do a novice day first and get some instruction - if you turn up on an open pitlane day and there are a bunch of people taking it very seriously indeed, then don't go out immediately but watch, see where people are having trouble and then go out and drive accordingly.
You don't have to bring along a trailer full of tools or a friendly mechanic
but one item that I'd certainly recommend for trackdays is a good tyre pressure gauge and pump (electric or foot, doesn't matter as long as you can set the pressures correctly). To have fun on track you don't have to be the fastest one there and treat it like a test day, changing tyres, anti roll bars, suspension settings, etc. but unless it's wet your tyres *will* heat up significantly more than what you'd get from road driving, and the increased heat will result in increased pressure, reducing grip by making the contact patch smaller. So the usual trick is to go out for a few laps to get the tyres hot, then come back in and let some air out of the tyres to your preferred pressures. Remember to pump them back up for the road later!
Other than that, make sure you've got good brakes and the oil level is right on maximum - you'll be pulling much higher cornering forces than on the road and a full sump should prevent any chance of oil starvation. Obviously brakes are essential on track, but with an Elise you probably have a good feel for what's good and bad just from road driving.
There's a Brands Indy day on 23rd Jan with LoT - I'll almost certainly be there so come and say Hi if you go!
If you ride bikes as well then you can get away with just using your bike lid. After all, whilst accidents on trackdays are very rare, the sort of stack you can have in a car is a lot less trouble for your head than the sort of accident you have on a bike (i.e. your body and head *will* hit the tarmac or another vehicle at speed). You can get a car-only rally-type open face lid but they can be expensive - basically if you are likely to want to ride a bike at some point in the future then get a bike lid since you get double the value... Some full-face car helmets also appear to have a much smaller aperture than bike lids, for some reason.
As to track driving, do a novice day first and get some instruction - if you turn up on an open pitlane day and there are a bunch of people taking it very seriously indeed, then don't go out immediately but watch, see where people are having trouble and then go out and drive accordingly.
You don't have to bring along a trailer full of tools or a friendly mechanic
but one item that I'd certainly recommend for trackdays is a good tyre pressure gauge and pump (electric or foot, doesn't matter as long as you can set the pressures correctly). To have fun on track you don't have to be the fastest one there and treat it like a test day, changing tyres, anti roll bars, suspension settings, etc. but unless it's wet your tyres *will* heat up significantly more than what you'd get from road driving, and the increased heat will result in increased pressure, reducing grip by making the contact patch smaller. So the usual trick is to go out for a few laps to get the tyres hot, then come back in and let some air out of the tyres to your preferred pressures. Remember to pump them back up for the road later!Other than that, make sure you've got good brakes and the oil level is right on maximum - you'll be pulling much higher cornering forces than on the road and a full sump should prevent any chance of oil starvation. Obviously brakes are essential on track, but with an Elise you probably have a good feel for what's good and bad just from road driving.
There's a Brands Indy day on 23rd Jan with LoT - I'll almost certainly be there so come and say Hi if you go!
Hi Fatrat,
Just bought one of these:
http://www.topgearsuperstore.com/-clothing-by-bran...
Got it for £170 from ^^^that shop.Not sure if thats how much you wanted to spend?
Definately go and try some on though as the Shoei was the only one i could fit in to comfortably.
6' 1" and no headroom issues here either
Just bought one of these:
http://www.topgearsuperstore.com/-clothing-by-bran...
Got it for £170 from ^^^that shop.Not sure if thats how much you wanted to spend?
Definately go and try some on though as the Shoei was the only one i could fit in to comfortably.
6' 1" and no headroom issues here either
- Edit*Just seen you're from Sussex too-that shop is in Bexhill if you're nearby?
Edited by The Bandit on Monday 12th January 19:29
cyberface said:
If you're never going to drive with the roof off on track then you can use an open face helmet, which are less claustrophobic in a small cabin such as an Elise with a hardtop. If you're going to take the top off on summer trackdays, though, you'll need a full-face lid.
If you ride bikes as well then you can get away with just using your bike lid. After all, whilst accidents on trackdays are very rare, the sort of stack you can have in a car is a lot less trouble for your head than the sort of accident you have on a bike (i.e. your body and head *will* hit the tarmac or another vehicle at speed). You can get a car-only rally-type open face lid but they can be expensive - basically if you are likely to want to ride a bike at some point in the future then get a bike lid since you get double the value... Some full-face car helmets also appear to have a much smaller aperture than bike lids, for some reason.
