Home > Bike Types > Road Bike

Giro Launches The Synthe, The Only Road Helmet You’ll Ever Need

29 Comments
Support us! Bikerumor may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More

Giro_H_Synthe_WhiteRedBlue_34 1 (1)

Two years ago helmet manufacturer Giro defied established genres by launching the Air Attack. It attempted to blend some of the the ventilation benefits offered by a traditional road helmet, with the aero performance of a TT lid, without sacrificing comfort or performance.

Taking that design ethos one step forward, the new Giro Synthe attempts to blend the aero benefits of the Air Attack, with  better ventilation, to produce the ultimate road helmet. 

Giro_H_Synthe_WhiteRedBlue_Profile (1)

In wind tunnel testing, the Synthe was the most aerodynamically efficient road helmet Giro has ever produced. The acclaimed Air Attack still has the edge when tucked, and a dedicated TT helmet like the Selector will still be the go to choice for Tri-Athletes, but the Synthe offers the best performance advantage when riding in a more normal upright position.

Giro_H_Synthe_BlueMatteBlack_34_Back (2)

In addition to being almost as aerodynamic as a dedicated TT helmet, the Synthe is the best ventilated helmet they’ve ever tested, due to elaborate internal channeling that pushes air through 19 massive vents.

Utilizing a head form covered in temperature sensors and heated to the same temp as a human body, Giro found that the Synthe outperformed the Aeon (which has five more vents) for cooling prowess, but nearly matched the cooling performance of the bare head form.

Giro Synthe Riding Picture

The new wonder helmet weighs just 250g, offers a fully adjustable retention system, has a sunglasses docking feature.

Helmets will be available this Fall, in seven standard and one limited edition colors, for an MSRP of $250.

For more, visit Giro

 

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

29 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
BMcK
BMcK
9 years ago

Looks pretty similar to the Louis Garneau Course helmet, no?

Andrew
Andrew
9 years ago

Good riddance fugly Air Attack.

Ventruck
Ventruck
9 years ago

No MIPS? What is this caveman lid? Where are the discs?
But really, yeah it looks like the LG and Carrera helmets. Much better look than the Air Attack, but I think Smith’s Overdrive is a cooler offering.

Ventruck
Ventruck
9 years ago

Smith’s Overtake*

SafteySAM
SafteySAM
9 years ago

About time the helmet manufactures realize that Safety is why we should be wearing helmets. POC has come on like a flash with the MIPS helmets. I’d open my wallet in a heartbeat for a helmet that had data to support that it was better at protecting from TBI.

Gillis
Gillis
9 years ago

ventilation, aero, comfort, performance…marketing buzzwords

Best attributes: “comfort and ventilation” (from the video)

I thought this was a helmet, there is no mention of safety technology. I don’t care about “aero” or “performance” if my head is gonna split if I crash.

Darwin
Darwin
9 years ago

I’ve been wearing Giro helmets since the first styrofoam one and will buy this one too. But why show something thats not available until fall? Dumb.

Milessio
Milessio
9 years ago

SafteySAM & Ventruck:

Note, even Poc’s Octal road helmet doesn’t include MIPS.

Helmet standards are pass-fail, so we need a different standard for higher protection, but first it’s best not to crash.

Fattylocks
Fattylocks
9 years ago

I wonder how Phinney is doing?

The Wiz
The Wiz
9 years ago

Milessio

Thanks for clearing that up!

SafetySAM

I, too, got excited about POC…..until I realized it was the same stuff as the others, but with a flashy safety-orange coloring!! Weak….SMITH is one of the few, so far that I’ve seen, to offer MIPS. I think that’s a sad state of affairs and a blatant missing of the point of helmets in the first place…

Ilikeicedtea
Ilikeicedtea
9 years ago

Phinney needed knee and shin guards, at least.

What kind of non sequitor a-hole comment is that, Fattylocks?

Derek
Derek
9 years ago

Why aren’t helmets given a score instead of a pass/fail test?

