Discussion
Oh my god don't rent one - they invariably stink of other people's greasy quiffs, you might get lice etc etc etc....
Get yerself down to your local M/C dealer - tell him what you want it for and he will be able to help you. They will have hundreds to choose from and all will be kite-marked. Get one that fits comfortably and you're 3/4 of the way there.
Doesn't need to cost the earth either.
Get yerself down to your local M/C dealer - tell him what you want it for and he will be able to help you. They will have hundreds to choose from and all will be kite-marked. Get one that fits comfortably and you're 3/4 of the way there.
Doesn't need to cost the earth either.
sorry Carz, but hiring helmets is, well, rather like hiring a helmet...how foul an idea is that whichever way you cut it?!
Raceboy is bang on....if you went to the bike show this year you could have picked up a full F/Glass one for about 45 quid. And unless you're a tw@ and drop it a lot, or you just HAVE to have that 'fro you've always promised yourself, you'll never need another...
Raceboy is bang on....if you went to the bike show this year you could have picked up a full F/Glass one for about 45 quid. And unless you're a tw@ and drop it a lot, or you just HAVE to have that 'fro you've always promised yourself, you'll never need another...
Ah, yet more good advice from everyone;
Frankly I don't want wear someone else's greasy helmet or hire a rank, smelly helmet that's got ingrained dirt around it's rim. Even if it only costs a fiver.
And er, my days of riding bikes are over I'm afraid. I got married in September.....!
Frankly I don't want wear someone else's greasy helmet or hire a rank, smelly helmet that's got ingrained dirt around it's rim. Even if it only costs a fiver.
And er, my days of riding bikes are over I'm afraid. I got married in September.....!
CarZee said: Okay - I'm obviously a skeg at heart...
If you can get a nice one for £50 then buy one I suppose.. doesn't the outer shell compound go 'off' in a couple of years though?
I think they (helmet manufacturers) recommend changing helmets every 3-5 years (but they would of course !!)
My AGV is 10 yrs old now and still fine (no cracks etc and a good fit)
Just like TVR bodies
CarZee said:suppose.. doesn't the outer shell compound go 'off' in a couple of years though?
If you're not really going to be pushing your car to the limit and you're just buying a lid to comply with regs then get a cheap one (make sure of the gold label though), if you're going to be racing then do some serious research and my advise would be part with loads of cash
Bike helmets and car helmets are designed to take impact in different ways, a bike helmet is much better all round (for obvious reasons) if you are going to spend lots of money make sure you buy the right helmet for what you're doing
I did the same thing a few years ago..I wanted an full face.
If you buy a bike one over a car one you tend to find the opening is larger,which is better for observation while looking out for faster cars on the track.The car full face tend to have a smaller field of vision as racing drivers are only concentrating on the apex...yeah right!
Look for the gold BSAU sticker on bike helmets as this means it is eligible for bike motorsport.I figured if it passes bike m/sport standards it must be ok in a car.
Finally I only found this out after I bought,but I beleive bike helmets are VAT exempt where as car helmets are not.
get a good helmet as you may not have the chance to take it back & upgrade if you are unfortunate to be in an accident..Hope you never need it!
If you buy a bike one over a car one you tend to find the opening is larger,which is better for observation while looking out for faster cars on the track.The car full face tend to have a smaller field of vision as racing drivers are only concentrating on the apex...yeah right!
Look for the gold BSAU sticker on bike helmets as this means it is eligible for bike motorsport.I figured if it passes bike m/sport standards it must be ok in a car.
Finally I only found this out after I bought,but I beleive bike helmets are VAT exempt where as car helmets are not.
get a good helmet as you may not have the chance to take it back & upgrade if you are unfortunate to be in an accident..Hope you never need it!
I asked the same question last year when I started doing track days.
I bought one because
a) I didn't fancy sharing (ugh!)
b) They last 10 years so ... you won't need another one
c) I wanted one that fitted ME and didn't make my head hurt like the race school ones did
d) I wanted one that I could wear on a bike or in a single seater with no windscreen as well as on track days
So given it was going to last I bought a Full-face Schoei which is very comfortable (has ventilation etc - which doesn't work in the car of course!) and LIGHT - which was also a factor in my decision. It has removable padding inside which can be washed - this makes your second track day as pleasurable as the first if you see what I mean (phew!).
I'd recommend it happily as I've worn it regularly since then. Other fine makes are Arai. Other PHers will recommend other makes I'm sure.
I bought one because
a) I didn't fancy sharing (ugh!)
b) They last 10 years so ... you won't need another one
c) I wanted one that fitted ME and didn't make my head hurt like the race school ones did
d) I wanted one that I could wear on a bike or in a single seater with no windscreen as well as on track days
So given it was going to last I bought a Full-face Schoei which is very comfortable (has ventilation etc - which doesn't work in the car of course!) and LIGHT - which was also a factor in my decision. It has removable padding inside which can be washed - this makes your second track day as pleasurable as the first if you see what I mean (phew!).
I'd recommend it happily as I've worn it regularly since then. Other fine makes are Arai. Other PHers will recommend other makes I'm sure.
