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Because there's only so much you can do to a helmet before it become uncomfortable and heavy.

Well, many bicycle helmets used to be Snell approved, and top end helmet design hasn't changed that much. Unfortunately, helmet manufacturers are private businesses. Thus exists to make profit. Why would they make something better which costs more to produce, when they can produce something for less, which is much more profitable that will still sell due to fear?

Their bicycle helmets might no longer meet those standards ... ? :)

And they don't, most likely because they were too expensive in terms of production and profitability. It's a business after all, lowest production cost vs highest sales price etc.

Pretty sure Euro consumer protection legislation would make it illegal to make a claim against a standard which was not administered by a Euro body.

To some extent, the absence of certification details on global marketing material is also a matter of practicality, since the helmets come with local certification labels at the point of sale.

And, again, no corporate lawyer in his right mind would allow the marketing guys to say "This helmet has a CE sticker but, hey look, it also has passed the tougher Snell B95 test, nudge nudge, wink wink"

I'm sorry but your replies make no sense. Its two sectors, one is bicycle helmets, the other is motorcycle helmets. Both are produced by the same company. Both are sold and marketed in the UK and Europe, by the market leader, Bell.

Both sectors have to meet the CE regulations and both both have access to higher independent standards. You virtually can't buy a motorcycle helmet in the UK or Europe which is not DOT or Snell or both certified. Note, that they also have to meet the CE mark as well. Motor cycle helmets are sold on "safety" and the standards they meet, bicycle helmets are sold on the number of vents they have, and the prettiest colors. And this is the sales literature from the same company, Bell.

So, why can bicycle helmet manufacturers not use a "better", more stringent standard, like you've just stated?

Yes, but not ones you either have to pass or can use as a sales pitch in Europe.

Sorry, I'm confused. There are more stringent standards, eg DOT or Snell, which both offer bicycle helmet testing which is far stricter than the CE mark, and the bicycle industry industry used to use Snell, prior to 1995. Both Dot and Snell are still quoted in motorcycle helmets sales literature, why would bicycle helmet manufacturers not be able to cite them with bicycle helmets? Bell sell both motorcycle and bicycle helmets, but they cite no standards with the bicycle helmets.

I understand that to sell a bicycle helmet, you have to send a helmet off for testing to the CE certification, and then the manufacturer self certifies from there on, until there is a "production change", as with all CE marks. But I don't understand why they couldn't use a "higher or stricter" standard in a sales pitch. Could you explain?

Aside from the obvious liability issue in claiming 'safety', helmet manufacturers never mention it because every helmet passes exactly the same tests, you can't sell one that doesn't and there are no graded ratings (cf. Euro NCAP), it's pass or GTFO.

So, why does the same company sell its motorcycle helmets differently often using the word "safety" and they quote the safety standards the helmet meets? You are aware there are far more stringent safety standards than the CE certification?

Think you'll find that marketing safety equipment/features in any shape or from is very tricky business... Of course, in some cases, you can create scare campaigns and/or play on the fear factor card, but generally speaking companies targeting general public consumers, do not want their product associated with blood and horror, let alone potential injury and death. Similarly you rarely see airline advertising campaigns focusing on company safety records.

Airlines, aren't selling safety, they're selling a service transporting people from one location to another. With bicycle helmets, their only purpose is safety/protection. In most other categories of safety wear, the "standards" met are often the biggest selling point, look at how motorcycle helmets are sold, or Nomex for retardant suits. Even cars are often sold on being "safe", and their primary function is also transport. I've always thought the helmet manufacturers have so little faith in their product they won't touch anything to do with safety.

Look at the Giro Air Attack, there is no mention on the sales page of anything to do with safety, protection or even the standards it meets, or the tests it's successfully passed, or perhaps it hasn't passed any?

force[/i] they offer protection against, but a figure like 15N is completely meaningless to the average consumer.

Bicycle helmets are specifically never ever marketed on "safety", "speed" or anything like that at all. Even any standards information eg CE**** will be an unexplained bullet point, or a footnote. Advertisements and packaging will also never mention this, neither will it be on the manufacturers website product pages. At the most they use "venting", "comfort" or "fit" but never anything to actually suggest the product actually provides protection at any "speed".

But will the undertaker wear a helmet? And I'm sure Rapha do a jersey with a black armband!

I have read, I was just curious. Never seen one before. And I can't find many references to it on the Internet, aside from the above link.

Does it say anywhere on the bike that its a Colnago aside from the decals? Is on the BB as an example?

^ Really? Did you get a dispatch notice?

Impressive.

Yup, got a dispatch email on Friday, about an hour after I ordered. But, I didn't expect it to come this quick.

I'm genuinely surprised that my sale stuff arrived this morning. As in today! Usually I've found it takes at least a week for Rapha to even despatch stuff. Very impressed!

Ha, yup! Too slow! :-)

Dibs on silver brakes, please.

Dibs on the forks if you do split. (Depending on price)

Is there any pantographing? I can't see anything on the lugs at all.

Magic? Or just brute force?

I've an old binder bolt where the lug to engage with the frame lug was worn down. But this still had an Allen key head on both sides.

Could be that you've got a mismatched binder bolt? Does it have campy written on both sides?

It might be best to just get a new binder bolt. Condor do campy ones for £8.

Thanks for the response. I'll get them done at an LBS, any idea of what it should cost? I phoned around a few, but got £20 difference in prices.

Want. Just out of interest, why didn't you just return them for the right size?

Doesn't it have Allen key access from both sides? Both mine do.

On mine, one side of the seat post bolt has a bite area to grip onto the frame, the other has the washer.

Just out of interest, does the 8 speed system still require the derailleur cable to be pretensioned by a kilo? I've a 9 speed and following the Park Tools guide I completely missed that I had to do this, and the gear shift was terrible, until it was pointed out to me.

Now, when i do the gears, I release the cable, push the rear derailleur to the between the second and third sprocket, tighten the cable up and release. It seems to give the cable the correct tension.

Whatever floats your boat. Although I think you'll get jaw cramp before you get anywhere near enough.

Hilarious.

Why hilarious? If you're training hard its much better to eat unprocessed foods, than crap. Or do you advocate Spam, and Fray Bentos as the ultimate recovery food?