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Bell Image 2000

MSRP $ 80.00
# of Reviews 17
Average Rating 4.41/5
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Submitted by Megan a from Claremont, CA
Date Reviewed: February 18, 2003
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $20.00
Purchased At:Campmor
Strengths:Got it for $20, comfy, fits well, mostly good air flow
Weaknesses:forhead gets wetter than monsoon season, little heavy
Similar Products Used:really crap old bell helmet
Bike Setup:access XCL frame, lx/xt drive train, stx-rc vees with avid sd7 levers, thudbuster w/ selle italia gel flite, titec hellbent bars w/ big al stem, indy c fork - hey, I'm a college kid on a budget
Bottom Line:For $20 this is a good deal for some one without a lot of cash to spend. If most of your money is going to books and tuition this is a good use of money. It's a little heavy and makes my forehead sweat even more than my crappy old helmet. The rest of the air flow is good though, the top of my head stays cool. It fits really snuggly without having to choke myself with the strap, or compress my head to make the thing stop moving. I like the back locking system. It's pretty comfy too. Beats wearing a foam cooler on your head. Don't know if I'd spend the MSRP, go with something a little lighter if you are gonna fork over that dough, but can't pass it up for cheap.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Bob a Racer from Hollister, CA
Date Reviewed: September 8, 2002
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $50.00
Purchased At:Performance
Strengths:Comfortable, fits well, easy to adjust straps.
Weaknesses:A little heavy.
Similar Products Used:Specialized, other Bell
Bottom Line:My frame broke at the headtube while on a fast road ride. The bike endoed with me clipped in. I woke up in the hospital, the helmet was as flat in the front as a cartoon charactor after being hit in the face with a fry pan. This helmet saved my life!
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Jason a Cross Country Rider from Courtice Ontario
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2002
Favorite Trail:orono
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Price Paid: $55.00
Purchased At:Pedal Performance
Strengths:It Looks cool(black, blue , grey good combo)
It fits very well
Weaknesses:HUGE back end ugly
Bike Setup:Giant ATX 860, Cool blue Panaracer tires, cooler avid mech. front disk
Bottom Line:This is a really comfortable helmet but is really long.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Nomad a Weekend Warrior from Cleveland, OH
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2002
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $76.00
Strengths:The fit when it was new, looks, color.
Weaknesses:Ventilation sucks, crappy pads, it falls apart.
Similar Products Used:Giro.
Bottom Line:This helmet is a piece of junk. I bought a 1999 model last year and I already had to buy a new helmet. After 30 hours of riding, the glue that holds the staps on fell apart. I tried to glue it back on myself, but was unsuccessful. This is unacceptable. I can't risk the front strap comming loose during a ride. Even the pads are falling apart. I just bought a Giro Exodus a week ago and hopefully it holds up. I really thought this helmet was great when I first got it because the fit was perfect, but the vents and quality are horrible. I will never buy a Bell helmet again.

Maybe I just got a lemon, since the other reviewers seem to like this helmet so much.
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Winston Yin a Cross Country Rider from London, UK
Date Reviewed: July 11, 2001
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $60.00
Strengths:Nice colour scheme
Lots of adjustment (Many many straps)
Snug fit
Umm.. you just feel secure going down a hill with it on
Weaknesses:None so far!
Similar Products Used:Many crap ones..
Bike Setup:2000 GT Aggressor
Bottom Line:Good helmet from a decent company, solid product well worth the money, and it will save your life! Highly recommended.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Pedro Branco a Weekend Warrior from Lisbon, Portugal
Date Reviewed: June 30, 2001
Favorite Trail:Volta dos tristes
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Strengths:Back head protections
Tight Fit
Weaknesses:A bit hot
Bike Setup:Kona Lava Dome
Bottom Line:It protected me from severe head injurys when I was hit by a car, the back of the helmet was destroyed, absorving all the impact energy
well done bell! Possibly saved my life.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Beast Boy a Weekend Warrior from Melbourne Australia
Date Reviewed: April 13, 2001
Favorite Trail:Pipe Makers Park / M'nong river
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $50.00
Purchased At:Rebel Sport
Strengths:Strong, Durable, Adjustments, Weight, Ventilation
Weaknesses:There are none except for the fact that mine is broken now.
Similar Products Used:Bell Tsunami Pro
Bike Setup:'98 K2 Beast
Bottom Line:This helmet saved my bacon (once again) today. Jumping at the local jumps I face planted from a height of about 6 feet and at a speed of about 30Km/h.