As to track driving, do a novice day first and get some instruction - if you turn up on an open pitlane day and there are a bunch of people taking it very seriously indeed, then don't go out immediately but watch, see where people are having trouble and then go out and drive accordingly.
You don't have to bring along a trailer full of tools or a friendly mechanic but one item that I'd certainly recommend for trackdays is a good tyre pressure gauge and pump (electric or foot, doesn't matter as long as you can set the pressures correctly). To have fun on track you don't have to be the fastest one there and treat it like a test day, changing tyres, anti roll bars, suspension settings, etc. but unless it's wet your tyres *will* heat up significantly more than what you'd get from road driving, and the increased heat will result in increased pressure, reducing grip by making the contact patch smaller. So the usual trick is to go out for a few laps to get the tyres hot, then come back in and let some air out of the tyres to your preferred pressures. Remember to pump them back up for the road later!
Other than that, make sure you've got good brakes and the oil level is right on maximum - you'll be pulling much higher cornering forces than on the road and a full sump should prevent any chance of oil starvation. Obviously brakes are essential on track, but with an Elise you probably have a good feel for what's good and bad just from road driving.
There's a Brands Indy day on 23rd Jan with LoT - I'll almost certainly be there so come and say Hi if you go!
Awsome post, was looking at doing a track day myself soon. Was a good read. cheersIf you ride bikes as well then you can get away with just using your bike lid. After all, whilst accidents on trackdays are very rare, the sort of stack you can have in a car is a lot less trouble for your head than the sort of accident you have on a bike (i.e. your body and head *will* hit the tarmac or another vehicle at speed). You can get a car-only rally-type open face lid but they can be expensive - basically if you are likely to want to ride a bike at some point in the future then get a bike lid since you get double the value... Some full-face car helmets also appear to have a much smaller aperture than bike lids, for some reason.
As to track driving, do a novice day first and get some instruction - if you turn up on an open pitlane day and there are a bunch of people taking it very seriously indeed, then don't go out immediately but watch, see where people are having trouble and then go out and drive accordingly.
You don't have to bring along a trailer full of tools or a friendly mechanic
but one item that I'd certainly recommend for trackdays is a good tyre pressure gauge and pump (electric or foot, doesn't matter as long as you can set the pressures correctly). To have fun on track you don't have to be the fastest one there and treat it like a test day, changing tyres, anti roll bars, suspension settings, etc. but unless it's wet your tyres *will* heat up significantly more than what you'd get from road driving, and the increased heat will result in increased pressure, reducing grip by making the contact patch smaller. So the usual trick is to go out for a few laps to get the tyres hot, then come back in and let some air out of the tyres to your preferred pressures. Remember to pump them back up for the road later!Other than that, make sure you've got good brakes and the oil level is right on maximum - you'll be pulling much higher cornering forces than on the road and a full sump should prevent any chance of oil starvation. Obviously brakes are essential on track, but with an Elise you probably have a good feel for what's good and bad just from road driving.
There's a Brands Indy day on 23rd Jan with LoT - I'll almost certainly be there so come and say Hi if you go!
Well worth going over your suspension with a torque wrench both before and after a track day.If you're not sure what you're doing get a garage to do it. You'll very quickly find you're pushing the car far, far harder than on the road so best be on the safe side. Before your first session check the torque of the wheel nuts and keep and eye on them during the day.
I always take a few basic tools + torque wrench, a litre of oil, a foot pump, digital tyre pressure gauge and a jack. I also take a bottle of water and some nibbles for me. If you smoke, make sure you've plenty of fags too.
Good tracks to start with? Bedford gets my vote: very safe with loads of run off. The only problem with Bedford is noise: they are very strict, if you set off a track side meter you're out for the rest of the day. Post up what sort of exhaust/induction and other mods you have and we might be able to give you an idea. Snetterton is very safe too and Brands Indy (NOT the GP circuit). LOT have days at all three early in the year.
You'll find LOT days very relaxed and everyone is very helpful. Your first tuition session with LOT is free so book another for, say, just after lunch. Get the first tuition session in early.
Don't worry about everything passing you at first, just concentrate on yourself and keep an eye in the mirrors so you can pull over and let faster cars past on the straights. Track etiquette and manners are very, very good on LOT days and you'll generally find peeps very welcoming and understanding. I think I can honestly say I've yet to encounter any egos: just some very good drivers.
