And now for something a bit different. There are loads of trail and all-mountain helmets (or whatever you want to call them) on the market, all of them offering added protection and a different style compared to the pure cross-country lids that you see on racers' heads, but Lazer's $160 USD Revolution trail helmet takes protection and style to new places. The Revolution sports a pretty unique shape, and it also comes with removable ear guards, making it a helmet for those who don't mind standing out from their buddies.The Revolution's shell features twenty-three vents to let air enter and escape, and, like many designs on the market, Lazer has incorporated channels between the rider's head and the shell that further help warm air to be replaced by cooler air that enters at the front of the helmet. Hidden inside of the EPS foam is their Rigidity Brace System, which the company says is a lot like a roll cage, but for your brain. It consists of a thin plastic frame that Lazer builds the helmet's EPS foam shell around, and they claim that it helps to keep broken pieces of the shell together in the event of a major impact. I did my best to avoid testing his aspect of the Revolution.
Revolution Details
• Intended use: trail / enduro
• Goggle storage under visor
• Multi-position visor
• Twenty-three vents
• Lazer's ATS retention system
• Removeable ear protection
• SMS camera / accessory mounting
• CE, CPSC, AS certified
• Sizes: S, M, L
• Weight: 424 grams (medium, w/o ear gaurds)
• MSRP: $160 USD
Lazer has built-in a clever breakaway accessory mount that they say has been fully crash-tested with cameras mounted on it. It's a two-position mount that's held onto the shell by way of two shallow plastic screws that, I imagine, are designed to either break or pull out of the shell if your camera catches on something, thereby helping to prevent an injury like the one that is suspected of putting Michael Schumacher into a coma. You could also remove the clear plastic mount if you don't plan on using a POV camera.
The Revolution's 'Advanced Turnfit System' is an adjustable retention band that offers quite a large range of adjustment via a single dial at the back of the helmet, as well as an eight-position height range that should make nailing the helmet's fit a pretty easy thing to do.
The helmet's visor can ratchet and lock into place at five different height positions, and it can be raised or lowered with the push of one hand, making it easy to fit your goggles underneath if you need somewhere to store them. Plastic screws hold it onto the shell.
The most unique thing about the Revolution has to be the helmet's add-on ear protection. Without these pieces on, the shell does come down relatively low all the way around the head, but snapping the guards into place brings the protection down to just below the years. Each of the plastic, modular ear protection pieces snap into place via three push-pin connectors that take a firm force to install, and Lazer has added small pads that cover the lower third of the guards. The guards are flexible enough that a strong push will bend them into your ear, which is likely what would happen if you came down hard on the side of your head, so the padding makes a lot of sense.
There is even a third configuration option as well, with the center of each ear protector featuring a pop-out honeycomb plastic piece that can be removed if you chose to do so. I'm not sure why you'd do this if you were running the ear protectors - the centers are extremely well vented - but you have the option. Lazer also includes snap-in blanks that are used to cover the openings when you're not wanting to use ear protection.
When Lazer first showed us the Revolution at last year's Eurobike tradeshow, the helmet had a chin guard that bolted onto the same three holes that each of the ear protectors snap into, and they even said that it would also allow it to pass ASTM-DH certification testing. Lazer is still working on this part of the helmet, and they're thinking that it should be available separately by April of this year, as well as having a version of the Revolution that will come stock with it.
PerformanceThe Revolution has a unique fit in that it feels quite a bit deeper than other trail helmets, kind of like it's giving your head a gentle bear hug while other lids offer just a pat on the back. And the coverage does extend a touch farther down than other helmets, but for some reason it feels as if your whole head is inside of the Lazer helmet. Don't get the wrong impression, though, because it's quite comfortable as well, with zero pressure points and the retention band snugging down on your noggin with even pressure. Lazer's ATS retention band is quite a bit more substantial in size than what you'll see on a helmet like Giro's new Montaro, which might not be a good thing when it's hot out, but it did feel quite comfortable - and invisible - when riding. One thing that wasn't invisible to my eye, however, was the pointy front of the Revolution's shell. I could just barely see it in my upper peripheral vision, but it was noticeable enough for me to be a bit bothered by it.
Goggles easily fit under the visor when you push it up, which you can do with one hand without stopping, and the visor never rattled or moved out of place from where I positioned it. I did manage to break one of the plastic screws that hold the visor on, though, despite never crashing or hitting my head. It must have happened in transit at some point.
It's pretty cold here in British Columbia right now, but I could still feel that the Revolution is warmer than any cross-country lid I've used. This is to be expected, of course, and I'm thankful for that in this freezing weather, but I'm pretty sure that I'd find the helmet to be quite warm if it was summer and I was suffering up a climb. And, at 424 grams (without the ear guards) for a medium, it isn't the lightest trail-oriented helmet out there, although the flipside to those extra grams is the extra protection.
And as for those funky looking ear guards, I have to say that they're not for me. They do keep a bit of wind off of your ears, which is nice when you're riding in below freezing temps, and they don't muffle any noise because they don't actually make contact with your ears during normal use, but I just can't get past how they look. That's a subjective complaint and maybe I'm in the minority here, but I'll just say that I'm happy that Lazer made the Revolution work with or without them.
Pinkbike’s Take: | Lazer is aware that the Revolution isn't going to be for everyone, and that there are tons of more conventional looking helmets to choose from. That's probably a big part of why they made the Revolution, though, for riders who do want something different. If that sounds like you, then Lazer's new trail helmet is worth taking a look at, even if you choose to lose the funky ear guards. - Mike Levy |
Visit the feature gallery for high resolution and additional images
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P.S, every summer I ride to work and home by my bike. I have absolutely ordinary bicycle clothes. But when while riding from work I go to local market to buy some food a lot of people looking at like I wear some alien's clothes)))) I think it is not normal.
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Who knows, maybe there’s someone out there that has some condition with their ears they’ll be glad to have this as an option.
What was in fashion in the early days of our sport, today is considered an abomination! Though from time to time we can see that the fashion, especially on colorful anodizing, recycles itself.
But just compare 2 riders of the same… era, of not that far disciplines. A weekend rider (all gray, black, dim colors with some bright (thin) stripping on the outer layers. He is sooo “moderate cool”. Next to him a XC racer with all the bright (and... tight) clothing. He is “soo cool” too.
If we add the… heretics (the “bright” roadies) then we will fall into a fashion storm.
But, who is the most “serious / cool”?
Ha!
Fixed gear stuff comes close but it is usually ridiculously expensive and caters more toward the hipster scene when it comes to cut (really short shorts..).
Its like the Citroen of helmets. Packed with features but fugly and those features don't outweigh the negatives.
Sorry Lazer. Not this time
I will consider changing to 'ihatemud'
"Captain Piett, make ready to land our troops wearing these bad ass Laser helmets beyond their energy field and deploy the fleet so that nothing gets off the system".
"Copy that, Vades".
Do these companies even perform user research when developing products?
One, there is a killer Boes sound system built in to that honeycomb.
Or B, you are playing lazer tag on a bike.
Or C you are Lazer from American Gladiator
Why would you pay $160 for an ugly helmet when you can pay the same... or less... or a little more... for a much much better helmet thats... wait for it... wait for it.... SAFER!
They need to show more photos of how the helmet looks while being worn. Might be fine? Unique from the back for sure.
Pop this back up on April 1st and I'll believe it
It'll be like riding Beggar's Canyon back home.
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what you supposed to put this on your head?
I'd rather wear the vacume cleaner.
I'd wear it to a convention but never on a bike.
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- CF -
I'd rather wear an old skidoo helmet with a bubble visor : )