MTBR.com Giro Xen Mountain Bike Helmet Review

I originally posted a review of the Giro Xen mountain bike helmet ealier last week.  While writing my review I came across one written by Kalikiano Kalei on MTBR.com, it was an amazing (far better than mine) review and I asked Kalikiano if I could post it on MTOBikes.com for our readers to view (which he approved).  The review by Kalikiano Kalei is below.  Enjoy!

Strengths

Structurally strong design with good shell integrity and satisfactory shell/foam bonding. Easily adjusted suspension and fastener. Excellent occipital coverage (rear of skull) for protection of brain’s visual lobe. Very adequate cooling for most applications. Most important positive feature is rounded external rear shell design that lacks sharp “swoopy” protrusions that can snag during a fall and cause hyperextension of neck (causing severe cevical spine injuries)–kudos to Giro for this feature! This is a greatg helmet for those with heads that are longer (”watermelon” shape, as opposed to roundheads) in fore and aft dimensions and slightly narrower side-to-side. Helmet stays on head securely in almost all situations. Summary: an excellent and much overlooked and underrated helmet for both MB and street aps.

Weaknesses

Lack of high visibility shell colors to choose from. Visually bright orange, red, or lime green colors should be available! Yeah, I know: dark is “cool”, but being easily seen while using a helmet on the street is healthier (stay alive longer, brah!). Hotheads might want a bit more cooling, but a sweaty head is far better than a busted one, brahs!

Similar Products Used

Most other helmet designs (Bell, et al) over a 15 year period. Few are better for a wide range of bicycle protective applications than the GIRO Xen, in my professional opinion (as a specialist in military aviation life support technology and crainial protection safety).  Read more

Giro Xen Mountain Bike Helmet Review

Selecting a helmet was simple…try everything on and base a decision on how well it fits and well…how good it looks on my melon.  The Giro Xen passed both tests, it was the best fitting helmet I tried on and its low profile provides a great look. 

The Giro Xen is an all-mountain bicycle helmet with a low profile style and coverage found in a skate helmet with the lighter weight and ventilation of a XC helmet. 

The rounded back of the helmet is key to safety as it is less likely to snag during a fall which could result in an injury as serious as a borken neck.  So not only does it look cool, but it is actually safer than most helmets as well!

The padding inside of the helmet is all one piece allowing it to be removed easily so that it can be washed.  This is a feature that many other helmets do not provide.  Having one piece promotes a longer lifespan of the insert.

The helmet features the RocLoc system which makes for easy adjustment to obtain that “perfect” fit.  The RocLoc system is simple to adjust and does not require engagement/disengagement when taking the helmet on and off. 

The Point of View (P.O.V.) visor is anchored by an internal clutch mechanism that allows for 15 degrees of vertical adjustment and prevents the visor from rattling or coming lose over rough terrain.

Perhaps best of all, the helmet is backed by Giro who as a company has one of the best customer service departments in the industry…no questions asked, if something breaks for falters a replacement will be sent immediately.

The downside (if there is one) of this helmet would have to be the price…roughly about $120.00 MSRP.  However, if you are like me and have a longer watermelon shaped head vs. a roundhead you know that it is hard-to-find a great fitting helmet and as such the price shouldn’t really be an issue.