Remember you're not racing so drive within your own comfort zone. Don't worry about spinning off, everyone does at some point. I normally hang back for about fifteen minutes after the track opens and let others take the dew off the track. Don't be surprised to hear the sound of lots of squeeling tyres soon after the track opens: peeps go screaming off forgetting their tyres are cold and the track may be a bit greasy with dew etc with the inevitable spins.
Finally, remember not to stay out too long (20 mins max at a time) and have fun. Just be prepared to get hooked and start spending lots and lots of money. Don't forget to enquire if there's a pro photographer at the circuit on the day - you might get a good shot of yourself.
I always take a few basic tools + torque wrench, a litre of oil, a foot pump, digital tyre pressure gauge and a jack. I also take a bottle of water and some nibbles for me. If you smoke, make sure you've plenty of fags too.
Good tracks to start with? Bedford gets my vote: very safe with loads of run off. The only problem with Bedford is noise: they are very strict, if you set off a track side meter you're out for the rest of the day. Post up what sort of exhaust/induction and other mods you have and we might be able to give you an idea. Snetterton is very safe too and Brands Indy (NOT the GP circuit). LOT have days at all three early in the year.
You'll find LOT days very relaxed and everyone is very helpful. Your first tuition session with LOT is free so book another for, say, just after lunch. Get the first tuition session in early.
Don't worry about everything passing you at first, just concentrate on yourself and keep an eye in the mirrors so you can pull over and let faster cars past on the straights. Track etiquette and manners are very, very good on LOT days and you'll generally find peeps very welcoming and understanding. I think I can honestly say I've yet to encounter any egos: just some very good drivers.
Remember you're not racing so drive within your own comfort zone. Don't worry about spinning off, everyone does at some point. I normally hang back for about fifteen minutes after the track opens and let others take the dew off the track. Don't be surprised to hear the sound of lots of squeeling tyres soon after the track opens: peeps go screaming off forgetting their tyres are cold and the track may be a bit greasy with dew etc with the inevitable spins.
Finally, remember not to stay out too long (20 mins max at a time) and have fun. Just be prepared to get hooked and start spending lots and lots of money. Don't forget to enquire if there's a pro photographer at the circuit on the day - you might get a good shot of yourself.
Worth getting a good lid... it's what will most likly save you if something goes wrong!
Having said that you can normally hire a lid if you let LoT know in advance, which is the best bet for your first few TD's while you decide if it's for you.
I bought this - http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/products/ProductDeta...
I'm your height & works fine roof on or off... much nicer driving with roof off! Don't get tempted by cheap bike lid as they aren't to the same safety standards & the testing is different.
Other good advice in posts above... but most of all go enjoy it... and be warned it can be very addictive
Having said that you can normally hire a lid if you let LoT know in advance, which is the best bet for your first few TD's while you decide if it's for you.
I bought this - http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/products/ProductDeta...
I'm your height & works fine roof on or off... much nicer driving with roof off! Don't get tempted by cheap bike lid as they aren't to the same safety standards & the testing is different.
Other good advice in posts above... but most of all go enjoy it... and be warned it can be very addictive
Cheekymonkey - what do you mean by bike lids not being up to scratch? Regardless of price, all bike lids must pass stringent testing. And I'd contend that a bike lid has to withstand a greater variety of heavy impacts than the sort you could, unluckily, experience in a road car on a trackday.
I have a bike and a couple of lids (one full face, one open face) and whilst I'll admit they aren't budget lids (I have an Arai head and won't skimp on helmets for biking) I'm perfectly happy using the open-face lid in the car.
I'd have thought that a bike lid would be, if anything, overspecified for track work in a car. After all, when you stack your bike, your head can bounce repeatedly on the ground and be hit by your bike or another vehicle, whereas a crash in a car is most likely to result only in whiplash or nutting the steering wheel.
With that in mind, the lightest approved lid that you can afford sounds like the best bet, since the less weight, the less whiplash effect you get in sudden deceleration.
I'm genuinely unsure about this - what makes 'car' helmets any different (and superior) to a bike helmet that has to protect your head as you bounce down the road after f
king up a wheelie? 
I have a bike and a couple of lids (one full face, one open face) and whilst I'll admit they aren't budget lids (I have an Arai head and won't skimp on helmets for biking) I'm perfectly happy using the open-face lid in the car.
I'd have thought that a bike lid would be, if anything, overspecified for track work in a car. After all, when you stack your bike, your head can bounce repeatedly on the ground and be hit by your bike or another vehicle, whereas a crash in a car is most likely to result only in whiplash or nutting the steering wheel.
