I need to protect my head by February and was wondering if anyone knew of a good local DC/VA retailer or online site w/ good prices on a helmets? Thanks for any input -
Mark - who, despite $100K of higher education, only has about a brain valued at $200-$250... or less if possible.

 

Online you can get prettyn good prices at http://www.ioportracing.com & http://www.racerwholesale.com. I would suggest trying on the helmet in person, though. Not all brands fit the same. This of course brings up the issue of how much do you pay for service & knowledge. Hmmm. Where your life is on the line, it is worth the extra $20 to buy @ a local retailer. Just MHO.

 

I like http://www.ogracing.com

 

FWIW... OG Racing's prices are in line with most other mail order places. It's definitely worth a trip out there to try on different brands and sizes, and even better, get your helmet professionally sized by one of their guys. Otherwise you could get stuck playing UPS-Tag with a warehouse business.

Support your local speed shop!

Jon

 

Since you are local, I highly suggest that you go out to OG Racing, so you can make sure that the fit is good. Get one that just barely feels too tight, because they loosen up a good bit over time.

They're out in Manassass, worth the trip.

Warren

 

The "Geforce" brand at http://www.racerwholesale.com are just about the cheapest full-face SA2000 helmets I've seen. I purchased one there and it's just great. You'll definitely want a full-face.

 

Nice try Dave -

Yeah you deleted it but I saw it beforehand.

If you trust your life in a helmet that meets the bare minimum standards than not only are you a complete fool but you are braver than me.

 

As predicted, Drew caught me.
EDIT: That's why I deleted it in the first place, to avoid Drew's inevitable malevolence.


[Modified by 4doorH22, 11:43 AM 12/27/2001]

 

C'mon Dave! I have completely left you alone lately. This was a special circumstance. You said something really dumb.

Can you tell me that isn't a stupid comment?

 

Why yes it was a stupid comment, that's why I deleted it.
I didn't feel the need to type this out in my original post, but I'll type it out for you.
Guys like Mark and myself; we just got into this road race thing. We're not going WTW in all out racecars. Sure, accidents may happen, do you not think the Geforce SA2000 full-face helmet will protect me well?
Sure some day we'd love a nice expensive helmet, but for now, the cheapest SA2000 will have to do. Is this okay with you?

 

This was in my original post which disappeared from the cache when I tried to reply to a deleted post:

I personally would not trust my life to a cheap helmet. It is THE most important piece of equipment you own. Period. I understand budget constraints. If that is the case then maybe it is better to skimp elsewhere. That $50-$80 difference between the G-Force full face and the bottom end Bell can be the difference between life and death. Some people don't like to buy big names because they figure most of the elevated cost is in advertising. I think this is one area where that does not apply. Look at full-face SA2000 helmet prices. They run between $300 and $1000. G-Force is THE ONLY company who comes in below that. You would think that if a decent full-face helmet could be produced for less than $300 then someone would do it besides G-Force right?

In an autocross the cheapo helmets will work. It is rare that the forces involved will be enough to breach the integrity of one. If you are going on-track however that changes everything.

Honestly - I would not wear it on track. No question in my mind. Bell, Simpson, Bieffe, AGV and OMP have been around for a long time. They are tested, tried and have results you can see. How many people do you know can say they owe their life to their G-Force helmet? I know several that can say that about Bell and Simpson . . .

Is $300-$400 expensive? Do what you want - I don't care. It isn't my life. Understand however that there are things on your car that you could have skimped on and lost performance but no safety aspects. This would have allowed you to spend more on a helmet.

I am not saying that the G-Force is a bad helmet. What I am saying is that protection - especially that of your head - is the one thing that corners SHOULD NOT be cut with. I am all about finding bargains and deals but helmets are 1 thing I WILL pay the premium for. If I don't have the money I will get it somehow. Perhaps I will run longer on my stock suspension, or wait to go to R-Compounds but I will be on-track with a good helmet on my head.

To get this back to the topic - I second the OG Racing suggestion. Call them and tell them you autocross with the DC Region SCCA and you should get a discount. They are one of our series sponsors.


