crash helmets.... open / full face
Discussion
Out of you guys that regularly hoon around tracks, what crash helemts do you recommend as I've got to buy one.
Open or full face?
Most i've found on the web are sold as bike helmets? Any real difference?
On LoT you have to comply with some safety / quality standards, are these pretty much across the board on all major brand helmets:
BSI 6658 Type A, EC05 Euro Standard or Snell SA95,SA2000,EC05 European standard
What sort of money will I be looking at. I've seen from £75 - £2,500 !!!
If anyone's got any good links / tips / thoughts please let me know as Ineed to get something sorted this weekend.
Open or full face?
Most i've found on the web are sold as bike helmets? Any real difference?
On LoT you have to comply with some safety / quality standards, are these pretty much across the board on all major brand helmets:
BSI 6658 Type A, EC05 Euro Standard or Snell SA95,SA2000,EC05 European standard
What sort of money will I be looking at. I've seen from £75 - £2,500 !!!
If anyone's got any good links / tips / thoughts please let me know as Ineed to get something sorted this weekend.
I would always recommend buying a full face helmet. I work on the basis that not only do you only have one head, but you also only get one pair of eyes! Should you have a horrendous accident and the screen or fibre glass shatters around you there will shards everywhere and through the law of sod, they will find their way into your eyes.
Also, if you have a full face helmet, you can use it on bikes as well!
Also, if you have a full face helmet, you can use it on bikes as well!
You don't have to have any particular standard for LoT days or anyone elses for that matter at the moment but that may change in the future. You can use a bike helmet and they are cheaper for a start.
The main thing is to try them on. A Sparco helmet will fit differently to an Arai of the same size for example so make sure it's right for you.
I have one of these
Which is a Sparco Formula, it's BS-whatever/FR and was just over £200
If you want a motorbike one, go to any bike shop and try them on. For car ones, GPR at Silverstone is probably closest or Merlin Motorsport at Combe.
The main thing is to try them on. A Sparco helmet will fit differently to an Arai of the same size for example so make sure it's right for you.
I have one of these
Which is a Sparco Formula, it's BS-whatever/FR and was just over £200
If you want a motorbike one, go to any bike shop and try them on. For car ones, GPR at Silverstone is probably closest or Merlin Motorsport at Combe.
Echo what cuzza says, this recent thread on "Helmets for Trackdays" from SELOC may help cheeky...
http://forums.seloc.org/viewthread.ph
http://forums.seloc.org/viewthread.ph
Marvindodgers said:
I would always recommend buying a full face helmet. I work on the basis that not only do you only have one head, but you also only get one pair of eyes! Should you have a horrendous accident and the screen or fibre glass shatters around you there will shards everywhere and through the law of sod, they will find their way into your eyes.
B.F.DING if you have an accident bad enough to need a lid, why
up your face in the process ? Marvindodgers said:
Also, if you have a full face helmet, you can use it on bikes as well!
Please check this - bike and car helmets provide different impact protections and load paths. Bike lid in a car OK (not best) but car lid on bike is bad. apparently.
see if I can find my link...bought on last year...with carbon look
I believe 49,-euro!
very cheap...so thats about 33gbp...
look for yourself and some look great!
www.goedkopehelmen.nl/html/Integralehelmen.htm
I believe I have this one...good anough for me
cheers
GTRene
I believe 49,-euro! very cheap...so thats about 33gbp...
look for yourself and some look great!
www.goedkopehelmen.nl/html/Integralehelmen.htm
I believe I have this one...good anough for me
cheers
GTRene
In reply to hbaumbardt regarding my previous post, I think that is what I mean't. If you have a full face helmet with visor down, your face is much better protected, regardless of the severity of impact.
Also, I was talking about bike helmets. They are generally stronger as they have (to try) to protect an impact from any random angle!
Sorry for any misunderstanding.
I would definitely do as a previous correspondent had recommended and try on different makes as Arai, Shoei, AGV etc fit different shape heads. Shoei works for me.
Also, I was talking about bike helmets. They are generally stronger as they have (to try) to protect an impact from any random angle!
Sorry for any misunderstanding.
I would definitely do as a previous correspondent had recommended and try on different makes as Arai, Shoei, AGV etc fit different shape heads. Shoei works for me.
Marvindodgers - yup you're right, I agree!!
Cuzza - checking LoT's rules they do ask for standard complience however this may not get checked on the day??
