When I were a lad, there was no need for cycle helmets. So little need that they didn't actually exist - or at least I never saw one. Boys were boys and bike crashes were a thing to be proud of. Gravel in the knee, the smell of TCP and a scab the size of a Jaffa cake.
As I grew older, I got heavier. And as I got heavier, the ground seemed to provide more resistance to my falling body. This realisation came after a quick tumble from my bike on my way to work. You don't often fall over when you're past your teenage years, so to come hurtling to the ground, only to be whacked on the head by my bike as it bounced over my shoulder on it's way into a bush was a bit of a wake-up call. Fortunately, at around the same time, someone came up with the idea of crash-helmets for cyclists. Obviously these were only intended for those wimps that planned to fall off their bikes and, not being inclined to do that sort of thing, I'd not bothered investing in one.
So it was that, slightly less proud of my various bike-crash related cuts and bruises than I was when I was only 7 years old, I relented and bought my first cycle helmet. Way back in 2001, I forked out the princely sum of £45 for a shiny black metallic Ippogrifo cycle helmet from the Italian manufacturer MET.
Of course, I'd done all of my research. It was highly rated in all of the cycling magazines, scoring high on style, comfort and performance. Certainly, it was something of a looker. For what was essentially a lump of polystyrene, it was an aggressive thing with 22 air vents, it looked vaguely reminiscent of something out of Aliens. The pearlescent black finish set it off a treat and the reflective triangles on the back an added safety bonus.
But looks alone do not the helmet make (as Yoda might very well say). If you're to wear it again and again, it's got to be comfortable and here's where I have my first gripe. I have a large head. My brother says I have a big-head. So I bought the largest size I could find, which should be big enough for a head measuring 59 - 61cm in circumference. All I can assume is that my head is closer to the 61cm mark than the 59 and, despite the adjustable fitting mechanism, it was always a little on the "snug" side. Not to the point of giving me a headache or cutting off my blood supply, but uncomfortable enough to notice.
This despite, the numerous coolmax pads that lined the inside. While they did a fine job of wicking away sweat, they didn't make it any more comfortable. But I persisted - not least because it had cost me £45! The fit did score better with the straps though. Easily adjusted and perfectly positioned, they held things in place without ever choking me and the quick-release buckle was exceptionally easy to use, even with gloves on, fastening just to the left-hand-side of my jaw bone.
So it's not the most comfortable helmet in the world, but it looks good, thanks to all those air intakes. Which must surely make it well ventilated. If you'd asked me this 3 months ago, I would undoubtedly have agreed. The large air vents on the front meant that my head felt reasonably cool, considering it was wrapped in an exceptionally good insulator (polystyrene). A recent enforced change in headgear though has revealed that it wasn't as good as it could have been. You see, while there were plenty of good air INTAKES, there wasn't really anywhere for the air to go on the way OUT. So the net effect was a few spots on your head remained cool while everywhere else got rather hot and sweaty. And a sweaty head can easily turn into an itchy head. Here again was a problem - while generous in number, the air vents weren't large enough to allow a good scratch so once you got an itch it tended to stay until you wither stopped and took your helmet off or you forgot about it.
So it looks good, but it doesn't fit big heads very well and it gets rather hot. Not sounding all that good a helmet really but there are still some redeeming features. It was very light. Apparently MET use a special manufacturing process that bonds a rigid plastic outer shell on to the shock-absorbing polystyrene inner. Which means that, weighing less than 300g you would hardly notice it and several times I bumped my head on the top of the shed while getting my bike out. But weight isn't everything and the most important feature of all is how well it protects your head in an accident.
Here, I am happy to report, it excels. In a recent close encounter with an out-of-control car I can categorically state that my trusty, good-looking, ill-fitting, over-heating Ippogrifo helmet saved my noggin. Obviously it didn't receive a direct blow from a car - that would have been a bit too much to ask. But it did get hit by some high-speed metal and plastic, sufficient to leave large chunks of the helmet (which would otherwise have been my skull) missing. Equally impressive, it took a hefty blow to the side, across my left temple and stopped something breaking my cheekbone. In fact, it did a sufficiently good job that I received nothing more than minor bruising to my cheek (excluding damage to my arm, ribs and leg that a helmet could never have protected against anyway).
So while I may sound unhappy with it, when it came to the (literal) crunch, it did exactly what I needed it to. And not being aware that there were any better options, I wouldn't have replaced it either. It's only in light of it's recent, forced, replacement (you must ALWAYS replace a cycle helmet if it's taken a good hit) that I realised it wasn't as good as it could have been. But hey - it saved me so I can't grumble.
It's a fairly old model now, but you may still find some around. Only buy one new, you can't be sure if a 2nd hand one has been in an accident or not. If you do find one, I can only advise that you try it on before you buy it, especially if you have a large head. If it fits, then you should find this a very safe, if slightly warm piece of headwear. And for that, it scores 4 stars.
