Dashel Urban Cycle Helmet

The Dashel Urban cycle helmet has a unique style and comes in many colours. It exceeds the CE standard for safety testing, and the magnetic Fidlock clasp is neat, though as there's no adjustable cradle getting the right fit can be tricky.

If your riding is primarily in the city, the Dashel Urban is a standout option in more ways than one.

First, the looks. Yes, I know – love it or hate it. Personally, I'm in the love camp. When it's actually on your head it looks pretty cool in a nouveau retro kind of way that absolutely doesn't resemble a WW1 French helmet (it's called an Adrian, by the way... you're welcome). There are six colours to choose from too.

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The Urban's other standout feature is the Fidlock magnetic connector for the chin strap. This isn't something you see all that often on helmets (my S-Works Evade II has it, and that's pretty high end) but it works really well, allowing you to quickly attach and detach the chin strap without fear of pinching your beloved jowls.

The powerful magnets keep it firmly connected at all times, and it's easy to undo, even with gloves on.

A couple of minor criticisms related to both the Fidlock system and the strap: first, the underside of the plastic connector is a little uncomfortable against the skin, so some cushioning would have been welcome.

Then there's the excess when the chin strap is connected – if you have a smaller head, you'll have loads of strap dangling around. There's no band or magnet to secure it with.

The Urban comes with two different thicknesses of pads for the liner, allowing you to dial in the fit. My head shape is pretty much long oval, while this shell veers more towards the intermediate oval shape (it's a little more rounded).

For me, it took quite a bit of experimenting to get the fit right with no tight or loose spots, and even then it was a tiny bit looser overall than I would normally settle for with an adjustable system.

Made in the UK, the Urban is constructed from recyclable ABS and EPS foam (it's also posted in a recycle cardboard box), and if your helmet is damaged or gets a bit old and smelly, Dashel will recycle it for you and give you money off another purchase (it doesn't say how much, mind). You also get a high-quality drawstring bag.

The Urban helmet features five neat ventilation holes along the top, which should help exhaust hot air, though there are no intake vents to encourage air flow. It could get warm on hot days, but given the time of year (officially terrible) I can't definitively say.

Thankfully what I can say is that when it rains, those same holes don't act like plugholes on top of your head, probably due to the smooth curve of the top.

At 390g (medium), it's lighter than any similar helmets we've reviewed on road.cc before, though on par with my present go-to urban helmet, the Giro Sutton MIPS (383g).

Safety

Dashel boasts of the Urban helmet's CE EN1078 safety rating, which certainly sounds good on paper. However, as all cycling helmets sold in the EU have to pass this test, it's not something to really boast about. If it could pass the more stringent EU NTA 8776 standard for S-EPAC use (or even the older but more rigorous Snell helmet standard), that would be worthy of note.

That being said, according to Dashel the Urban helmet aces that test: a pass mark involves no more than 250G (so 250 times the force of gravity) being transmitted to the rider's head during a standardised drop test, and the Urban topped out at 155G. A pretty tough helmet, then, at least within the constraints of the basic European standard.

> How to choose the best bike helmet for you

Speaking of safety, the light strap on the back (made of vegan leather, if you're interested) is a nice feature, and Dashel's own Beryl light (£20) is a direct fit. You can probably adapt other rear lights to work with it.

The Dashel Urban's £79 price might seem high, but it compares reasonably to other urban lids out there. One seriously good option is Lazer's Next+ MIPS. It looks visually similar to the Urban, though it has MIPS built in as well as a rear light, and it costs just £59.99. It's quite a bit heavier at 470g, though.

If you want the increased protection that an NTA 8776-approved helmet offers, the Bontrager Charge WaveCell Commuter helmet is impressive, though it's a lot more money at £130.

The Dashel Urban Cycle Helmet is a good-looking lid with some tidy features, but the fit is hard to adjust, it doesn't lacks any MIPS-style safety system and the minimalist venting could be an issue in hot weather.

Verdict

A stylish and rugged helmet for urban rides, but adjusting the fit is awkward