New helmet

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just picked up a Giro Xen. My old helmet had seen four hard seasons and a
lot of sweat. The Xen just fits so nice and I like a little extra
protection for my second favorite organ.
I'll report back after actually wearing it on the trails - hopefully
experiences will be as positive as I'm expecting. I've had many Giro
helmets and they have all been good so far.

Matt

$$.$$?

I had been a fan of $20 helmets for my $20 head but recently got a SixSixOne
Bravo XC for $60 and liked it 3x better than the $20 helmet due to the fit
adjustability. Would you think that I'd like a $120 helmet 6x?

--
DTW .../\.../\.../\...

I've spent most of my money on mountain biking and windsurfing.
The rest, I've just wasted.

D T W .../\... said:

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just picked up a Giro Xen. My old helmet had seen four hard seasons and a
lot of sweat. The Xen just fits so nice and I like a little extra
protection for my second favorite organ.
I'll report back after actually wearing it on the trails - hopefully
experiences will be as positive as I'm expecting. I've had many Giro
helmets and they have all been good so far.

Matt

$$.$$?

I had been a fan of $20 helmets for my $20 head but recently got a SixSixOne
Bravo XC for $60 and liked it 3x better than the $20 helmet due to the fit
adjustability. Would you think that I'd like a $120 helmet 6x?

Tough for me to say. I haven't skimped on a helmet in many years.
It looks like the MSRP is $159 (ouch!) but it looks like they can be had
for about $100. My wife works at the shop so I probably paid less, but
she rang it up so I didn't even see what the bottom line was.
It fits me very well and that's what I like. So far that's all the data
I can offer and I won't get it out on the trail until tomorrow.

Matt

MattB said:

Quoted message said:

$$.$$?

I had been a fan of $20 helmets for my $20 head but recently got a SixSixOne
Bravo XC for $60 and liked it 3x better than the $20 helmet due to the fit
adjustability. Would you think that I'd like a $120 helmet 6x?

Tough for me to say. I haven't skimped on a helmet in many years.
It looks like the MSRP is $159 (ouch!) but it looks like they can be had
for about $100. My wife works at the shop so I probably paid less, but
she rang it up so I didn't even see what the bottom line was.
It fits me very well and that's what I like. So far that's all the data
I can offer and I won't get it out on the trail until tomorrow.

Matt

Using a Giro Animas at the moment. Has plenty of life left in it still, just over a year old. Will probably replace it in 6 months to a year and since I am getting into mountainbiking and value my dental features I am tempted by the Met Para-Chute which looks to be a good compromise between a lid helmet and ful face. Ie full face without too much added weight or bulk. Bit pricey at £100, especially as it will need replacing after one major crash.

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just picked up a Giro Xen. My old helmet had seen four hard seasons and a
lot of sweat. The Xen just fits so nice and I like a little extra
protection for my second favorite organ.
I'll report back after actually wearing it on the trails - hopefully
experiences will be as positive as I'm expecting. I've had many Giro
helmets and they have all been good so far.

Matt

Bought a Giro Skyla same time as that Oakley Thump, and it's working
extremely well fit-wise. Also it has way more vents than my old Bell which I
tacoed. $50 CDN and seems as good as the $200 models from the company.

MattB said:

Just picked up a Giro Xen. My old helmet had seen four hard seasons and
a lot of sweat. The Xen just fits so nice and I like a little extra
protection for my second favorite organ.
I'll report back after actually wearing it on the trails - hopefully
experiences will be as positive as I'm expecting. I've had many Giro
helmets and they have all been good so far.

Matt

E2 here after having a Havoc for a couple of years. No comparison! The
E2 is so much more comfortable. Worth the extra $$$ IMHO.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

MattB said:

Just picked up a Giro Xen. My old helmet had seen four hard seasons and
a lot of sweat. The Xen just fits so nice and I like a little extra
protection for my second favorite organ.
I'll report back after actually wearing it on the trails - hopefully
experiences will be as positive as I'm expecting. I've had many Giro
helmets and they have all been good so far.

