Long Term Review: Giro Aeon Helmet

Helmets are extremely personal on their fit, much like shoes.  Giro has been in the helmet game for quite some time and have really nailed it with the Aeon.

About a year ago I went away from Giro and picked up a Lazer Helium.  It fit well, I really liked the adjustment, but it was heavy.  Before the Helium I spent some time with the Giro Prolight helmet.  The Prolight was extremely light, but didn't fit well and the adjustment was lack-luster having just an elastic band.

Enter the Giro Aeon.  The lightweight that I (and my neck) want, the fit Giro is known for, and extremely well ventilated.

I chose white/silver because it matched my kit.  Truth be told, I think the black helmet is actually a little better looking.  The Aeon sits low, it's not like a number of other helmets that I think make people look like mushrooms.

Ventilation is generous, maybe the best I've ever used.  The Ionos was the gold standard by which I compared ventilation in helmets, and the Aeon is right there.

At a claimed 222g (mine came in at 226g), this helmet is seriously light.  The Prolight, at 190g, was lighter but sacrificed too much in my opinion to get there.  Roc Loc 5, the newest version of Giro's adjustable strap, is the best in the game.  With enormous vertical adjustment as well, it's easy to position the Roc Loc 5 to be perfectly comfortable.

Whether wearing a cycling cap under this helmet or not, I have found it fits me perfectly.  No pressure points, light weight, excellent ventilation, and top-of-the-heap adjustment make this helmet the one to own.  $250 isn't cheap, but you only have one head, you may as well protect it in style and comfort.

Giro Factor LTD, Rapha Edition Road Shoes

We scored just a few pairs of these Limited Edition, Rapha-inspired, Giro Factor road shoes.  Made for the Rapha-Condor-Sharp Road Team, Giro saw the demand and created only 600 pairs of these shoes total.

This pair is #245 of 600, is new in the box, and has the Rapha key chain also labelled as #245.

Size 44, $350.

Beautiful and comfortable, the Factor is in my opinion the best Giro road shoe.  While the Prolight SLX may be lighter, the Factor gets you the EC90 sole and a buckle instead of a strap.

EC90 sole provides unparalleled stiffness, extremely low stack height, and unmatched durability.  The EC90 sole on the Factor LTD has pink accents to match the upper and Rapha-Condor-Sharp team kits.  This is a limited edition colorway that you won't see again.

These shoes come delivered with a Giro/Rapha leather keychain with matching serial number and a Rapha-Condor-Sharp booklet.

First Rides: 2012 Giro Privateer Mountain Shoes

Fearless product tester and team rider Matt McDowell hits us with his first impressions of the Giro Privateer:

I think first and foremost should be the overall comfort of the shoe.  As someone who has had consistent shoe problems, the Giro's stand shoulders above the competition.  Out of the box they're definitely snug but not in a debilitating kind of way.  From the first moment you slip them on they do feel like an old pair of sneakers.  The only caveat I would add is that folks should invest in the insoles offered by Giro to shore up any arch issues they may have.  

The second feature that I love is the ratcheting system.  It's simply the nicest shoe ratchet I've used.  I've used the shoes on both short trail rides and a couple of longer rides.  Pushing 3 hours in the shoe did begin to elicit some hot spots, this could be due to the plastic outsole (as opposed to carbon), but overall I think these shoes are a perfect younger brother to the Giro Gauge.  

For the price point I don't think you can beat them plus they're white, that alone is a selling point.   At this point I don't see myself wearing anything other than Giro shoes.  

More as it comes in, but if these are anything like my Giro Gauge, they're only getting better!