Admission of bias, the Torch T2 was made for me. I'm the type of cyclist who already attaches flimsy lights to my helmet, and I've spent an embarrassing amount of money on the front lights for my handlebar.
To give some background, I've grown up with cycling horror stories from medics in my family and a father who once loudly announced - in my local bike shop - that his aim was to "light me up like a Christmas tree".
Embarrassing teen shopping experiences aside, many miles of commuting has won me over to the light side. I've spent two years commuting on dark country roads with exceptionally fast drivers who don't expect to see cyclists, and now that I've moved to London I'm keener than ever to be obnoxiously lit up.
On this front the new Torch T2 helmet absolutely does the job. I wish I'd got hold of one sooner: even in areas with quite a bit of light pollution, the height of the lights alone makes you stand out. The lights are bright (5 LEDs on the front and back) and they edge around the sides of the helmet so you can be seen from all angles. As a result, I've felt much more confident getting out of side streets and junctions clogged with parked cars. Plus the variety of settings means that for those of you who really don't mind annoying drivers, you can flash five bright LED lights into rear-view mirrors to your heart's content or adjust the steady beam options to fit the surroundings.
Looks wise the Torch T2 is no ugly duckling either. In fact I've been stopped twice by trendier cyclists at notoriously unfriendly London traffic lights to be asked where to buy one. These requests came as something of a surprise because when I first saw the helmet I thought the look might take some getting used to.
The light panels give it a distinctly Power Rangers feel (not a bad thing in my book) but up close, the aesthetic is not too dissimilar to other fashionable rounded helmets and the smooth matt finish actually makes it look much nicer.
I went for the electric blue version, this model makes the (shatter- and waterproof) light panels very obvious in the day time but you can get tinted panels. If you were to plump for a black midnight edition for example, then the helmet doesn't look noticeably different to any other lid whizzing by during the day.
I was also pleasantly proved wrong on the weight side of things. At 360 grams the helmet isn't noticeably heavier than my usual one, and the included USB charger makes it a really practical part of your kit with some nice perks like the handy battery indicator (one flash for 25%, two for 50% etc). Battery life is a claimed 6 hours on steady mode or up to 36 hours on flash; enough to see most people through a week of commutes.
This technology doesn't come at a cost to safety or comfort either. The Torch 2 abides by the same safety standards as any other helmet (US CPSC and EN 1078) and I found I've got more forehead cushioning than I'm used to.
So what's the catch? Safety, weight and looks wise the Torch T2 is up there with the best commuter helmets and I'll be making a permanent switch over for my ride to work. But if you're a road racer/ sportive rider, this helmet is unlikely to entirely replace your existing kit (nor is it really intended to). Whilst I never got overly hot in the helmet, with a relatively minimalist 8 ventilation panels it's not as well ventilated as you'd want for longer, hotter rides.
In addition I had hoped the helmet would replace my need for bike lights completely, but I don't think it does if your commute involves backstreets or unlit canal paths. The helmet certainly kicks out a lot of light, but in darker patches I found myself pointing my head down when checking for uneven surfaces. Saying that, for my well lit London commute I won't be bothering to attach easily forgotten/stolen bike lights any time soon.
So thanks clever Torch T2 makers, you'll no doubt be making over-cautious parents and commuters all around the country very happy.
Torch T2 helmet, £90 from torchapparel.eu
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