The $175 Bike Helmet
Filed in archive Buying Stuff on April 30, 2008
Isn't it interesting how the same basic thing can have so many price points?
This weekend my wife & I went to a local bike shop and got her a Specialized brand bike that cost roughly $350. Bikes aren't so cheap anymore, so that seemed like an OK price for what seems to be a good bike.
My wife wanted to grab a helmet, too, so she took one she liked and headed toward the register. Thankfully she looked down at the price before it was pointed out to her by the ringing register-$175! My wife just figured, "Eh, how much could a helmet cost?" She put the helmet back and went to Target and got one for $15 or $20.
This is no rip on over-priced bike helmets. It was just one of those moments where you realize that things can have so many different prices and you need to think about where you want to put your money. A serious biker probably grabs that $175 helmet and checks out the light weight, the ventilation, the radio-controlled straps (just kidding on that one) and thinks, "This is what I need."
My wife, on the other hand, just wants some padding between her and the ground, hoping her helmet will never actually have the chance to perform its intended function.
Permalink: The $175 Bike Helmet
Tags: shopping helmet 2007 bike credit bike+helmet credit+card yours+here
Trackback: http://www.creative-weblogging.com/publish/mt-tb.pl/121945
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Vote for The $175 Bike Helmet:
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Rating: 8.00 out of 4 vote(s) cast.
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Response from:
WmarkW
(05/01/08 12:55pm)
Did the bike shop guy ask "How much is her head worth?"
Response from:
greg bourke
(05/02/08 1:36am)
indeed, how much is her head worth?
it's a classic false-economy to skimp on safety gear. If you can afford $300-400 to propel youself at a speed that requires safety gear you should also budget for something that will slow your brain tissue back down to walking-pace without injury.
cheap helmets meet minimum standards but transmit more energy than expensive models leaving you more likely to be concussed.
she will fall off, everyone does. get a better helmet. gloves would be good too.
it's a classic false-economy to skimp on safety gear. If you can afford $300-400 to propel youself at a speed that requires safety gear you should also budget for something that will slow your brain tissue back down to walking-pace without injury.
cheap helmets meet minimum standards but transmit more energy than expensive models leaving you more likely to be concussed.
she will fall off, everyone does. get a better helmet. gloves would be good too.
Response from:
Justin McHenry
(05/05/08 2:16pm)
I understand the point about getting what you pay for in a bike helmet, but my wife will not be flying down the road on her new bike, but mostly doing some lazy riding with her kids on a bike path. My feeling is that pretty much any accident she might get into will be at slow speeds and will provide her the opportunity to brace herself before her head meets ground. The gloves aren't a bad idea, though.
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