Giro Reverb

Helmets are cheap insurance against potentially terrible outcomes and are as personal as shoes, might as well find one that fits the use you have in mind in a style that you’ll actually wear. The Giro Reverb pulls from the past to make a helmet for today with modern fit and lightweight construction in the style of the Giro Air Attack worn by the likes of Greg Lemond in the early ‘90s peloton.

The Reverb benefits from over 20 years of helmet evolution since the original Air Attack—the throwback paneled graphics and original Giro logo make it easy to forget how heavy and unwieldy those old helmets really were. While some commuter helmets draw from skate style versions, the Reverb takes its cues from the Giro performance heritage. The helmet is remarkably light at 300 g due to the thin In-mold shell that covers the protective EPS foam and provides some protection from daily off the bike bumps, but not as much as the much heavier, thick plastic shells of skate helmets. I’ve certainly managed a few dings in my Reverb. The shell has nine vents and inner air channels to move air across your head, proving (almost) as comfortable as a helmet gets when the sun in blazing. I found the strap system comfortable, though I wish the y-connectors were locking and that there was some adjustment available to the rear yoke even if I found the light elastic fit quite comfortable. While you either love or hate the fully rounded profile there is a strong argument that helmets without pointy protrusions are safer in certain accidents as they are less likely to dig in and cause your neck to violently twist. The helmet ships with a removable visor, which I promptly removed.

Commuters with longish rides will welcome the lightweight Giro Reverb. More roadie than skate, it retains an understated look and won’t lead to the neck and shoulder fatigue that heavier helmets may. The Giro Reverb retails for $60 and is available in three shell sizes in ten different graphics packages. See more at www.giro.com