Oxford Raven helmet

If you asked me how much I'd be prepared to pay for a comfortable, well-ventilated helmet, with a good dial retention system and modern construction techniques, that weighs about 250g, I'd probably say that was about sixty quid's worth of hat, or more. So the fact that the Oxford Raven is just £39.99 makes it a bargain, if the performance lives up to the spec on paper. Which it does.

This is a proper road lid with an in-mould construction, where the the outer shell is attached to the EPS foam during the moulding process rather than being stuck/taped on afterwards. That makes the helmet look better and last longer. The 28-vent design put me in mind of the Giro Aeon, although it's not quite as nicely proportioned, and you get a height-adjustable dial retention system to keep it on your head. Inside there's a single piece pad which should be easy to remove and wash; it also incorporates a bug net on the biggest vents to stop your hat filling up with wasps. The straps are fairly basic – there's no lock on the strap guides so they sometimes move about – but they keep the helmet planted and there's a generous padded bit for your chin which doubles as a tidy for any extra strap.

Buy Oxford Raven helmet

Mostly you want to put a helmet on your head and forget about it until it's time to take it off again. The Raven is EN1078 rated so it should do the same amount of protecting your head as any other helmet with the same rating, should the worst happen. And once you're off and running it's an easy helmet to forget. It's comfortable and it's well ventilated, and the retention system is secure without exerting undue pressure. I've completed some long rides in this lid (including this 280km all-dayer ) and I've had no major issues with it. It doesn't play particularly nicely with my favourite Tifosi sunglasses; the thick legs get knocked about by the helmet and straps a bit. It's much better with glasses that have thinner legs, and ones that bow out from your temples a bit more. The only other issue is that the pads at the front have fairly rigid spines that press into your forehead: it's not at all uncomfortable, but it does make you look like an extra from Star Trek when you walk into the cafe.

The only other issue with the yellow one is the colour: it's a bit 'cheap fluoro' and the black/blue/red/white ones are better, especially black and red. If it was my money I'd probably plump for one of those two. But if it was my money, or a friend's, I'd certainly be happy to lay it out on this, or recommend that they did, if they were looking for an inexpensive road helmet that put in a solid performance. For forty quid you're getting what would normally cost you significantly more.

Read more: 6 of the best cheap cycling helmets — decent lids that don't cost a fortune

Verdict

Great value road helmet that's light, comfortable and well constructed