I am going to start this off by saying that I am a sales rep for Giro. As any of my dealers or friends will tell you, I will still give you an honest opinion, but I want to be completely up front about that.
I did a local Sprint Tri this morning in my Advantage2. I have previously raced some TTs with other aero helmets, Rudy and LG to be specific. Here are some things I noticed.
I know there have been a lot of complaints about putting the thing on. I think the key to this is realizing that the pieces that come over your cheeks are flexible. Bend them out when you put it on, and it isn’t any harder than with any other helmet. I thought it was very easy to put on.
Fit. Normally Giro helmets look stupid on me. I just happen to have one of those heads that Giro helmets in general don’t fit. On the road I wear a Bell Sweep. This helmet fits me great. In fact, I would say that it fits me better than any other aero helmet I have tried. It also fits much closer to the sides of my face, which has to help with aerodynamics.
Noise. It is very quiet. With the Rudy, I always noticed a lot of wind noise. I don’t really remember that with the LG, but I did notice it with the Rudy. It never really bothered me, but I certainly noticed. With the Advantage, it was as quiet as my non aero helmet.
Aerodynamics…how the hell would I know. I have never been to a wind tunnel. It felt fast…it made me feel fast.
Ventilation. This is where I really feel this helmet has an advantage over everything else out there. It is way cooler than either of my former aero helmets. I think the internally channelling makes a huge difference on this helmet. You feel the air coming out of the back of the helmet on your back. There is definatly airflow inside the helmet. I have been told that the helmet tests the same in the wind tunnel with and without the vents. There were two tests done at different wind tunnels and both verified that result.
Cool factor. It is by far the best looking aero helmet out there. It even looks cool when you wear it backwards.
Anyway, I liked it. It was a hot morning here in Tennessee, not as humid as it has been lately, but still probably over 50% humidity. The course was short, but I got a decent test in. Overall I am pleased, it certainly lives up to the hype. I am just glad it is finally here.
On a side note. Drafting is cheating…just as much as doping. I got passed by ten guys in a double paceline this morning. I jumped in the middle of them, let a couple get off the front, and then dropped back out of the draft zone. The other morons in the pack had the nerve to yell at me for letting a gap open. Some of the guys in the group were newbies (it is a sprint), so they have a small excuse, maybe they didn’t know it is different than road racing, but I have seen some of these guys before, they know the rules, knew there would not be officials on course, and just decided to cheat. Some of them beat me today, in my age group. You know who you are, and you are a cheater. Rant over. Sorry, I just am not used to getting passed on the bike. I still averaged 23mph or so.
2. Fit. Normally Giro helmets look stupid on me. I just happen to have one of those heads that Giro helmets in general don’t fit. On the road I wear a Bell Sweep. This helmet fits me great.
That’s interesting…I’ve heard people say you either have a Bell-head or a Giro head. My head is definitely longer and skinnier and I have always found Bells fit me very well, but that Giro seemed to be made for people with rounder heads. I was nervous about this helmet because I ride a Bell Sweep R and didn’t think a Giro aero helmet would fit me well because most Giro’s don’t. Now I am optimistic it might…
Thanks for this review…answered alot of Q’s I had re: the A2. I am hoping that the A2 fits like other Giro helmets because I can only seem to get comfortable in a L Giro. You stating that you are “Bell guy” and the A2 fitting has me a bit worried but we’ll see once the helmet arrives next week.
Your comments re: the ventilation are surprising since I’ve heard the exact opposite…that the A2 was “hotter” then other aero helmets out there…hopefully that is not the case as you’ve stated…doing 112 here in a couple weeks and was a bit worried if the temps creep up in penticton
**Also- anyone that has sealed off the back of the A2 fairing, can you post pics? I read a post from Rappstar indicating he had done this and that it improves the aero factor…wondering how involved this job was…thanks
I have a Giro Advantage and a LG Rocket. I’ve raced both.
To your points:
I agree completely. Just spread the ear covers by pulling on the straps as you put it on your head. Piece of cake.
Nothing could have a higher dork factor than my LG Rocket when viewed from any angle except for the side and the back. Fortunately, I find it to be fast enough that most folks only see it from the back. All that said, it’s a ship that’s pretty much sailed no matter what aero helmet you’re wearing. 3. Here we part company. I think the Giro is loud. Yes, it has lots of vents and is cooler (temp-wise) than the Rocket … but that rushing air makes it a bit noisy.
