BBB Falcon helmet

If BBB styling looks familiar, they once collaborated with MET and now produce lids under their own name. The Falcon is their top of the line road helmet offering an excellent blend of safety, style and comfort. However, many brands offer similar features for the same, or lower asking prices.

Available in two sizes and in either timeless blue or silver, it incorporates what’s known as in-mould technology- where the liner is fused with the shell. This works on the same principle as a roll cage, allowing a second impact to be absorbed. Elsewhere carbon/alloy inserts provide additional reinforcement in turn allowing extensive ventilation without cost to structural integrity in the event of a crash. On the subject of safety, it meets CE1078 standard-what you’d expect from a competition lid-especially at this end of the market. We’ve no means of replicating safety testing but it serves as a guide to protection in the event of a spill.

Generally speaking most helmets are very easy to fit correctly but the Falcon has a dual closure system, which saw me achieve a perfect fit in less than two minutes and is simple enough to adjust on the fly. Extensive yet subtle reflectives provide useful nocturnal safety and the ergonomically designed retention system grips the occipital region of the skull firmly without inducing headache or other discomfort even after several hours.

In the saddle, ventilation and airflow are excellent and serve to illustrate while vents are good indicators, positioning and design are equally important. Even on some very warm rides, I enjoyed high levels of comfort and the supple anti bacterial pads absorb sweat very effectively and can be popped in the wash should they become too pungent.

By the same token in the cooler months you’ll want a buff or race cap beneath to guard against ice cream headaches and downpours. I was surprised to find our 52-58cm-test model weighed 278g-some twenty odd grams heavier than my other helmets but again; comfort was such that I didn’t notice any difference.

Overall, the Falcon is a very refined and stylish helmet with some excellent detailing. However, the market is so very competitive that it makes it very difficult to recommend this over and above similarly priced brands.

Sizes available 52-58cm

Verdict

Sharp styling and great fit but not as keenly priced as some