Comments on: Giro Hex Helmet Review

By: JSatch

JSatch — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:46:46 +0000

i’ve got an old version of this helmet so perhaps the locking system has been ‘improved’ since then, but i’ve never encountered it loosening up on a ride, or on a fall, which i have had many.

the helmet is good, beefy and kinda mushroom’esque, depending upon your head shape. the vents are awesome, but tree branches also seem to more easily find their way in there, which can be surprising during a ride.

it’s got pretty beaten up saving my butt, errr, head, and it’s probably time for a new one. one tough lid.

By: mtbgreg1

mtbgreg1 — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:36:57 +0000

From everything I’ve read the 5 is supposed to be a big improvement over the 4 but without personal experience with both systems I guess it’d be impossible to say.

By: AK_Dan

AK_Dan — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:33:44 +0000

Umm, me too, about a year and a half ago. and I don’t have one here to take a look at. I really do hope this is an issue they have fixed, too good of a product to have one glitch that makes it a zero.

By: fatlip11

fatlip11 — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:37:05 +0000

To be honest, I am not sure… it was about a year and a half back. I didn’t buy the helmet for that reason. I tried a couple different ones at the lbs and had the same issue with both.

By: mtbgreg1

mtbgreg1 — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:56:03 +0000

So question: did the helmets that you guys were using have the Roc Loc 4 or the new Roc Loc 5 technology?

By: fatlip11

fatlip11 — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:53:37 +0000

Same input from me as Dan… couldn’t get it to stay where I put it. If you touch the dial it popped loose. Thumbs down. Sorry, good review except for that.

By: fat_billy

fat_billy — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:53:49 +0000

No Crash Testing? Just asking. Later,

By: mtbgreg1

mtbgreg1 — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:34:58 +0000

@AK_Dan, I have not noticed issues with the helmet loosening up. On my latest night ride, I tightened down the ratchet pretty stiffly as I was running a light on top, and after a while I had to loosen it up as it was a bit too tight–it didn’t loosen on its own. I’ll keep an eye out for it, but based on my current experience, that’s not an issue with this lid.

@Arvi, That’s an interesting design. But like I said above, I think we’d really need to have a basic standard agreed upon, or at least some adaptors.

@fleetwood, see my reply to Dan in regards to the Roc Loc.

Haha and thanks man! I’ve been digging the rocking the goat’ for a while now.

@maddslacker, Sorry, I have not tried either of those helmets. This is the first Giro MTB lid I’ve used, although I own one of their ski helmets and love that as well.

By: maddslacker

maddslacker — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:54:09 +0000

How would you compare it to the Xen/Xar? (Assuming you’ve tried both)

By: fleetwood

fleetwood — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:29:46 +0000

Nice review. Good looking helmet, and sounds functional too (except for AK Dan’s complaint). I just recently bought a Fox Flux. While it is slightly heavier than the Trek helmet I had before, I like the fit and the ease of adjustment over the Trek. I wonder if it is similar to the Roc-Loc.

Anyway, I am convinced that this review was simply a vehicle for mtggreg1 to post some profile pics of himself. That chin hair is coming along nicely. Good work!

By: arvi

arvi — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:07:19 +0000

There’s version of the Kali Amara XC helmet that has a built-in cam/light mount, not to mention some similar rugged aesthetics to the Giro Hex:

http://www.kaliprotectives.com/bike/amara-cam/

The Hex is definitely one of the candidates for for my next helmet. Those big vents will be useful in the south Texas heat.

By: AK_Dan

AK_Dan — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:50:27 +0000

Im sold on Giro helmets, they have actually saved my life on more than one occasion. I have owned 5 and still have 4 of them, however I have to say I am not at all sold on their Roc-Loc system. While yes it is lighter and the fit can be adjusted to perfect, there is not ‘lock’ about it. I have this system on two of my helmets and have reverted to just using them for road riding. The constant vibration and jarring of trail riding makes the Roc-Loc loosen up requiring constant adjustments- usually at times when you really should have both hands on the bars. For me the original ‘ratchet’ type that squeezed together with two fingers and locks works much better. Love their helmets, just wish they would give a choice of which type of tension system they come with. @ over $100 a pop they are a bit spendy to be experimenting with too many of them.

By: trek7k

trek7k — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:08:50 +0000

Yeah, most bike lights either use an O-ring or a stretchy strap which is pretty universal but it’s the helmet cams that have their own way of doing things. I have a box full of mounting hardware for helmet cams and GPS units – it is a shame they don’t all use a common system.

By: mtbgreg1

mtbgreg1 — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:56:40 +0000

It seems like every light manufacturer and video camera manufacturer has it’s own mounting system, though. If we could get some sort of universal standard agreed upon, I could really see a built-in mounting bracket.

Haha, thanks for the tips on the helmet cover. You know what I’ve discovered in really cold weather (below 20 degrees)? A standard ski helmet works wonders! I don’t know why I never thought of it before (someone gave me a tip early this winter), but a lot of DH ski gear has great practical applications for cold-weather biking. Might be a blog post that I have to write…

By: trek7k

trek7k — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:46:52 +0000

Nice pics Sydnah!

I’m surprised there still isn’t an XC-style helmet with built-in mounting points for cameras and lights. It wouldn’t be hard to do either – just run a 2-inch rib across the center of the helmet and you’re done. As it stands now, helmet mounts sit on top of the helmet and stuff tends to get snagged by trees. An integrated mounting point would bring everything down an inch or two. The only thing I can think is there is some safety reason for not integrating a mounting point.

As far as winter ventilation, you could go with a sexy helmet cover like this one:

And at Outdoor Retailer I saw a stretchy “brim” you can add, turning your helmet into a sombrero (seriously).