[Modified by Cobra, 12:16 PM 12/27/2001]

 

So I spent $509 on a radiator and $239 on a Geforce SA2000 full-face helmet. I could have spent $509 on a helmet and $239 on a radiator. It may seem I put a higher priority on performance than safety, but at my level, in the event of an HPDE automotive catastrophe, I highly doubt the $509 helmet is going to do any more for me than the $239 helmet. But the $509 radiator certainly does more for me than the $239 radiator.

 

And lastly, if I was "cutting corners," I'd have a $99 open-face SA95. Please stop.

 

Oh, and Mark, let's support our local speed shop. I want to go to OG and check out other stuff too.

 

You do realize that people get killed in HPDEs don't you? You do realize that the risk is there right? How is your level of experience gonna alter the outcome of a roll or smacking a wall? A roll or an impact is the same irregardless. The only way it is different is because you don't have rollover protection either and you run a higher risk of dying in a roll regardless of what helmet you are wearing.

 

Just because it cost more doesn't nessicarily mean its better/safer...
I use a SA95 helmet that I bought brand last year, becasue it was cheaper.. Doesnt mean its not as safe..

Most helmets will cost more because they will feature composite shells which are lighter or have other small improvements, but not nessicarily in safety.. not trying to argue, just bringing a different light to the subject..

 

I am not so much arguing based on price. I am arguing more based on name and experience. As I just told Jon in a private conversation it is a trust thing for me. G-Force helmets aren't proven like the others. There is no empirical crash data available because they haven't been around long enough. Sure there are people that love them but how many can say that helmet saved their life?

 

Is there any chance that G-force could just be a rebrand of another product..? Just curious..

 

Possibly but I think you would have heard it by now if it was. I think it is a ramped up model of one of the millions of DOT-Approved motorcycle helmets that we see everywhere. There is no law that states you need to wear a Snell-Rated helmet on a motorcycle.

 

well, a DOT motorcycle helmet will not pass SA2000 rating.. so, I dont know... Still Curious..

 

That is why I said it is a "ramped up" DOT helmet. Part of the SA Rating is the addition of a nomex liner as well as more padding of a different material. I believe DOT spec requires nothing more than some styrofoam inside the shell.

 

What wrath hath I wrought?

Having formerly owned a fly-*** Arai, a few Bells, and a sweet Shoei (all more motorcycle applications), I've been in some pricey headgear in the past. Similarly, I can remember being unwilling to buy AGV or Bieffe b/c of the old motto "only buy a $20 helmet if you have a $20 head." (at the time, they were no names that were 1/2 the price of a Bell - I've had friends that crashed in them with no more ill effects than any other helmet). However, for the money, I expected better graffics, ventalation, etc. For protection, I relied on my good friends, the regulatory agencies. I was under the impression that DOT/Snell SA certification was universal? (BTW: DOT rating is more than "bucket w/ foam" - it evolved to its current level in a similar fashion to the Snell ratings).

This thread has made me check that thinking. Originally, I was looking for a basic SA00 full-face model. I don't care about leveling straps, super-ventallation, kevlar composite shells and the like. I plan on using the thing for occasional HPDEs and autox. I am years away from any type of competitive racing. For that, I thought a basic model of about any brand would suffice, so long as it was SA2000. Any one else care to clarify what the purpose of these ratings are if they don't corrolate w/ safety standards? In any event, thanks for the input and I'll be visiting my local speed shop soon.

 

Apparently the SA2000 standard is meaningless. Well Mark I hope you got a big xmas bonus! I am a complete fool, but I guess at least I'm brave, but that's not a good thing either.

 

Ditto

 

I am amazed that as intelligent as you are your reading comprehension is somewhat lacking. Show me where I said the Snell rating was meaningless.

I won't argue with you anymore about this because evidently you are right and I am not entitled to my opinion that a PROVEN helmet design/manufacturer is better.

My mistake - next time I will be sure to swing from your sack because after all - you figured out a way to justify $509 for a radiator so you must know what you are doing.



EDIT: P.S. DOT = Bucket O' Foam. If it was a useful standard it would be accepted by sanctioning bodies. Try to pass a DOT-Only helmet through an SCCA autocross tech line . . .



[Modified by Cobra, 2:47 PM 12/27/2001]