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PRODUCT REVIEWS: ON TEST: LOUIS GARNEAU DIAMOND HELMET
Philip Booth
October 7, 2009
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STORY:
For the past couple of years Louis Garneau has been the helmet sponsor for the Bouygues Telecom ProTour team. For 2009 Louis Garneau stepped up their sponsorship in the United States by supplying helmets to Team Type 1 and Rock Racing. To match their commitment on the race course Louis Garneau developed the Diamond helmet.
TECH:
The Diamond is Louis Garneau's top of the line helmet and features forty vents. Of these forty vents, eight are what Louis Garneau calls Venturi vents and are designed for maximum ventilation. Louis Garneau has even wind tunnel tested the Diamond to validate the effectiveness of the Venturi vents and at 293-grams the Diamond still surpass safety standards.
The Diamond Helmet features Louis Garneau’s Super MSB (Monocoque Structural Base) technology. The monocoque polycarbonate base acts like an exo-skeleton and is one of the strongest ways to achieve structural strength. Along with their MSB technology, Louis Garneau also uses their EXI (EXO-INSERT) technology. The EXI uses two polycarbonate bars placed inside the helmet at key structural locations along with nine carbon bridge inserts to provide added strength in the case of a crash. This design allows for lighter weight and an increased number of vents. Their single knob Spiderlock Elite ratcheting tension system is used to ensure a secure fit.
RBA SAYS:
The Diamond features quality construction, fits well and the Spiderlock Elite retention system is a great addition that allows for easy one handed adjustment and provides a secure fit. A nice feature of the Spiderlock Elite system is the addition of foam padding around the rear tension strap to aid in comfort. The most notable feature of the Diamond is the eight Venturi vents at the front of the helmet. They also were the source of the greatest amount of debate between testers. Most of the debate came down to styling; with half the testers liking the look of the small vents, the other half thinking that vents didn't fit the lines of the helmet. As for the effectiveness the Venturi vents, no testers noted a discernible difference between the Diamond and a comparable helmet with conventional vents. Despite the lack of perceived effectiveness of the Venturi vents, all testers agreed that the Diamond provided good airflow and was comfortable enough for long rides.
Overall the Diamond is a great helmet with several unique features and styling elements that separate it from other offerings on the market. If you are looking for a well built, stylish helmet with a bit of French Canadian flair, the Diamond is worth a look.
PRICE: $189.99
INFO: www.louisgarneau.com
BONUS POINTS: Quality construction, Spiderlock Elite retention system, Comfortable.
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