30 Jan 2010

Limar 757 (777) helmet review

I recently purchased a new helmet, a Limar 757, to replace my old one, an MET Velo.

It also recently broke; and therefore decided to buy an MET Forte.

I purchased the Limar 757 from Wiggle for £62, although the list price was £70.

Limar makes helmets for a variety of sports. They are based in my home town: Bergamo in Italy. The helmets are designed and tested in Italy, but are made in China.

Limar currently makes the lightest helmet on the market, the Limar Pro 104, which weighs in some configurations as little as 170 grams, that's including all accessories.

The Limar 757 is their mid range MTB model, which is identical to the Limar 777 road model.

The Limar 757 comes with a detachable MTB style visor, a 2 year guarantee and a 3 year crash replacement offer.
The Limar 777, available in a different selection of colours, doesn't come with the visor, but can be retrofitted with one since it has the same clip-on holes.
The holes on both helmet models can be covered with plugs, supplied in the box.


Of the several colours on offer I chose matt black, which I think gives the helmet a more upmarket look and will show scratches less.

But enough of the boring details; here is what it looks like when I wear it:



I think it looks pretty neat, modern, and slightly smaler than most helmets.

The claimed weight, as stated on the box and on the helmet's literature, is 260 grams.
Limar claims this is the weight of the helmet with all the accessories included.

Let's see if their claim is true:


That's 250 grams, including the visor. Well done Limar for not lying to your customers!

Without the visor, as in the 777 road version:


237 grams, all in! That's a very light weight helmet, even amongst top of the range models.

In comparison, my old MET Velo, with a claimed weight of 260 grams, without a visor, doesn't fare well:


265 grams is not bad at all, but it's a 5 year old model, and according to literature, helmets should be replaced every 5 years just in case.

As you can see from the pictures, the pads in the Limar 757 are made of CoolMax, which is a thinner padding that helps remove sweat but does not retain it.

By contrast, the padding in the MET Velo is simply foam, quite thick, and does retain sweat.

The Limar 757 also comes with a pad on the chin strap, which in my experience makes it more comfortable.

The strap's lining is also slightly softer on the Limar 757, which adds to the comfort factor.

Comapring the MET Velo to the Limar 757 side by side, we can see how five years in the market have made and impact on not just function but looks and comfort too:


The vents in the MET Velo are bigger at the front, but the shell is shaped in such a way that it doesn't scoop air in, it rather let's it fly by.

To be honest, according to independent tests, there is very little difference between the coolest helmets and the not so cool ones, but the Limar 757 does feel slightly cooler and there is less turbulence which means less noise while cycling fast.

The rear exhaust vents on the Limar 757 also help dissipate heat, and give it a more open feeling.

MET helmets come with a reflective sticker at the back. Limar helmets don't, although the white detail on the red knob at the back seems to be reflective.

Comfort is much improved on the Limar 757 compared to the MET Velo.

On the MET Velo, like on some other MET models, two clips, one on each side, called Safe-T Lite, allow you to tighten or slacken the retention system.


This requires two hands, and can't be safely done while on the move. Any adjustments must be made at a standstill, which can be rather annoying when making progress at high speeds.

By contrast, the Limar 757 comes with an exceptionally effective retention system called Perfect-Fit, which allows the rider to adjust the helmet one handed while on the move:

Just twist the knob clockwise to tighten, and counter-clockwise to release. It is that simple.
This allow a much finer level of adjustment and is extremely easy to use.
Unfortunately the retention system recently broke.

It comes with a quick-release button in the centre of the knob, carrying an On/Off symbol: if pressed, the retention system completely disengages, a safety feature which is very much appreciated should any hair be trapped by it.

The Perfect-Fit retention block can also be placed at different angles, to accomodate different hair styles or head shapes. A nice touch.

Last but not least, a nice touch present on all Limar helmets, not just the 757, is the insect net on the front eight vents, to prevent undesired guests compromising our rides:

5 comments:

  1. Thank you! Good review

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  2. Thank you, good review!

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  3. It should be noted that the rivets seen in the second last picture just next to the twist knob, have broken on my helmet whilst I was riding. The helmet was only 6 months old, and had been worn on about 30 - 40 rides. Was disappointed, particularly when you consider what might happen in an accident. Evan

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  4. Thanks for reporting this issue Evan.
    They same happened to me as you can see in this follow up review:

    http://wokingham-cyclist.blogspot.com/2010/06/update-on-limar-757-broken-retention.html

    I think the design of the Limar helmets at that time was flawed and I hope that they have improved the design since.

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  5. I bought it for $37 at JensonUSA (included shipping because I order something else too).
    http://www.jensonusa.com/Limar-757-MTB-Helmet-BlackGreen-LGXL

    My old helmet is a cheap Giro Indicator.

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