Introducing ‘A2’ Troy Lee Design’s lightweight, max ventilation and next generation safety standard trail helmet! [R]evolution scored an exclusive ‘pre release’ look (and serval rides) with the new helmet and we can assure you this helmet is plenty to get excited about right here! The A2 joins TLD’s 2017 helmet line-up and slots right into the ‘Trail’, ‘All-Mountain’ almost even ‘XC’ categories.
The A2 pushes the boundaries of helmet safety. Even though the helmet is much lighter than the A1, the A2 actually features 15% more EPS material than the A1! And all of that extra material/protection has been placed right up in the front ‘lobe’ areas of the helmet which are known as the predominant ‘crash impact’ zones. The A2 features a huge amount of innovation. It’s the only MTB helmet on the planet to feature a combination of 2 different types of impact foams, both EPS and EPP, are laid next to each other to provide ultimate protection for high and low speed impacts. And to up the ante on rider safety even further every A2 helmet feature MIPS (rotational impact system).
Lets be honest here, the A2 is a bloody good looking helmet! The A2 pulls a lot of it’s visual design cues from the A1 helmet which is undoubtably one of the most popular ‘Enduro’ full coverage helmets on the market. Those pronounced ‘ridges’ that run from the front to the rear of the lid give the A2 an awesome aggressive kind of ‘racy’ appearance which we just love. And whats more those heavily defined ridges not only add to the helmets overall badarse look they actually serve as a greater safety feature because they’re full of EPS foam.
The A2 features 13 large vents which are coupled with internal channels which keeps air flowing across your head and then out the back of the helmet. One of the things that a lot of riders comment about the original A1 is that it is quite a warm helmet to wear and so airflow and cooling was a major factor that TLD’s team focused on when designing the A2. And when you put the A2 on you can really tell how good of a job they’ve done.
Did we mention how light this thing is? Oh yes, the A2 tips the scales at just 330 grams with the MIPS system, about 40 grams lighter than the A1.
“The fit of the lid is very similar to the A1 as the head form that TLD used is identical, albeit there is a lot more air moving across your head so it feels a little more open. The A2 does feature a new rear stabiliser which has a micro dial for adjustment and can customise different mounting positions up front and in the rear.”
Another great performance quality of the A2 is it’s eyewear compatibility. TLD’s design team set out to ensure the A2 would be the perfect partner for riders wearing optics. You’ll notice the sides of the helmet are quite high and open which means the helmet couples really nicely with wearing sunnies and goggles
Whilst the rest of TLD’s awesome 2017 MTB helmet range will be available at dealers across Australia tomorrow morning, the A2 model is still a few weeks away and will be landing at the end of March. Price wise the A2 will start at $289.95 (which includes MIPS).
To check out the entire TLD ’17 helmet line-up check out www.lustyindustries.com or head on down to your local bike shop to see these bad boys in the flesh.