Tech review - March 9, 2004

Giro Xen helmet

Protection for the more stupid moments

By Paul Mirtschin

Giro's freeride inspired Xen, well vented, well protected Photo ©: Cyclingnews

Bernie shows off the Xen with the visor off Photo ©: Cyclingnews

And again, this time with the visor back on Photo ©: Cyclingnews

Bike helmets, like shoes, are one of those things that either fit you really well, or don't fit at all. Lucky for Paul Mirtschin, the Giro Xen did indeed fit like the proverbial glove.

The Xen (pronounced Zen) was designed to sit part-way between the lightweight cross-country helmets and the full-faced downhill lids, giving extra protection when that silly manoeuvre goes pear-shaped, while still allowing maximum ventilation. And with the 17 roomy vents, ventilate it does. Then Xen fits snug using the Roc Loc 4 retention system, the same retention system used on the top-end Atmos helmet, and Coolmax padding keeps the sweat out of your eyes. A Point Of View visor clips into the Xen, giving you the choice of running a visor or not, and the whole package is built using Giro's In-mold moulding process.

This is actually the second helmet I have ever tried on that fit perfect straight from the box, the first one also being a Giro, so I was not letting go of the Xen when it appeared; I didn't even have to adjust the Roc Loc 4 to fit my noggin. The ride home that night gave a few surprises, the first being that my previous helmet was so badly suited to my riding position.

For road or cross-country bikes, most helmets work fine, as you have a similar position on the bike. But for a downhill/freeride/trail bike, the position is more upright, and the venting on most helmets isn't designed for that position at all. My previous helmet had me dropping my head every now and then to get adequate ventilation, something that can get very annoying. The Xen however, is designed for the more upright position, so the vents are positioned perfectly from the outset.

Coming in at 340grams for the medium, the helmet is a little heavier than its road and XC brethren, but most of that can be accounted for with the added protection at the rear. With around 170mm of protection from top to bottom, there is not much of the cranium that is exposed from the rear. This might well come in handy for some of the target audience with more than one freerider going over the back wheel and landing on their back. I know I've done it a few times, once while wearing the Xen.

Construction of the Xen is on par with other top-end Giro models, with seamless and flawless inmoulded construction bonding the expanded polystyrene foam with the microshell. Even after six-months of less-than-perfect treatment, there are no real signs of wear and tear; maybe I need to crash more.

Ventilation on the Xen is above-par for a helmet that covers so much of the head, with the 17 vents working overtime to force as much air over your skull as possible. No more will you find yourself with stinging beads of sweat dripping into your eyes as you hammer up that hill, unless you start riding harder than you should, something I occasionally make the mistake of doing. This, unfortunately, is both the best and worst feature of this helmet, as the venting not only causes your head to chill, it also causes a lot of noise. For general mucking about, where speeds stay below 30km/h, this isn't a problem, but if you use the Xen for commuting about, and you tend to ride as fast as you can, then you will find the wind-noise a little annoying. But since I get wind-noise from the metal in my ears anyway, it is something I am used to.

This has very quickly become my all-time favourite helmet, getting used for everything from short on-road blats to longer off-road rides. And I can't see it getting replaced quickly either.

Recommended retail price: US$159.99 (normal), US$174.99 (Special Edition Red - as reviewed)
Weight: 340g (Med)
Pro: Well constructed, well ventilated, great protection
Con: A little noisy
Cyclingnews Rating:
More information: Giro's website