I recently picked up a Xen and had to return it because it doesn't
fit my head. I mucked with the straps for ages trying to make it
work, but no go. Matt, can you please tell me: where does the helmet
end up if, after securing it on your head, you put your palm against
the front-center rim and press upward? Mine ended up with that rim
sitting on the top of my head instead of just above my eyebrows.

Further inspection and comparison to my old Exodus revealed that the
front strap locks were _much_ farther back than the older helmet, to
the point where I could just slide the helmet halfway back over my
head. I was very disappointed since the Xen seemed to fit so well
in other ways and doesn't have pointy protrusions to snag in a fall.

Now I'm again looking for a new helmet. 🙁

G
--
Gregory S. Sutter "How do I read this file?"
[email hidden] "You uudecode it."
http://zer0.org/~gsutter/ "I I I decode it?"

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just picked up a Giro Xen. My old helmet had seen four hard seasons and
a lot of sweat. The Xen just fits so nice and I like a little extra
protection for my second favorite organ.
I'll report back after actually wearing it on the trails - hopefully
experiences will be as positive as I'm expecting. I've had many Giro
helmets and they have all been good so far.

Matt

Jim got one a couple months ago, he raves and swears by it. I got an E2 and
I simply love it. Both helmets are lightweight, well ventilated and they
have that most excellent Roc-Loc 4 system and P.O.V. visor system. I've been
riding Giro's for many years now and they have never let me down.

- CA-G

Can-Am Girls Kick Ass!

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I had been a fan of $20 helmets for my $20 head but recently got a

SixSixOne

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Bravo XC for $60 and liked it 3x better than the $20 helmet due to the

fit

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

adjustability. Would you think that I'd like a $120 helmet 6x?

Tough for me to say. I haven't skimped on a helmet in many years.
It looks like the MSRP is $159 (ouch!) but it looks like they can be had
for about $100. My wife works at the shop so I probably paid less, but
she rang it up so I didn't even see what the bottom line was.
It fits me very well and that's what I like. So far that's all the data
I can offer and I won't get it out on the trail until tomorrow.

Matt

We both got our helmets (Xen and E2) off Ebay for 1/2 the cost of retail. We
saved alot of money on good quality, expensive helmets.

- CA-G

Can-Am Girls Kick Ass!

Carla A-G said:

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just picked up a Giro Xen. My old helmet had seen four hard seasons and
a lot of sweat. The Xen just fits so nice and I like a little extra
protection for my second favorite organ.
I'll report back after actually wearing it on the trails - hopefully
experiences will be as positive as I'm expecting. I've had many Giro
helmets and they have all been good so far.

Matt

Jim got one a couple months ago, he raves and swears by it. I got an E2 and
I simply love it. Both helmets are lightweight, well ventilated and they
have that most excellent Roc-Loc 4 system and P.O.V. visor system. I've been
riding Giro's for many years now and they have never let me down.

Lets hear it for Jim and Brian Gentes .... No wait ...lets hear it for
Bell helmets ... no wait that's Fenway partners ... no it's Riddell
..... no wait ...

One company for all helmets ... so much for innovation.

R

If you've been riding Giro's for years ... you haven't ridden a Giro in
~6 years.

Quoted message said:

Carla A-G said:

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just picked up a Giro Xen. My old helmet had seen four hard seasons and
a lot of sweat. The Xen just fits so nice and I like a little extra
protection for my second favorite organ.
I'll report back after actually wearing it on the trails - hopefully
experiences will be as positive as I'm expecting. I've had many Giro
helmets and they have all been good so far.

Matt

Jim got one a couple months ago, he raves and swears by it. I got an E2 and
I simply love it. Both helmets are lightweight, well ventilated and they
have that most excellent Roc-Loc 4 system and P.O.V. visor system. I've been
riding Giro's for many years now and they have never let me down.

