You ask any downhiller or freerider what full-face helmet they would most like? The answer nine times out of ten will be a Troy Lee Designs D2, there are very few pro's that don't rock a D2 when they are racing and the answers simple, sick style with near unmatched performance, but is their high price tag worth it?
Initially I was a more than a little sceptical about spending £160 plus, on something which may only last one big stack but I thought what the hell and bought an inferno in black (2006 model), as soon as you take it out of the box you realise its pretty impressive especially in the weight department and this was only the composite model.
The build quality is exceptional, it's very solid bar a little flex in the mouth-guard, the straps are held on by a very solid stainless steel rivet on either side. It even includes a very comprehensive fit kit to size to your head, this works by adding small pads behind the padding where the helmet feels loose, the padding is also fully removable for if it begins to smell, and it also includes a helmet bag to keep your new pride and joy scratch free. So initial impressions are excellent and I can't fault the out of the box build quality.
The pads are a little tight at first but soon bed in, mine now are possibly a little loose, but the fit kit can sort that out very quickly. Peripheral vision is pretty good but not the best, there are eight vents on the main helmet four intake ports and four exhaust ports and three ports on the mouth guard, these do an efficient job of cooling you down, face facts full face helmets get hot, but this has never got so hot I've had to take it off and that's including when we have had a "hot" British summer day.
There is one minor problem with the ports though, in that they create a horrendous high pitched whine when you're riding into the wind, I've never experienced it in any other helmet and it only happens when riding directly into the wind but its seriously unpleasant but thankfully a rare occurrence for me at least and doesn't detract much from it overall.
So after a year and a bit of use how's it looking? Well overall pretty good everything has held up well, I've not had one "bad impact" but its saved me from the odd branch I've even used it for commuting on the odd occasion I couldn't find any other helmet, though I wouldn't recommend it for commutes or long XC rides for obvious reasons.
After a while you can see why all the pros wear them, weight is a major factor and after a while it feels more like a second skin albeit a thick one, rather than a helmet, comfort is exceptional even over long periods of use, two plus hours. I've heard the expression "it feels like a wrap around pillow" used by others who wear one and I tend to agree, really it is that comfortable.
There are however a couple of drawbacks firstly paintwork isn't lacquered or glossed like it is on many other helmets and on the carbon D2's, so it chips very easily. Due to me being overly careful with mine I've only got two little chips, both on the peak but still it’s an irritance. Some may complain about the double d-ring attachment system, I personally like it, yes at times with gloves on it's a little fiddly but I prefer it to a clip based system.
Overall as you can tell I rather like it and while that's true I don't think it is worth the cost for a couple of reasons. Firstly it hasn't got any sort of crash replacement policy as so many other companies do meaning that if you crash regularly it's a hefty price to pay, also for the price of the composite model you can pick up many carbon full face helmets: the Giro Remedy and the Specialized Deviant are two good examples both are cheaper than the composite D2 and arguably look just as good. So while it's a great helmet the cost is a very high price to pay for just for the status of owning a Troy Lee Design D2
© 2008 Review by
Johnathan Clark
