Lazer 'Genesis' and 'Helium' Helmets

2011-02-17 updated 2011-06-04 • SEND FEEDBACK •
Related: clothing and footwear, gear, noise

Lazer Genesis road bike helmet

The 2010 version of the Lazer Genesis road edition helmet is the first biking helmet that solves a sweat-in-my-eyes problem without giving me a headache.

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Fit

The top-of-helmet cinching dial mechanism is excellent, and it controls an inner band which wraps the entire head evenly, for great comfort, better than any helmet I’ve used.

Cold weather and a wool cap under the helmet

This is a BIG DEAL for me: this is the first helmet with which I can comfortably wear a thin wool hat under the helmet. The cinching mechanism is what makes this work. No longer do I have to suffer a headache from a poor fit as with other helmets.

I use an IbexWear 'Zephyr' wool cap “beanie” and IbexWear also has the 'Coppi' Merino cycling cap.

Sweat in eyes and on glasses

You see, I have mostly fuzz on the top of my head, so even in cool weather, sweat runs down into my eyes and onto my sunglasses, which makes it hard to see. And sweat stings, especially with sunblock in it. The sweat-in-eyes issue has really been my #1 cycling problem over the years!

Headband headaches

I’ve tried headbands, but they all get hot and make the helmets fit too uncomfortably tight, if they fit at all. And they interfere with wearing sunglasses.

Not only that, but most helmets have a design that grips from the back half of the helmet only, but this does not yield a good fit for me. Helmets have always been a little annoying, and not quite a good fit for me.

Problem solved

Along comes the Lazer Genesis. It solves both the fit and the sweat problem: a sweat absorbing band is attached to a ring that lines the interior of the helmet. Tighten that ring for a perfect and comfortable fit, and the sweat is soaked up by the band. I was skeptical, but I was pleasantly surprised that I’ve not yet had any sweat drip into my eyes or onto my glasses, at least not in temperatures up to 70° or so.

The weather has not been warm enough yet to say whether heavy sweating in 90-100° F temperatures would overwhelm the headband inside the helmet. But it’s certainly still going to be vastly better than any of the half a dozen helmets that I’ve used previously.

At about $170, it’s not cheap, but for anyone who spends time on the bike and has a sweat issue as I do, it’s worth every penny.

Other stuff

Wind noise

I have one complaint about the Lazer Genesis: wind noise. Yes, when the speed hits 20+ miles per hour, there is constant wind noise from the helmet. I can live with this, but it is annoying, something that has to be tuned out.

Weight

I weighed the Lazer Genesis at 362 grams on my lab scale (L-XL size), quite a bit heavier than the nominal weight of 338g.

Visor

No apparent way to use a visor with the Lazer Genesis. But there is a mountain bike version with a visor.

Lazer Helium

Lazer Helium road bike helmet

Lazer offers a lighter Helium helmet, but it’s not built as solidly; the straps are flimsy, prone to flapping in the wind, and the plastic that the straps attach to is simply too flimsy in my view. I returned it; I prefer the Genesis.

And the Helium saves an inconsequential amount of weight— at 346 grams as weighed for the M/L model, it saves only 18g over my Genesis helmet.

Lazer needs to be more honest about their offerings, since the XXS-S size (one size down) is CLAIMED to be 265g, and no effort is made to quote the weight for someone with a normal-sized noggin.