Got a head? Get a helmet!

So it was new helmet time a while back as my trusty Fox Flux was a few years old and needed replacing.

So I narrowed my choice down to 2 possibles in the non scientific way of I liked the look of them and the price was around what I wanted to pay. These potential new lids were the 7iDP M2 and the On-One 'Enduro'.

I'd tried the 7iDP M2 in Swinnerton Cycles and and it felt pretty comfortable and provided a good degree of rear protection in the new 'enduro stylee'.

The On-One was a bit of an unknown, but Planet-X/On-One where knocking the helmet, beanie hat and headover/buff type thing for £25 - the helmet is usually £49.99 (allegedely) but was reduced to £34.99 unless you applied the 'bundle' with the hat & stuff - no brainer I'll take a bobble hat too thanks!!

Here's what On-One/Planet-X have to say about it:
On-One 'Enduro'

Extended rear coverage

Durable, seamless, single-shot, in-mould construction

3-Way, height, tilt and circumference adjustment

Removable, anti-bacterial comfort pads and fly mesh

18 air vents and a carefully sculpted front visor that directs airflow through the front of the helmet

Built with greater coverage and more side protection than our lighter XC helmet the On-One Enduro helmet is perfect for the serious off-road rider who lives for the downhills
 

The helmet arrived fairly qucikly for On-One/Planet-X (considering the tyres I ordered in the summer took nearly a week and a half to arrive....). I was quite excited to see how well this 'budget' option stacked up against it's more costly competitor. Looks wise it's a pretty spot on looking helmet - plenty of coverage and a decent amount of vents and the orange colour isn't too in your face.

It's got a decent adjusting mechanism at the back with the wheel/rotaty adjuster and the straps are pretty comfy too - if not a bit long.

Well that was where the good points ended - it wasn't the most comfortable, and seemed to press quite a bit on the back of the head. Strangley there is part of the cradle that doesn't have any padding on it - and this was the bit that was uncomfortable. A quick google suggested that other people had similar issues and it seems to have just not been thought about - pity as it's a good helmet for the price - and I really liked the beanie hat and head-over.

So I planned to either send the whole lot back or sell the helmet on for £15 - £20.

So the 7iDP M2 then was to be the weapon of choice as it had felt super nice in the shop - I have to admit to not purchasing from Swinno's as CRC had the same hemlet for £20 less.....

So using the free delivery service I had a bright (very, very bright actually...) matt neon orange with yellow highlights M2 on my desk at work within a couple of days.

In the box you get a nice drawstring bag to keep you helmet safe (or possibly out of sight so planes don't think it's a distress flare....)

Here's a quick rundown of the features as listed on the interweb:

 

7 iDP M2 Helmet

 

The M2 Helmet is a welcome addition to the range of body protection. The custom 7iDP design liner offers superior comfort and fit, giving you the confidence to take on the trails.

Open face all mountain design

ConeHead™ technology uses dual density foams which act as an impact absorbency zone around the head

Great coverage compared to standard XC designs

19 vents

Custom 7iDP design liner for superior comfort and fit

Adjustable visor

One hand dial fit 'on the fly' adjustment

Rapid adjust chin/cheek strap

CE std: EN1078
 

So pretty impressive (and bright...) - the helmet just works, the padding is spot on and the rotary adjuster mechanism is nice and easy to use and the adjustable peak is a nice touch - although top tip - don't undo the peak adjuster too much as it's a bugger to get back on....

 

 

Once the straps are all adjusted and it's a nice fit - provides good coverage and appears to be well vented.

So that's the end of the post then - the 7iDP is the helmet I wear then? - well not exactly....

You know I said I was goinf to send the On-One back or sell it? Well neither of those happened (I forgot - oopps!).

It's always good to have a backup helmet right?

So I looked at the On-One and got the spare unused pad set from my Fox Flux to see if I could make it comfortable. One fox pad and a bit of sticky velcro later and the helmet felt half comfortable. A bit more tweeking and repositioning and one comfortable decent fitting helet - Bonus! Why On-One/Planet-X didn't include the extra 50p pad and velcro is beyond me - turns it into a useable helmet.

So I was looking to attach my helmet light to the M2 so I could go and do some night rides - this was proving difficult with the bracket and helmet combo and I couldn't get a good fit/solution. So i broke out the On-One and some cable ties and hey presto one helmet with a good solid mount for a light.

Both helmets have beenused a coupleof times and have been comfortable with and without a bandana/thin hat underneath.

The M2's shell looks a bit bigger than the On-One and definatley gets more comments due to the day-glo colour.

I took both helmets to Coed Y Brenin for a weekend and wore the On-One all day Saturday in case we stayed late and needed to break out the lights - was nice and comfortable for the entire day. The M2 was worn for most of Sunday and again, nice comfortable and kept my head warm during the cold weather and snow.

I will be interested to see how both of these perform in the warmer weather with regard to ventilation etc. I'll hopefully update this later in the year when I've had more experience of both.

So in conclusion these are both decent helmets - the M2 edges it on quality and comfort, but with a bit of padding and some velcro the On-One goes from unwearable to comfortable budget friendly helmet.