First

By Skimandyak December 16, 2011

This helmet came up on Chainlove and I'd been looking for a new helmet on the cheap. I've never owned an LG but I have tried on quite a few of them previously. They all fit my dome comfortably and securely. So at it's CL price, I figured it was worth a shot.

Helmets don't really have a performance aspect. Functionally speaking, a 30 dollar helmet is the same as a 200 dollar helmet. Comfort, PROPER fit, and certification of safety standards through CPSC, ASTM, and/or Snell are the most important factors

Looks:
Pictures make it seem funny looking. On top of your dome it looks less than embarassing. I'm overall happy with how it looks.

Fit:
As I said earlier, LG helmets fit my head really well. The first time I put it on, the actual helmet portion felt perfect. Mine is a M/L. The circumference adjustment (name evades me. Spiderlock???) works a treat. The strap system is....odd. My first finagling session left the helmet 85% secured to my head. I jumped, shook, and manually pushed the helmet forward to test that it was fastened properly. There was slight movement forward and backward and no side to side movement. The strap the connected to the helmet and went behind my ear was a bit loose. Dissatisfied and out of options, I decided to come back to it. 20 minutes later I was playing with the straps again. I discovered the behind-the-ear-strap could be effectively shortened or lengthened by pulling it through the junction in the back of the helmet (herpderp). At this point I realized that the strap system, although confusing, functioned about a thousand times better than my 30 dollar Bell. After my realization, I joyfully adjusted the straps to the ideal length and fit. NOW, my helmet fits perfect.

Two things to note:

-I've been told I have a small head for my body size. My hat size is 7 3/8. I could go a size smaller and it would be tight but NOT headache inducing. The circumference dial in the rear of my M/L Switch is dialed to close to the smallest setting.

-As I've said, proper fit is the most important aspect of purchasing the correct helmet. That said, I used every test method possible WITHIN MY APARTMENT to ensure that the Switch fit well. I have not ridden with this helmet yet. What I mean is, I ran and jumped around, pushed and prodded the helmet on my head, headbanged, and number of other idiotic manuevers. After all that, I have zero doubts that the helmet will stay in place while tackling the burliest Colorado trails.

The Louis Garneau Switch is absolutely incredible for the money so far. Having never ridden with it, I would still recommend this helmet to anyone but the most extreme weight weenie.

UPDATE: I've ridden with this helmet a total of 3 times since I created this review. The first time was short commute by 24" BMX bike. The Switch stayed on my head and wasn't noticeable until I took it off after about 15 blocks and 50 bunny hops. The other two times are hardly mentionable. Both were failed MTB attempts due to snow and mud (Don't rutt the trails, kids). Even still, despite some very minor qualms with the straps, the helmet stayed fitted and remained comfortable. After some field use, I would give the LG Switch a more accurate rating of 4.5 or 4.75 stars due to the straps and would continue to encourage budget mountain bikers to strongly consider it.

View Details: Louis Garneau Switch Helmet

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