The cycling helmet has come a long way since the leather “hats” worn in the last 25 years. What was once an option is now in many cases a rule (by sport) or law (by society). I grew up in the pre-helmet era of cycling. As kids we rode in cars without seatbelts and learned to pedal our bikes with nothing more than the hair on our head. When my dad thought I was getting too high jumping my BMX bike, he’d stick a motorcycle helmet on my head. It looked neat (when I was 11) but weighed so much that I felt like a bobble head. Then, on one of the days I was not wearing that motorcycle helmet…it happened. The take off was grand…but the landing left much to be desired. The kids on the block circled round my unconscious body as I lay on the street.
I was lucky. The damage was contained into a single concussion with some pretty gnarly road rash that made for some stout heckling in school. Today the use of a helmet on a bicycle is like the use of shoes – people just don’t even think about it anymore.
Since that big crash, I’ve had many helmets and on one other occasion, I needed it: a solo MTB ride in some local woods. Down through a high speed ravine with a roller in the middle and the next thing I knew, I was spitting out dirt as I crawled out of a bush. When I stood up, my helmet fell off into two clean halves, held together only by the chin strap. I was fine and rode home. Slowly.
At Tacoma Bike, we carry Bell & Giro brand helmets. If it matters to you, they are owned by the same parent company who have done a very responsible job of designing and positioning the two brands to work within every budget. You may well know Bell as one of the oldest helmet companies in the market. Go back into the 50’s and 60’s and you’ll see motorcycle riders and race car drivers with Bell logos on their helmets – vintage motorsports museums around the world have a Bell helmet someone in their displays, while Giro is a brand that was born specifically of bicycle riding. Both brands represent well within the lower prices while Giro steps it up in the high end producing the very best, most innovative and high-end helmets available today.
The root thing to consider when buying a Giro or Bell helmet in today’s world is this: so long as they are fitted properly and used in their designated context, then all of the helmets we carry are going to perform to same standards of protection. That said – why would you want to pay $230 for a Giro “Ionos” when a $35 Bell “Solar” will do the same thing? It comes down to fit, weight, ventilation, style, design and intended use. The differences are stark. The value of a $230 helmet is to be experienced, not discussed. It can be the difference between buying a size medium suit at a department store vs. being fitted by a tailor to a suit just for you.
GIRO Technology:
In-Mold Construction
All Giro helmets (except the kids) use In-Mold construction. The process was invented by parent company Bell and is the standard in today’s helmets. The process involves mating the injection of the EPS liner to the outer shell of the helmet. It allows the helmet to be lighter, stronger, more durable and allows for better engineering of ventilation.
Wind Tunnel Ventilation
Giro cites this technology as their single greatest benefit to a rider. They spend countless hours in the wind tunnel sculpting and creating designs that bring cool air closer to the head then push hot and stale air out the back of the helmet. The result is that you feel almost as though you are not wearing a helmet at all. When the UCI mandated that professional racers had to wear helmets in all the races all the time, one of the first complaints was in regard to heat build up. Particularly on the climbs. Giro was quick to address this with designs like the IONOS that contains some 21 massive vents.
Helmet Retention Systems
Giro offers 5 different systems for securing the helmet to your head:
ROC LOC SL – This is Giro’s latest creation made specifically for the PROLIGHT helmet. It is a design about weight savings and is designed to fit much like a FlexFit hat – a very soft, secure and natural type of fit. The webbing was sourced specially from Italy, because Italy just seems to have a knack for understanding the subtle superiority of a fabric’s defining characteristics for both performance and comfort.
ROC LOC 4 – Arguably the most advanced fit adjustment system in the market today. The cage materials of this system are firm in the back and softer around the sides for a very comfortable and conforming fit. Probably the most secure system Giro offers. Not only great for road, but secure enough for off road use as well.
ACU Dial 2 – This system uses a single dial for tension adjustment and has a port to comfortably fit a pony-tail, something that is generally overlooked in competitor’s similar designs. This kind of technology reminds me how truly far great helmet fit has really come. The fit and feel of the ACU Dial 2 is incredible.
ACU Dial – If this kind of technology had been present 15 years ago…I would have been much happier with the helmets I was wearing. The ACU Dial is Giro’s other single-handed dial adjustment. The difference between this and the ACU 2 is how the band secures around your head – this one being a single continuous band that relies less on the shape of the helmet and more on the tension of the band for a secure fit.
ONESTEP – is Giro’s solution for kids…and it is brilliant. The rear of the helmet wraps further around the head and the tension system works in one simple snap of the PinchGuard buckle. Get this – it even has LED lights built into the back of the straps for increased visibility. We love it when companies show us real innovation in kids products for safety and ease of use.
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