The following review takes an up close look at the new Specialized Vice AM mountain bike helmet.

Specs: Specialized Vice Mountain Bike Helmet

From Specialized.com:

This high performance helmet is designed for the All Mountain athlete looking for optimized coverage. Featuring massive wind tunnel tested vents and our new dial-operated HeadSet SL fit system, Vice is our most technologically advanced mountain helmet available.

• Complies with one or more of the following safety standards for bicycle helmets: CPSC, SNELL B90A, CE and AS/NZS
• Extended rear coverage for ultimate protection and durability
• Headset SL fit system with 4-position height adjustability is secure and easy to adjust on the fly, even with full finger gloves
• 4th Dimension Cooling – wind tunnel optimized Mouthport, vents and internal channels
• “Bolted” visor attachment system with color matching MTB visor
• Total coverage in-molded shells maximize strength and durability
• Composite Matrix internal reinforcement and Instrap webbing system minimize weight
• Light and simple U-Turn strap adjusters
• Available in Black, Blue, Camo Black, Silver and White in S, M or L
• MSRP: $110.00

Initial Fitting and Comfort: Specialized Vice Helmet

The Specialized Vice mountain bike helmet is as easy to setup as any other helmet on the market. The durable (and significantly thicker than the S-Works MT) nylon straps pull through easy to adjust clips and conventional u-turn clasps that are easy to adjust trailside if necessary.

Headset SL Retention System

The Headset SL retention system on the Vice uses a rotational tension adjustment and has a 4 position height adjustment on the top of the underside of the helmet. The 4 position height adjustment fine tunes where the rear of the retention hits the back of your head. This is a nice adjustment to have (that most helmets don’t) to accomodate for different head shapes. In true Specialized helmet fashion, the complete retention system actually runs through front of the helmet so pressure is not applied to the helmet itself at forehead contact. This makes for a very well fitting helmet once you have everything setup for your head.

Typically, I am not a fan of a rotation/wheel tension adjustment in favor of pinch style, but the Specialized wheel offers plenty of engagement points to accomodate different sized heads. If I had to guess, there are probably double the amount of engagement points over the similar Bell system that will leave me in-between adjustment points often. The wheel is also easy to grab and adjust with full finger gloves on while riding.

Appearance and Style

The plain black and white on the review Vice has nice contrast and will match just about anything on the trail. The white stickers on the sides and visor are cheap and want to peal off, but the rest of the graphics package blends together nicely. With a choice of 5 different color combinations, you can find one that fits your personal style.

Like most AM styled helmets, the Vice can look big on some heads. The extra protection down the back and increased width of the profile makes for a large lid.

On The Trail: Specialized Vice Helmet

At 350 grams, the Specialized Vice weighs the exact same amount as the Fox Flux. For those of you that are used to XC styled, light helmets, the extra bulk and weight is going to take some getting used to. The flip side to that is the extra protection down the rear and the increased width give your head and neck better coverage when you decide to test the helmets durability on a ride.

Overall venting and hot air release on the Vice is good for a helmet of this size. The signature Specialized front air vents at the forehead help with getting extra air to your forehead while the wide range of rear vents assist with getting hot air out the back. The top of the Vice is a little steamy in hotter weather as there is a lot of material for the visor and rear lip that traps hotter air. For that reason (and the black color), you are going to want to use a helmet that vents better in 90+ heat…especially if there is a ton of humidity.

The front visor does a great job at blocking direct sunlight from your face and it doesn’t block visibility to the trail. However, it does use a screw in/bolt style attachment that makes removing it on the trail for increased ventilation a pain. Having a bolt on styled visor makes it extremely secure on the helmet, but I would rather see a push in style that could be easily removed and stowed into a hydration pack.

If you have done your job getting the fit correct, the Vice stays put without any unnecessary movement on your head. While riding, I only felt the need to re-tension the helmet once or twice and that was normally gearing up for fast rock runs. Overall, the helmet was very comfortable on the trail and required very little attention.

