Giro

My second Agilis helmet. I have both a large and medium size and usually wear the medium except in winter. My head is a between size with a circumfrence of 23 inches/ 58.5 cm. which is the high end of Giro's medium. I can fit a beanie under the large with room to spare. And a thin headband under the med. Definetly prefer the medium most of the year. I like this helmet's fit and finish, it looks akin to the 300 dollar ones at a third the price and only a 30 gram penalty over the Giro Aries, for instance . It's only slighlightly heavy due to it's construction with a tad more occipital coverage and a shell that wraps around the bottom of the styrofoam for durability chucking it around. It's comfortable for my headshape, oval and tallish forehead it sits well on my headshape.

Without this the great Giro Vanquish helmet is incomplete. Vision superior to glasses; magnetic mount works well both in normal use postion and upside down above the eyes as a storage postion. However, they are fragile. My most recent purchase is my third. And they're not cheap.

I used the helmet for one year before the crash and it was perfect for fit, comfort, and breathability.

I landed on my back, and the back of my head immediately whiplashed onto the pavement hard with so loud a sound I thought the helmet would be trashed. While there are four markings on the helmet from the impact, it wasn't destroyed as expected.

Most importantly, I didn't get a concussion. I had a crash three years ago that involved a bad concussion, and you don't ever want to get one trust me. I could not believe how softly the impact was on my head, especially considering I cracked a rib.

For me, the choice is clear. The helmet must have Spherical Tech. I bought an Eclipse to replace the Aries for my road riding and will continue to use the Aries for gravel because it doesn't appear to be compromised.

There are other helmets that I think look way cooler, and I wish the Eclipse didn't look so heinously Martian Domed. I had just bought a Utopia Y on backorder, then right after the crash canceled the order and bought an Eclipse. Funny how priorities can change in a NY minute.

Having ridden in a pair of Shimano R320s for many years I decided it was time for a new pair of road shoes. A positive experience with a pair of Giro Techlace mountain bike shoes informed my choice here. I went with a size 44 the same as my other Giro shoes and they are perfect. I have been told by ski boot fitters that I've got a very average foot, in size width and arch and typically wear a U.S. men's 10 in athletic shoes. The Empire SLX II's lace system is excellent for dialing in a comfortable fit and the middle sized arch supports (orange) that come pre installed are perfect for me. The shoe is very well ventilated and great for Southern California. I've got several hundred miles on them and haven't had any issues. My only critique is that I would like to see black laces on the white shoe, just for stain resistance.