Welcome to GamJams Midwest Tech, where we check out new gear and gadgets designed for bike racers like you.
It's been well documented by now that I have a strange head. Not size-wise — it's strikingly average at 7 1/4, much like my skills on the bike. No, it's the shape — oblong with a nice little bump on the back. It makes finding a comfortable helmet a chore.
Last season I wore a Lazer Genesis in the L/XL size. Lazer's lids are awesome because even if they're a little big, they don't look too big. Well, unless you're Michael Creed. But this year I changed teams, and this squad rides Specialized lids. That worried me. A lot. I've had to do a bit of sandpaper work with most of my other helmets to carve out material to help them fit better. And on one, I used a Dremel.
After a few weeks in the Specialized Propero II helmet, though,
I can tell you my fears were unfounded. It's light, it moves air well and it's comfy. I did have to use a bit of sandpaper, but it was the quickest modification I've done.
The Propero II is third on the Specialized road helmet hierarchy, though it shares the same shape as the range-topping S-Works Prevail. The difference is weight, a few aesthetic tweaks and $140. The Propero II retails for $110 while the Prevail is $250. In between is the older S3 for $180.
The first thing you'll notice with the Propero II is the weight. It's light. No, I don't have a scale. Specialized doesn't have weights listed on its website, so it's hard to make a good comparison compared to my outgoing Lazer. But it's lighter than what I've been using. Whether that makes a difference in performance remains to be seen.
Adjustment is handled by the Headset retention system. It's a small, clicky dial not unlike Giro's Roc Loc 5 or Bontrager's Headmaster. The Headset cradle itself goes all the way around the helmet — there are no insertions into the helmet's foam near the temple. That makes for a smooth surface up front for your forehead, but also allows the ring to conform to your head a bit. The dial is easy to adjust, even with heavy gloves on, and the back of the cradle can adjust vertically to accommodate different-shaped domes ... like mine.
The straps of the Propero II are lighter than my old lid as well. The
material is very light and pretty soft. Other than for the total length of the straps, though, they're not adjustable. That works OK for me, because they fit below my ears as they're supposed to, but it might be an issue for some.
There is a lot of exposed foam on the back of the Propero II — a lot more than I'm used to seeing. The two black stripes that look like stickers are actually reflective. It's a nice little touch that I happened upon accidentally. Pretty cool.
But enough of the nuts and bolts — how does it ride? It rides very nicely. I spent last weekend in the saddle (all day, both days — literally) and the Propero II was along for the ride. It performed as every good helmet should: I forgot that it was there.
For those who don't have strange heads like me, the Propero II will probably fit right out of the box. It's among the first $100-or-so helmets that actually offer a lot of compelling features along with the price. Typically, there's a big sacrifice to hit the price point. (Lazer's O2 helmet, for example, only comes in two sizes: One size fits all and XXL.)
Faced with $250 to spend and the Propero II and Prevail in front of me, I'm not sure I'd go for the higher-priced model. Though the Prevail looks a bit nicer and I'm pretty vain, I'm also pretty ... ahem ... budget conscious. I'd be temped to keep the extra cash and blow it on a set of tires. Or jellybeans. Man, I love jellybeans.
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