Overall Thoughts: Specialized Vice Helmet

The Specialized Vice AM styled mountain bike helmet is a great choice for recreational riders or mountain bikers that like the added protection when hitting more difficult trails. The increased protection can give you peace of mind on the trail, but that comes at the cost of weight and some venting (true of all helmets in this category). I did find the Specialized Vice to be much more comfortable than the Fox Flux and a lot easier to adjust. The black color is probably not the best choice for warmer climates, so keep that in consideration when purchasing.

Good: Specialized Vice Helmet

• Solid and comfortable retention system that can accommodate a lot of different head sizes and shapes
• Increased protection for recreational riders or mountain bikers in more technical terrain
• Solid looks at a reasonable weight for its size with tons of color options
• Front vents provide great forehead cooling
• Durable construction
• Great price point at $110.00

Bad: Specialized Vice Helmet

• White stickers pealing off after a couple of rides
• Visor bolts on…not easy to remove trailside
• Hot in warmer climates
• Doesn’t hold glasses well

The Specialized Vice helmet has become my go to helmet for technical riding…especially when the temps cool down. If you are looking for an AM styled helmet that will fit just about any head easily, the Vice is exactly what you are looking for.

To purchase, hit up your local Specialized dealer or Specialized.com.

Specs: The Giro Atmos

From giro.com:

Atmos continues to set the standard for high performance, matchless style, and comfortable fit. It’s low profile silhouette, 26 Wind Tunnel vents, and benchmark in-mold Roll Cage make it a top choice for road, ‘cross, and XC riders alike.

Starting Price: $175.00

Review: Giro Atmos Road Biking Helmet

After riding with the Giro Atmos for several months…how did it perform?

Initial Fit and Feel

At first glance, the Giro Atmos is a lightweight road biking helmet for a reasonable price. I wouldn’t call it a budget helmet by any stretch, but…for the serious road biker…it is about middle of the line in comparison with some of the other options out there. With multiple colors available (I do not see the Garmin color scheme as reviewed on the Giro website currently), you are sure to find something that fits your design needs.

The Giro Atmos is light…really light. When you pick it up and put it on your head, you can forget it is even there after a little while. Initially fitting is done with the Roc Loc 4 system which wraps around to the back of your head and tightens via a pinch style ratchet system. With plenty of engagement points, I was able to get the helmet to fit perfectly to my head. The helmet straps were easy to adjust and once everything was secure…the helmet felt great and was ready to roll.

Upon removal, you can have a little bit of difficulty loosening up the retention system, so be careful and take your time to avoid stripping or snapping the mechanism. As long as you don’t force it…it works fine.

On The Road With The Giro Atmos

Once on the road with the Giro Atmos, the lightweight construction and easy fitting really became a positive feature. The 26 vents provide adequate cooling during the hotter months and I never felt like my head was trapping heat or not getting enough air. The Roc Loc 4 system is easy to adjust as needed while riding with a single hand operation.

After logging in a lot of miles, I did notice that I was starting to get a small pressure point at the front of my forehead. A small loosening adjustment on the ride got rid of that feeling, but…that does tell me that I have a small hot spot in the fit.

One of my favorite things about this helmet (outside of general performance and fit) is the ability to place my Oakley Half Jackets securely in the front of the helmet. It is almost as if they were made for each other. Easy in and easy out without any fear of them falling off and hitting the road.

Crashing The Giro Atmos

Personally, I have not hit the ground with the Atmos yet (and hopefully I don’t), but a friend of mine nailed it at 35 miles an hour and reported back that the Atmos has incredible shock absorption. Even at higher speeds, the Atmos transfers that shock very well should the worst happen and my friend walked away without any cerebral injuries. That says a lot for a helmet that vents as well as the Atmos.

Final Thoughts On The Giro Atmos

Overall, the Giro Atmos is a great all around helmet for road bikers. It is not the cheapest lid out of Giro (or any other manufacturers offerings), but it does provide a lot of performance for that price tag.

What I Liked About The Giro Atmos

• Easy fit with high quality feel
• Multiple designs
• Lightweight
• 26 vents allow for adequate ventilation
• Does its job should you smack the blacktop
• Riding glasses fit perfectly in the front of helmet

What I Didn’t Like About The Giro Atmos

• Can be pricey for some cyclists
• Developed small hotspot on forehead during longer rides

Find the best price on a Giro Atmos by clicking here.

