Urge Supacross Helmet - First Look
FIRST LOOK
Urge Supacross
WORDS: Matt Wragg
PHOTOS: Urge
 | We decided to expand the range in the XC direction... It was a big challenge to do it well and good looking. - Zoobab, Designer |
French helmet maker Urge have been standing out from the crowds for five years now. They have made their name by making the most distinctive helmets in mountain biking. Part-owned by DH legend, Fabien Barel, and French enduro pioneer, Fred Glo, the company launched with helmets for those disciplines. As a small company they didn't make the mistake of trying to do everything at once, but instead added to their range incrementally, each year adding a little more and covering another style of riding. This new helmet, the Supacross, as designer, Zoobab explains, "We decided to expand the range in the XC direction because since the beginning we wanted to make helmets for all kinds of MTB riding style. XC is a big part of MTB and it was the last category without Urge specific model, it was a big challenge to do it well and make it good looking."
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Details:
• Purpose: Cross-country
• Recycled EPS shell
• Gangsta pad, anti sweat system
• Custom ring system
• Integrated visor
• CE1078/CPSC Certification
• In-Mould construction
• Removable and washable pads
• Available in 4 sizes (S/M, L/XL)
• Weight: 260 g
The phrase "design language" is not one we hear often within mountain biking, yet it is one of the most apt to use when talking about Urge. Their helmets have a definite, unique identity. While it differs from helmet to helmet and has evolved as the brand has evolved, there is no mistaking the Supacross for a helmet made by anybody else. You can trace the lineage of the swooping side fins and circular vents from the Down-O-Matic, their very first helmet, to here. Where the Supacross differs from its predecessors is in the fit - it is their first helmet not to include extended coverage of the back of the head. Gone also is the peak, in favour of a small, integrated visor for a more streamlined, racey look. Inside there is their very first retention system. In the past their helmets have relied on clever placement of the straps to hold them in place, where the the Supacross comes with a ring system to keep it still as you ride. One feature it keeps from the rest of the range is the Gangsta pad system. Having the front liner come down around a centimetre below the helmet may sound insignificant, but it is ingenious in both its effectiveness and simplicity - in our experience it is one of the best approaches to keeping the sweat from your eyes.
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| Most of all, it's still a real Urge. - Zoobab, Designer |
Urge pair their design philosophy with a broader philosophy, trying to reduce their enviromental impact as a company. The EPS shell at the heart of this helmet is made from 90% recycled material, something we think is unique to Urge. This does not come at the expense of safety, the helmet is certified to CE1078/CPSC Certification standards. Coming from a gravity racing background, they put protection before weight, in their own words, "[they] make no compromises to save a few grams." The helmet weighs in at 260g, which means it isn't the lightest helmet in its class, but helmets are one area where we aren't looking for the lightest kit available. Zoobab sums it up concisely, "Most of all, it's still a real Urge with unique design, comfort, recycled EPS shell and straps, and, as always, very good security because of extra shell in specific places to cover your head."
www.urgebike.com
Author Info:
Member since Oct 29, 2006
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I'll share this though: My trail helmet is an Urge All-M which has big round vents similar to the Supacross. On one of my first rides I pass a gas station and drop in to buy a snack for the ride. The girl behind the counter comments on the helmet - It goes something like this
She: That's a smart helmet.
Me: Thanks, I like it too.
She: But how do you turn it on?
Me: Huh?
She: How do you turn the music on?
Me: Come again, please (I'm not getting it)
She: The music! Those round things are speakers right?
Me: (mumbling) No, they are vents...
She: Oh I see - but they look like speakers
...
I was giggling the whole ride :-)
www.backstageshop.co.uk/acatalog/cssmldevilhorn.jpg
But have to cast my vote in the ugly pool this time. Interesting, but not really a looker