This article was originally published on Chop MTB.
Chop MTB reported Troy Lee Designs was working on a trail helmet and now here it is, the all-new Troy Lee Designs A1.
The helmet has striking looks, with a D3-esque fin on the back, a big moto-style peak and enough lightning bolts to make Thor himself jealous.
It’s not all about appearances, though. TLD marketing man Craig ‘Stikman’ Glaspell says he wanted to develop a lid that offers better protection than other mountain bike helmets – or as he describes them, “glorified road helmets with a visor.” That’s fighting talk, but he reckons they’ve nailed it.
The A1 exceeds CPSC (US) and CE (Europe) safety standards, with generous rear coverage and a rounded shell that should help it to slide in the event of a crash. Weight is good too, at 320g for the medium size (claimed, without peak), and it looks airy, with 12 vents and a system of deep channels, though it’s interesting there’s no big central intake at the front, as on some of its rivals.
Who’s it aimed at? “The heart of the market,” according to Glaspell. “That mid- to big-travel trail rider, enduro rider or even cross-country rider.”
Troy Lee gear is always at the ‘aspirational’ end of the price spectrum, but the A1′s $165 pricetag puts it in the same ballpark as the POC Trabec.
The new lid will be available in the US in February in the two colourways seen here – ‘Limited Edition Gold Metal Flake Cyclops’ ($20 extra) and ‘Black Cyclops’. There’s no word yet on European pricing, but we’re told the helmet should hit the UK in March.
