Gear Box: Giro Atmos Cycling Helmet

I've worn a number of different cycling helmets, from a number of different manufacturers, over the years, on both road and mountain bikes. Most are functional, some are comfortable, but many just don't feel right on your head. Any serious rider will tell you that it can be a challenge to find the right helmet that doesn't irritate and distract you while you're on the road and trail. Fortunately for me, I may have found the Holy Grail in helmets in the form of the Giro Atmos.

Immediately after taking the Atmos out of the box I knew I had found a very good helmet. It was lightweight, looked god, and was a cinch to adjust to fit my head. After just a couple of minutes, I was ready to go, and I couldn't wait to get out on the road.

When I ride, I wear a beanie under my helmet to help keep the sweat out of my eyes, and while adjusting the Atmos, I hadn't considered that. So once I had the beanie in place, the helmet felt a bit tight. But as a testament to just how easy it is to adjust the fit of this helmet to compensate, it took just a couple of clicks on the headband to get it back to a perfect fit.

Of course, the real test of a helmet is when you're out on the road, and the Atmos didn't disappoint there either. The aerodynamic and lightweight design definitely shines while in the saddle, and I barely even noticed that I had the helmet on much of the time. On top of that, there is plenty of ventilation built in too, which helps me to stay a bit cooler on long rides in the Texas summer heat.

The only complaint I've found on the Atmos after a number of test rides is that when I get up to speed, there are times when the air is flowing through the helmet, and past my ear, and it tricks me into believing I hear a car coming up behind me. This is of course a personal issue, and I've already started to get use to it, but on the first couple of road rides, it was a bit unnerving to say the least.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Atmos is the lightest and most comfortable helmet I've ever worn. It has taken no time at all to get use to this excellent piece of gear, and while I have only worn it on the road so far, I'm looking forward to using it on the mountain bike too. This is a great helmet, albeit a bit on the expensive side. For serious riders however, I can't recommend this helmet highly enough. (MSRP: $175