There's one at every group ride. You know, the guy who shows up on his Bridgestone MB-1 sporting a 1982 RAGBRAI jersey, laced into some old-school Nike Poobahs and wearing a state-of-the-art helmet from the 7-11 Cycling Team era.
Now, I ain't no anti-retrogrouch by any stretch of the imagination – I will occasionally don an ancient Giordana Mickey Mouse jersey and I don't believe the road to happiness is paved with carbon fiber – but I do draw the line at vintage helmets.
Protecting what little brain waves you have left with a good skid lid should be top priority. All the major manufactures – Bell, Giro, Louis Garneau, Specialized and so on – are making helmets at every price point. Technology improves every year, so today's helmets are safer, lighter and more comfortable than your beloved early-'90s brain bucket. So, it's time to ditch the retro relic and replace it with something from this century.
One prime example: the Oasiz, one of Lazer's mountain-specific offerings. It was developed in conjunction with cycling phenom Brian Lopes. I got to test it this summer, and I especially liked its innovative sizing contraption, its magnetic fastening device, and the visor incorporated directly into the helmet's frame.
But those weren't the first things I noticed about the Oasiz. Rather, it was all the extra protection at the rear of the helmet. It's bulging and substantial, but the helmet is still surprisingly lightweight.
The sizing system, which Lazer calls "Rollsys," is quite ingenious. Just pull the helmet on and spin the adjustment wheel on the top. Within seconds, you've dialed in a snug and even fit. This allows you to cinch down your helmet on the fly during more treacherous stretches of trail and back off the pressure while rolling along – not that I condone such behavior.
And though I initially fought with the magnetic strap closure, dubbed the "Magic Buckle," I learned to appreciate its simplicity. After some practice, it became a one-handed operation.