I couldn’t comment on the aerodynamics, either. In a shorter TT, I’ll give the Rocket the nod. It fits to my back better. My results with it have tended to be better. Nothing scientific here.
I completely agree. If it’s a long or really hot race, I’m going with the Giro.
See #2. above. This ship has sailed. Wave your dork flag high!
thanks for the review and thanks for stating your company connection up front. that ups your credibility enormously.
some questions for you:
is the helmet size basically like other giros?: i.e., if you know your size in a giro pneumo, will it be basically the same in the advantage 2?
any chance you could post a pic of the advantage (off your head) taken from the underside, so we can see how it and how its tail looks from the bottomside?
2. Fit. Normally Giro helmets look stupid on me. I just happen to have one of those heads that Giro helmets in general don’t fit. On the road I wear a Bell Sweep. This helmet fits me great.
That’s interesting…I’ve heard people say you either have a Bell-head or a Giro head. My head is definitely longer and skinnier and I have always found Bells fit me very well, but that Giro seemed to be made for people with rounder heads. I was nervous about this helmet because I ride a Bell Sweep R and didn’t think a Giro aero helmet would fit me well because most Giro’s don’t. Now I am optimistic it might…
I believe this is intentional. They are, as I think you know, the same company - Bell/Giro. The story I’ve heard is that the Bell fit is more round and the Giro fit is more ovalized.
Thanks for your feedback as well. I think the noise thing probably has more to do with how your headshape matches up with your helmet shape. The noise I notice seems to be air swirling around by my ears, not really the air moving through the vents.
I don’t remember if it was your or someone else that mentioned covering the bottom of the tail. I think that could have a bad effect on the ventilation, but I am not sure.
Also, to whoever asked about the pics of the bottom, I will try and take some, but I won’t have my camera til next week.
Does the tail sit on your back or is it shorter to where you cant really feel it back there? Just curious as to how short it actually is(have tried a kronos and rocket which you can feel both).
I don’t feel it on my back unless I look up more than what I would consider comfortable. You would have to be pretty low to feel it on your back. Definatly shorter than the Cronos and Rocket.
2. Fit. Normally Giro helmets look stupid on me. I just happen to have one of those heads that Giro helmets in general don’t fit. On the road I wear a Bell Sweep. This helmet fits me great.
That’s interesting…I’ve heard people say you either have a Bell-head or a Giro head. My head is definitely longer and skinnier and I have always found Bells fit me very well, but that Giro seemed to be made for people with rounder heads. I was nervous about this helmet because I ride a Bell Sweep R and didn’t think a Giro aero helmet would fit me well because most Giro’s don’t. Now I am optimistic it might…
I believe this is intentional. They are, as I think you know, the same company - Bell/Giro. The story I’ve heard is that the Bell fit is more round and the Giro fit is more ovalized.
I am very surprised to learn that Giro belongs to Bell since 1995; the quote is form an article I found on the acquisition; what do you think is their combined market share today??
“Competitors estimate Bell’s and Giro’s combined share of the specialty market at 50 to 70 percent. But they are betting that the two companies will be unable to maintain that market share now that they are together.”
I got my Advantage 2 yesterday and did my first race today, where I wore it for 56 miles on a hot day.
Fit: The A2 fits me very well with the adjustable locking collar, in fact it is much more comfortable than the Giro Eclipse I wrecked in a crash a few months back. The Eclipse gave me a dent in my forehead every time I wore it. I did not feel the helmet on my back at all.
Noise: I have nothing to compare to as I’ve only tried on other aero lids, never ridden in them.
Aero: I believe that this helmet definitely adds speed. I have what I think is an aero setuup, a small Blade with 404 front,disc on back, and there is a hill in the boulder course where I was able to coast to 45 mph today, which is about 5mph faster than two weeks ago when I ran two 404’s and a Rudy Project road helmet. The disc is surely responsible for some of that, but the helmet definitely seems to add a little bit.
Cooling: The A2 is not as cool as my fully vented road lid, but it was not uncomfortable today. I did not feel the air circulating in back of my head, maybe next time I wear it I’ll be conscious of it. Most of my ride was with some cloud cover, and the heat rising into the nineties by the time I finished. I am not worried about getting too hot in the helmet.
All that said, it’s a ship that’s pretty much sailed no matter what aero helmet you’re wearing. 3. Here we part company. I think the Giro is loud. Yes, it has lots of vents and is cooler (temp-wise) than the Rocket … but that rushing air makes it a bit noisy.