Anyway, if I hadn't been wearing this helmet my skull would be crushed to pulp at the front. Good work BELL. You saved me once again.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Sherman a Weekend Warrior from British Columbia, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 10, 2001
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $35.00
Strengths:Good protection all around for all types of crashes
Excellent fit
Lots of adjustment
Long straps for making the adjustments
Weaknesses:Color Scheme
Similar Products Used:Bell Evo 2
Bottom Line:I got this off of a crash replacement for my Evo 2 helmet. It is an excellent helmet. I cannot really comment on the value of the helmet but I think I got a great deal since it came off of crash replacement. Overall it is light and not too big. Fits very well with a lot of adjustment possibilities, much more than my Evo 2, the visor has more studs to keep it in place whereas my old evo 2 would have the visor move around. Not too crazy about the colors offered, I just selected the silver one which is probably the best color. They are using pads instead of the quick wick band that they used to have which seem to work alright. Vent holes are a lot bigger so you can get a finger in there to scratch your head.

Great helmet, colors may deter some buyers but some may actually like the colors. I give it a five
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Rocky Rider a Cross Country Rider from Ontario
Date Reviewed: December 28, 2000
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Strengths:Cool looks
Good ventilation
Plenty of straps to ensure good fit
Reasonable price (I paid $90Can tax in last year)
Visor (not really a plus for me - I don't use it)
Molded-in shell (no squeaks)
Speedy crash replacement
Weaknesses:It's okay to have a visor come with the helmet, but when you take it off there are four ugly holes left.
The Bell sticker is not straight on the visor
Similar Products Used:Cheaper Bell, and Esprit Pro (same but with no visor)
Bike Setup:I use it on both road and mountain bikes
Bottom Line:I got this helmet as a crash replacement for my Esprit. It's exactly the same except for the visor. I ran into a stone wall, a stupid story, and my old helmet cracked before my head did (phew!). I have received this baby in about two weeks for $50 Canadian. It could have been faster if I had shipped express. They even picked a similar colour!
This helmet provides very good fit as long as you read the manual word for word and do what it says. If you can't get perfect fit on the first try it's normal.
On a hot summer day your forehead will be a little sweaty but that's the only weakness in ventilation I can remember (it's not as hot now in December).
I don't get the idea behind black and dark red colours they also use: a helmet is a safety device, and how much safer is a helmet that you can't see in the dark?
But overall there are no major disappointments with this design - go for it if you can.

I sure don't feel any more courageous wearing it, but I know it's there for me when it gets tough.

