SHARK HELMETS SPARTAN
There’s so much I’ve grown to like about SHARK Helmet’s Spartan helmet, having appreciated its numerous qualities on each and every one of my journeys. Some people consider a helmet as just a legal necessity. But when you ride a bike for a living as I do, it can make the difference between having a good or bad day.
The Spartan’s comfort is one of its most notable virtues, important when you’ve got so much time and distance to ride. Two recent 300-mile trips, and another dawn to dark marathon 500-miler underlined this particular quality. Fitting well and snugly, but with no pressure points anywhere, means my head always feels happy being encased in the Spartan. Better still, as it’s so light and aerodynamic, at times I barely know I’m wearing it. It really is that unobtrusive. Of course the plushness of the lining helps with the ease of it all. When something is against your skin all day it has to be agreeable. The lining has the added bonus of being removable and machine washable which means the face/liner marriage can remain clean and healthy. You can’t beat that sort of freshness.
I’ve fitted the Pinlock anti-mist lens insert which ensures much clearer vision, especially when the weather’s bad. And thanks to the closed fit of the anti-scratch visor itself, whenever I’ve ridden in the rain it keeps out the cold wet stuff to maintain the civility. The five position ratchet system securely maintains the amount I’ve ever wanted to keep it open in drier conditions.
Just as much of a bonus is the Spartan’s superb venting system. I’ve been lucky to have been testing in some great weather several times this year, and when I’ve opened the brow vents for a bit of cooling, the effect has been staggering. I might have been riding for just over 40 years now, but I haven’t known any helmet offer the same amount of refreshing ventilation as this one does. The efficiency of the helmet’s air channels make
it feel like you’ve just opened a window in your stuffy house or car to let in a lovely cooling breeze. It can feel hugely welcome. The retractable chin curtain, helping to keep draughts at bay when it’s not as warm, is another useful feature. A helmet that can cope with everything from typically British wet and chilly days, to the near stifling temperatures we’ve been having occasionally this year underlines its versatility and has to be considered a real asset. It’s a real all year round helmet.
In the bright sunlight of those more summer-like days, the internal drop down visor also deserves plenty of praise. On really long rides, the light levels can change quite a lot. Knowing you can cope with them all by just moving the slider on top of the helmet couldn’t be much more convenient, not to mention much safer. The reality is you can set off in, or ride into the dark, go through tunnels, bad weather et al, and always cope instantly. It certainly beats having to carry a set of spare visors around with you.
Being stepless means you can adjust the visor position accurately, and just like the main visor, the sun visor is easy to remove for a more thorough cleaning. If you wear glasses the drop down visor easily clears them, and thanks to the ‘Easy Fit’ system the arms of your spectacles aren’t forced painfully against the sides of your head. This sort of attention to detail is very thoughtful and most welcome. Believe me, when you’re on longer test days, ‘little’ features like this become much more relevant.
The Spartan has a great, well-built look and comes in several choices of colours and designs. I chose a bright fluorescent option to help me feel extra safe thanks to its impressive high visibility. On the subject of safety, the double D-ring strap fastener gives full security with its end secured by a popper to prevent flapping. Vision is good thanks to the wide aperture.
I have to admit to being a bit snobby about cheaper helmets thanks to being offered the very best available. Initially I thought the mid-priced Spartan might be a little second rate. With its overall quality, thoughtful design and multiple features and virtues, I’ve come to realise my wariness is totally unfounded. Its five year warranty says much about it too.
There’s a saying ‘you get what you pay for’, but in the case of the Spartan I’d say you get a lot more than that. I really like it, and very much enjoy wearing it.