The new Kali Protectives Kru takes its inspiration from ice hockey helmets, promising downhill-MTB level protection with the lightweight breathable comfort of a trail helmet.
Kali says the new Kru helmet offers full-face protection with the ventilation and visibility riders need to climb comfortably and descend confidently on the same ride.
Brad Waldron, Kali founder and lead engineer, says the Kru is an idea 10 years in the making. While watching his kids playing hockey, Waldron started looking at the helmets and their titanium face masks. He explains: "It looked non-intrusive. I couldn’t help but wonder, why don't we build a full-face bike helmet like that?"
Unlike a hockey helmet, however, the chin bar isn’t attached to the helmet post-moulding and construction. In fact, it’s a continuous titanium structure within the helmet itself (much like a skeleton). Kali says this full 360-degree construction method preserves the true strength of the design with no weak elements such as joins or bolted sections.
The challenge posed by this design was the precision needed from the titanium skeleton for it to be integrated safely within the helmet's moulding process to ensure both elements worked in conjunction with each other.
Waldon believes the time is right for an advanced helmet such as this because of the way modern mountain bikers ride. He says: "Our bikes allow us to ride harder and more aggressively than ever before. Our helmets need to keep up.”
What you need to know about the Kali Kru
- Unique 360° titanium chin bar
- Available sizes: S/M, L/XL
- Weight: 650g (size S/M), 680g (size L/XL)
- Certifications: CPSC, EN 1078, ASTM F1952
- Available colours: Solid Black, Solid White
According to Waldon, riders are looking for downhill-level protection, but want the lightness and airflow of non-downhill designs. He says: “The titanium chin bar almost disappears when you're riding. Even climbing, the airflow is incredible. You forget it's there, and that lets you focus on the ride."
The Kru is claimed to weigh in at 680g for an L/XL or 650g (size S/M), which is heavier than three-quarter helmets such as the latest Troy Lee Designs Stage Stunt at 571g (M/L), although around the same as the similarly pitched Fox Dropframe Pro’s 654g (M).
However, it's a lot lighter than downhill-specific helmets such as Bell’s Full-10 at 1,070g for a medium.
The Kru meets full ASTM Downhill certification requirements and Kali Protectives claims to exceed them with additional in-house internal impact testing beyond current safety requirements.
That means higher impact speeds with larger coverage areas than standard CPSC or EN 1078 ratings. It also covers retention systems and chin bars on full-face helmets.
The Kru is priced at £299.99 / $450, meaning it's priced comparably against the best enduro helmets and cheaper than many dedicated downhill lids.
Could it be the ideal solution for riders looking for extra protection without the bulk traditional full-face designs bring?
