Limar 777 Road Helmet

Limar is known for its ultra light helmets with the range topping and does-what-it-says-on-the-tin ULTRALIGHT claiming to be the lightest lid around. The 777 continues this trend coming in at a very competitive 243 grams for the large size tested. All this at the (cheap by today's standards) price of £69.99, surely there's some kind of catch?

Putting the 777 on for the first time, it's clear that head coverage has been sacrificed in the pursuit of light weight. Whilst it still conforms to the EU standards that all helmets are required to pass, one can't help but feel a little exposed in comparison to a helmet with greater coverage. Part of this feeling is due to the retention system which sits quite high up on the rear of the head. It's not vertically adjustable either so you're stuck with it in that position. In terms of stability though, the 777's lack of weight means that it stays firmly in place with no wobble whatsoever.

The retention system is adjusted radially by using a large, rubberised rotating dial which is easy to use even with thick gloves on. Each clockwise turn is accompanied with a satisfying click letting you know that you are tightening it up. The dial also features a sort of quick release button, but I never really felt the need to use this feature as turning the dial anti-clockwise worked just as well. Of note is that fact that the plastic cradle runs around the entire circumference of the helmet resulting in a more uniform tightening around the head. Some helmets can make you feel as if you forehead is being squashed into the front of the helmet which is about as comfortable as it sounds. The 777's cradle design resolves this problem completely.

Whilst the padding inside the 777 is sparse, comfort doesn't seem to have been affected by this. It would have been nice to have a full forehead pad though, to prevent the occasional bead of sweat from dripping down into my eyes. One of my pet hates is getting insects flying into my hair while riding along and it's great to see that Limar have added some mesh to the front vents to stop this happening. Another nice touch is the inclusion of a chin pad to tidy up unsightly strap ends which is especially useful given the helmet's extra long straps.

The 777 features 22 air vents which are evenly distributed over the helmet's surface. A series of medium sized frontal vents suck air into the helmet but the in theory you might expect the small exit vents and lack of deep internal channels would seem to compromise ventilation. In practice, ventilation is reasonable for a lid in the price range although it is noticeably worse than top-of-the-range models with larger vents. The ventilation issues are partly offset by the shear lack of weight which does help make the helmet feel very airy.

The 777 is available in 2 sizes which should satisfy the large majority of head shapes, as well as 5 different colour schemes. The Limar range also features the 757 which is identical except for the addition of a visor.

Verdict

From a sheer numbers point of view, the Limar would seem to be on to a winner with the 777. The helmet is exceptionally light for this price bracket, and this lack of mass genuinely does make a difference in use. The retention system's lack of vertical adjustability is a downside though, ruling it out for those who like a more secure feeling fit at the rear.