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Safety Gear Recommendations?

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#21
ethan666

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It appears that Bell has sold out and the helmets are now made in China. Not sure it matters to you, but it does to me.


I'd like to know if they've moved production as well... wondering if their website is correct or just hasn't been updated:

"Since 1986, car racing helmets as well as bicycle helmets have been made in centrally located Rantoul, Illinois, USA."

#22
dstevens

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The Bell Motorsport helmets are licensed to be manufactured by Bell Europe SA in Belgium. The helmets are hand made in European plants though I don't know where the components come from.

#23
Krooser

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It appears that Bell has sold out and the helmets are now made in China. Not sure it matters to you, but it does to me.


This is all I could find on the source of Bell's products...


"Easton-Bell had 2,348 employees as of Jan. 2, with 1,545 of them employed in manufacturing and distributing operations. The company has 20 facilities in the United States, three in Canada, two in Mexico, one in Europe and three in Asia.

Among its 12 principal facilities, the Rantoul facility – which includes offices, manufacturing and warehousing – is by far the largest, with 753,696 square feet leased there.

The company makes hockey sticks in Tijuana, Mexico, and hockey skates and gloves in Quebec, Canada. Aluminum and composite baseball bats are now made in Asia.

Some cycling, football, snowboarding and other helmets are assembled and packaged in Rantoul and Elyria, Ohio, while others are "sourced from outside the U.S.," the report said."

#24
dstevens

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Again...

Bell motorsport helmets are made by Bell Europe. Bell US got out of the motorsport biz a few years back.

http://www.bellracin...ontenu/home.php

#25
Brian Ghidinelli

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Couple of things I learned in upgrading all of my gear last year:

1. Carbon-X I find quite comfortable. I prefer my Carbon-X balaclava to my nomex versions. I also wear a Carbon-X cool shirt. If you get a cool shirt, you want it to fit snug so that the cooling is against your skin.

2. Thanks to SafeRacer, I ordered 5 different suits from Alpinestars and Sparco. I think 4 different suits and one in two sizes because I was on the cusp. I tried them all on and sent back the ones that didn't fit for me. I had the chance to wear each of them for 20-30 minutes which gave me assurance that they fit properly and I found them comfortable. Yes, there is some cost involved in shipping back but SafeRacer has free shipping to you and no sales tax for out of staters so it was a great deal for me. The other commenters are correct about the difference in weight and breahability. I wound up with an A* GP Pro suit which was, weight-wise, significantly less than the equivalent Sparco and more comfortable. The Sparco seemed to be more "stiff" while the Alpinestars fit more like regular clothes and I find it great in the car and in the paddock. I couldn't afford Stand 21, which is reportedly the most breathable suit available. Here are some weights I measured from the suits I tried from lightest to heaviest:


A* GP Tech Suit 3-layer 2#, 8.25oz size 50

A* GP Pro suit 3-layer 2# 11.25oz size 50
A* GP1 2-layer 3#, 1.5oz size 50

Sparco Tech Light 3-layer 3#, 3.5oz size 52

2002 OMP 3-layer suit: 3#, 13.25oz in size 52 (more like A* size 48)

3. Molecule cleaners are awesome. I actually like how my suit smells! It's kind of pricey for the whole set but it will last a long time. I think annual cleaning is pushing it... every 2-3 race weekends + test days is how often I do mine.

4. Regarding drying, Alpinestars specifically says it's ok and molecule stipulates drying as part of the "sealing" process for their protector fluid. I don't think a dryer will do any damage to your suit.

5. Finally, wear a balaclava every time you wear your helmet whether required to or not (test days, etc...). My helmet first purchased in 2003 still smells new because I don't put any sweat directly into the liner - always into a balaclava.

I don't think a cool suit is mandatory but I will say that now that I have one, I ran it even when at Willow Springs earlier this year when the ambient was in the 40s and 50s. You will perform better for longer with one, the science is clear.
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#26
Keith Novak

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I got a new appreciation for firesuits this weekend. A friend caught fire when his shifter cart blew a fuel fitting. The 2 layer FIA Sparco suit has a melted spot about 2 feet long and 8" wide along his hip with the nomex underlayers clearly showing and the nomex still white but no injury at all. He didn't even know he was on fire at the time. A lesser suit and he'd probably be getting skin grafts. Pretty impressive. I'll post the video when I get it.
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#27
Tom Hampton

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Nice to hear. I ordered my Sparco 2 layer yesterday. I hope to never find out.

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#28
dstevens

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Make sure it fits right. That's the only bummer about Web ordering. The last suit that fit me generically was a two piece Impact. Most of those euro suits are cut for them skinny lil fellers. ;) All my single piece suits in the last 8 or 9 years had to be build to order.

