Giro

This is my second pair. The first are still usable, but showing a lot of wear so I decided to get a new pair while they were on sale. As you might suspect, I really like them. What I said about them in my review of my first pair is still true, the only gloves I've found with continuous smooth padding from the base of the thumb all the way up to where the glove ends at the index finger. This is where I experience the most pressure and discomfort from riding up on the level hoods or down in the drops.

As with most "Premium Product" lines today, it is a bit pricey; otherwise, I have no complaints with the performance or fit. I've worn pretty much all the recent helmet offerings from Fox, POC, Kask, Bell, and Oakley. This Giro is nicer than every one of them (and it's a brand new model, so I expect that it should be...) and the fit is fantastic.

The RocLoc is a real treat, nicer than some of the previous versions, like the Aether and such. I went with the matte shark, which is a lovely primer-ish grey, and the old hot rodder in me appreciates the variety of colors we can get these days. I have a metallic pink Time road bike, so I'd never find a helmet that matches it. I wear either black or grey Sidi road shoes, so the appearance is perfect for me. If you're into race team fanning, they have a few of those colors, too.

As far as protection goes, I aim not to test that, though the last massive crash I had, a mountain crash that left me with a concussion and some significant injuries, was in a Giro, and while that helmet broke in 7 places, it stayed together, and kept me from worse injury. I keep it on my bike wall as a reminder that I'm actually mortal.

BL - Great product, great fit and finish, feels like a bandanna on my head, and the vents work great. Bike Tires Direct has a great price and IN STOCK (which is no small thing right now..)

Nothing else to say is there?

I bought this helmet to replace an aging Giro Synthe II helmet. The Giro Aries helmet fits my head better, is better ventilated, has a better impact safety design & rating (see Virginia Tech safety website). Because of the better ventilation, I feel that the helmet is somewhat "cooler" than my old Synthe II. I live at 35 degree North latitude & summers are hot, humid and windy. My riding routes are lumpy and between 25 & 35 miles long. The Aries helmet does a okay job at trying to direct sweat away from my brow but sweat still runs down onto my glasses.

If you have a round head this helmet may not be a good fit for you. I think this is a very good helmet and may be worth the asking price. It certainly is for me. Keep turning the cranks! ??

The Vanquish helmet has MIPS, a magnetic Lens shield that is also polarized, and is the most comfortable helmet I've ever worn. I opted for the rear attachable light gives 30 lumens of awareness in blinking mode. You can wear glasses with this helmet as the detachable magnetic Lens has enough clearance to do so. I've been using this helmet for the past 6 weeks (I ride 4-5 times a week), it's lighter than my previous Lumin helmet, more comfortable, and haven't had any cons on my purchase.