Lets hear it for Jim and Brian Gentes .... No wait ...lets hear it for
Bell helmets ... no wait that's Fenway partners ... no it's Riddell
.... no wait ...

One company for all helmets ... so much for innovation.

R

If you've been riding Giro's for years ... you haven't ridden a Giro in
~6 years.

That may be true, but I still think they are nice and I like them.

Matt

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Lets hear it for Jim and Brian Gentes .... No wait ...lets hear it for
Bell helmets ... no wait that's Fenway partners ... no it's Riddell
.... no wait ...

Take a look at the car that you drive, the bike you ride and the appliances
you use...I bet that most of them come from 1 company that has smaller
divisions...

Quoted message said:

One company for all helmets ... so much for innovation.

A majority of large companies are conglomerates...don't feel like you're
providing new information to the newsgroup...there isn't much innovation
with anything in the world...

Quoted message said:

If you've been riding Giro's for years ... you haven't ridden a Giro in
~6 years.

I was using one before then too...

- CA-G

Can-Am Girls Kick Ass!

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just picked up a Giro Xen. My old helmet had seen four hard seasons and a
lot of sweat. The Xen just fits so nice and I like a little extra
protection for my second favorite organ.
I'll report back after actually wearing it on the trails - hopefully
experiences will be as positive as I'm expecting. I've had many Giro
helmets and they have all been good so far.

Matt

I've been eyeballing that one for a few months now. Looking forward to hear
how it hold up for you...

If you don't mind my asking, where did you get it, and how much??

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Carla A-G said:

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

>Just picked up a Giro Xen. My old helmet had seen four hard seasons and
>a lot of sweat. The Xen just fits so nice and I like a little extra
>protection for my second favorite organ.
>I'll report back after actually wearing it on the trails - hopefully
>experiences will be as positive as I'm expecting. I've had many Giro
>helmets and they have all been good so far.
>
>Matt

Jim got one a couple months ago, he raves and swears by it. I got an E2

and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I simply love it. Both helmets are lightweight, well ventilated and they
have that most excellent Roc-Loc 4 system and P.O.V. visor system. I've

been

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

riding Giro's for many years now and they have never let me down.

Lets hear it for Jim and Brian Gentes .... No wait ...lets hear it for
Bell helmets ... no wait that's Fenway partners ... no it's Riddell
.... no wait ...

One company for all helmets ... so much for innovation.

R

If you've been riding Giro's for years ... you haven't ridden a Giro in
~6 years.

That may be true, but I still think they are nice and I like them.

Matt

Everybody has a right to their own opinions...

- CA-G

Can-Am Girls Kick Ass!

"Dave W" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just picked up a Giro Xen. My old helmet had seen four hard seasons and a
lot of sweat. The Xen just fits so nice and I like a little extra
protection for my second favorite organ.
I'll report back after actually wearing it on the trails - hopefully
experiences will be as positive as I'm expecting. I've had many Giro
helmets and they have all been good so far.

Matt

I've been eyeballing that one for a few months now. Looking forward to
hear how it hold up for you...

If you don't mind my asking, where did you get it, and how much??

uh, nevemind. I see...

Quoted message said:

Carla A-G said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Lets hear it for Jim and Brian Gentes .... No wait ...lets hear it for
Bell helmets ... no wait that's Fenway partners ... no it's Riddell
.... no wait ...

Take a look at the car that you drive,

I don't own a car.

Quoted message said:

the bike you ride.

nope

Quoted message said:

and the appliances
you use...I bet that most of them come from 1 company that has smaller
divisions...

Absolutely.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

One company for all helmets ... so much for innovation.

A majority of large companies are conglomerates...don't feel like you're
providing new information to the newsgroup...

