New helmets and awesome graphics from Bell and Giro
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Just in case you happen to purchase both a Bell Drop and Bell Faction helmet, make sure to display them like this to complete the scene.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Oh no, my eye! Where'd it go?(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Whew, there it is...(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Bell is collaborating with renowned graphic artist Jimbo Phillips for a number of helmet models this year.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Bell doesn't peg its new Lumen helmet as a women's-specific lid but the softer edges (and some of the colour schemes) will undoubtedly appeal to the fairer sex.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Trail riders will be treated to Bell's new Sequence helmet with 24 vents, an included visor and the company's top-end TAG retention system - not to mention the optional Jimbo Phillips graphics.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
The venerable Bell Sweep will carry on for 2010 with new colour options.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Bell will now include a visor for all Volt models for 2010 - just remove it and insert the plugs if you don't want to use it.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
The new Ambient and Candela gloves from Giro feature mild insulation, Clarino palms and silicone fingertips.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Mild padding on the DJ gloves softens landings while the unique Super Fit three-piece palm helps minimise bunching.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
The new Giro DJ gloves are specifically designed to be both durable - and cheap.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Expect to see more matched graphics from Giro for 2010.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Giro has updated its Havik to form the new Havik 2, complete with a thinned-out upper frame for more flex and more comfort on larger faces.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
The new Giro LXLF gloves should appeal to riders looking for a minimal feel and a classic aesthetic.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Extra-deep internal channels help the Prolight move a surprising amount of air.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Though minimal in construction, the Prolight's Roc Loc SL retention system is still adjustable.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Giro's new Prolight helmet weighs just 180g.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Lots of weight was saved with the extra-light webbing and the pared-down retention system.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Giro says its new Proof glove is good to sub-freezing temperatures.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
The zombie on Giro's workhorse Remedy helmet had better hope the rider manages to keep the visor intact…(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
…lest it loses its arm in the process.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
The lightweight Westerly (left) is designed for just mild protection while slightly colder temps will call for Giro's new Blaze glove.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
New casual eyewear styles from Giro include the Coy (left) and Tone.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Polished metal accents add a little extra style.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
The Giro Xena (left) and Monica gloves are women's-specific models with narrower fits.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Giro's road helmet line for 2010 is undoubtedly highlighted by its feathery new Prolight, which debuted at this year's Tour de France.
Though Giro admits the Prolight isn't quite as well ventilated as the flagship Ionos, brand manager Kevin Franks insists that the former's deeper channels move more air than one would expect and after using one ourselves at Interbike's Outdoor Demo, we're inclined to agree.
Regardless, the Prolight clearly lives up to its name with an actual weight of 180g for a small show sample courtesy of an in-moulded shell and internal reinforcement-free EPS liner, a simplified (yet surprisingly effective) Roc Loc SL retention system with fore-aft adjustment, and lighter weight webbing with fixed sliders. Consumers should begin seeing the Prolight in stores around January and with a suggested retail price of US$200.
Also new from Giro for 2010 is the Section helmet, aimed at the urban, dirt jumper and all-mountain crowd with its skate styling and goggle-compatible cut (snowboarders will also recognise it as a close cousin of the Shiv). The graphics palette's diverse muted-to-bold should also strike a wide audience, too, and retail price will be a very reasonable US$45.
Sister company Bell launches a few new helmets of its own, including the US$90 Sequence trail helmet and the value-packed Lumen, both with an in-moulded shell and internal reinforcement cage. Lumen gets by with Bell's proven GPS retention system while the Sequence upgrades to the more adjustable TAG unit and will also come with a removable visor.
Bell will also feature stunning new optional graphics packages in collaboration with artist Jimbo Phillips. Some of the more vivid schemes with bloody zombies, popping eyeballs and the like might not be suited for everyone but slightly more subdued wraps are also available for those that want to tone things down just a hair.
Phillips-penned graphics will be offered on seven Bell helmet models for 2010, all at no additional cost.
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Giro has devoted a lot of attention to its burgeoning eyewear and glove lines, too, for 2010. The updated Havik 2 shields get a pared-down frame with reduced bulk up top for an improved field of view plus a more comfortable, flexier fit – especially for riders with broader heads.
Claimed temple pressure is down 35 percent from the original Havik (and 15 percent lower than Oakley's ubiquitous Radar) but the physical eartip-to-eartip distance has remained constant.
Two new Zeiss lens tints – Orange Selector and Yellow Selector – will also join the collection for use in lower-light conditions and as with the original Havik, the Havik 2 will be offered in both compact and full lens sizes.
Also new are the oversized Coy and Tone casual glasses – both with Zeiss lenses, made-in-Italy frames and stainless steel hinges – and the Station MTB goggle.
Winter is the name of the game for Giro's glove line with five new models – in both men's and women's fits – arriving in time for the season's chillier temperatures.
The US$25 Westerly blends a fleece-lined backing and silicone-dotted palm and fingers for a bit of protection on cooler days plus enhanced grip, especially when wet. The US$35 Blaze upgrades to a Clarino palm and adds a bit of padding.
The men's Ambient and women's Candela – both US$45 – add more insulation for temperatures just above freezing plus wind and water resistance and X-Static fleece linings. As with the Blaze, the Clarino palms will also include silicone-dotted fingertips and mild EVA padding.
Truly nasty conditions will call for the new Proof glove with waterproof, breathable shells, Thinsulate XT-S insulation (with more placed on the back for warmth and less underneath the hands for dexterity and bar feel), X-Static interiors plus removable Westerly gloves to be used as supplemental liners. Suggested retail price is US$60.
