Specialized will give you 50% off a new helmet if you trade in your old one

Rendel Harris wrote:

The article doesn't make it clear if this offer applies to trading in an old Specialized helmet or any brand?

Good point, we clarified with Specialized and they told us that any brand of helmet can be traded in under the initiative, which closes on 7 March.

I've updated the story.

Thanks Simon. So I guess anyone who's in the market for a new helmet but wants to keep their current one as well would be quids in buying a £10.99 job from Halfords and swapping it for a £120 discount - not advocating that as it would be rather wasteful environmentally but...

Sriracha wrote:

I'm guessing Specialized are not giving away money over this offer - makes me think the helmet is priced at well over twice what it's worth.

Tests have shown that a brand's £30 helmets are just as effective as the models costing £150 or more. And they all have to conform to the standards.

The title should say "up to 50%".

And it's a trade-in, not an amnesty. Poor choice of word by Specialized. But at least they have some headlines and get to sell more hats.

That's very true about pretty much everything, but in my opinion, with a more expensive helmet you are usually paying for less weight, more aero, more comfort, etc.

Whether that renders it worth the extra is subjective and down to the individual's choice. The cycling industry will always find a way of extracting cash from customers in the name of "lighter, faster, better", and as customers we can pay our money and take our choice.

No better example than bikes themselves. A £1k bike as a conveyance from A to B will do this task as well as a £10k bike and have passed the same ISO accreditations, and going up the range, after £4k, you are saving around 100g in weight per £1k spent. Yet the market for these superbikes is bigger than it's ever been and manufacturers are selling every bike they can make.

mark1a wrote:

That's very true about pretty much everything, but in my opinion, with a more expensive helmet you are usually paying for less weight, more aero, more comfort, etc.

Whether that renders it worth the extra is subjective and down to the individual's choice.

This is not a surprise.

But with a helmet you might get slightly better venting, slightly lighter weight, but it's marginal.

I don't think many people would claim that the differences between a £1k road bike and a superbike are marginal.

I'm not saying we shouldn't be able to choose. So-called freedom of choice has got us into the consumerist lifestyle/culture where everything has to be marketed, promoted, offered; we have to be persuaded, seduced, enticed...

But £240 for a plastic hat full of holes when the £80 model from the same brand does exactly the same thing? (and there will be a generous margin on the cheaper one)

Simon E wrote:

 

So-called freedom of choice has got us into the consumerist lifestyle/culture where everything has to be marketed, promoted, offered; we have to be persuaded, seduced, enticed...

....and thrown into landfill after 2 years when we are once more seduced. 

Simon E wrote:

And it's a trade-in, not an amnesty. Poor choice of word by Specialized.

It's an excellent choice of word. From a marketing perspective.

'Trade-in' just suggests a discount, which doesn't have much traction unless you're already thinking about getting a new helmet. 'Amnesty' puts in someone's mind that they're doing something wrong by not replacing their old helmet, so motivates them to think about buying a new one when they wouldn't otherwise.

Sriracha wrote:

I'm guessing Specialized are not giving away money over this offer - makes me think the helmet is priced at well over twice what it's worth.

Twice what it's worth is being extremely generous.  Helmets are made of raw materials that are extremely cheap, and the volume of sales means that development and set up costs are minimal per product.  So helmets cost very little to make and transport, and most of the price is profit.

Helmets are one of the best demonstrations of disaster capitalism.  First make your market afraid of something, then sell them something that makes them feel safe, whether it actually does so or not, and in this case, not.  They even have exclusions with every helmet saying that it won't protect you.

Helmets are a billions of dollars industry making something that no-one needs but is probably more profitable than drugs.

eburtthebike wrote:

Twice what it's worth is being extremely generous.  Helmets are made of raw materials that are extremely cheap, and the volume of sales means that development and set up costs are minimal per product.  So helmets cost very little to make and transport, and most of the price is profit.

Helmets are one of the best demonstrations of disaster capitalism.  First make your market afraid of something, then sell them something that makes them feel safe, whether it actually does so or not, and in this case, not.  They even have exclusions with every helmet saying that it won't protect you.

