The Nolan N102, Flip-Top Helmet

Not liking the idea of having to plug wires in everywhere, and the flip-top feature, were what sparked my interest in the Nolan N102 Flip-Top helmet.

The Nolan N102 Flip-Top front idea may not be the prettiest thing at times and it's no huge jump up and down feature, but it is very handy. For a start it's a one-handed operation. With a simple grasp between thumb and for finger... you get the idea. Handy. Very handy.

The Nolan N102 also has the pin-lock anti-fog clip-in visor. And then there's the adjustable sun visor. This little tinted half visor is great. It's like a small peak that folds down as a visor. Basically instead of having to choose between a dark visor, which are not allowed in Thailand, or sunglasses under your helmet, this thing just pivots down over you clear visor.

When I was going from bright sunshine into the shade of some trees, I found you can whip the sun part of the visor up. Just fantastic.

A few months after I first got the Nolan helmet, the headphones and Bluetooth set turned up and were installed. Bluetooth is a system that broadcasts via radio waves over short distances (about 10 meters) between devices.

Basically this means you can do away with the wires connecting your phone to your helmet your passengers helmet and by chance on my mobile phone a Nokia 2700 Classic. I can also play MP3 music files and podcasts. You can do all this without the Bluetooth of course. You just get cables to plug between the helmet and your devices this is certainly an inconvenience but a much cheaper option.

So if for some strange reason you want to listen/ talk to others while you ride, do a reasonable amount of kilometers, and if you care more about yourself then wearing a cheap plastic bucket, I can definitely recommend the Nolan N102.