Great NPR story on counterfeit helmets.

[RFC]

https://www.npr.org/2018/09/16/647377213/fake-bike-helmets-cheap-but-dangerous

[Bentley]

I have not read this story but I think Old Potato posted on this subject a year ago. EBay and Alibaba are the “best” sources for these counterfeits

[bikinchris]

I don't understand the desire to sport cheap knockoffs. Especially when it can get you killed with things like handlebars, frames and wheels.

[Bentley]

Some folks are fixated on saving a couple of $$. You can generally get the best helmets for a good discount at the end of a season, even the really good ones. Some people don’t do the math on what their “coconut” is worth.

Ray

[Black Dog]

Some folks are fixated on saving a couple of $$. You can generally get the best helmets for a good discount at the end of a season, even the really good ones. Some people don’t do the math on what their “coconut” is worth.

Ray

Does not have to be expensive to provide good protection. Just made to a good standard. I know that you were not equating best with most expensive.

[makoti]

I do not like the big S, but kudos to them for going after these bastards. They did a similar thing with a frame a while ago, I believe. Scary how fragile these fakes are.

[oldpotatoe]

I have not read this story but I think Old Potato posted on this subject a year ago. EBay and Alibaba are the “best” sources for these counterfeits

Yup bought a 20buck giro. Never intended on using it. Close inspection(actually not that close required) showed it was a real POS But some parent, trying to save a $, might buy this for their kid. Sometimes wonder is ANYTHING from Alibaba is legit.

[Black Dog]

Yup bought a 20buck giro. Never intended on using it. Close inspection(actually not that close required) showed it was a real POS But some parent, trying to save a $, might buy this for their kid. Sometimes wonder is ANYTHING from Alibaba is legit.

Unlikely.

[echappist]

Yup bought a 20buck giro. Never intended on using it. Close inspection(actually not that close required) showed it was a real POS But some parent, trying to save a $, might buy this for their kid. Sometimes wonder is ANYTHING from Alibaba is legit.

trust nothing, unless independently verified by a source not related to the government.

this report (on the melamine-tainted infant formula scandal a decade back) gives a good sense of the lack of trust. (https://qz.com/1323471/ten-years-after-chinas-melamine-laced-infant-milk-tragedy-deep-distrust-remains/) simply put, it's rampant and prevalent, and the fake frames and helmets are just the tip of the iceberg. Every few years, there seems to be an economic fraud of the day, causing needless suffering to millions. Tens years ago, it was poisonous infant formula; last year, it was defective vaccines.

and when one bores down to it, PR China is unique in its prevalence of problems. None of the other traditionally Confucian countries remotely has anything like this, with two of them (viz. Republic of Korea and Taiwan) also experiencing staggering increases in economic development in the past 50 years without having experienced this sort of scandal (I do not know as much about Vietnam and cannot comment regarding economic practices there). Nor do we hear of similar issues from India, a country similar to China in many economic aspects.

[Dino Suegiù]

The NPR article doesn't seem to explain how to really tell if a helmet is fake, does it?

I mean, apparently John Mayer (and/or his watch dealers) were fooled by fake Rolex watches, so I would think not all fake helmets have no legit labels or are stupidly labelled "Asia sizing" like the article states.

So how does one know if an eBay or mail-order helmet is actually fake or not? Are there certain stamps, etc. to look for?

[bikinchris]

I think it should be mentioned that every single (legitimate) brand and model of helmet passes the very same standard for safety. It doesn't matter what the price is. A $7 helmet at Wal-Mart or a $450 team replica helmet have the same standard. All you get with more expensive helmets is lighter weight, more ventilation and prettier colors.

[Bentley]

I think it should be mentioned that every single (legitimate) brand and model of helmet passes the very same standard for safety. It doesn't matter what the price is. A $7 helmet at Wal-Mart or a $450 team replica helmet have the same standard. All you get with more expensive helmets is lighter weight, more ventilation and prettier colors.

I think you also GT better technology, clearly MIPS is more expensive than the alternatives, I believe you get more engineering in some of the more expensive helmets, but I agree that if it’s a CPSC certified helmet it should do the job well enough.

Actually, the highest priced KaSA only comes in like 4 colors

[Mark McM]

I think you also GT better technology, clearly MIPS is more expensive than the alternatives, I believe you get more engineering in some of the more expensive helmets, but I agree that if it’s a CPSC certified helmet it should do the job well enough.

A couple of points:

CPSC doesn't certify bicycle helmets. They publish standards that products have to meet, but it is up to the manufacturer/importer to validate whether the product actually meets the standards. CPSC occasionally spot-checks a few products, and if it is found that they don't meet the requirements, a recall will be issued, and perhaps a fine levied.

It isn't clear to me why a CPSC sticker can't be forged.

For imported goods, it is up to the importer to certify that the goods meet US standards. If a consumer buys a product direct from another country (such as through alibaba), they are effectively acting as the importer. Sometimes, someone in the US will buy a shipment of goods directly from an over seas supplier, and then turn around and sell them on ebay or Amazon or other outlet (without certifying the goods). The end consumer may not be aware that these goods aren't US certified.

[Mikej]

Actually, there is a new rating method - So, while the Walmart helmet and the $450 team helmet both pass the minimum to pass the CPSC test, it doesn't mean the more expensive helmet doesn't provide additional protection. This test looks difficult to forge.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyamohn/2018/06/26/first-ever-bicycle-helmet-ratings-released-only-four-earn-5-stars/#39cd3b9044e6

[andeww]

Wow. that replica too that stomp worse than i would imaging
scary

[bikinchris]

Apparently, using the word legitimate needs to include a definition in this group.