Helmets are a billions of dollars industry making something that no-one needs but is probably more profitable than drugs.

I think you underestimate drugs - estimated at nearly 1% of the world's total trade.

I like the term "disaster capitalism" though.

hawkinspeter wrote:

I think you underestimate drugs - estimated at nearly 1% of the world's total trade.

But I was talking profit, or profit margin, not size.  Drugs have significant costs, growing, processing, distribution, political and police payments, money laundering, armed gangs, but helmets have none of these, and are promoted for free by misguided but zealous believers; and it's all legal.

eburtthebike wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

I think you underestimate drugs - estimated at nearly 1% of the world's total trade.

But I was talking profit, or profit margin, not size.  Drugs have significant costs, growing, processing, distribution, political and police payments, money laundering, armed gangs, but helmets have none of these, and are promoted for free by misguided but zealous believers; and it's all legal.

Well, I'll concede the point as I don't have details on profits and/or costs, but I'll leave you with this: can bike helmet purveyors afford hippos? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-58937415

hawkinspeter wrote:

eburtthebike wrote:

Twice what it's worth is being extremely generous.  Helmets are made of raw materials that are extremely cheap, and the volume of sales means that development and set up costs are minimal per product.  So helmets cost very little to make and transport, and most of the price is profit.

Helmets are one of the best demonstrations of disaster capitalism.  First make your market afraid of something, then sell them something that makes them feel safe, whether it actually does so or not, and in this case, not.  They even have exclusions with every helmet saying that it won't protect you.

Helmets are a billions of dollars industry making something that no-one needs but is probably more profitable than drugs.

I think you underestimate drugs - estimated at nearly 1% of the world's total trade.

I like the term "disaster capitalism" though.

I thought he was talking about profit margin as a % of the sales price.

But if it were that profitable wouldn't we be seeing more new entrants into the market?

wycombewheeler wrote:

I thought he was talking about profit margin as a % of the sales price.

But if it were that profitable wouldn't we be seeing more new entrants into the market?

Thanks, I was and I've edited my later post to say that.

eburtthebike wrote:

Helmets are one of the best demonstrations of disaster capitalism.  First make your market afraid of something, then sell them something that makes them feel safe, whether it actually does so or not, and in this case, not.  They even have exclusions with every helmet saying that it won't protect you.

Helmets are a billions of dollars industry making something that no-one needs but is probably more profitable than drugs.

It sounds like you've never had a hard wreck with your head hitting the ground?! They definitely DO work, but they are more like an insurance product than a necessity, if thats what you mean. Myself and a few others in my club had split their helmets on the ground, and are fortunate it wasn't their skulls.

Sriracha wrote:

I'm guessing Specialized are not giving away money over this offer - makes me think the helmet is priced at well over twice what it's worth.

Indeed! I'm fortunate enough to get helmets and glasses at cost from anothr brand thru a hookup, and a $240USD helmet is only $70, and I wouldnt be surprised if they still have a thin margin there.

Christopher TR1 wrote:

Seems to be a uk only thing. 

I was about to write the same comment. road.cc authors don't seem to realise they have subscribers in countries where the sun shines!

What is this ‘sun’ you speak of?

bikercat wrote:

What is this ‘sun’ you speak of?

It's a Murdoch rag with a surprisingly high daily circulation of over a million. It's also known for insightful political commentary with headlines such as "FREDDIE STARR ATE MY HAMSTER"

The subject matter of the classic song "It Says Here" by Billy Bragg...

True. Unfortunately I'm in Germany, so no more sunshine than back in Blighty 🙄

Steady on the sun is shining here today for a brief period between storm Dudley and Storm Eunice... who chooses the names for these things?

Ride On wrote:

who chooses the names for these things?

The western European storm naming group.

My daughter was very confused as had never heard of the name Eunice and had assumed it was spelled with a 'U'.

That said, where did Storm Malik come from? The Time Vortex from six months in the future??