The polycarbonate helmets (and I assume some of the cheaper ones are still made of this) should apparently be replaced every few years. Fibreglass ones should be replaced every 10.
Or the first time you drop them shiny side down on a petrol station forecourt, after they vibrate their way off the pump.
Or the first time you drop them shiny side down on a petrol station forecourt, after they vibrate their way off the pump.
Saveloy,
There's some crap going down with Octagon Circuits about helmet specifications. I would recommend that you get one that meets MSA requirements for car racing. Otherwise there is a risk that they will not allow you on track (suddenly makes a £300 helmet sound cost effective).
Someone better qualified than me can sort out the correct specs (please?) which I recall as:
- A British Standard (must be A-spec or A-Fire Resistant)
- Snell 2000
Comfort and visibility is as important as impact performance - so you must try them on (sizing and head shape vary dramatically between makers. I wouldn't recommend mail order until you've found a model that's right for you.
As you're in London, you could try Grand Prix Racewear in Chiswick (Power Road, just off the Chiswick Roundabout). Do be aware that they stock the Bells, Arais, Simpsons of the helmet world so your in for £200+. Also, phone to be sure they have stock in (last time I went, they were a bit light, which meant there were a few I couldn't try).
Alternatively, can you get to Autosport International? There should be a few bargains there (but make sure you've know the standards, in case someone tries to offload an out of date model on you)
As to how much you should spend:
- How much do you value your head?
- Although they meet the same (minimum) specification, do you believe a £50 helmet is as good as a £300 helmet, or do you believe you're paying for the brand?
There's some crap going down with Octagon Circuits about helmet specifications. I would recommend that you get one that meets MSA requirements for car racing. Otherwise there is a risk that they will not allow you on track (suddenly makes a £300 helmet sound cost effective).
Someone better qualified than me can sort out the correct specs (please?) which I recall as:
- A British Standard (must be A-spec or A-Fire Resistant)
- Snell 2000
Comfort and visibility is as important as impact performance - so you must try them on (sizing and head shape vary dramatically between makers. I wouldn't recommend mail order until you've found a model that's right for you.
As you're in London, you could try Grand Prix Racewear in Chiswick (Power Road, just off the Chiswick Roundabout). Do be aware that they stock the Bells, Arais, Simpsons of the helmet world so your in for £200+. Also, phone to be sure they have stock in (last time I went, they were a bit light, which meant there were a few I couldn't try).
Alternatively, can you get to Autosport International? There should be a few bargains there (but make sure you've know the standards, in case someone tries to offload an out of date model on you)
As to how much you should spend:
- How much do you value your head?
- Although they meet the same (minimum) specification, do you believe a £50 helmet is as good as a £300 helmet, or do you believe you're paying for the brand?
As someone who has done countless trackdays (over 70 at the last count), first in cheap helmets and then better ones, IMHO there is a world of diffrence between cheap helmets and more expensive ones.
I started with your £50 helmet, but having been to GrandPrix Racewear and tried different helmets the level of comfort seemed to be directly proportional to the cost. I tried several helmets and eventually bought a sparco one at £200 (cos it fitted my head well), but I also tried on helmets up to £650.
The £650 one you could comfortably wear all day, but since on a trackday you wear a helmet perhaps for 20 mins in every hour I couldn't justify the cost. The sparco one seemed nearly as comfortable. If I was an instructor and had to wear it all day I could easily justify the additional cost.
I suggest very strongly that you go and try several and buy the one that you feel most comfortable with. Then spend some additional money on a proper helmet bag and the foam insert so you can drive to and from the event without it rattling around in the boot.
You only have one head look after it, and I have to strongly diasgree with anyone who says hired helmets are ok, whats the history of the hired helmet, does it fit properly, etc. (perhaps CarZee you'd like to borrow these part worn brake pads I've got for your next trackday
) Most of you wouldn't take a car on a circuit thats not been properly maintained so treat your helmet in the same way, look after it.
The first rule of trackdays - BE SAFE - get you and your car home in one piece.
davidy
I started with your £50 helmet, but having been to GrandPrix Racewear and tried different helmets the level of comfort seemed to be directly proportional to the cost. I tried several helmets and eventually bought a sparco one at £200 (cos it fitted my head well), but I also tried on helmets up to £650.
The £650 one you could comfortably wear all day, but since on a trackday you wear a helmet perhaps for 20 mins in every hour I couldn't justify the cost. The sparco one seemed nearly as comfortable. If I was an instructor and had to wear it all day I could easily justify the additional cost.
I suggest very strongly that you go and try several and buy the one that you feel most comfortable with. Then spend some additional money on a proper helmet bag and the foam insert so you can drive to and from the event without it rattling around in the boot.
You only have one head look after it, and I have to strongly diasgree with anyone who says hired helmets are ok, whats the history of the hired helmet, does it fit properly, etc. (perhaps CarZee you'd like to borrow these part worn brake pads I've got for your next trackday
) Most of you wouldn't take a car on a circuit thats not been properly maintained so treat your helmet in the same way, look after it. The first rule of trackdays - BE SAFE - get you and your car home in one piece.
davidy
Gassing Station | Track Days | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff