Lazer Helium
Better Brain Bucket
Belgium is arguably the most rabid cycling nation in the world (sorry France). So it’s no surprise that the country that produced Eddy Merckx, the Tour of Flanders and embrocation would also produce some of the best bike helmets. Lazer is the world’s oldest helmet company, having started out making those old leather hairnets way back in 1919 for Belgian hardmen racing steel rigs over cobbled farm roads. Cycling has changed a lot in the past century and so have the helmets. The Lazer Helium ($225) is a state of the art brain bucket suited for today’s carbon fiber-addled peloton.
Our full review continues after the jump.
The Helium is, as its name suggests, light. Very light (a feathery 265 grams). On my first ride wearing it, I kept reaching up to make sure I was even wearing a helmet. The retention system, know as Rollsys, dials the helmet’s circumference to your noggin symmetrically and gently. When you get the fit perfect, it feels as though the helmet is floating over your head like a halo rather than strapped tightly on your head. But rest assured, it’s secure. 19 well-placed vents draw air over your head for maximum cooling adding to the bare-headed feel.
Of course, a helmet’s raison d’être is safety and the Helium excels here, though fortunately I didn’t test this aspect. he dual density foam structure puts the denser foam in critical areas and an inner carbon fiber framework holds it all together. Bike helmets are typically designed for a single impact, giving up their lives in the name of protection. But the framework in the foam acts like rebar reinforcement to better withstand (God forbid) multiple impacts.
Small touches like a magnetic “magic” clasp and even a small clip for an earpiece add up to a truly superior helmet. It’s no wonder the Lazer Helium is worn by countless professional cyclists past and present. While the Helium won’t make you faster, it will keep you cooler than other helmets and may save your life. It truly is a better brain bucket.
Buy now: $225
Photos by Gishani for GP
