Giro Savant Helmet Review

I finally decided to treat myself to a new cycling helmet as I felt my old one was a little on the large size and gave me the mushroom head look! Well, the reason was partly due to that and partly that my wife said I needed to get a new helmet as my white & silver one didn’t go with my Red Oakley Jawbones! Who am I to agree with my wife when she’s telling me to go treat myself!!

Have having a look at what was on offer, reading reviews and trying on different helmets I settled on the Giro Savant Helmet in the Matt Black/Red finish.

I must say that I’m impressed with this helmet, it looks the part, is well vented, light and comes in at only £59.99!

I have often struggled to find a helmet that fit snugly with the feel that you’re not wearing it when out riding, now that hunt is over! The Savant is well vented with 25 Wind Tunnel vents and adjust using the New Giro Roc Loc 5 system allowing for on the move adjustments. This helmet is much lighter than my previous one, you hardly notice you’re wearing one.

The Savant also comes in 6 different colours so there should be one to suit everybody’s taste.

Don’t just take my word for how good this helmet is, read the reviews below from Road.cc and bikeradar.com

Review from road.cc : 7 December 2011

Rating: 4.5 Stars

The Savant is Giro’s new one-up-from-entry-level helmet. Picking it up I thought I was looking at the new top of the range model and couldn’t believe it’s RRP of £59.99 (though you can find them for less online).

It just feels so well-made and light – my scales say 238 grams for the medium size test helmet. That’s only 16 grams more than the manufacturer’s claimed weight for the Aeon, the top of the range Giro helmet, and less than the claimed weight for the Atmos, which sits above it in the line-up.

Putting it on doesn’t disappoint: it feels very comfortable and secure and is just so easy to adjust with the new Roc Loc 5 system. It gives you a micro-dial to adjust the horizontal retention system, a three position bracket to modify vertical fit (you can do this with the helmet on your head), and the usual buckles on the straps to keep them where you want them.

Giro uses a moulding system that fuses the foam inner with the polycarbonate outer using it as a sort of exoskeleton. They claim that this allows them to design better ventilation systems that keep their helmets lighter and cooler than others. For the Savant this results in 25 vents, cooling your head well.

I can’t say much about how strong it is, other than that it is rated to EN 1078.

The Savant is available in 6 colour combinations and 3 sizes.

Verdict
With helmets fit is everything, and the Giro shape might not work for everyone. If it does work for you, I can highly recommend the Giro Savant. In my opinion, you get pro level performance at an entry level price.

Review from BikeRadar : December 2011

Rating: 4 Stars

This new offering from helmet specialists Giro is placed towards the lower end of their road riding/triathlon spectrum of models, sharing many of the features of its more expensive counterparts, but at a price that won’t break the bank. Like all Giro’s designs, the Savant was immediately comfortable and light too, at just 238g.

To fit, the helmet uses the company’s newest Roc Loc 5 dial ratchet system for easy adjustment while riding, even with gloves on. The 25 Wind Tunnel vents give a pro-look and a fair amount of airflow over the head, though the helmet’s peak comes down a little too far, slightly obscuring the view while in an aero position.

BikeRadar Verdict “A light, well-fitted, smart lid and less than half the price of the range-topping models”

Why not check out our other Giro Helmets.

Shortly after writing this article on Fri I went home to find my copy of Cycling Plus on my doorstep and the Giro Savant Helmet was reviewed and was awarded 4/5!

Stuart
IT Manager