REVIEW: THE T2 Carbon Helmet

Funny how things change… Some of the old dogs of the DH world will recall a time when people snorted at those of us who invested in a full face helmet thinking we were just interested in making a fashion statement, whereas now everyone wears them for DH. Seems the debate has moved on to neck braces but as many of the moredirt crew have already embraced this as well, you wont see too much fight against extra protection here! Anyway at the point where you have your first ‘head meets earth’ moment on a downhill bike, you are thankful for chin protection, visors which keep your face clear of the dirt, and something that covers your whole head. Being one of those whose head seems to be keen to connect with the ground regularly, solid protection is needed. Many of the diehards swear by the fit of the Troy Lee but equally a lot of us don’t particularly like the price and thus seek out options elsewhere. The T2 was the second helmet from THE that I have used and abused (the first being the T1 you see in the photos for comparison). The T1 was a good helmet offered at a good price with and excellent fit as well as a reasonable weight. It was hard to see how THE could improve, but they have. The version here is a limited edition Nukeproof collaboration but other than the design is the same as any other carbon T2. A little heavier than the T1, although feeling strangely lighter, it feels like it has a narrower profile and feels more snug and ‘Troy Lee like’ on the head. Despite feeling a little more lightweight it actually exceeds CPSC and CE standards so you can guarantee you are in good hands. Field of vision is good and it works well with a neck brace and goggles. With 17 external vents and 4 internal cooling channels, this offers as much ventilation as you can get for a real full face and comes with the near industry standard removable liner. As has been the case for THE for a while, added value is part of the package with a spare visor (essential) and a cordura helmet bag thrown in with the cost. Our favourite new feature though is the semi-integrated visor which pretty much removes the risk of losing visor bolts. The designs of a few years ago (the zebra stripe you see here, rising sun, vegas collections) really did draw a lot of us to THE; the Nukeproof design looks great and most of the rest of the range offer some eye-catching colours (if not as innovative as a few years back). For a penny under £200 for a top quality carbon helmet, this is a great package. Composite versions come in slightly cheaper and offer only a slight weight increase. All in all, an awesome helmet that balances functionality, strength and design together well. THE have clearly been listening to their riders. James

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