With that in mind, the lightest approved lid that you can afford sounds like the best bet, since the less weight, the less whiplash effect you get in sudden deceleration.
I'm genuinely unsure about this - what makes 'car' helmets any different (and superior) to a bike helmet that has to protect your head as you bounce down the road after f
king up a wheelie? cyberface said:
If you're never going to drive with the roof off on track then you can use an open face helmet, which are less claustrophobic in a small cabin such as an Elise with a hardtop. If you're going to take the top off on summer trackdays, though, you'll need a full-face lid.
I would go for a full face lid irrespective of whether you are in an open top car or a tin top.well i did a lot of reasearch & reading at the time & the concensus out there was sort of the opposite to what you said...
bike - you hit hard, maybe once, then skid / slide around on the floor or into barriers (talking track use here)
car - your head bangs around (your car might likely roll) and therefore hit windows / roofs / rollbars time & time again before coming to rest in a ball of fire...
So very, very general outlook but car = different fire regs & impact tests to bikes... that's what i remember anyway, and make some logic to me
bike - you hit hard, maybe once, then skid / slide around on the floor or into barriers (talking track use here)
car - your head bangs around (your car might likely roll) and therefore hit windows / roofs / rollbars time & time again before coming to rest in a ball of fire...
So very, very general outlook but car = different fire regs & impact tests to bikes... that's what i remember anyway, and make some logic to me
cyberface said:
Cheekymonkey - what do you mean by bike lids not being up to scratch? Regardless of price, all bike lids must pass stringent testing. And I'd contend that a bike lid has to withstand a greater variety of heavy impacts than the sort you could, unluckily, experience in a road car on a trackday.
I have a bike and a couple of lids (one full face, one open face) and whilst I'll admit they aren't budget lids (I have an Arai head and won't skimp on helmets for biking) I'm perfectly happy using the open-face lid in the car.
I'd have thought that a bike lid would be, if anything, overspecified for track work in a car. After all, when you stack your bike, your head can bounce repeatedly on the ground and be hit by your bike or another vehicle, whereas a crash in a car is most likely to result only in whiplash or nutting the steering wheel.
With that in mind, the lightest approved lid that you can afford sounds like the best bet, since the less weight, the less whiplash effect you get in sudden deceleration.
I'm genuinely unsure about this - what makes 'car' helmets any different (and superior) to a bike helmet that has to protect your head as you bounce down the road after fking up a wheelie?
I have a bike and a couple of lids (one full face, one open face) and whilst I'll admit they aren't budget lids (I have an Arai head and won't skimp on helmets for biking) I'm perfectly happy using the open-face lid in the car.
I'd have thought that a bike lid would be, if anything, overspecified for track work in a car. After all, when you stack your bike, your head can bounce repeatedly on the ground and be hit by your bike or another vehicle, whereas a crash in a car is most likely to result only in whiplash or nutting the steering wheel.
With that in mind, the lightest approved lid that you can afford sounds like the best bet, since the less weight, the less whiplash effect you get in sudden deceleration.
I'm genuinely unsure about this - what makes 'car' helmets any different (and superior) to a bike helmet that has to protect your head as you bounce down the road after f
king up a wheelie? cyberface said:
Cheekymonkey - what do you mean by bike lids not being up to scratch? Regardless of price, all bike lids must pass stringent testing. And I'd contend that a bike lid has to withstand a greater variety of heavy impacts than the sort you could, unluckily, experience in a road car on a trackday.
I have a bike and a couple of lids (one full face, one open face) and whilst I'll admit they aren't budget lids (I have an Arai head and won't skimp on helmets for biking) I'm perfectly happy using the open-face lid in the car.
I'd have thought that a bike lid would be, if anything, overspecified for track work in a car. After all, when you stack your bike, your head can bounce repeatedly on the ground and be hit by your bike or another vehicle, whereas a crash in a car is most likely to result only in whiplash or nutting the steering wheel.
With that in mind, the lightest approved lid that you can afford sounds like the best bet, since the less weight, the less whiplash effect you get in sudden deceleration.
I'm genuinely unsure about this - what makes 'car' helmets any different (and superior) to a bike helmet that has to protect your head as you bounce down the road after fking up a wheelie?
Car lids are generally fire retardent and aren't subject tothe same *sharp* impact tests as a bike lid. Also a bike lid is designed to slide down the road, hence there isa degree of abrasion resistance built into the outer shell. This is not needed in car lids. Car lids generally have a far narrower aperture to look through and don't need visors which are of the same material as bike lids. I have a bike and a couple of lids (one full face, one open face) and whilst I'll admit they aren't budget lids (I have an Arai head and won't skimp on helmets for biking) I'm perfectly happy using the open-face lid in the car.
