Is FANCY Cycling Kit Worth It??
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- čas přidán 7. 10. 2023
- Is a premium cycling helmet and glasses combo significantly better than a basic setup? Like $400 better?..
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I only wear regular sunglasses but with helmets, there is a big difference going from $35 (CAD) to the $100 range. Fit, comfort, weight, and retention systems all substantially improve. One important difference for the more expensive helmets is that they are offered in multiple sizes. I have a relatively small head, fitting just between small and medium. Most budget helmets will make a one size fits all catering to M/L, and those cases the helmets tend to be massive for my head.
You and the info on your channel has been informative and valuable to a complete newbie like me. I keep forgetting to “like” your videos, but when I remember, I go back and do just that.
Haha nice 🙏🙏
For helmets, I tend to go mid-range. Not the best model, but not the cheapest, and usually it offers more features than the cheaper model. With glasses I used to buy cheap pairs but the materials are cheaper. The plastic usually cracks easier and the lenses are cheaper. I started buying the brand names and they're just better constructed, fit better, last longer, and have better clarity.
most thorough entertaining reviews!!! i ride a cheaper Smith and love it. will not spend more than $100 for a helmet. bought amazon glasses and they didnt last...did the job when they wotked
I got mips with angi helmet the sworks one. It calls whoever on your list if your crash or get hit by a car etc.. Good helmet
I work as a field mechanic for a large mining equipment company and as such I have access to lots of PPE including UVEX A700 safety glasses which are lightweight, comfortable, obviously good coverage and come in a range of tints. They are free issue for my job but retail for around $15... 👍
I found my perfect set of eyewear at, of all places, the hardware section. Got me a 3pk of black, yellow and clear welder glasses for $10 I think. Not going to use the yellow one, but def the black one for shade and then the clear one for when it's dark and you just need your eyes shielded from the elements.
Try looking for “round fit”cycling helmets, they are common in Asia. I got one from Bontrager recently, no more pressure on the side of the head.
Some thing are worth spending a bit extra on, primarily bibs and helmet. But there is a limit - there's a lot of $300 jerseys and $500 bibs on the market, which is just outrageous.
I will add that warranty with Smith is very good. The process is very easy and I had a new pair of glasses of my choice in a week or so. Worth the price of admission for me.
Thx for the input. I haven’t needed to deal w warranty yet, but good to know
Those expensive glasses look really good, actually, but I still can't justify the cost when the little issues that make them better are easily forgotten about as soon as you start riding. I've got on sale Pit Vipers and DHB, no complaints, and I don't feel bad if something breaks when I'm a predictable klutz.
nice comparison :) - I ride a 40 € helmet and 18 € glasses. I agree that the fit of the glasses is worse, as I have to push them up my nose regularly while riding - however, this does not justify over 10+ times the cost to me, just to get premium glasses.
On a personal taste question - i have never liked the look of cycling glasses and hence stick with "regular" sunglasses for riding. Ofc this is very much subjective.
Anyone with a good solution for prescription glasses? just can’t get contacts in. Got prescription lens and sport frame but not as wide as Smiths or Oakleys
I find a road helmet sweet spot to be $100-180 and the airflow typically gets better as you price up. As a regular mountain biker, I won’t spend less than $250 on a mtb helmet. My recent concussion would have been extreme without a good helmet! Safety is the new cool
Stay extra safe for a while to avoid Second Impact Syndrome. Best wishes!
Hear Hear > I won't wear anything not MIPS either. Thou there are never any guarantees, 2 concussions was 2 too many for me.
I was stoked when I bought a Trace helmet earlier this season but then I found that the huge square vents on the front and top catch bugs (and branches in singletrack) and drive them straight into my head. Also sunburns during long days in the saddle. Unconvenient to say the least.
Ha! I hadn’t noticed that
We are entering the end of the year and will see discounts on everything. Especially overstock bikes, components and gear. I tend to look for discounted premium products.
I don't think you can cheap out on helmet safety. But I guess it boils down to what you can afford. It's hard to find prescription sunglasses for cycling that aren't cheap. I have a pair of Oakleys with my prescription in them cost me $450 Canadian.
I have to be honest. Cargo shorts from castelli is like night and day difference.
I use cheap short before. Never again. And famcier kit is look better.
I personally would buy fancier kit if i like he look and fit me well.
But i draw the line on some kit. Like glasses.
When my cousin just got into cycling, my first advice to him was “never put a price on your head when it comes to buying a helmet.” You can go cheap in your bike, but you can’t go cheap on your head. As for the shades, I only go with Oakley because they offer low bridge fit for us East Asian. Too bad Smith doesn’t expand to Asian markets.
As long as you can trust the sunglasses to provide UV coverage you're good - but nice glasses are definitely nicer. You'll see things like less optical distortion, better ways to change out the lenses (faster and with fewer fingerprints), functional warranties, and just better optics in general. A cheap pair of polarized lenses might just have a filter on the surface, while more expensive pairs will sandwich it between lens layers so it can't just scratch off. Is it necessary? Not really. Is it nicer? I'm definitely springing for it whenever I can afford to, but probably not if I made a habit of losing or destroying sunglasses.
ALL plastic stops UV a,b,c. But staring into any bright light with open pupils will erase your eye sight, stray light entering the sides with open pupils is worse than wearing no sunglasses at all
I tend to go nothing special, meet the basics helmets and el primo, spare no expense glasses mostly because helmets all do what's needed safety-wise and I need prescription lenses so I spend the $$ there.
Helmets are like saddles... very subjective. However, around the $100 mark, they seem to fit better... seemingly around your head and not on top of it. The biggest upside to this is they don't get cocked at a weird angle for no reason. We've all unknowingly rode with crooked helmet head. It's like pillow head, but worse. As far as glasses go. I've had really good luck with Tifosi. For under $100 (pre-covid and the following inflation), you got three sets of lenses (clear, smoke, and all condition red... think U2's BONO), a silk purse, and a hard case. However, not all models offer this complete kit for said price point. My favorite pair is going on year four of year round riding, and has had the ear and nose piece rubber "melt" off from heat, sunscreen, and sweat, and I am still wearing them... bare metal nose piece and all. Tifosi actually has replacement kits for both, but I dislike tiny screwdrivers. Tifosi also has prescription options, which gets added to my wishlist every time I try to read the map on my Garmin Edge. 😊
Nice! Totally agree. I’ve used tifosi a few times in the past. Very decent glasses. I should have mentioned the smith also come with an extra lens (clear) as well as a bag and a hard case (it had better at this price point 😆)
Yep. Not everybody has Primos Roglic/Bora money. 😊
I apparently have a huge huge head, I can't even wear most cycling caps without cutting a slit in it heh.
Smith pricing is always whacky. Definitely don't pay full price for anything smith as all their stuff is frequently deeply discounted. But yeah their optical quality is really great.
Meh, I just get discounted premium gear. Got Abus Gamechanger and a Koo Open for less than 100 dollars total
expensive glasses, not really. helmets are horses for courses though. the more harsh the climate, the more you need to spend. a mid vented (or less) helmet in Florida for example is a nightmare.
The major problem with cheap helmets is they dont come with decent visors, so you have to buy glasses as well.
Oakley only
mips is marketing b shit:motorhelmets do not have this crap
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