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review

BBB Hawk helmet

7
£44.95

VERDICT:

7
10
Good value mid-range road lid
Weight: 
236g
Contact: 
www.greyville.com

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BBB’s Hawk is a decent and comfortable lid, straddling the budget to mid-range price points. It looks a lot like MET’s Forte and has what I think of as a ‘universal helmet spec’: it conforms to the EN1078 safety standard; features in mould construction; has easy align straps; and the cradle adjusts with a twisting dial.

With 24 generous vents it scoops enough air to prevent your head boiling in summer but with a Buff or cap underneath isn’t too cold in winter. The pads supplied let you fine-tune the fit and they’re anti-bacterial and washable. Our 52-58cm sized Hawk needed dialling to the tightest setting and fitting with thicker pads for a genuinely secure fit. Higher end BBB road helmets, also named after birds, feature a more refined fitting system.

A single rear reflective helps visibility a bit, though a tiny LED could easily have been incorporated into the adjusting dial for additional winter safety. That said, the Hawk can be equipped with LED lighting systems and similar extras more readily than most road-specific lids.

Out in the real world, I quickly forgot the Hawk’s minor shortcomings. As the tempo increased, the vents admitted plenty of cooling air without leaving me feeling chill. While it didn’t induce ice-cream headaches on fast, blustery descents, those of us with five o’clock shadow hairstyles will still want insulation underneath the helmet when it’s cold, and sudden downpours had me reaching for my Gore-Tex helmet cover.

It’s easy to keep clean: a damp cloth took care of mud, silt and bird droppings. And several weeks of constant service suggests it should, spills allowing, see a good few seasons’ use before retirement. However, in a fiercely competitive market the Hawk isn’t markedly better than a host of similar designs. It’s available in a choice of blue, red, or black.

Good value, if unremarkable mid-range road lid

Verdict

Good value, if unremarkable, mid range road lid

road.cc test report

Make and model: BBB Hawk helmet

Size tested: blue

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

BBB describe the Hawk like this:

■ In mold shell construction.

■ 24 air ventilation vents.

■ Rear ventilation vents for optimum air flow.

■ Adjustable straps for a perfect and comfortable fit.

■ Easy to use DualClose adjustment system.

■ Washable anti-bacterial pads.

■ Reflective stickers at the rear.

■ Sizes: M (54-58cm) & L (58-63cm).

I would add that the Hawk is basically a lower-mid range model great for generic road riding/training and performs these duties very well.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
7/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes, as a second lid for training/winter

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes, in the above context

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 37  Height: 1m 81  Weight: 70 kilos

I usually ride: Rough Stuff Tourer Based around 4130 Univega mtb Frameset  My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,

Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)

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