The Airnet provides tremendous ventilation which is much appreciated on those long, hot climbs. The Lazer Tonic Kineticore is a stylish, lightweight helmet that is sure to appeal to most road riders, but especially those shopping on a tight budget.

It's worth noting that like our guide to the lightest road bikes, this guide isn't intended as a round-up of the very lightest helmets in existence, more the lightest we've reviewed that received high scores. We have reviewed helmets as light as 175g, namely Limar's Ultralight+, but that's since been discontinued.

While you can road bike in just about any helmet you choose, helmets designed specifically for road cycling are the best fit for the task. Road bike helmets aim to balance sleek and streamlined designs with lightweight constructions and good ventilation while remaining protective in the event of a crash and head impact.

Research also indicates that, dollar for dollar, an aero helmet is a more effective way to reduce aero drag than frames and wheels. Models like the Giro Eclipse Spherical, Lazer vento KinetiCore, Specialized S-Works Evade 3, and the Specialized Propero 4 are good examples of aero road bike helmets. Helmet fit will be personal to everyone.