#29
Tom Hampton

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I'm an ex endurance athlete... so, my build is more like one a them skinny fellers. :-P

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#30
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Guys

Just for the record. Yes the BELL HELMETS are designed here they have administration in Bell Europe That oversee production of the helmets. The helmets are definitely MADE IN CHINA. If I wasnt so happy with my new helmet I would send it back. I got jerked around by Bell when I asked the Question about China. I like Bell but I think this will be my last bell helmet. I like to buy stuff made in the USA or at least by a country that has fair trade with us and is a democracy. Yeah i guess I'm Pissed !! :fuming:

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#31
dmathias

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I was gonna say cool suits are for pu55ies, but that wouldn't be nice.

I wouldn't say a cool suit is imperative. I've never used one - so I suppose I don't know what I'm missing. But I ran a 40 minute race in Charlotte this year, on the 2nd of July, in the middle of the afternoon, on a sunny 98* day - I felt fine.
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#32
Caveman-kwebb99

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I was gonna say cool suits are for pu55ies, but that wouldn't be nice.

I wouldn't say a cool suit is imperative. I've never used one - so I suppose I don't know what I'm missing. But I ran a 40 minute race in Charlotte this year, on the 2nd of July, in the middle of the afternoon, on a sunny 98* day - I felt fine.



Denny do you work in a hot environment? I am ok without the cool suit till it gets over 90 outside. I wish I knew the secret to keeping your core temp cool enough to stand it especially in a burning hot car. SO there you have it I am one of those bad 55 words :)

But seriously if you have some tricks to it I would love to hear.

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#33
Jim Drago

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Couple of things I learned in upgrading all of my gear last year:



2. Thanks to SafeRacer, I ordered 5 different suits from Alpinestars and Sparco.



Must be nice to fit in the kids sizes :) :banghead:

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#34
suck fumes

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It appears that Bell has sold out and the helmets are now made in China. Not sure it matters to you, but it does to me.


Zamp and bell both are made in china. The boxes and packing are almost identical.
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#35
Jim Drago

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Denny do you work in a hot environment? I am ok without the cool suit till it gets over 90 outside. I wish I knew the secret to keeping your core temp cool enough to stand it especially in a burning hot car. SO there you have it I am one of those bad 55 words :)

But seriously if you have some tricks to it I would love to hear.



been 300 lb Plus for some time.. ran a cool suit once in last three years at Hallett when it was 106, it put me way over weight and didn't cool me very much. Ran the next day in 102 and no cool suit and was fine. I think once you are going, you forget about it, I do. I drink up before and after race. Steyn is a big proponent of the cool suit, uses it in even cool weather, he believes your brain functions better cool,, like a computer processor. Not sure my 286 chip functions well in cool or hot mode :)

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#36
dmathias

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What Jim said. I guess I get acclimated to the heat. It's hot on the grid but once we're rolling I'm fine.

No alcohol on race weekends - and stay hydrated.

Danny S. may be onto something, I think if you can keep your head cool the rest of you stays cool. Might look into a helmet blower - but they ain't cheap.
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#37
Keith Novak

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I've done a couple of really long stints in a very hot car a couple times and would have loved a cool shirt. The difference between others who were literally dragged out of the car and spent some time recovering, and me hopping out of the car more or less OK was hydration. I wore a small camelback under my suit. I do get distracted when the car feels like a freakin sauna and sweat beads run down my face. Jim's 286 doesn't have enough processing ability to notice that and kick ass at the same time I guess. B)

My last weekend where I was apparently one of the only people stupid enough to run a double triple during the hottest weekend of the year, in addition to staying hydrated I'd soak my shirt and head sock in my cooler before heading to grid. They handed us icy cold wet towels to put around our necks after the races and I have to admit I stole one of those, soaked it with everything else and would wear that around my neck too. Overall I felt pretty good and didn't really see my afternoon times fall off much despite the rising heat...but I'd still rather have a cool shirt than soaking myself in ice water before a race.
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#38
dstevens

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Guys

Just for the record. Yes the BELL HELMETS are designed here they have administration in Bell Europe That oversee production of the helmets. The helmets are definitely MADE IN CHINA. If I wasnt so happy with my new helmet I would send it back. I got jerked around by Bell when I asked the Question about China. I like Bell but I think this will be my last bell helmet. I like to buy stuff made in the USA or at least by a country that has fair trade with us and is a democracy. Yeah i guess I'm Pissed !! :fuming:


I was able to do some digging. Bell US and Bell Europe don't have parallel product lines. General R&D and design for the non US models come from Brussels where they also run the FIA programs that are custom fit. (WRC, GP2, F1) Bell US has been off shoring helmets at least since Easton owned them. The contractor is Beijing AJHX Helmet Technology. Possibly the largest OEM manufacturer of helmets in the world. They sell under the house brand of Rodia but also OEM for several others with more than 200 employees and an ISO9001, 140,000 sq ft facility. http://www.chinahelmet.com.cn

Here's one of the OEM listings on Alibaba

http://ajchinahelmet...ing_Helmet.html

Any of those look familiar? :scratchchin:




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