At a glance The world’s lightest cycling helmet – a well-vented helmet that’s so light you won’t know you’re wearing it.
Tested by
Jonathan Manning
Performance
Way back in my university days I shared a house with a couple of medical students, and I still remember clear as day their return from their first neurology lecture. The consultant neurologist had opened his talk with the line, "If you remember one thing from my lectures over the next three years, it's to wear a helmet when you cycle."
It's a mantra I've carried with me for two decades now, deliberately buying the biggest, most robust, and typically the heaviest helmet available. The perfect helmet covered my ears and most of the back of my head, and I've even cast covetous glances at motorcycle helmets.
So what to make of the Limar Pro 104, which comes in at a featherweight 170g as a medium size and 200g in large? As with an insurance policy, you only really know how good it is when you have to put it to the ultimate test, and thankfully I've managed to avoid that.
But to wear, it's a revelation. Previously I've reached the end of a ride, unclipped the straps, taken off my helmet and felt the same sense of relief as unbuttoning my collar and loosening my tie at the end of work on a Friday. But when I take off the Limar I feel nothing! Its weight is so negligible that frankly I don't feel as
though I'm wearing anything.
There are 22 vents carved into the shell to cut weight and aid ventilation, and the forward facing seven are netted to avoid bugs pinging into your hair on a head-down sprint. Six washable Velcro pads (mine came with a spare set too) offer an element of comfort, and you can micro-tailor the fit with a circular ratchet at the back of the helmet. The perfect fit will always be subjective, but there's surely enough adjustment in the ratchet and chinstrap to enable the vast majority of cyclists to find a snug, comfortable fit.
The ultralight weight, though, adds a further degree of comfort. In the walking world, received wisdom suggests that shaving an ounce from your footwear is worth a five ounce weight saving from anywhere else, and I reckon the same must be true at the other end of your body. Personally, my neck and shoulders have benefited enormously from the weight saving of this helmet over my former lid, the gains ever more noticeable once I pass two hours in the saddle.
Downsides? The chinstrap is fixed into the helmet, so you can only sponge it clean, rather than remove and wash it; there's no visor, so you'll need to wear sunglasses if you didn't before; and the price. If you're competing on a bike costing well into four figures, then the £100 price tag for this helmet is a small price to pay for its weight saving and competitive edge - Giro and Lazer both make helmets costing significantly more.
But if you'll largely wear it for commuting or the occasional social ride in the woods, its value for money becomes more difficult to justify. However, if you do ever come to rely on the helmet in a bad fall, its value as the consultant would affirm, is priceless. And if you do come off, Limar backs the helmet with a three year crash replacement programme and a two-year guarantee, so it really should last the course.
Buy from www.wiggle.co.uk
Limar says:
Ultra-light weight: only 170 gr * with top professional performances. Stream-lined design, with a compact and aerodynamic shape. Perfect fit with easy one-handed adjustable size system; Comfortable and anti-allergic washable pads. Optimal ventilation with specially designed air vents, equipped with protective insect net
- Rider Profile: Professional Performance
- Air Vents: 22
- Size: M (54-56) - L (56-62)
- Weight: M 170 g - L 200 g
- Sizing System: Bidirectional ultralight sizing system
- Pads: Washable pads with extra set available
- Technology: One piece In-Mould
Find out more www.limarhelmets.com/eng
