I really did not notice too much of the shield distortion around the house, but there is slight distortion. You feel a little freaky from some of the distortion and reflection during the day at the corners. At night I got a little “spider web” effect from lights off oncoming cars and traffic signals, weird angle I guess. It is more of a cool weather helmet and a bandana helps chin freeze on a colder/ 50 degree ride. The wind is about the same as MX helmet and the shield reduces the drag you get from open face and goggles. The visor could be a little more aerodynamic or vented, that would help on drag at speeds a lot. I found that anything over 60mph it was the same as an MXer (without shield). I am thinking about a modification to open it up a little more. Noise in the ears from wind is most likely coming from the vents that have no direct outlet except under the cheek pads. I don’t like running with ear plugs or I-pod for the reason of keeping my mind on one thing, making it to my destination alive. I would rate this helmet as a pretty good deal but not an extremely well designed helmet. Additional shields w/ minor distortion are overpriced and that is another downside to this helmet. The R and D Division could spend a little more time with this. As with all things, Improvements can be made. But what do you want for a 120.00 dollar helmet.
Pros: Inexpensive, looks, cleanable padding.
Cons: Uncomfortable chin strap, cheep construction (fit and finish), price of accessories, minor shield distortion, and wind drag from visor, {I had a little fog patch this morning and the shield was instantly worthless}.
Would I buy another one in 3 years? Eh, probabaly, I replace my helmets every three years or even sooner if I crash.
But really , I try to go through them whenever I can .
Linear Mode