S-works - wicked, sorry i'm not really a reader of SELOC but that article looks good, and more links back to stuff on PH too, One of which was this which is worth a read for me no doubt...
www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=52&i=13304
Thanks everyone, i'll post back any more I learn
Cuzza - checking LoT's rules they do ask for standard complience however this may not get checked on the day??
S-works - wicked, sorry i'm not really a reader of SELOC but that article looks good, and more links back to stuff on PH too, One of which was this which is worth a read for me no doubt...
www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=52&i=13304
Thanks everyone, i'll post back any more I learn
I started with an open face as I thought visibility would be better. I now use a full face OMP for the following reason:
1) I am much too ugly to be wearing an open face in both track photos and my video footage in car that shows my face in the rear view mirror.
2) The full face has exactly the same visibility / field of vision.
3) It protects your face better
4) Some circuits won't let you drive with the roof off unless you have a full face helmet.
5) Pax laps in caterhams without a visor are not fun.
1) I am much too ugly to be wearing an open face in both track photos and my video footage in car that shows my face in the rear view mirror.
2) The full face has exactly the same visibility / field of vision.
3) It protects your face better
4) Some circuits won't let you drive with the roof off unless you have a full face helmet.
5) Pax laps in caterhams without a visor are not fun.
I've got a Sparco Formula too (although the one with gfx on). They are about 225+vat at www.GPRdirect.com (more for the gfx lol).
Don't buy a cheap helmet unless you have a cheap head imho, it won't have the necessary certification, nor will a bike helmet in all likelihood. I wanted to spend more on mine, but couldn't since the more expensive ones they had didn't fit well. Stand21 also make very very nice helmets and have a branch at brands hatch. We are talking 800 quid for a closed faced one though. Very popular in F1...
As I do not use bike, I wanted a specific Car Helmet and I struggle to find it. They cost also a lot more and the only one I found was full face. (Arai k-5 of so 500 euros)
The requirement for car helmet are in relation with fire protection, they need to protect you longer (IIRC 90 sec) instead of 30 sec.
The strap is also different.
I have not read/ear about differences in impact zones.
Anyway, this topic is interesting for me because with my lenses I have fog for a few minutes each time I start a session (even with all the special antifog solution). I was thinking moving to an open (as the one rally men use) but if we have only one head, we have also one (big) mounth and the chin is quite vulnerable.
The requirement for car helmet are in relation with fire protection, they need to protect you longer (IIRC 90 sec) instead of 30 sec.
The strap is also different.
I have not read/ear about differences in impact zones.
Anyway, this topic is interesting for me because with my lenses I have fog for a few minutes each time I start a session (even with all the special antifog solution). I was thinking moving to an open (as the one rally men use) but if we have only one head, we have also one (big) mounth and the chin is quite vulnerable.
shangani said:
I started with an open face as I thought visibility would be better. I now use a full face OMP for the following reason:
1) I am much too ugly to be wearing an open face in both track photos and my video footage in car that shows my face in the rear view mirror.
2) The full face has exactly the same visibility / field of vision.
3) It protects your face better
4) Some circuits won't let you drive with the roof off unless you have a full face helmet.
5) Pax laps in caterhams without a visor are not fun.
some funny statements...but your right GTRene
Having looked about there is a huge difference in the costs of bike helmets vs car helmets... is this due to more expensive testing for car helmets?
The other big problem with car lids is trying to find someone nearby to try them on! Bike shops are 2 a penny with god selection & pricing, but so far I'm looking at a Merlins @ Castle Combe (as cuzza mentioend) as the nearest I have found!
The other big problem with car lids is trying to find someone nearby to try them on! Bike shops are 2 a penny with god selection & pricing, but so far I'm looking at a Merlins @ Castle Combe (as cuzza mentioend) as the nearest I have found!
No need for further conjecture, PH has the answers; "Need a helmet for track days or racing? Let Andrew Noakes be your guide" www.pistonheads.co.uk/doc.asp?c=52&i=13304
cheekymonkey said:
Having looked about there is a huge difference in the costs of bike helmets vs car helmets... is this due to more expensive testing for car helmets?
The other big problem with car lids is trying to find someone nearby to try them on! Bike shops are 2 a penny with god selection & pricing, but so far I'm looking at a Merlins @ Castle Combe (as cuzza mentioend) as the nearest I have found!
I suspect the car tests are more stringent as you can get 40 quid certified bike helmts, but I've never seen a car one that low. The other significant difference is that bike helmets are not subject to VAT.
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