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review
£114.95
VERDICT:
Low-profile aero helmet that offers plenty of fit adjustment at a reasonable price
Weight:
277g
Contact:
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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The Salice Levante is a comfortable, low-profile aero helmet at a middling price.
First of all, the sizing on the box says XS. Forget that. It also says 52-58cm, and that's the bit you should take notice of (one other size is available: 56-62cm). I usually take a medium and it fitted just fine. The fit system attaches to the body of the helmet at the temples and you get a load of adjustment via a dial at the back.
> Find your nearest dealer here
Speaking of the dial, it incorporates an LED safety light with three different settings. Other helmets out there offer a similar feature, although, admittedly, not any aero helmets that I've previously used. The LED adds hardly any weight while providing a decent amount of extra visibility from behind. It works for me.
The rear section of the cradle has four different height settings covering 30mm of up/down adjustment. I found this enough to get a really secure fit back there and would be surprised if you didn't find the same.
The padding isn't deep but there's enough of it to keep the EPS (expanded polystyrene) inner well off your head, and internal channelling allows air to flow through well.
Not surprisingly, you don't get as much ventilation as most non-aero helmets, especially not through the central section. Some people are going to notice that more than others. More relevant, I'd say that the Salice offers a good level of cooling compared to other aero helmets out there.
A mesh liner inside the front-facing vents stops insects getting inside, and replacements are available if you ever need them. On the down side, I couldn't get my glasses to slot into any of the vents when I wasn't wearing them – well, not securely enough that they'd stay there – so I had to keep them on or tuck them away inside a back pocket.
> Should you buy an aero helmet?
Although the Levante is designed as an aero helmet, Salice doesn't make any claims relating to drag or time savings compared to a standard lid, and we're not able to take it to a wind tunnel to check out its aerodynamic performance.
It's a comfy, well-made helmet, though, with lots of fit adjustment.
Verdict
Low-profile aero helmet that offers plenty of fit adjustment at a reasonable price
road.cc test report
Make and model: Salice Levante Helmet
Size tested: 52-58
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?
Salice says:
* Aero helmet reduces resistance against wind
* 14 specially designed aeration slits guarantee excellent ventilation
* New comfort orientated mircrometric adjustment system that can move up and down
* Rear LED safety light with multiple settings
* Removable hypoallergenic and breathable mesh bug liner (replacements available)
* Datatag ICE label (In case of Emergency). Sunglasses
* Removable Chin Strap
* Lightweight aero-mould design - 250g (52-58) 270g (56-62)
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Salice doesn't quantify its claims that this is an aero helmet. It gives no wind tunnel data.
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
7/10
Rate the product for durability:
7/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
8/10
It's not quite as light as the Bontrager Ballista helmet that we reviewed (266g) but it's still lightweight by aero helmet standards.
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
7/10
Rate the product for value:
8/10
It's only fair to compare the Levante to other aero helmets rather than to standard helmets, and it's one of the cheaper aero options out there.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
We can't comment on the aero performance but you get lots of adjustability for a comfortable fit and a good amount of ventilation by aero helmet standards.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The low-profile fit.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Well, someone said it looked like I was wearing a child's helmet, so I guess some people aren't into the appearance.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Probably not unless Salice offers some aero data.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Possibly
Use this box to explain your score
I'd say the Salice Levante is a good helmet at a decent price. I'd want some convincing aero data in order to give it a higher mark.
About the tester
Age: 43
I usually ride: My best bike is:
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding
Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.
Latest Comments
- Hirsute 0 sec ago
But it does alert you to incompetent and dgaf drivers giving you 2-3 seconds to escape being a KSI.
- lonpfrb 17 min 20 sec ago
Quite so, which is why our village 20mph zone covers the whole residential extent. Of course, enforcement is another thing..
- lonpfrb 43 min 19 sec ago
No, that's very doubtful while proper testing would be fully destructive.
- TheBillder 1 hour 29 min ago
In that £1000 exactly scenario, beginners should probably be made aware that pedals will be extra.
- don simon fbpe 1 hour 57 min ago
What's wrong with dropping down on to the Millenium Bridge, or the swing bridge, then the brief, but satisfying climb back up the hill? #training....
- chrisonabike 2 hours 38 min ago
The relatives might of course disagree, but in general I'd countenance a relatively light sentence* if only we could fix it so that those who...
- ktache 3 hours 17 min ago
Id forgotten that I got a second hand set of project two's for my getting to work bike over twenty years back.
- Veganpotter 4 hours 14 min ago
My bet is that all these tires popping off are from people with bad pressure gauges or they're simply just putting too much air in on purpose. ...
- chrisonabike 5 hours 30 min ago
David9694 - you were right! These new autonomous vehicles really are conspiring to run out of control!...
Add new comment
14 comments
Hi sorry we hadn't seen your question re helmets for larger heads. At the moment we don't have a larger helmet in the range, apologies for that but we will pass your comments on to Salice Italy. Kind regards Salice
Matt, thanks for the review....perhaps this wasn't your best angle
. The Levante helmet has been well received so far and genuinely the feedback has been positive. Visually it stands up against other aero helmets. See pic of Rory Townsend in action at the Chorley GP where he picked up KOM. If you don't like the Levante Aero then have a look at the Ghibli http://salice.co.uk/detail/ghibli-black-green. Buy from an authorised UK dealer to have your 2 year UK warranty endorsed. Happy Cycling ! SALICE UK
DSC_7670.jpg
You're right, it isn't my best angle. It isn't me.
ANy chance of you doing an aero helmet in a size that fits larger heads?(Mine is 64cm)
Who ate all the pies?
Looks like it was designed and made by Fisher-Price
.
ooooooh
c53e19770a12e34e4df8826552f243ec.jpg
I dunno about the model but the helmet is certainly skewiff.
Apologies, but ye guys need a new helmet model...
That is just WRONG!
Agreed.
Get a forty-summat MAMIL with a double chin.
No, I won't do it.
No obvious 'full front' picture ?
It's not floating my boat to be honest. Maybe it's the fluo green liner ?
Twiki, from the TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, has let himself go.