Catline Whisper Plus..... saved my life... but still looks goofy

Catlike Whisper Plus


Be cool while not really looking cool.  The acquired taste of cycling helmets.


Right... this is a marmite accessory.  You will love the Catlike look, or you will HATE it.  I love it, but i can perfectly see what most would think that it looks ridiculous.

The only way that i have been able to describe how the Catlike looks, is well... imagine this. Headbutting and Bee Hive! 

It's unique look was most notable when the Cervelo Test Team decided in their Swiss craziness that this was a good idea.  Before this, the Catlike Boof was only sported by some angry (non) Spanish teams and lets face in.  In the mind of the Fred, there is nothing cooler than Cervelo.  Besides special edition Cervelo. 

At first sight I though that the Cervelo Test Team (CTT) had the slickest kit, the coolest bikes and some of the best riders but the stupidest helmets in the tour.  They did make them easily spotted that event Eurosport's own Sean Kelly was able to tell them apart from the other well oiled, <65kg pro riders in the peloton.

Now I must confess, have now bought 2.  The fist one was cursed.  I was in Spain on a cycling tour with FreeRideSpain and had a well deserved rest day in town.  Being a Semi Fred, my first point of call was the local bike shop to see if there was anything there that would get me up the huge climb (42km Up) we had planned the other day. 

Unfortunately they did not stock "magic legs" but they did have a huge stock of Catlike Helmets, Sunnies, and even socks.  Well, this was my chance.  Wiggle had long been sold out of the Whisper Helmets and now I had the change to look like Thor (not sure if that was a good look... great rider...but the "Viking Good looks" are not somethings that does for the Mrs).

So I got the sucker.  I convinced my self that the exchange rate was the same as it had been 30 years ago and that buying Spanish products in Spain must be cheaper than Wiggle.  We all know that the Wiggle economy is no match for a country the meager size of Spain.


The Review: A helmet is a helmet?  Nope... there are good ones, bad ones and great ones.  This is great!  It feels light and you forget it is there, even on the hottest of climbs you do not notice it.  The vents in the front get twice as much air around your noggin as a Giro Ionos and this really does cool you down.  So much so, that in the winter I need to use a cycling cap (Rapha I am ashamed to admit) to avoid a brain freeze akin to downing a 2 litre Slush Puppy in 30 seconds.

So why was it cursed.... Fredness comes before a fall or in this case a colossal crash.  I had been sold some magic wheels that at 1100g a set we sure to counter the 5-10 extra KGs I was carrying.  The only trouble was that they were Tubs and being new to the idea I though that taping tubs was a good idea in the Spanish heat.  This on it's own is not much of an issues.  The fact that I was breaking like a little girl on the 100kmh decent had caused the tape to melt and me to end up on the floor. 

It is surprising that as the roads were so smooth, I stayed in one piece.  That can't be said for the first Catlike Helmet.  It took a direct hit and shattered in to 7 bits held together my the shell.  So in other words it did its job and saved my life.

I thought that if this thing saved my life once, that was enough to be brand loyal.  I like my head where it is and having something that is proven works for me. The only issue is that if you crash and you wear a Giro helmet, the nice guys give there give your broken ass a new one or at least half price one.  Catlike on the other hand, not so much.  I called them to see if i could get a free helmet as I acted as a crash test dummy for them and all i heard on the other end was

"?Que?" 

Still... i have the Catlike Chrono on order to match my Cervelo P3 and the Whisper Plus for my R3.  I am such a tart, but I can't help it.  They are for me the best.