Cycling has been increasing again for some time now, and the number of electrically assisted bicycles in particular is increasing. And with it the number of accidents and the number of seriously injured cyclists. Many people are overwhelmed by the speeds possible with e-bikes. In any case, wear a helmet, and ideally one that offers good protection. A total of 14 have now been tested.
“In addition to developing a safe infrastructure and showing mutual attention in road traffic, a helmet is the easiest and best way to protect yourself. And we know from accident research that even the weakest models are better than not wearing a helmet at all,” explains ÖAMTC technician Stefan Kerbl.
The club and its partners have not only identified clear test winners, but also a price-performance winner. It also became clear that a high price does not necessarily mean that a helmet is good.
In the test: eleven and three special cases
Two categories of helmets were tested: eleven normal bicycle helmets and three special S-Pedelec helmets, which represent a special case: S-Pedelecs are e-bikes with a particularly powerful motor that supports pedaling up to a speed of 45 km/h. Unlike the classic e-bike, they are considered a moped in Austria, requiring users to wear a motorcycle helmet, among other things.
“In other countries this is not the case, which has led to the development of special S-Pedelec helmets. In Austria you can only wear them on your bicycle or ‘normal’ e-bike, but there you could benefit from the supposedly better protection,” says Kerbl. However, these helmets are not necessarily worth the higher price: a test with three models showed that they are only in the middle segment when it comes to protection against accidents – and are therefore sometimes weaker than simple bicycle helmets. So it makes no sense, because these helmets are very expensive, but no better than simple bicycle helmets.
Recommendation for the cheap villager
Even the cheapest candidate, the Crivit from Lidl, clearly outperforms the three special helmets in terms of safety – and at 15 euros only costs about a third. And even has its own rear light.
The Urban Planet LED model from Uvex made the best impression among bicycle helmets. Kerbl: “This helmet leaves the other products behind in terms of accident protection and handling and is also free of harmful substances. The fact that it was only sufficient for the grade ‘good’ is mainly due to the finish in the area of the straps, the ends of which are not sewn over, which can cause mounting parts to come loose.” weaker – and also with an overall rating of “good” – Alpina Gent MIPS and Limar Torino performed well.
Expensive helmet fail
At the bottom of the table is the E.Motion 2 from Casco, a helmet from the higher price segment. His problem: The seat belt buckle broke during two different tests. “It’s a shame, because the E.Motion 2 is actually a well-made, comfortable helmet that protects your head well in case of accidents – but it’s no use if the strap buckle breaks and you could lose the helmet in a fall,” says the expert . “Without this deficiency, it would have been sufficient for a ‘satisfactory’ rating.”
For most of the helmets rated “satisfactory,” Kerbl sees potential for improvement, especially in terms of shock-absorbing properties, but also in terms of protection of the sleeping area.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