The stats from the Fox site:

• A deeper rear profile EPS shell offers more comprehensive coverage than a traditional XC helmet.
• In-molding technology molds the outer shell onto the EPS foam. The outer shell covers and protects the EPS from dings and dents, and adds structural integrity with a molded wrap fit.
• Detox retention system.
• Visor and Spoiler.
• 20 strategically placed vents.
• Inset Chin Straps.
• Testing Standards: CPSC, CE: EN 1078, AS/NZS 2063
• $99.95

Fox Flux Helmet – The Good

Price - I found $100.00 US to be very fair. Most of the helmets that I have seen in this category are in the 140.00 range, so the price point of this helmet makes it very appealing.

The Protection – The reason I bought this helmet to begin with was the added protection down the rear of your head. A lot of cross country geared helmets do not cover this important crash zone as much as I would like. This area alone has saved me a couple of times recently in crashes where you either roll or fall over backwards.

Ventilation – The 20 large vents do a great job of letting heat out and fresh air in. I haven’t ever felt like this helmet was too hot and that is in Georgia heat and humidity.

Retention – The Detox retention system can be fine tuned for your head. There are more than enough engagement points, so you never feel like your perfect fit would be between adjustments. I had a huge problem with Bell’s wheel retention system for that very reason. I always felt like my perfect fit was between clicks of the wheel. With the Flux, I do not run into this issue. With a simple action of pushing the two sides together, you are fit and ready to ride.

Style – The helmet looks great on the trail. This might not be important to some riders, but I believe that Fox captured the look of all mountain riding. Some might even say the spoiler increases your down force which gives you more traction (joking)! I personally don’t care for some of the colors available, but that is purely personal preference. I am extremely happy with my black camo version.

Chin Straps – The chin straps are highly adjustable, but more importantly…the mount to the side of the helmet instead of inside of it. This makes the helmet much more comfortable because the straps don’t twist or hit you in the side of the face. This is one aspect of the helmet that I ended up really liking but not noticing until I had some serious ride time on it.

Fit – It fits my head, and that is the most important part. Helmets depend heavily on personal preference and fit. Once I put the Flux on, I knew it was my new favorite. As with any helmet purchase, I suggest you try on as many as possible to find the one that fits your head the best.

Fox Flux Helmet – The Bad

Visor - The visor looks great, but it is not adjustable. I would like to see a few degrees of adjustment so that it doesn’t affect my vision. There have been several times on the trail where I was wishing that I could push the visor up some.

Sizes – I am not sure why Fox did this, but the Flux is only available in s/m and l/xl. In my opinion, that is too large of a range and Fox should have stuck with separate helmets for s, m, l and xl. There is a huge difference between a small and medium head size.

Weight/Size - While I find the weight and overall size of this helmet acceptable, I would not consider this a helmet for a cross country racer, endurance rider or any rider that is heavily focused on cross country styled riding. The Flux is marketed towards the all mountain/recreational crowd and it was not built to please the hammers out there.

Final Thoughts on the Fox Flux Helmet

I have found my new favorite helmet and more importantly, one that fits me perfectly. The Fox Flux incorporated everything that I had been looking for in a helmet but have not been able to find. I needed a helmet that had extra protection but also great ventilation for all day rides. Of course, it also had to be comfortable, so the retention system had to be adjustable enough for different conditions (with and without a sweat band). All of this came together at a price that doesn’t break the bank and also looks great. Until someone else comes out with a product that fills all of these needs better than Fox has…I will be riding with the Flux for a long time. Fox found a winner in the Flux and if local trail heads are any indication of success…Fox is doing very well with the Flux.

Buy A Fox Flux Helmet

Fox Flux Bike Helmet

A deep rear profile offers comprehensive coverage. In-mold technology molds a hard outer shell around EPS foam to create a comfortable, wrapped fit. The outer shell covers and protects the EPS foam from dings and dents and adds structural integrity. Detox stabilizing system with on-the-head tension adjustment ensures a secure fit. 20 strategically placed vents keep your head cool.