Choosing a helmet is quite a personal thing. It’s dictated by budget, fit, style and the kind of use it’s going to get. If you’re pottering around town on a moped, you’ll probably not want the same kind of helmet as you would if you’re riding through Europe but if you’re planning on doing some serious riding then the best value for money helmet with a good safety rating and the features you need is the way to go.
Earlier this year we got riding buddy and professional mumbler, Gordon fitted up for a new Airoh. The thing that drew him to this particular brand was the ease of fitting for a spectacle wearer. Having tried a few different styles of Airoh, Gord settled on the mid-range ST 701. A lightweight carbon Kevlar Sports Touring lid.
First impressions
First impressions of the Airoh ST 701, it has a nice gloss finish with a plush interior. The fit is snug but not as tight as a Scot’s wallet. A real bonus for the speccy-four-eyes amongst us, the helmet is designed with us in mind. Putting your specs on is a pleasure – no more struggling with the arms going above or under your ears. Another bonus, the visor is fitted with Pinlock® the miracle that stops your visor from misting up, so far so good. The helmet is light at around 1400g, much lighter than my carbon fibre Craft RX. The fit is excellent and feels quality, visor swaps are quick and easy once you master the clips that hold the visor in place.
After two weeks touring
For the first five months use I only did local running around in it. Happy so far, nice and light and comfortable. The first major ride out was to Euro Lambretta in Spain and then on to Ibiza, a total of 1500 miles. I must say the helmet went over and above my expectations, no neck or shoulder aches, good visbility and the built-in sun visor is superb. I always thought these were tacky, however it’s brilliant. When it was too hot to have the main visor down I could just lower the sun visor whilst riding.
The built-in ventilation was great, even on the hottest days, there’s two on top of the helmet and one on the chin. The helmet comes in the Sports Touring bracket (hence the ST) and looks smart in black and white (other colours are available) and it’s stylish. Some may not like the styling, it’s a Marmite thing. The interior can also be removed and washed if you’re a sweaty Betty. Overall a great helmet at a reasonable price.
Words: Gordon Clark
Features
- Carbon, Kevlar construction
- One of the lightest helmets in its class: 1,400g +/- 50g
- HPC (High performance Shell)
- ACU Gold Approved and ECE 22.05
- Windtunnel designed and tested for aerodynamics
- Four density EPS inner shell guarantees highest safety standards
- Removable and washable hypoallergenic lining
- Airoh Ultra integral ventilation system
- Top vent/rear vent/chin vent
- Nose deflector to reduce condensation
- Antifog visor position to prevent internal fogging
- Pinlock® included
- Internal retractable sun visor
- Double-D strap
- Price: £269.99
- Contact: BikeIt
New products always in development…
