Abus took over Innerleithen for the launch of the new Targon lid. Our Aran reports with his first findings.
- Brand: Abus
- Product: Targon
- Price: £270.00
- From: Upgrade Bikes
- Tested by: Aran for a weekend at ‘Inners’
Convertible helmets seem to be a trend that went rather quiet in recent years. However, now as much as ever there is a place in the sport for them. We all know the feeling, that indecision and trade off between safety on the downhills and comfort on the ups. It’s a really tricky one to get right and you never want to be in the situation where you feel exposed when you need it most. I really hope the Targon reignites the trend of the modular full face as I believe there is a real need for more helmets like this.
After a weekend of riding, overall my opinions of the Abus Targon are pretty positive. I’ll rattle through a few standout features: Zoom Rapid Fit adjustment wheel on the back to adjust the fit, Speed Latch system for secure and simple attachment of the chin guard, adjustable cheek pads, breakaway visor with integrated gopro mount, Fidlock magnetic buckle and a heap of protection technology on top.
It’s a very breathable helmet even with the chinguard attached. And with good fit adjustment the Targon was comfy over two long days in the saddle. I would say there is a bit of knack for attaching and removing the chin guard, but once it’s on properly, it is secure. Yes it is downhill rated. One of the issues with some of the other convertibles is that they feel a bit compromised in either half shell, full face or even both. The Targon works really well as an open or full face helmet. I think there are still a few occasions where I would pick up a traditional full face helmet over the Targon (when racing mainly). But there is a real risk that my standard open shell lid may get left unused as I can’t see many occasions where I wouldn’t opt for the Targon now.
Oh and – most importantly of course – I’d say that the helmet looks really good in both the half shell and full face set ups. The chin bar integrates well and the helmet doesn’t look like it’s missing something when it’s in the open face set up.
I am excited to get some more miles behind (under?) the Abus Targon. A fuller review to follow!
Why Inners?
Innerleithen is a long way for most of us to go and Abus had put a lot of effort into getting a whole host of media people, athletes and staff up to Scotland. So Why here?
The first reason is obvious. The trails in the surrounding area are widely regarded as the best enduro tracks in the UK, so there isn’t really a better place to test a helmet like the Targon. With a long sustained climb but some pretty gnarly descending a modular helmet is perfect for a venue like this. [Coincidentally, after racing the Tweed Valley round of the Scottish Enduro last month here in Innerleithen, I actually mentioned to Benji how useful a convertible helmet would have been. I really did not expect my wishes to be answered so quickly and directly.]
But there’s something harder to define about Innerleithen than just the great tracks it has on offer. The whole town is such a hub of like-minded people. There is a tangible bike buzz around Innerleithen, more so than anywhere else I’ve been too. You get it in the Alps with towns like Morzine, yet over there this buzz is shared with the winter ski season, here it’s all bikes, all year round, 7 days a week.
The history of the town’s riding culture is why it has become such hallowed ground for so many. Rather than organised by some official body to appease everyone, tracks like the ones on the Golfie were built by riders, often without permission, for riders like themselves. Over time these tracks became established, sanctioned and now maintained by a very hardworking Tweed Valley Trails Association.
The Targon Launch Weekend
I had been trying to decide how and what to write about this product launch weekend. But it really just felt like a decent riding weekend. It didn’t feel regimented or overly pressy/put-on. It was a natural, all-out decent weekend of riding with some really good extra curricular activity.
Abus hosted a demo tent for the new Targon at the bottom of the Golfie, Adrenaline uplift and in Pagey’s new shop No.55 bikes. Whilst this was a cool opportunity to talk to some local and visiting riders, the real highlight of the event side of things was the saturday night classic film and bbq night. Four hours of Sprung on a big screen with free beer and burgers was a pretty easy way to guarantee some bums on seats. As an extra treat Duncan Shaw even did some dancing over the tables on his trials bike!
I think this evening get-together highlighted even more just how strong the riding community is in Innerleithen. There was a real range of folk there, from the Abus athletes, visiting riders and local trailbuilders with the latter justifiably the most popular people in the room.
Team Abus
It was cool to have the athletes there. Whenever I meet professional mtb athletes I’m reminded just how good this community is. There’s no elitism and at the end of the day this is a fun sport and it’s always refreshing to see that this is how the athletes at the top of the sport treat it. Yes, there’s hard work behind the scenes, but on a weekend like this everyone was just enjoying exploring the Innerleithen trails.
Abus has a team of riders with a really varied background and skill set too. From trials riders like Duncan Shaw to free riders and downhill racers in Finley Davies, Natasha Bradley and Mikayla Parton, it’s cool how much these guys had to bring to the weekend. As a side note it’s always cool to see talented people being impressed by other talented people. An opportunity that Duncan Shaw was able to give us on the Saturday night as he put on his spontaneous (and slightly beer-fuelled) trials show.
It’s a long drive home for some attendees (as much as 8 hours for some), but it’s been well worth the miles and numb bums. All in all the Targon Launch weekend was an excuse for a really good couple days of riding with some great people and unreal tracks.
Abus Targon specification
- Lower edge protection: polycarbonate (PC) outer shell covers the lower edge of the helmet and protects against scratches, impacts and signs of wear and tear
- Zoom™ Rapid Fit adjustment system: millimetre-precise adjustment of the helmet to the shape of the head via a rotary wheel connected to a thin nylon cable with steel core – pressing the rotary wheel resets it to its original position
- Front Eyewear Port: defined recess on the front of the helmet to position glasses in a secure and aerodynamic holding position while riding
- Goggle Fit: defined area under the peak of the helmet to securely fix goggles so that they do not slip or fall off
- Speed Latch System™: for quick attachment of the chin guard to the helmet
- Breakaway Visor: high-quality peak to protect against sunlight and hanging branches – thanks to special technology, it can detach in the event of a fall to minimise strain on the neck
- Comfort Pads: soft padded inserts for optimum comfort, attached to the helmet with Velcro
- Vario Pads: cheek pads that can be adjusted in position using a slide-and-lock mechanism for additional protection and a comfortable and secure fit of the full-face helmet
- Removable, washable pads: can be removed and washed by hand or replaced if necessary
- Stitched straps: for optimum aerodynamics, the straps are sewn and therefore do not require any strap dividers – this means they fit particularly snugly and do not flap while riding
- In-mould process: production process in which the inner cushioning material made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) is foamed directly into the outer shell made of polycarbonate (PC) – this creates a durable and robust connection
- Injected Carbon: plastic material reinforced with carbon fibres, which ensures high stability and low weight at the same time
- Magnetic buckle: the straps are fitted with a high-quality, magnetic FIDLOCK buckle to enable the chin buckle to be opened with one hand, even when wearing gloves
- Weight: 970g (M)
- Size: 55-58cm (M)
