Specialized 03 Allez Helmet

Price Paid:  $35.00 at GoRide in Redwood Ci

Bike Setup:
Look KG286 w/ Centaur kit
Campagnolo Proton wheels
Deda cockpit

Summary:
Nice helmet, especially for the price I paid. It ventilates very well compared to my old Enduro.

2 problems:

It's a little heavy, but at 35 bones you can't complain.

At high speed, the helmet digs into my forehead, giving me a headache. Not very comfortable on long rides, like the reviewer from NYC mentioned.

Strengths:
Comfortable and very good ventilation.

Weaknesses:
Helmet front digs into my forehead, and often gives me headaches. Bad for long rides (4-6 hrs).

Similar Products Used:
Specialized Enduro
Giro Atmos

Price Paid:  $25.00 at Rasmussen Bike Shop,

Favorite Ride:
Sunny with no wind!

Summary:
Body Geometry features work well with me. It fit right and is light weight and comfortable. The adjuster knob allows me to customize it after haircuts.

The straps are adjustable for a custom fit under the ear and along the jaw, allowing for comfort on the face.

My hair is very thick, so ventalation is very important to me. The wide lateral front vent allows air flow where I really need it. This probably would be a liablity in cold weather riding, but it's great for humid Iowa summers.

I don't use the visor for short rides, but for RAGBRAI, all day in the sun, it will be good. The visor is easy to take off and put on.

The LBS cleared them out to make room for the for '04 stuff, hence the great price. Specialize website promoted the clearance.

Strengths:
Adjustable for custom fits. Great ventalation. Nice style, too.

Weaknesses:
Hope I don't find one due to a crash!

Similar Products Used:
Bell, GT

Price Paid:  $70.00 at LBS

Favorite Ride:
NYC Century Ride

Summary:
I've had this helmet for a little over 1 year and I have to say that I'm not happy with it. It's my first serious road helmet and I kicking myself for not doing more shopping around before making this purchase. I got this helmet in a hurry just before a century ride last year. I'm not happy with the adjustment of the Brain Trust on the back of the helmet. The adjustment doesn't really seem to make a significant difference. On rides longer than one hour the front of the helmet really digs into my forehead. I had to really pad up the front of the helmet to prevent the uncomfortable fit.

Strengths:
Price

Weaknesses:
Poor fit, downright uncomfortable on long rides.

Price Paid:  $109.00 at Gears

Bike Setup:
Road - Guru flite with full 105 and mavic comic elite wheeels

Summary:
Needed to update my old lid and started looking around. Was trying to balance off fit, style, and price. This helmet seemed to fit the bill on all three. It is very comfortable (braintrust system seems to help keep the helmet stable on my head), light, and cool (as in the venting). All in all I would recommend this to others looking for a great all round helmet, especially given the fact that the visor just pops on/off very easy which means I can wear this for road and mtn.

Strengths:
Fit, style, and price

Weaknesses:
straps seem to be a bit long/flappy and I'm thinking of cutting them off a bit

Similar Products Used:
older Louis Garneau model