This is my first product review I’ve done. I’m not sure how qualified I am to do this, though I am pretty particular about the products I use. Here is a little background first.
I train in a Specialized S-works, your typical roadie helmet. It’s a helmet – I don’t really have anything good or bad to say about it. I’ve been racing in a (black) Gyro Advantage 2. The Gyro always made me nervous because I assumed the black would absorb some heat, and heat has been a factor for me. Also, the Gyro doesn’t have a lot of ventilation. I don’t know that it was ever a problem, but it did make the think about it before each race.
I’d seen a lot of buzz about the new Air Attack. What I really liked was that it was more ventilated than the Advantage, and had some special channels inside to funnel the air over your head. While the shape was more traditional and less likely to draw attention, it was supposed to be more aerodynamic.
I fell in love with the Air Attack when I first tried it on in the store. It is VERY comfortable! I went with the white version which will at least make me think it is cooler than my old black one.
Unlike my Advantage, the Air Attack doesn’t cover my ears, allowing me to hear my surroundings better. While that’s not yet been a problem during a race, there is always a first time, and it could have had bad results.
My first ride with the new helmet:
Yesterday I went out for a 3 hour, 50-60 mile ride. It was in the low 80’s to start with and a lot of moisture in the air. When I put on my helmet, the shield was fogged from having been in the A/C. No problem, I flipped the shield over and rode for a bit without it. Score one for the Air Attack. A few miles down the road I tried to flip the shield over while riding and couldn’t get the magnets to attach, forcing me to pull over. This is a training/practice issue on my part.
Right away I noticed that I’d gotten fingerprints all over the shield. I ‘m careful about that with my glasses, but didn’t think about it with the shield. With such a large viewing area you need to be careful where you touch!
Going again, I could see drops of moisture forming on the leading edge of my helmet, which eventually dropped down to my visor. Two things happened: The visor snapped into place when I bumped it (I hadn’t gotten it on right) and the drop was on the inside so I couldn’t clear it. I should note that once properly in place I didn’t have any more problems with drops of water inside the shield.
As I’m riding along I took a real hard look at the helmet and how it felt. First off it was still very comfortable. I don’t think I’ve ever worn one this comfortable. Second, I could actually feel two tracks of air flowing over my head. This was pretty cooling, though I would have liked more of them! It was hot out there, and while I had sweat dripping off my chin my head never felt hot.
Then the rain came. The visor did a good job of allowing me to see until the rain got too hard. It was easy to wipe the surface clear, probably much easier than it would be with glasses. Once the rain stopped, the visor cleared up. I didn’t notice any spots or streaking.
Summary
In short I LOVE the Air Attack. The flippable visor is a great idea and the cooling vents do work. It is the most comfortable helmet I’ve ever worn. It weighs a bit more than my roadie helmet, but less than my old Gyro.
There is an adjustment on the helmet to raise it up/down on your head. My next test is to play with that and see if that makes a difference in the air flow.
Knowing what I know now, I would definitely buy the Air Attack!
