WILTON, Ct. (BRAIN) — Cycling Sports Group sent a letter to dealers this week assuring them that its Cannondale Teramo helmet meets all U.S. and international standards for helmet safety. The letter referred to a report published Monday by ConsumerReports.org that indicated that the Teramo failed its safety evaluation.
Consumer Reports found that the buckle on the chinstrap of the Terramo snapped off or broke on four of the five samples it evaluated.
"The Cannondale Terramo was the only helmet that failed out of the 14 helmets that we put through the same test," according to ConsumerReports.org. "We've rated the Cannondale Teramo a Don't Buy: Safety Risk."
Consumer Reports acknowledged that its chinstrap test is modeled after but not identical to the Consumer Product Safety Commission's testing standards, the requirement all suppliers must pass to meet federal safety standards. The story also noted that no injuries have been reported to the CPSC.
Dave Manchester, CSG's senior vice president of sales and marketing for North America, noted in the letter to dealers that Cannondale's products adhere to internationally recognized testing standards, and that CSG works with third-party test labs to meet requirements for CPSC in the U.S., EN 1078 for Europe, and AS/NZ 2063 in Australia, among others.
"No testing agency other than Consumer Reports has shown a failure for the Cannondale Teramo buckle," Manchester said in the letter. "Cannondale has encountered no field failures or negative consumer feedback regarding this helmet. This report appears to be another instance of Consumer Reports testing bicycle helmets and reporting adverse results that are not replicated by any other third party test lab that follows the CPSC or other international standards ... While we appreciate the work that Consumer Reports does, we confidently stand behind our independent test results and the actual product history."
Consumer Reports said that the Cannondale Cypher helmet has a similar chin strap design and could pose the safe safety risk, though it didn't test that model.
The testing agency expected to release the full results of its new bike helmet tests next spring.
