Limar 909
By James Sharp

Years ago... all right, decades ago, when I started riding bicycles it was a rare occurrence to see a cyclist wearing a helmet. Heck, it was a rare occurrence to see a cyclist! The only helmets that were available were hard shells -- this plastic over the foam liner with little ventilation. The fit was lousy they were heavy and they were hot, not the trendy kind of hot, not even the good looking kind of hot, just the make-you-sweat-in-the-winter kind of hot. Man, times have changed. I now see cyclists everywhere and the vast majority is wearing helmets. Even the most inexpensive helmets are decently ventilated and fit fairly well. The expensive helmets are in a whole other world. Now the problem is that they tend to look fairly similar. The Limar 909 does not look like any other helmet out there. But how well does it fit and is it well ventilated?

The look of the 909 is mostly due to the vents. The entire helmet is very low profile and the front vents are, likewise, placed low on the helmet. The main front vent is a large upside-down triangle and the rest of the helmet seems to flow from that point. There are 25 vents total, and all are aggressively placed. The padding inside is minimal, but it doesn’t have to be thicker. The straps are adjustable like most helmets in this price range and the cranial retention device -- Limar calls it their Pro System 2 -- features a rotary dial to adjust the fit.

Speaking of fit, Limar makes fairly low profile helmets and my head seems to fit into the helmet rather than feeling like the helmet is perched on the top of my head. I am not sure what the difference is, but I like it. Their use of very low front vents also helps to keep the spots where sweat collects, like the forehead, a little cooler. I still sweat -- heck, I have sweat running down my noggin without a helmet -- but the cool breeze was nice.

Looks, ventilation and fit aside, there were a couple of things that bugged me. First, as I said above, the fit makes the helmet sit low on my head, this lead to my sunglasses getting bumped from time to time. Also, while they do their job, the front straps are really forward. They are just outside of my peripheral vision. Finally, I’d like the adjustment on the Pro System 2 to be a bit finer. I find that it is hard to dial the sweet spot. One click out is too loose, while one click in is too tight. If I had a half-click the fit would be spot on.

Summary: Tired of wearing a helmet that says "me too"? Looking for a lightweight -- size medium weighs 275 grams -- well ventilated helmet that, aside from a few quirks, fits well? Look no further. The low profile means less chance of snagging branches and slightly better (maybe, sort of) aerodynamics. With an MSRP of $159, this isn’t an inexpensive helmet, but it is a professional grade helmet that can go head to head with helmets priced the same. Besides, at least for me, nothing fits like a Limar. Try one on and you’ll see what I mean.

James Sharp is a contributing editor for GearReview.com specializing in cycling equipment. He likes to keep his noggin in one piece

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