The nice people at Madison asked us if we would try out their Lazer Blade British Cycling helmet and I have to say that it’s fast becoming my favourite lid of the moment and I’m pretty much wearing this most days.
The Lazer Blade in Red White and Blue - with a donation going to British Cycling
Firstly, it’s a really good fit. Lazer have developed the Advanced Rollsys System ARS which basically means the adjustment to the inner band which you twist to fit your head is located at the top of the helmet and makes for a much better fit. Even without clipping in the chin strap, this will stay on your head as proven by their rather funny and silly video of their stunt guys testing it out below:
It actually looks pretty good, even for someone like me that has a rather small head. Most road helmets look like giant mushrooms when I try them on, but this one is fairly innocuous. It could also be very easily mistaken for their much more expensive professional level Lazer Z1 - which is no bad thing! It has slightly fewer air vents and is about 30g heavier, but other than that it looks remarkably similar, so will receive plenty of admiring looks on your local club run for those who think they know their kit. At 240g I reckon this is one of the lightest lids you can get for the price.
Germain Burton - British U23 team rider sporting the Lazer Z1 with the detachable aeroshell
Now, to be honest, I think I’m beyond marginal gains these days so I’m unlikely to feel the difference from the decreased air resistance of the detachable aeroshell which clips on and off very easily. Could be useful if the weather is particularly soggy but I’ll probably just stick to the usual cap underneath for those rainy days.
Space at the back for your ponytail - if you need it!
A percentage of the money for each helmet goes to British Cycling, and I thought the livery was pretty low key but good-looking at the same time. They do a range of colours – black, white, titanium etc if you want to avoid any branding. And ladies, the Rollsys System means that there's space at the back of the helmet for your ponytails - so no need for all those fiddly plaits!
So: light, good fit, good looks, excellent price and value for money, plus a donation to British Cycling. At £59.99 what’s not to like - especially when your mates may believe it’s actually a Z1 for nearly 200 quid. The only thing I haven’t tested is if it will actually stop my head from caving in as I haven’t come off the bike recently, but they assure us that this will protect my bonce if I come a cropper. Not willing to try that out but I trust them!
