Strava Giro Synthe MIPS Helmet

js14

I see that the Strava shop is selling their Giro Synthe MIPS helmets for 180€ (or around £140), including delivery. It compares favourably with online bike shops, where the cheapest I've seen is 220€. The disadvantage is that it only comes in the special edition Strava colours of reddish-orange/black. The delivery time is not mentioned either, but still I might allow myself to be tempted so that I have a new helmet for the Etape du Tour.

sloppyschleckonds

DONT.DO.IT

turbotommy

I got the colour I wanted (matte black) from Evans for around £120 I think. It required a bit of patience but I wouldn't make too many compromises with regards colour for £140 as they do pop up on offer every now and then. Obviously depends how much of a hurry you're in.

Edit: sorry didn't realise their was a newer version of the synthe although I'd still be tempted to get the original version I think.

kingstongraham

Mine leaves indentations on my forehead. But that isn't the MIPS version.

On the colour, get what you want and pay the extra few notes. It's going to last a while.

vpnikolov

DAMN YOU!!!

I had the Synthe on my radar for quite some time, but couldn't decide on a colour because my club kit is orange. I saw your post and 5 minutes later my bank account is a bit thinner.

philbar72

get a kask Protone. far better lid...

thegreatdivide

philbar72 wrote:

get a kask Protone. far better lid...

In what way? Is it because it matches your replica Sky kit?

StillGoing

thegreatdivide wrote:

philbar72 wrote:

get a kask Protone. far better lid...

In what way? Is it because it matches your replica Sky kit?

Green and white? No, it's just good.

kingstongraham

philthy3 wrote:

thegreatdivide wrote:

philbar72 wrote:

get a kask Protone. far better lid...

In what way? Is it because it matches your replica Sky kit?

Green and white? No, it's just good.

I'd say the Synthe is very good, which is clearly better.

bendertherobot

philbar72 wrote:

get a kask Protone. far better lid...

If it fits. Mine didn't. Always a bit of pressure so constantly faffing with it. And the sticky bits fell off meaning the straps kept coming out of their holders.

I have a Mojito now. Aerier.

js14

Bought one and it took less than 5 days to get to France. The colour is a real orange, much like the colour of the Easyjet logo. My one seems to fit well and is comfortable to wear but I need to try it out on a ride to be sure. It is noticeably lighter than my old Specialized Echelon (but in a different price bracket) at around 280g for a size L. The label on the inside is marked August 2015 so I guess that was when it was made. Anyway, I am quite pleased with my purchase, even if part of its appeal is down to the "go faster stripes" image.

Incidentally after reading the comment from TurboTommy, I dug into the MIPS business. Apparently the jury is still out on whether it is a real safety advance, at least if you believe this American site http://www.bhsi.org/mips.htm. I thought at the very least there was nothing to lose with MIPS but the site points out this might not always be true if the manufacturer were to slim down the foam protection in order to keep the outside size the same whilst adding the MIPS layer. However according to the site, bike helmets should ideally have an exterior surface that is round and smooth so that your head slides along the ground with less chance of snagging and giving a brutal deceleration to the brain. On this point they rate the Giro Synthe for its shape and reduced ventilation slots which give a profile nearer to this ideal than some other helmets. Also I didn't know that Giro is a brand within the Bell group, which has a financial interest in the MIPS patents and they are obviously keen to use the technology across their helmet range.

gweeds

philbar72 wrote:

get a kask Protone. far better lid...

Balls.

No real difference. All about fit.

Same as saddles. Shoes. Gloves. You name it really.

neeb

For me at least (fits my head) the Synthe (non-MIPS in my case) is the best helmet I've ever had.

Couple of things I really, really like about it:

- The front pad, while narrow, sits low down and goes straight across, so there is no gap for sweat to drip through. I no longer have to wear a Halo headband as I did with my previous helmet, the pad on the Synthe effectively does the same thing.

- The retention mechanism doesn't interfere at all with the stems of my glasses. This is the first helmet I have had that has successfully solved this problem, a constant irritation to me for years.

The impression is of a product that has benefited from many years of design experience and just quietly ticks all of the boxes. My only criticism is that it is almost boring as a result - functionally perfect and thus lacking any unnecessary elaboration. While I realise that a relatively simple, rounded shape is probably safer as well as more aero, I do sort of miss all of those spiky, sculpted, gothic-vented creations of 5 or 10 years ago... I quite enjoyed looking like an alien insectoid storm trooper.