Home > Clothing-Gear-Tools

IB16: Bell Stratus brings top level aesthetics to more affordable road helmets

6 Comments
Support us! Bikerumor may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More

Remember the Bell Zephyr that debuted a couple weeks ago? You know, the first helmet to integrate the MIPS rotational impact mitigation into the retention mech for a better fit? Now they’ve taken that same mold and created the Stratus, which looks virtually identical but steps down the features slightly to shave about a hundred bucks off the price.

The two biggest differences are the non-integrated MIPS and the single layer EPS shell. The vents, shape and most everything else looks and acts identically…

The Stratus uses a standard single layer of EPS foam rather than the Zephyr’s dual layer hard-over-softer construction. The MIPS is also standard, which means it takes up a few millimeters more space inside the helmet than the Zephyr’s version. Other differences include the Float Fit retention dual versus Float Fit Race, and colors.

Look for 18 vents, a weight of 295g and price of $150 with standard colors and $160 with reflective graphics. A non-MIPS version will also be offered for $130 and weigh in at 275g.

BellHelmets.com

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

6 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Antipodean_eleven
7 years ago

“…brings top level aesthetics to more affordable road helmets” And where a helmet, any helmet, regardless of price point, is mostly injected foam and a plastic shell either co-moulded or stuck to it, how is it that ALL price points can not have good design? Or is design, aka, aesthetics the biggest drawcard on pricey helmets?

A statement like this makes one think, doesn’t it?

FWIW, I own two models of POC, so as far as my head safety goes, price point is not an issue.

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
7 years ago

This makes it just about as safe, maybe exactly as effective for a lower price. There are plenty of people that just don’t have money. Even a $75 helmet seems unreasonable next to a $40 helmet. This brings new tech closer to that price point.

TheKaiser
7 years ago
Reply to  Veganpotter

My first comment seemed to get lost, so this is a 2nd attempt.

I disagree with this Vegan. This helmet is $130-150 so it hardly appeals to entry level riders. It seems better suited to a serious rider/racer guy on a budget who is trying to fit in with the Rapha/Enve/Sworks guys but can’t afford the extra $100 for the Zephyr.

You stated “This makes it just about as safe, maybe exactly as effective for a lower price.” I would argue the exact opposite. This helmet preserved the looks of the Zephyr, which have nothing to do with safety, but sacrificed the new dual density foam, which has the potential to reduce head injury due to the ability to handle a wider range of impacts much like Kali’s Conehead tech.

Allan
Allan
7 years ago

I totally agree with this sentiment. I think this even applies really to a lot of bike components. Does DA really need to cost 10x as much as Shimano’s lowest end group? I’m sure there are small differences in machining tolerances and materials used, but it’s like a lot of component manufacturers go out of their way to make their lower end stuff bulkier and heavier simply so they can charge a premium on the weight weenie high end stuff.

Brian
Brian
7 years ago

FWIW at bike shops there are shop customers who have a hard time spending even $40 for a helmet. So while some of us see the value in a $300 helmet, a lot of people do not.
Those are the people that really need to be targeted and or marketed to. The more people on bikes the bigger our army is and the bigger our presence.

Still, upset there was no mention of gravel grinding or plus size tires here.

john smith
john smith
7 years ago
Reply to  Brian

LOL those vents should be a bit bigger for my cutsom 40mm gravel rig…

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.