Speshy
Speshy
9 years ago

Good lookin skid-lid.

Inners are gonna snap first time they get caught whilst hanging on a handlebar or stem though.

Can someone please explain to me what the giro logo is supposed to be? An upside down G? An eyeball? A snake tying itself into a knot?

ma
ma
9 years ago

i actually like the Air Attack design.

Its different – yes. I dont mind looking different. 🙂

Ian
Ian
9 years ago

@Ilikeicedtea

Phinney is featured in the imbedded video. I don’t think it was a dig.

Ajax
Ajax
9 years ago

Hey, I got an idea. Why don’t we flood the comments section with talk of a helmet that nobody gives a flip for? That’s right, we’ll hijack the article talking about Giro’s latest helmet so we can fake market the POC skater boy helmet.

Seric
Seric
9 years ago

The Wiz. I’d say POC does offer better protection than other offerings. Can’t find a road helmet in this category that covers the head more, less than 200gram and nice ventilation. I also expect that POC are working on MIPS.

Davechopoptions
Davechopoptions
9 years ago

Lazer offer the Helium with a MIPS option.

JonB
JonB
9 years ago

All helmets sold in the US must pass CPSC standards. Government standards don’t work on “ratings” – they are pass/fail tools. Now, that’s not to say they couldn’t advertise their results (“max headform acceleration of only 200g!”), but that doesn’t mean a whole lot to people.

There are other standards out there – Europe has their own (the CEN standard – usually considered inferior to the US standard), Canada and Australia have ones considered more stringent. Snell runs independent testing, but only if requested by companies – the B95 standard is more stringent than CPSC, the B90 is similar.

MIPS doesn’t have much independent research I know about, but it’s definitely an interesting concept with some science to back it up.

Helmets will do a lot to save your life (reducing skull fracture, subdural hematomas, etc.) but won’t do very much at all to reduce concussion incidence. The standards are actually part of the problem for concussions – helmets are designed to pass the tests (and usually JUST pass the tests on lighter models), but sometimes this means new technology that focuses on reducing other impact criteria besides headform acceleration (like HIC) that aren’t regulated by the standard.

badbikemechanicx
badbikemechanicx
9 years ago

Go for the poctal. Safer, cooler, and better looking.

Pabs
Pabs
9 years ago

Pffg Louis Garneau Course helmet rip off.
Coming from an S Works, Giro Aeon, Orbea Odin and the Bell Volt, the Course is the most comfortable, stylish, best helmet out there.
This is just a “lets do that” trick from Giro.
They realize that a smaller, more compact, heavily ventilated helmet is always going to be a better and safer option, throw in the word Aero and couple charts and you have a pull product for the second semester sales.

mechineer
mechineer
9 years ago

POC Octal, no MIPS, 248 grams in US trim, not at all aero. All are same safety until standards change. All use hard cooler foam (except Smith).

The Wiz
The Wiz
9 years ago

Seric

That’s true! I am actually a big fan of POC, and I see that they offer MIPS in other lines of their products. However, I’m at a loss as to why it wasn’t integrated or offered as an option in the Octal…maybe that, too, will be coming in the Fall–as that’s when all these other dream helmets are coming to market! lol

Slammed
Slammed
9 years ago

I already have this helmet, it’s called the LG course…

Psi Squared
Psi Squared
9 years ago

Interestingly, if people pay attention they’ll notice that this helmet and the LG Course don’t look alike on close inspection.

A.
A.
9 years ago

Another comment on the Louis Garneau Course…

Perhaps they are different on close inspection, but at 30mph+ the wind won’t be able to tell the difference.

Way to innovate Giro!!! I can’t wait to see these helmets getting sold at 60% off through every mail order. Perhaps Dick’s Sporting Goods or Sports Authority will stock them!

Psi Squared
Psi Squared
9 years ago

Aero analysis via product pictures online! Awesome! Heck, who needs CFD and/or wind tunnels!

Paul
Paul
9 years ago

Ha! I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought this was a Garneau Course clone.

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.