How many ppl on this group realize that Bell/Giro are the same company.
Or that they now use the same head forms across lines? And lets not
forget Special'ed's new helmet line ... retention system look familiar?
It happens when you hire a "helmet guru" from Giro.

hmmm new information ...new information for a news group ... O.K. How
about this ... before Gentes split Santa Cruz to surf in other parts of
the world ... he dated Beth Benette. THat should be new information to
the group, not that it is particularly useful.

Quoted message said:

there isn't much innovation
with anything in the world...

There in lines my point (if there was one). When Jim and Brian brought
out Giro helmets at Hellyer Park Velodrome, the only choices were
hardshells like the Bell Biker, the Skid Lid, Broncale, and the Flyway
(skateboard) helmet. Since Hellyer had a "hardshell helmet" rule before
the USCF or NORBA and Jim and Brian were racing at Hellyer, there was a
spark of innovation. Hairnets were out, but so were the traditional
hardshells. Giro's helmets were new and unlike anything else on the
market A lycra covered EPS helmet,who would have thought? Jim Gentes
.... of course he also built "lean-stear" recumbent. Powered by Fred
Markham in 1981, the excel-60 trike made it to 50.98 mph.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If you've been riding Giro's for years ... you haven't ridden a Giro in
~6 years.

I was using one before then too...

Did you notice the change? The shift in head forms. Fewer in-molded
helmets/shells. Changes to the retention system.

R

Gregory Sutter said:

MattB said:

Just picked up a Giro Xen. My old helmet had seen four hard seasons and
a lot of sweat. The Xen just fits so nice and I like a little extra
protection for my second favorite organ.
I'll report back after actually wearing it on the trails - hopefully
experiences will be as positive as I'm expecting. I've had many Giro
helmets and they have all been good so far.

I recently picked up a Xen and had to return it because it doesn't
fit my head. I mucked with the straps for ages trying to make it
work, but no go. Matt, can you please tell me: where does the helmet
end up if, after securing it on your head, you put your palm against
the front-center rim and press upward? Mine ended up with that rim
sitting on the top of my head instead of just above my eyebrows.

If I do that I can push it back to the top of my forehead, further back
than it should sit. But I'm not sure how this is necessarily bad. The
force and direction are not the kind that I've ever encountered in a
crash. I think every bike helmet I've ever had will push up some if I do
that. But maybe not as far as you describe.
Did you have the strap adjusted so it's not all loose?

Quoted message said:

Further inspection and comparison to my old Exodus revealed that the
front strap locks were _much_ farther back than the older helmet, to
the point where I could just slide the helmet halfway back over my
head. I was very disappointed since the Xen seemed to fit so well
in other ways and doesn't have pointy protrusions to snag in a fall.

Now I'm again looking for a new helmet. 🙁

G

I'm also coming from an Exodus. That helmet fit well for the first
couple of seasons but now the Velcro securing the lock system has gotten
very weak. It often works loose on a long rough descent and I have to
mess with it. It seemed like it was becoming unsafe. I really like how
the Xen stays put and has a much smaller profile. It makes the old one
seem clunky.

I rode a 15 Mile, 1800 Ft ride tonight that is one big climb and then
you turn around and ride back down. Lots of rough sections and I didn't
notice the helmet was even there while bouncing through the rocks. So
far so good. If anything changes I'll report back.

Matt

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

How many ppl on this group realize that Bell/Giro are the same company.
Or that they now use the same head forms across lines? And lets not
forget Special'ed's new helmet line ... retention system look familiar?
It happens when you hire a "helmet guru" from Giro.

Probably not many, unless you've been to their website, or you keep up with
bike industry news. I agree, the retention system on both is similar. Its
the same thing when a car company hires a designer/engineer from another
company, all of a sudden both companies car's look the same.

Quoted message said:

hmmm new information ...new information for a news group ... O.K. How
about this ... before Gentes split Santa Cruz to surf in other parts of
the world ... he dated Beth Benette. THat should be new information to
the group, not that it is particularly useful.

