SHARK HELMETS
RACE-R PRO
Your head is the most vital part of your whole body, and whenever the chance of giving mine a hard time is heightened, I pick up my SHARK Helmets Race-R Pro. It’s the company’s top of the range model and if I’m going on track, or riding something fast, then I’m a lot happier if my head is encased by the protective qualities of the Race-R Pro.
Just over a year ago though, my attitude to risk was massively altered by a freak incident. Suddenly I was reminded why wearing the best shouldn’t just be reserved for times when you’re going to be pushing things. The fact is, there’s always a chance of something occurring beyond your control, and when that happens then you need the ultimate protection. The event I was involved in served as a clear reminder that anything can happen at any time.
I was on a modestly powered adventure bike, just ten miles from home on a quiet A road, riding in some of the best conditions possible. I was making good, confident progress and feeling as safe and secure as I could wish. Then, in an instant and with zero warning, I’m bouncing down the road at what felt like a much greater pace than I had been just a millisecond earlier. Because the transition from happily seated to rolling down the road occurred so fast, at first I thought I must be dreaming. Am I crashing here? I questioned, totally bewildered by the whole bizarre event. Why the hell was this happening? When I finally stopped sliding I got the answer to why I’d gone from vertical to horizontal in a flash.
A young deer had jumped out of the forest I was riding by, darting out right in front of my wheel so quickly I never had the chance to see it. There was no ‘oh my god, I’m going to go down here’ moment. No, I bypassed the whole pre-crash terror emotion, and went straight to ground. A totally shocked car driver who’d seen the whole thing was amazed I was okay. Not being the
first time I’ve ever hit the deck I was less affected, but I did feel hugely lucky.
I have absolutely no doubt my now badly battle-scarred Race-R Pro had done a fantastic job of protecting me. By the look of it, it had obviously taken the full force of the impact, doing a perfect job of absorbing the blow and preventing any head injury. Sadly, it had been just one hour since I’d picked the brand new SHARK up from my helmet painter who’d done a superb job of customising it and ‘making it mine’. All his painstaking
artwork had been destroyed in an instant which was a massive shame. But god did I feel grateful I’d been wearing it.
A head scan at the hospital later that night showed all was well and I’d been saved from any concussive inj ury. Believe me, after suffering a serious brain trauma several years back, I know full well it’s something you want to avoid. Luckily for me, thanks to my unscheduled, comprehensive test of the Race-R Pro, I discovered something that can really reduce the chances of that being repeated. I really hadn’t thought the test of the Shark was going to be that conclusive!
Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised at the protective q ualities of the SHARK . The French firm are in the business of head protection, and have a lot of men helping themwith their research in the form of speedy world class racers. Every time Lorenz o, Zarco, Lowes, Sykes and other SHARK Helmets Race-R Pro wearers crash, they are arming Shark with more and more knowledge to help them develop safer helmets for the likes of mere mortals like you and I.
Thankfully, my crashes are much rarer than the racers and there are lots of other features I like about the Race-R Pro other than its sheer protective q ualities. O ne of the other main virtues is its comfort. Fitting well all round my head without any pressure points means all-day comfort. Given I can sometimes ride for over 12 hours, this is a crucial plus point. O ther things also contribute to the SHARK being so agreeable to wear for long periods, with its light weight, ex cellent aerodynamics, and low noise really helping riding comfort, especially at continual high speed. Great venting is also beneficial.
Being able to change the visor so q uickly is another bonus. Let’s face it, British weather is hardly what you’d describe as consistent, so being able to swap visors to cope with different light levels in seconds is really useful. The convenience of the system means I’m much more likely to make the change thanks to it being so easy, which can only improve riding safety. The 4 .5mm thickness in the centre of the visor also boosts my confidence, as does its anti-mist coating. The antiscratch surface ex tends the life of clear vision significantly, especially at night.
I’ve also occasionally taken advantage of the SHARK Easy Fit system which lets me wear glasses with ease. The recesses in the interior allow room for the arms of the specs, preventing themfrom pressing against your head uncomfortably. It might seem like a small detail, but I for one appreciate the thoughtful design. It’s another indication of j ust howmuch effort SHARK Helmets are putting in to their products, and one of the many reasons I had no hesitation in ordering a replacement Race-R Pro to replace my damaged one. It doesn’t j ust enhance my life, it gives me a good chance of ex tending it too.