Product Review: Bern Allston Helmet

11 Nov Product Review: Bern Allston Helmet

On August 17, 2014, I attended an event hosted by the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) called, “Hot August Bike” at Amoeba Records in Hollywood. Amongst the many vendors there, the helmet company Bern Unlimited had their West Coast representative, Cecilio, present. I struck up a conversation with him and told him about Milestone Rides and what I’m all about. I told him I was planning on going on a bicycle tour soon and asked if there was a helmet that he could recommend for me on the tour. He offered one of Bern’s first bicycle helmet called the “Allston”.

Allston boasts 50% more airflow, using 16 strategically placed vents and weighing in at only 12 oz. Compared to the Watts line, the Allston was almost 4 oz lighter! That makes a difference when you’re wearing the same helmet everyday on a bike tour.

Surprisingly, the Allston was one of their first bicycle helmet offering in 2013, even though many people have been using their other popular helmet lines, such as the “Watts” skate helmet for bicycle rides, including myself. It is a stylish alternative to the typically bicycle helmet from popular brands like Giro, Bell, or Specialized, whose helmets are targeted for the racing crowds. The only setback to the Watts helmet line is its weight.  The helmet is much heavier and does not have enough ventilation for bike riding. Because of these complaints, Allston was born out of necessity.

First Impressions

I stopped by Orange 20 Bikes in Los Angeles near the East Hollywood area, the local bike shop where Cecilio was stationed. He handed over the olive green version. I have to admit that it wasn’t my first choice in colors initially, but now that I’ve been using it, the color has grown on me.

The helmet was noticeably lighter than my other Bern helmet (I believe I have one of Watts one). It weighed along the lines of my Giro brand helmets.

The first comment I received from my friend, Evadne, was that I looked like I had a turtle shell on my head. I would have to agree given that the color was olive green and looks like a turtle shell.

On The Road

I brought this with me to my New England bicycle tour a few weeks ago for the first time. It actually came at a really good time as my previous helmet, a mountain bike Giro helmet I’ve had for maybe over 10 years, for a lack of a better word, “broke”. I also wore the new helmet on my recent bike tour from Chino Hills to San Diego, as well.

Riding Conditions

As you can imagine, the New England weather was unpredictable. For the most part, we rode in cool weather, with the exception of the first day when it rained for the first half of our ride out of Worcester, MA. The ventilation becomes a nuisance as your head is exposed to the elements. To remedy that, wear a cyclist hat or a wool hat underneath to stay warm. You’re probably not going to be dry, but at least you’ll be warm.

For my San Diego ride, it was consistently in the 80’s while riding down the California Coast. I perspired as the day got warmer, but was overall really comfortable.

Snug Fit

For the first 2 days of riding with this helmet, there was a constant pressure on both my left and right temples. That didn’t go away until the 3rd day. I’m assuming that I the helmet finally molded to the shape of my head.

What you need to remember is that the liner inside the helmet keeps the fit very snug and tight, so when purchasing a new helmet, I would be patient and let that be worn down before returning it for a larger size.

I was actually confused with the visor as it was first flipped up. I thought it stayed in that stationery position. I didn’t really figure out that you can flip it down until I came back from my New England trip and needed to use the visor on a few rides in Los Angeles.

What I Like

The main thing that really gets my attention with the Allston is the really cool style. It’s not your typical almond shaped helmet that other companies are pushing to the consumers. It’s nice to have options in the market and because of this reason, I would speculate many bicycle riders look towards Bern’s helmet. I was certainly looking for something stylish and different when I bought my first Bern helmet.

In addition to the cool style, the helmet performed very well when I was on my multi-day tours. I was very comfortable as the ventilation worked very well to keep my head nice and cool. The lightness of the helmet also helps as I hardly felt the impact of wearing it during my longest days of my tour (approximately 6 hours). I didn’t experience any neck pain or soreness, similar to how I would feel after wearing my previous Giro models.

The fit was extremely snug initially, but after a period of breaking it in (about 2 days of wearing it), I felt that the helmet finally conformed to my head and was a snug fit.

The visor improves the look of the helmet by providing a cool brim that you can flip up or down depending on how you feel. It is also very functional as you can flip it down to shield your eyes from the rain or the sun. This came in handy when I was riding through the rain during my New England tour a few weeks ago.

The visor is also the liner of the helmet. The beauty of this liner is that it is removable since it is held on by a few buttons. This allows you to remove and wash it whenever needed. Other helmet systems uses adhesive tape or velcro which I am not a fan of.

Improvement Opportunities

As with any product, this helmet can improve on a few things to make it better. I think a tip for the consumer about the snug padding should have been documented somewhere. For those who may not be as patient may just return it or exchange it once they felt discomfort.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/iRfO4iWNH_w]

As I watched a YouTube video about this helmet, I realized that my tightening system was a cheaper velcro version compared to the person’s helmet in the video. His was a higher end plastic dial that you find in more expensive helmet. I’m not sure if my helmet was a lower cost model or an early model, but I couldn’t find this information on the Bern Unlimited website.

The color selection of the helmet seems a bit limited at only 6 choices, so I would recommend that they offer other color variations. Maybe even even more color for the visor itself and allow their customers to pick those combination as they please. I think this would widen their product appeal.

Final Thoughts

My overall impression of this helmet is very favorable, as it offers a really good alternative to what you typically would find in your local bike shops. I am thoroughly impressed with the looks and performance of the helmet and would highly recommend it for those looking for something similar.

Pros:

• Unique style
• Snug fit
• Well-ventilated
• Lightweight
• Functional liner and visor attachment

Cons:

• Be aware of sizing with liner included
• Consistent tightening / adjustment system
• More color selection

I would like to thank Cecilio and Orange 20 Bike Store for allowing me the opportunity to test this helmet out on my bike tours. Please check them out at http://orange20bikes.com for a wide variety of urban bicycling needs. They are located in East Hollywood area behind Los Angeles City College at 4351 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90029.

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