Living with- Held Carbon ST-6 helmet

Must admit- I've been mainly an Arai man all my life, Arai shaped head and all that. Always liked the idea of a carbon lid though, and relished the chance to give the 100% carbon shell ST-6 a go. I've had it a month now, covering 100s of miles in it in all weathers- thanks to the awful summer we're having!

Held ST-6: full carbon shell for just £259.99

Out the box impressions

First thing I noticed when the helmet arrived was how much more stylish and sleeker it looked in 'the flesh' so to speak. Don't get me wrong, the catalogue pics were nice, but made the lid look more 'chunky' than it actually is. It's shaped nicely at the back and the lacquer over the carbon really sets the carbon weave off in the light. Lifting it out the box you immediately notice how light it is, just 1.3KG to be exact!

Inside the lid

The liner is made from 'Outlast' material- a phase change material that was originally developed to protect astronauts against extreme fluctuations in temperature. Millions of micrsocapsules absorb the heat generated through exertion or increased internal temperature to keep you cool, then the stored energy is released when you need to warm up.

Although I haven't yet matched the speeds of astronauts I have been out in very hot sun (remember those 2 hours of sun in June?) and dropping temperatures as I rode back from the coast in the dark. The head was actually comfortable throughout, and I was left feeling surprisingly fresh. The top and chin vents were left open to help. If we do get any more sun and days of sweating in the helmet start to take their toll on the freshness the ST-6 benefits from detachable, washable cheek pads.

The integral pump system on the interior capped it off nicely, ensuring the 'fit' was as good as I'd had in a helmet.

Chin mesh and ratchet quick release buckle

The exterior

100% carbon certainly got a few double takes at bike meets, and also resulted in a fellow Carbon helmet wearer (albeit it a HJC) tapping me on the shoulder to say hi. It was nice to be wearing something 'different'- the same feeling as I've had in the past wearing custom paint job lids.

Breath defector and integral sun visor add to that much coveted mysterious hidden identity look us bikers enjoy. The sun visor has sparked quite a bit of debate- why have the added weight of one in a lid that's designed for lightness? I say why not- is it really that important to reduce one's riding weight that you sacrifice the offer of a decent pair of 'shades' that drop down when required and the fact you don't have to stop to fanny around with a visor change when it gets dark?

Lovin' the carbon!

 It also prevents the expense of having to immediately buy a dark visor to go with it- although Held visors, plain / dark tint or mirror are between £15 and £20- half the price of many others.

The visor- and visor change

Anti scratch, pinlock ready and tool free changing. Tool free? Gulp. Always break out in a cold sweat when changing certain helmet brand's visors. Busted side pods, knackered mechanisms, that feeling of uselessness when you've seen the tech guys change 'em in seconds at the TT- how was the Held ST-6 going to stand up?

Well check me out- videoed when I'd only practiced TWICE. Have to say I was very impressed- especially as I was convinced I was going to have to tell the Gaffer that I'd broken it! Very easy, and I'm even faster now.

The general experience of wearing it for 100s of miles

Wind noise: No different to what I've experienced with other leading brands

Comfort:     Found it very comfortable, the integral cheek pump system meant I could get the fit just right, so no wobbles and not too tight

Maintenance: Has thus far been easy to clean with lint-free cloths, both damp and dry. The carbon has made me want to invest in some proper helmet cleaning polish and stuff- so I'm going to.

Safety: Not tested by me and no intentions to do so! but- carbon is strong, and the lid meets ECE 22.05 standards so that's good for me.

Style: Looks good, looks different, shouts out 'carbon!' to other bikers and I think it looks rather cool.

So, all in all a very good first experience with Held helmets, especially when you think this helmet is a top of the Held range job- and costs less than entry level lids on many brands- and is carbon!

You can browse all Held gear and find stockists on www.held-uk.co.uk, but if you're keen to know more about Held don't be afraid to pester your local dealer to contact Held UK main man Guy Mainwaring- Guy is more than happy to help, regardless of if they are a current Held dealer or not. Things can always be sorted!