I'd have thought that a bike lid would be, if anything, overspecified for track work in a car. After all, when you stack your bike, your head can bounce repeatedly on the ground and be hit by your bike or another vehicle, whereas a crash in a car is most likely to result only in whiplash or nutting the steering wheel.
With that in mind, the lightest approved lid that you can afford sounds like the best bet, since the less weight, the less whiplash effect you get in sudden deceleration.
I'm genuinely unsure about this - what makes 'car' helmets any different (and superior) to a bike helmet that has to protect your head as you bounce down the road after f
king up a wheelie? The £50 lid for £50 helmet argument will go on forever, but is generally b*****s. As long as the relevant SNELL, BS tests have been passed then the lid is OK. It is very hard to obtain the test results to see if one lid only just made the tests and another vastly exceeded them to find out how different the lids are. Go with what's comfortable and most importantly, what fits correctly. Bike lids vary a lot in terms of their padding, the ventilation, airflow around/over the lid (& associated lift) and also noise (probably the largest differentiator). Arai use 3 typical 'heads' for the internal shapes of helmets (Japanese, European and North American), which are all subtly different. Shoei seem to use yet more head shapes.....
cheekymonkey said:
well i did a lot of reasearch & reading at the time & the concensus out there was sort of the opposite to what you said...
bike - you hit hard, maybe once, then skid / slide around on the floor or into barriers (talking track use here)
car - your head bangs around (your car might likely roll) and therefore hit windows / roofs / rollbars time & time again before coming to rest in a ball of fire...
So very, very general outlook but car = different fire regs & impact tests to bikes... that's what i remember anyway, and make some logic to me
Hmmm. I can buy the fire argument, but the idea of your head bouncing into windows / roofs / rollbars many times sounds a bit difficult to me unless you're not wearing your seatbelt or harnesses. Unless of course you have a 2 foot long neck with the flexibility of a slinky spring.bike - you hit hard, maybe once, then skid / slide around on the floor or into barriers (talking track use here)
car - your head bangs around (your car might likely roll) and therefore hit windows / roofs / rollbars time & time again before coming to rest in a ball of fire...
So very, very general outlook but car = different fire regs & impact tests to bikes... that's what i remember anyway, and make some logic to me
Especially with harnesses (which are useful in Elises on track due to the grip they can generate), your head simply can't hit anything other than the back of the seat and perhaps the steering wheel if you've got flexibility. If you roll the car and it folds up to the point where the bodyshell is smashing your helmet up, then you've got *big* problems regardless of what type of helmet you wear.
And given that cars have crash structures to reduce the impact deceleration in an accident (and on a trackday, you'd have to be massively unfortunate to hit a wall head on at high speed without gravel or armco slowing you down), I'd have thought that bike lids would be designed to help survive higher peak deceleration, such as being thrown off your bike in a highside, or riding into a car that pulls out of a side exit without looking...
Professional rally drivers use open face lids as well. What am I missing here? Personally I don't like the small-aperture full-face lids you can get for car track driving, they're too claustrophobic and I like full peripheral vision, so I use my open-face Arai. But I'd like to know why this is not considered top-quality protection...
I bought an Arai GP-5X - It's a bike helmet with the wider apperture like a GP-5W. If you look at the 2 helmets the shells are the same - the HANS post mounting point are even there - with no VAT on bike helmets I reckon I got a bargain - half price......and I can use it on a bike. I did my homework and this was the choice I made.
I agree with cheekymonkey. Different helmets for different collision impact types. Which is why no bike helmet is acceptable at a MSA car event and the standards for MSA approvals are different. Saying which I'd sooner wear a £500 Arai bike helmet than a £50 car helmet.
And hence I would reiterate the main theme of the advice - the best helmet for you is the most expensive one you can afford.
I have a Arai GP 5W. Try before you buy - helment and heads all have different basic shapes - fit is of paramount importance if it's going to save your life. Which is what we're talking about here, however unlikely that may seem.
LoT events are good, though for a beginner Bedford Autodrome is fine. Pay for some tuition - to help you learn the circuit and relax into driving. And have fun.
And hence I would reiterate the main theme of the advice - the best helmet for you is the most expensive one you can afford.
I have a Arai GP 5W. Try before you buy - helment and heads all have different basic shapes - fit is of paramount importance if it's going to save your life. Which is what we're talking about here, however unlikely that may seem.
