Durability
First off, after nearly a full summer of getting tossed into my car and falling onto the ground, the helmet still looks pretty much new. The blue shell does have a few scratches here and there, but nothing that’s visible beyond a couple of feet.
Since I didn’t put the helmet through any beat downs while it was on my head, I decided to do a little drop test to see how well the Crane’s shell withstood some abuse. Moving incrementally up from one to six feet, I didn’t notice any marks or dents when I dropped it onto flat ground. Going up in the same manner and dropping the helmet onto the corner of a 2×4, I was able to form a small dent during the 6-foot drop.
Other Considerations
For those who like to ride with goggles, I found the Crane was compatible with the Scott Motive and Oakley Airbrake goggles I wore without feeling like it was being pushed up off my head. The helmet has a clean, low-profile that makes me think that most goggles will work with it. The helmet doesn’t have a goggle strap retention device of any sort at the back of the helmet though, so goggles with a silicon gripper on the strap will work best.
I did have to fiddle around with my sunglasses in order to fit them under the helmet without adding a bunch of pressure to the side of my head. A couple of my glasses with thicker arms, including the Oakley Radarlock Path and Smith Approach Max, never really felt comfortable sliding under the Crane. From my experience, I think you’ll want to use glasses with a thin arm that don’t have much arc from the temple to the ear.
Bottom Line
As with any helmet, fit is crucial for safety, so I definitely recommend trying on the Crane before you buy.
That said, if you’re looking for a durable, lightweight helmet with pretty good venting for your urban / park / freeride / enduro pursuits, you should check out the POC Crane.