I picked up the Bell Delirium Helmut a few months ago. I’ve used Bell helmets for quite a few years and have been reasonably satisfied with the overall performance and durability. Most of my riding is done in the Lowcountry where it’s consistently hot and humid, so ventilation is the most important feature of any helmet.
Appearance:
The Bell Delirium is a reasonably attractive helmet. Not as sleek as some models, both from Bell and others, that cost a bit more, but it has a nice aerodynamic shape. Not at all your old bike helmet from childhood. I also noticed that there are plenty of large vents that appear to offer quite a bit of airflow.
Comfort and Fit:
I tried the helmet on and adjusted for fit before hopping on the bike. The chinstraps feature a cam lock system that ensures your settings won’t loosen during a ride or between rides. There’s also a plastic dial to adjust the overall fit of the helmet. Though the system feels a bit cheap and flimsy, I haven’t experienced any issues. One thing that I instantly liked was the padding. Not too thick, not skimpy either. The helmet comes with three pads installed and there are a few extras in the box in case you need to bump up the padding. These pads are attached with velcro so you can remove them for cleaning. After a ride in 90 degree weather with 90% humidity, it’s nice to know you can try to get some of the sweat out of your gear.
Once on the bike, the Bell Delirium didn’t disappoint on airflow. I was noticeably cooler compared to my previous helmet. The attachment of the chinstraps is a bit annoying: when flush against your ears, they’re a bit twisted and the cam buckle hits right about my ear. For a different rider, this might not be a problem, but it was a bit of a pain to me. The chinstrap webbing is stiff and doesn’t form to your head well. The design makes it hard to get the chinstrap to fit flat, so you’re kinda stuck with slightly twisted strap, which can be annoying, depending on how OCD you are.
Durability:
Having used the helmet for over six months, I can say it’s held up pretty well. The chinstraps are still firmly attached and the dial adjustment system continues to work in spite of it’s flimsy feel. I’ve removed and washed the pads a few times and they’re starting to fade a bit and are getting a little worn looking, but the padding hasn’t been damaged, at least not that I’ve noticed. I wash the pads by hand and air dry them, which reduces wear and damage.
After six months, the chinstrap clip hasn’t broken or worn and the chinstrap shows no signs of wear or fraying. The strap is still firmly attached to the inside back of the helmet and hasn’t lost any of it’s stiffness, which wouldn’t have been a bad thing, really.
Overall:
The Bell Delirium, or whatever they call it now, is a really solid inexpensive helmet. At 350 grams, it’s not lightweight, but certainly not a bulky and awkward product. I picked mine up for a song from Nashbar and feel very good about the purchase. I will say that the visor is a total waste. It doesn’t attach well, it’s a bit too large, and really cheap feeling. I tossed it after fitting the helmet and haven’t missed it a bit. The chinstrap is a bit clumsy, as mentioned above, and might drive certain people a bit crazy. I like a snug fit of the chinstrap, so it’s more aggravating to me than to someone who wears their helmet looser. Since my primary concern was comfort and airflow, I’m really happy with this helmet. It does a great job of venting and allowing airflow, fits well overall, and is very reasonably priced.