Five smokin' wieners
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Greg Lawrence a Cross Country Rider from Tigard, OR USA
Date Reviewed: September 27, 2000
Favorite Trail:all of them
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $75.00
Strengths:This was a great fitting helmet(till I trashed it) the fit was superb and the only make I could find that really felt snug on my head. It replaced a specialised helmet and was definately cooler/lighter than it's predecessor. And to be honest I thought it looked cool too!
Weaknesses:None that I discovered
Similar Products Used:Specialised
Bike Setup:XC/Freeride
Bottom Line:I bounced on this helmet onto a rock from over six foot up(don't ask, you really do not want to know the answer), the bottom line, it saved my life....I even broke off a peice of the rock in the process....all I suffered was a few moments of sparklies and a bruised shoulder. The helmet was destroyed. If you want a reason to buy this helmet....160lbs(+ 25lbs of bike) from six feet to rock, and I walked away, nothing more to say!
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Justin Chambers a Cross Country Rider from Gorham Maine, USA
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2000
Favorite Trail:USM Trails
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Strengths:Good ventilation, great colors, perfect fit for my tiny head
Weaknesses:Strange Visor with the flip up design, a little steep price for a BELL
Similar Products Used:Other bell models
Bike Setup:1999 KHS Crest
Bottom Line:Great helmet for any sized head. Good colors, padding, and ventilation.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Paul a Cross Country Rider from Boston, MA
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2000
Favorite Trail:anything tight and twisty
Duration Product Used:6 months
Strengths:cheap
Weaknesses:ZERO ventilation
Similar Products Used:Bell Tsunami Pro
Bike Setup:Fisher Supercaliber
Bottom Line:I bought this helmet because I'm a cheapskate and Bell was offering $20 off with the trade-in of an old lid. In terms of crash protection, this helmet is fine, though I've been lucky enough not to find out firsthand.
However, in terms of ventilation, this helmet is HORRIBLE! There are plenty of vents, but they're all too small, and do not allow enough air to pass through them. I've ridden around 500 miles using this helmet, and even on cool days, it feels like someone is standing over me with a blowtorch pointed at my head. My old Tsunami Pro, which was cheaper than the Image2000 and was fairly low on Bell's helmet totem, was MUCH better ventilated.
Bottom line: Buy this helmet if you like heat, and large amounts of sweat dripping into your face as you ride. Otherwise, stay away, especially if you live in a hot climate.
As for me, I've heard good things about Specialized's high-end lid. I may pick one up and keep the Image2000 as a backup.
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Aaron Bitterman a Weekend Warrior from Longmont, CO
Date Reviewed: February 22, 2000
Favorite Trail:Horsetooth Mtn. Park
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Strengths:Very light, fits nice and snug, lots of vents. Groovy colors.
Weaknesses:Visor attachment is pretty cheesy. Haven't broken it yet, but I can feel it comming.
Similar Products Used:Other Bells, Giro.
Bike Setup:Diamondback Topanga Comp (stock)
Bottom Line:Great helmet. It's very light but still very strong. Great fit. I got mine in a nasty swamp green color! Definitiely 5 flamers!
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Bill a Weekend Warrior from Adelaide
Date Reviewed: February 3, 2000
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Strengths:Solid feel, light weight, plenty of air
Weaknesses:Joke visor attachment, obviously it is not designed to last, snapped off first day of ownership. I hope plastic lock at back of neck is stronger and lasts.
Similar Products Used:Other bell
Bike Setup:Gary Fisher XO, many upgrades
Bottom Line:A very good light weight helmet, let down by poor visor attachment design. I got it for $29.99 plus shipping from Pricepoint. Bell must improve visor attachment to justify full price charge.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Tom a Downhiller from Vancouver
Date Reviewed: January 30, 2000
Favorite Trail:My network
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Strengths:Fits great,breathable, good retention system.Nice paint job.
Weaknesses:nonesofar
Similar Products Used:giro torero, some old helmet
Bike Setup:GT tempest
Bottom Line:Looks and fits great. pretty good price($60)
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Ryan Crowe a Downhiller from Vancouver BC
Date Reviewed: December 12, 1999
Favorite Trail:
none
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Super strong and tough is verry cool (Heat wise and Looks)
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
other bell helmets
Bottom Line:This helmet has saved my head from heavy falls and hasn't cracked yeat
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Ry a Downhiller from us of a
Date Reviewed: August 18, 1999
Favorite Trail:
sawblade
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
fusion, great fit, light,extra tough
Weaknesses:
nope
Similar Products Used:
bell tsumani pro, giro, specalized
Bottom Line:great bang for the buck
Overall Rating:5






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