Italia Bici 2004: Limar Helmets - light, cool and sexy looking
By Cyclingnews staff
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With last year's UCI ruling that the pro-peloton was to wear helmets, a lot of people have started looking closely at what the drop on their head before a ride. Cyclingnews takes a visit to Limar's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility near Begamo, Italy.
Limar, Italy's leading cycling helmet manufacturer has been involved in sponsoring for over a decade and has had their riders win it all; Telekom's Jan Ullrich in the Tour De France and 2000 Olympic Road Race, his teammate Erik Zabel winning Milano-San Remo four times as well as a multitude of other victories in what might be the most successful bicycle helmet sports marketing program ever. But last year, Piero Bionda, Limar's marketing chief explained to Cyclingnews' Italia Bici correspondent, the Italian firm decided to step back from most of their sponsorship efforts. "We had had so much success, we weren't sure what we could do to improve. So we pulled back and kept the one program we really liked: the Navigators Insurance team. The other programs had gotten so expensive and had little return, but with Navigators, they are really nice guys and have a good, up and coming team we are happy to work with."
Navigators Insurance team director Ed Beamon echos his sponsor Bionda's appreciation for both the product and process. "We're worked with Limar for four years and our riders love their product. We think their helmets are innovative and have been happy to help Limar in their product development process by giving them our input. Their 911 helmet is a good example; it's light and cool and sexy looking."
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Beamon pointed out that with the mandatory helmet laws currently in force, everyone who races has to use one, "but we have a lot of guys in the team who didn't like to train with helmets. But the Limars are so comfortable that no one has any objections to using their helmets in training, even when it's hot." Beamon is an accomplished masters racer himself and wears his Limar helmet "religiously... I've always been a big believer in protecting the head. I've used all the helmets on the market and I'm sure that the Limar helmets are the coolest and most comfortable you can find, both the 911 and the new 909."
Safety is the primary reason for wearing a helmet and Beamon is also certain of Limar's security. "When (Navigators Insurance rider) Henk Vogels crashed last year in Fitchburg, his Limar helmet saved his life. It was a violent crash where Henk torpedoed off his bike into an Armco guardrail headfirst and unequivocally saved the quality of his life. The amazing thing is when you pick one of these Limar helmets up, they seem to be so light, but the compression effect of the way they explode on impact to absorb the violence of a crash is the beauty of the helmets design, almost like a breakaway bumper on a race car."
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Piero Bionda of Limar explained to Cyclingnews on a recent visit to their state-of-the-art manufacturing facility near Begamo, Italy "safety and quality are the only way we work at Limar. All of our helmets conform to US Consumer Product Safety Commission Safety Standards as well as Australian Safety Standard, European Community and German TUV product safety codes." Unlike many of their competitors, Limar's factory produces their helmets in Italy using their advanced Double InMold process, where an external microshell is fused with the polystyrene liner under heat and pressure around Limar's internal safety cage to make a strong, light one-piece helmet.
Navigators Insurance is equipped with two of Limar's top models, the new 909 and 911 models. Introduced in 2003, the Limar 909 has a unique "eagles beak" design with 27 vents and Limar's micro-adjust Pro System retention technology. Double InMold safe and extra light, the Limar 909 weighs in at 275 grams for the medium size and it's new Cool Comfort pad system absorbs more perspiration than previous models. Limar's 911 helmet has 37 vents for exceptional ventilation and cooling. Built with the Double InMold process, the 911 also has Limar's micro-adjust Pro System retention technology and new Cool Comfort perspiration absorbing pad system. The 911 also has a trick fit-in visor for bad weather.
Both Bionda and Beamon know that with the great Italian design and engineering quality of Limar Helmets, the Navigators Insurance pro cycling team won't have either their safety or performance compromised.
Visit the Limar website
Previous Italia Bici features
2008
Italia Bici 2008
De
Marchi - Innovation and Tradition inspires latest line
Milani
- The passion and desire of Milani continues with Natale's son, Celeste.
Selle
Italia - New location, new models for 2008
Vittoria
Shoes - A true Italian family affair
2007
Italia Bici 2007
Selle
Italia - Selle Italia takes Flite again with new Flite saddle
De
Marchi - Breaking the rules for cycling clothing
DeRosa
- Il Maestro Ugo: Still Motivated To Build Great Bikes
Cytech
- Maximum comfort, maximum performance
2006
Italia Bici 2006
Selle
Italia - Super saddle maker
De Marchi - Innovation & quality
in clothing
DeRosa - Tailor made by Ugo
Cytech - the science of shorts
liners
Fi'zi:k - Behind the scenes with
Damiano Cunego
Fulcrum - Technology + style
in wheels
Battaglin - Over two decades
of carbon fiber
2005
Italia Bici 2005
Ernesto Colnago - Inside
the Inner sanctum
Wilier Triestina rides again
De Rosa - Straight from the heart
Deda Elementi - Passion + Experience
= Innovation
2004
Italia
Bici 2004
Campagnolo
- The real deal in wheels
De
Marchi - Back to the future of high-tech cyclingwear
DMT:Made
in Italy, available in the USA
Ernesto
Colnago 50th Anniversary Interview
FSA
- Pro teams provide input for Full Speed Ahead
Limar
Helmets: Light, cool and sexy looking
Northwave
- Innovation by nature
2003
De
Rosa: The Art of The Artisan
100 Anni Di Corsa: One hundred
years and counting
ITM - Italmanubri:
High Technology Bike Accessories in the Italian Artisan Tradition
2002
Colnago 2002 - Inside Ernesto
Colnago's personal bike museum
2001
DMT
Shoes - Polishing the diamond
Limar
Helmets - Technology for your head
Colnago
- An interview with Ernesto Colnago
