2010 Giro Remedy CF full face helmet and Giro Station MTB Goggles

I recently received a 2010 Giro Remedy carbon fiber full face helmet for testing. Carbon fiber full face- the stuff the racer boys dream of! Normally I don’t pop for the carbon fiber helmets, simply because I seem to destroy all my favorite gear. Coming from a motorcycle approved, DOT full face helmet, the typical mountain bike full face lids are pretty light, so I don’t have an issue with them. That said, rocking a pimpy carbon lid is a treat- full face security with light weight? F-yeah.

It is a nice helmet, and pretty sweet for 2010 with new distinct color way. It may not be quite as cool as having a custom painted helmet, but for an off the shelf helmet, it is pretty damn nice. I have the Titanium Raven model in hand, and Giro’s design team is to be commended with the nice touches. The graphics even continue on the inside of the visor.

Upon first glance, the helmet looks pretty sharp. The burnt orange logo is subdued, unlike many other brands that scream out their branding. The orange is also repeated with the graphics in the tree motif, and isn’t so apparent that I feel the need to seek out other orange gear to match. The front of the helmet also features a clear coat that shows off the carbon fiber weave underneath, that transitions to titanium gray via a distressed torn fade. Initially, I wasn’t terribly impressed with the graphics from photos of the helmet, but once you are holding it in your hands, the subtle qualities of it really become apparent.

Unlike a number of other helmets on the market, instead of D-rings, the Remedy features the same clasps their XC helmets utilize. Some may prefer the D-rings, but it is hard to beat the convenience of the quick snaps, especially while wearing gloves. Most the full face helmets helmets I’ve owned utilize the more durable rings, but I didn’t complain about being able to put my helmet on quickly, especially with a running POV camera mounted on it.

Design-wise, the Remedy CF is the same as the basic Remedy model, but uses a carbon composite shell that saves about 100 grams and adds serious bling to the equation.

Giro Station MTB Goggles

Also included in the goody bag was the Giro Station Goggles. At first glance, they are nice looking goggles, but how were they any different from the Oakleys, Spy, or Smith goggles already in the bottom of my bag?

Turns out there is lot more to the Stations than meets the eye. The optics on the lens are quite clear, but what stood out was the combination of the Station goggle with the helmet. Giro optimizes their helmet to fit with their line of goggles, a feature they call SuperFit. If you’ve ever received a splash of mud in your eye while wearing goggles in the middle of an important run, this is a feature worth checking out- especially if you wear contacts. Even on the first ride with the helmet/goggle combo, the way the goggle sat on my face was noticeably better than my personal helmet and goggles.

And just like that, I had my new favorite pair of goggles. The bright red color doesn’t hurt either when it comes to being photogenic.

Unlike a number of moto goggles, the Stations don’t include tear offs. For me this was a moot point, as I rarely use them. I find them to be a pain in the ass, and half the time end up dropping the tear off on the ground while riding. Obviously littering isn’t cool, so I just avoid using the tear offs all together. With a down tube fender and an inner tube zip tied to my fork crown, I didn’t have too many issues with mud on my goggles that couldn’t be wiped off between runs. If you have to have tear offs, they do make a tear off replacement lens that can be retrofitted to the goggles. They’ll run you $20, and the tear offs are $12.

Unfortunately, the goggles met their demise fairly quickly, or at least the lenses did. While I’ve learned this lesson more than once, it seems that I was due for another one. During a ride at Post Canyon, I stopped and took off my helmet, and hung it off my bars with the goggles still mounted on the helmet. Yep. If you’ve done this before, you are quite familiar with that “do’h!” moment that comes next.  The next time I put the helmet and googles on, there were huge scratches on the insides of the lens. The lenses have a scratch resistant coating, but they aren’t idiot proof. Unfortunately, the replacement cost on the lens is a bit pricy at $20. Even worse, most shops don’t stock it yet, so the googles have been sitting in the bottom of my bag, unused. I’ll admit it, I’m a bit bummed.

As a former contact lens wearer, my eyes are really sensitive to any impairment; any dirt or scratches obstructing my vision makes me trip out. Last time I bought replacement lenses for my googles, I ended up stocking up. At some point I’m going to bite the bullet and do the same for these googles. They fit my other helmets really well too, and if you are like me, when you find something that works well for you, you stick with it.

There is only one thing I’m not stoked on with the googles- the strap. I mentioned I’m not a fan of huge logos on my gear, and the strap is essentially a big branding opportunity for Giro, with their logo being the only graphic on the elastic band. Practically every google manufacturer does this as well, so I guess I should just stop complaining and pull out the sharpie. It isn’t terribly offensive, but it would be nice to have an option with a subdued logo on the strap.

With the helmet, I’ve found that it doesn’t take a GoPro very well. Strapping a GoPro to the visor resulted in footage with the visor or helmet obstructing half the field of view. This wouldn’t be an issue with a different mount though. Like all Giro helmets, the cheek pads are positioned in a way that compress one’s cheeks forward creating what I like to call “chipmunk face.” With the googles it wasn’t very noticeable, but I have seen this phenomenon with everyone else that runs one of these lids. Personally I like to wear googles at all times with full face lids, so it also ended up being a non-issue.

The Station MTB Goggles are offered in three colors: Gold, Black, and Red. MSRP is $50.00.

Helmet specs via Giro:

Construction: Carbon composite shell with EVA-lined chin bar, EPS liner

Ventilation: 14 vents, internal channeling

Features: Optimized SuperFit goggle port, adjustable 3 screw, no tool, bolt-on visor, washable interior lining, replacement cheek pads and inner-liner available

Goggle tech on SuperFit via Giro:

Super Fit is Giro’s proprietary design process that optimizes our frame and lens geometries for a comfortable, secure fit on your face. By carefully sculpting the frame, temple shapes and temple lengths to match the shape and size of the skull, Super Fit Engineered frames also significantly reduce interference with cycling helmet straps and fit systems that can lead to discomfort and compromised vision when riding.

More information at www.giro.com

The Giro Remedy CF Helmet lists at :

Parts of this review were originally posted at MBAction.com on 4/5/2010. Click here to check out the original post, and stay tuned for a final follow up.