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review
Respro helmet band - on helmet£16.99
VERDICT:
A great addition to any helmet
Weight:
22g
Contact:
www.madison.co.uk
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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Respro hi-viz Nitesight helmet band does exactly what it says on the tin and copyright issues aside, it's a wonder why others haven't embraced this particular format.
It could literally save your life should your lights run out of juice on the midnight training run, or dynamo wiring disintegrate on the way home. Both the plain or Chevron patterns seem equally effective and are compatible with race, mtb, commu-touring and perhaps more significantly, kids' models.
Sliding on in seconds, the 5cm wide halo is fashioned from a simple neoprene sandwiched between Scotchlite and smooth-skin - basically a rubberised non-slip backing for grip. Unlike sticker sets, there's no risk of invisible solvent damage and it can be transferred from lid to lid - perfect for commuting during the week and lining up on those crack o' dawn TTs come the weekend. They run all the way around the helmet, making you visible from all angles.
Respro estimate visibility to around two hundred metres but in the real world this seems as much as 350 along rural backwaters on a clear night. Rider and approaching vehicle dimensions also play a part in this. For example, I stand a middling 181cm tall; friends approaching me, first in their transit clocked me at 280 metres, three hundred when following me in their large family saloon. In identical conditions, my nine year old came under their radar much sooner, which is good news, not only for children riding solos, tagalongs or even child seats but possibly smaller adults too. Around town with competing noise pollution, it's been closer to two-thirty but more than adequate nonetheless.
Verdict
A great addition to any helmet.
If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website
road.cc test report
Make and model: Respro Hi-viz Nitesight helmet band
Size tested: n/
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?
"An excellent way of making yourself visible. Both cyclists and motorcyclists can benefit from the helmet band. The Scotchlite™ band stretches around the base of any crash helmet and with the neo grip surface on the inside there is no need for adhesive or any fixing devices. When wearing the helmet band you can be seen up to 200 yds away, giving a clear indication to any passing traffic that you are up ahead. The helmet band is available in plain Scotchlite™, racing check and chevron styles". No quibble here, although I reckon it's visible from further than 200 yards.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Neoprene sandwiched between Scotchlite and non slip "smooth-skin" rubberised backing. Universal fit.
Rate the product for quality of construction:
7/10
Had a plain one for the past two years- still going strong with no obvious signs of wear.
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
7/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
7/10
Rate the product for value:
8/10
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
The helmet band is extremely effective, working just like a halo, overcoming the issue of blind spots when entering the flow of traffic and visible from at least two hundred yards.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Simple, unobtrusive and incredibly effective.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.
Would you consider buying the product? Yes.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Definitely.
About the tester
Age: 38 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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