I have no clue who they are, but thanks for the info, I agree, its not very
useful...

Quoted message said:

Did you notice the change? The shift in head forms. Fewer in-molded
helmets/shells. Changes to the retention system.

Yes, I did, but I find that the new designs actually fit my head better than
they did 5+ years ago.

- CA-G

Can-Am Girls Kick Ass!

Carla A-G said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

How many ppl on this group realize that Bell/Giro are the same company.
Or that they now use the same head forms across lines? And lets not
forget Special'ed's new helmet line ... retention system look familiar?
It happens when you hire a "helmet guru" from Giro.

Probably not many, unless you've been to their website, or you keep up with
bike industry news. I agree, the retention system on both is similar. Its
the same thing when a car company hires a designer/engineer from another
company, all of a sudden both companies car's look the same.

Just sad to see competition and innovation die.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

hmmm new information ...new information for a news group ... O.K. How
about this ... before Gentes split Santa Cruz to surf in other parts of
the world ... he dated Beth Benette. THat should be new information to
the group, not that it is particularly useful.

I have no clue who they are, but thanks for the info,

Jim and Brian Gentes started Giro as a garage industry. Actually, if my
memory serves me, the "first" giro was a teardrop hardshell called the
"Advantage." It was a suspension style helmet much more similar to say
an Ecrin than todays EPS helmets.

I hear that Jim Gentes is still racing in the Santa Cruz area, and that
Brian is/was working for Dia Compe. But I am sure that isn't new
information for anyone who keeps up with bike industry news.

Beth was a manager of a local coffee bar.

Quoted message said:

I agree, its not very
useful...

Never intended it to be.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Did you notice the change? The shift in head forms. Fewer in-molded
helmets/shells. Changes to the retention system.

Yes, I did, but I find that the new designs actually fit my head better than
they did 5+ years ago.

Cross-platfroming of headforms is good for some, not so good for
others. It just seems, to me, that it is too bad that there are fewer
distinct headforms in use. Greater choices in colors and outer shape.
Fewer choices in fit.

R

MattB said:

Gregory Sutter said:

MattB said:

Just picked up a Giro Xen. My old helmet had seen four hard seasons and
a lot of sweat. The Xen just fits so nice and I like a little extra
protection for my second favorite organ.

I recently picked up a Xen and had to return it because it doesn't
fit my head. I mucked with the straps for ages trying to make it
work, but no go. Matt, can you please tell me: where does the helmet
end up if, after securing it on your head, you put your palm against
the front-center rim and press upward? Mine ended up with that rim
sitting on the top of my head instead of just above my eyebrows.

If I do that I can push it back to the top of my forehead, further back
than it should sit. But I'm not sure how this is necessarily bad. The
force and direction are not the kind that I've ever encountered in a
crash. I think every bike helmet I've ever had will push up some if I do
that. But maybe not as far as you describe.
Did you have the strap adjusted so it's not all loose?

Matt,

I had the straps adjusted every which way--I was really trying hard
to make it fit my head. Where you could push it up to the top of
your forehead, I could push it nearly to the top of my skull. Not
every helmet fits every head, I guess.

Quoted message said:

I'm also coming from an Exodus. That helmet fit well for the first
couple of seasons but now the Velcro securing the lock system has gotten
very weak. It often works loose on a long rough descent and I have to
mess with it. It seemed like it was becoming unsafe. I really like how
the Xen stays put and has a much smaller profile. It makes the old one
seem clunky.

Yes, I would like a smaller profile lid too. Not much could be bigger
than the Exodus. 🙂 Though I'm still looking for the right helmet,
I'm glad you and others have found that the Xen works well.

Greg
--
Gregory S. Sutter "How do I read this file?"
[email hidden] "You uudecode it."
http://zer0.org/~gsutter/ "I I I decode it?"