LoT events are good, though for a beginner Bedford Autodrome is fine. Pay for some tuition - to help you learn the circuit and relax into driving. And have fun.
Surely the car lids are for 'serious' racing i.e. Rollcage equipped cars,nomex overalls etc
Whats the point of having a fireproof lid when you're driving in jeans and a t-shirt?
For the occasional trackday a reasonably priced bike helmet must be perfectly adequate?
Im looking to do 5 or 6 LOT days this year and spending £500 on a helmet just is'nt feasable for me.
/Sorry,slight drift
Whats the point of having a fireproof lid when you're driving in jeans and a t-shirt?
For the occasional trackday a reasonably priced bike helmet must be perfectly adequate?
Im looking to do 5 or 6 LOT days this year and spending £500 on a helmet just is'nt feasable for me.
/Sorry,slight drift
The Bandit said:
Surely the car lids are for 'serious' racing i.e. Rollcage equipped cars,nomex overalls etc
Whats the point of having a fireproof lid when you're driving in jeans and a t-shirt?
For the occasional trackday a reasonably priced bike helmet must be perfectly adequate?
Im looking to do 5 or 6 LOT days this year and spending £500 on a helmet just isn't feasable for me.
/Sorry,slight drift
I agree the 'Buy the most expensive you can afford' advice is a bit simplistic there is a point where you're spending lots more money for a teenie bit more protection. I expect you would be safer overall buying a harness and a cheaper helmet than a realy expensive helmet. Whats the point of having a fireproof lid when you're driving in jeans and a t-shirt?
For the occasional trackday a reasonably priced bike helmet must be perfectly adequate?
Im looking to do 5 or 6 LOT days this year and spending £500 on a helmet just isn't feasable for me.
/Sorry,slight drift
Are you at more risk on the track than on the road? I plan to do 1-2 Trackdays a year so realisticaly I think hiring will be for me but I dont see the need to spend £500+ on a crash helmet for club trackdays I expect id be safer spending £200 on a lid and £300 on driver training
Whatever you do, go to a good shop which has a number of helmets in various price ranges, and try some on. I went to Grand Prix Racewear in Chiswick and tried ones from £50 to £1000 on to get a feel for what more money buys you, and also soon realised that some lids are better suited to some shapes of head.
I found many (including some of the really expensive ones), extremely uncomfortable, and in the end narrowed my choices down to 3 - one at £100, one at £300 and one at £500. The guy in the shop explained the differences to me, and between the 3 and 500 one, it was basically weight and the more expensive one was FIA rated. I was happy with the £300 one, and bought that, knowing that I wasn't going to be doing any racing or endurance track sessions, the former fitted the bill perfectly.
IMHO, that's how you should choose a helmet. Not the one you like the look of off the internet.
I found many (including some of the really expensive ones), extremely uncomfortable, and in the end narrowed my choices down to 3 - one at £100, one at £300 and one at £500. The guy in the shop explained the differences to me, and between the 3 and 500 one, it was basically weight and the more expensive one was FIA rated. I was happy with the £300 one, and bought that, knowing that I wasn't going to be doing any racing or endurance track sessions, the former fitted the bill perfectly.
IMHO, that's how you should choose a helmet. Not the one you like the look of off the internet.
I have one of these:
http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/product_info.php?prod...
I tend to agree on the cost front, but at the end of the day I went for a reasonably priced lid which was approved for motorsport as this ticked the boxes for me. I find it perfectly comfortable for track days, after all it may only be on your head for 30 minutes max.
I wouldn't be happy hiring a crash helmet, firstly they have had someone elses sweaty head in them and secondly they may have been dropped or damaged and you have no way of knowing their history.
Weight and comfort is the biggest factor, I found this one to be fine on both accounts. I have no idea how long the motorsport approval is valid for, I have had mine a few years and don;t have any current plans to race or sprint so it is fine.
http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/product_info.php?prod...
I tend to agree on the cost front, but at the end of the day I went for a reasonably priced lid which was approved for motorsport as this ticked the boxes for me. I find it perfectly comfortable for track days, after all it may only be on your head for 30 minutes max.
I wouldn't be happy hiring a crash helmet, firstly they have had someone elses sweaty head in them and secondly they may have been dropped or damaged and you have no way of knowing their history.
Weight and comfort is the biggest factor, I found this one to be fine on both accounts. I have no idea how long the motorsport approval is valid for, I have had mine a few years and don;t have any current plans to race or sprint so it is fine.
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