ABUS Gamechanger 2.0 MIPS helmet review

The Gamechanger 2.0 is ABUS’ latest flagship aero road helmet.

In use, it’s an excellent performer, offering great comfort, impressive ventilation and lots of smart aerodynamic details.

Though it retains a similar form factor to the original Gamechanger, which launched back in 2017, the Gamechanger 2.0 MIPS sees a number of improvements.

However, both of the helmets I tested – a pre-production sample without MIPS and a production model with MIPS – had faults.

The latter issue was fixable and ultimately didn’t affect my ability to test the helmet, however the first was not.

Would I recommend the ABUS GameChanger 2.0 MIPS, then? On pure performance terms, yes, but – as with any product – I would look to purchase it from an official dealer in case of any issues.

ABUS Gamechanger 2.0 MIPS specification

The Gamechanger 2.0 MIPS is available in three sizes (S, M and L), covering head circumferences from 51 to 61cm.

There are four colours for the MIPS-equipped version and 12 for the non-MIPS helmet.

The MIPS-equipped version is £279.99 / €299.95, while the non-MIPS helmet costs £239.99 / €249.95.

My size-medium Gamechanger 2.0 MIPS weighs 276g. The non-MIPS version (the pre-production sample) weighs 279g.

Give or take a few grams, this is in line with the competition, such as Specialized’s excellent S-Works Evade III (£275 / $300 / €330), Trek’s Ballista MIPS (£229.99 / $299.99 / €299.99) and Giro’s Eclipse Spherical (£240 / $250 / €260).

The MIPS version also includes a Fidlock magnetic buckle, while the non-MIPS helmet uses a standard side-release buckle. Otherwise, the two helmets are identical.

ABUS says it produces the two versions to give riders a choice. To my (admittedly non-expert) eye, there’s little perceptible difference between the MIPS Air Node padding and the ABUS padding included in the cheaper version.

The efficacy of MIPS and other advanced helmet safety features is beyond the scope of this review, though. If you want it (and are willing to pay extra for it), it’s an option here.

In any case, the most critical aspect is to ensure you’re wearing your helmet correctly.

If you have an accident that damages the helmet while riding, ABUS offers a two-year crash replacement policy via its local distributors, with a 50 per cent discount on a like-for-like replacement.

The ear straps are non-adjustable. ABUS says doing away with the adjustment mechanism brings a small aero gain because there’s simply less material present to cause drag.

The front edge of the foremost strap is weighted subtly to ensure it sits flush to your head without the need for adjustment. It’s a tiny detail but it works well.

The tension of the cradle is easily adjusted via a dial at the rear of the helmet, even with thick winter gloves, and the height stays in place once set.

ABUS Gamechanger 2.0 MIPS performance

On the bike, I’ve been consistently impressed with the performance of the ABUS Gamechanger 2.0.

The padding is notably thin and minimalistic, especially compared to that found on Kask’s Elemento and Protone Icon helmets, which I tested recently.

ABUS says this is designed to prevent excess build-up of sweat in the padding, which might then drip into your eyes or sunglasses, but comfort is excellent in spite of this.

According to ABUS’ senior product manager, Lukasz Tamajka, a primary goal with the Gamechanger 2.0 was to maintain the aerodynamic performance of the original model while greatly improving ventilation.

Having ridden in temperatures approaching 30ºC, I was distinctly impressed by its ability to keep things cool, even when working hard but moving at slow speed.

This is often the Achilles heel of aero road helmets, but the Gamechanger 2.0 does as good a job as any full-fat aero helmet I’ve tried.

Of course, if heat management is a major concern, you could always opt for a lightweight and better-ventilated helmet, such as the ABUS Airbreaker, but if you’re interested in aero helmets it’s probably because you don’t want to compromise on efficiency.

While I was initially sceptical of the Fidlock chin buckle – what’s wrong with a simple side-release buckle, after all? – I’ll admit I’ve grown fond of it.

It does make putting the helmet on and taking it off a little quicker and easier. Is it a ‘gamechanger’? No, but it is better, and, in general, the chin strap arrangement on the Gamechanger 2.0 is neat, tidy and well executed.

In terms of the aerodynamic performance, I can’t say how ‘efficient’ the Gamechanger 2.0 is compared to other similar helmets on the market.

Tamajka says the Gamechanger 2.0 has been optimised for 46-52kph – faster than previously – to keep up with the mind-blowing speeds WorldTour races are increasingly ridden at.

Of course, ABUS is keen to stress that doesn’t mean the Gamechanger 2.0 isn’t efficient at lower speeds too, simply that it’s designed primarily for elite-level racing, and its development parameters naturally resulted from that.

In any case, when we pitted a vented helmet against an aero one at the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub wind tunnel last year, the difference was more than 7 watts at 35kph.

Given this, I’d always opt for an aero helmet instead of a vented one, unless it’s absolutely roasting.

When choosing between aero helmets, though, I’ll usually pick the one that’s cool, comfortable and can store my sunglasses effectively.

Fortunately, the ABUS Gamechanger 2.0 ticks all of those boxes. It can store cycling sunglasses at both the front and rear of the helmet, though ones with thicker arms are a bit of a tight squeeze in the front.

ABUS Gamechanger 2.0 MIPS faults

So far so good, then, but unfortunately my time testing the ABUS Gamechanger 2.0 was blighted by some issues.

My first sample was a pre-production helmet. This quickly developed an issue with the retention system disconnecting from the EPS shell while riding.

This was a terminal issue and I stopped testing it immediately. ABUS told me this was a rare issue it had identified with pre-production models and had been fixed for production versions of the Gamechanger 2.0.

Yet while the second helmet I tested doesn’t suffer from this fault, there was a different problem.

When it arrived, the rotary dial for adjusting the cradle tension wasn’t working properly – the geared teeth of the dial and the cradle straps weren’t meshed properly, meaning turning the dial didn’t increase the cradle tension.

Fortunately, I was able to easily disassemble the mechanism and put it all back together, and since then it has worked perfectly.

If this had not been possible, ABUS says it tries “to ensure spare parts are available for every model”, in order to repair or replace any broken parts. This, it says, helps avoid otherwise functional helmets being thrown away.

It also said a fault like the one I experienced would be covered under its standard two-year warranty, had it not been possible to repair or replace the damaged parts.

Is this a cause for concern, then? To have two separate samples both with faults is notable, but it wouldn’t put me off purchasing an ABUS helmet.

No product is immune from manufacturing faults, and had I not received a pre-production helmet at the media launch, it’s likely I wouldn’t have experienced the first issue at all.

The fact ABUS keeps spare parts in stock and offers a two-year warranty against defects or faults is also reassuring.

ABUS Gamechanger 2.0 MIPS bottom line

The ABUS Gamechanger 2.0 MIPS is a top-performing aero road helmet, offering impressive comfort and ventilation alongside a host of clever details.

It costs a lot of money, but its price is roughly in line with other high-end competitors in this space. There’s also a slightly cheaper version without MIPS if you prefer.

The two faults I experienced were concerning, but since the first was a manufacturing issue (which would entitle a rider to a replacement under warranty) and the second was easily solvable, they’ve only had a small impact on the helmet’s score.