i need a new helmet. my current one broke when i accidentally reversed the car over it in the car park after a ride…dont ask!!
but suffice to say i wont be sending it back under the crash replacement warranty
i like the look of the Troy Lee A1 but i’ve not tried one on yet and i’ve seen some good prices for them on-line. a friend has one but its a large so is too big for me to try one.
has anyone had both the A1 and Feature in a medium and be able to offer me a comparison in terms of fit and comfort please?

Have got both.

The A1 is a premium lid but to me it’s comfortable because the lining is so luxurious. There is so much padding and adjustability it would fit pretty much anyone and I think this is why it’s so popular. It is also a big helmet there’s a lot of coverage and there’s a lot of it between your head and the outside world. It’s no lightweight but it carries its weight well.

The Feature is more of a stripped-out rally car kind of helmet and noticeably narrower in shape than the A1. If it fits you’ll love it because it’s light and unobtrusive but it won’t suit everyone. Personally I’m not fond of the unadjustable straps but if your ears are where Giro think they ought to be it’s not a problem.

HTH

Hi buddy not tryed the feature but from experience giro seem to fit all the same older xen and newer xar and I’m a medium. The medium Troy Lee fits pretty much on par slightly heavy going by giro models mentioned but other than that fit and forget very much like the giro’s and certainly does its job in a crash situation as I found out about 10 days ago helmet side is smashed but my noggin is A1 ok

Good points from rocketman, just to add that I find both helmets very warm. My roundish 56 sized melon does fit a medium nicely in both though. FWIW I’ve got a Spesh ambush now and it ventilates way better.

I like the fit of my A1 but I find it doesnt stay sat well… by this I mean if i push up on the peak it wants to peel back off my head easily… thats with a close chin strap and it done up tight at the back… I can’t seem to adjust it to get away from that but something like the new poc just hugs it like a beast!

Just to add, I’ve got an A1 and Xar, both in medium (and both indicate they go up to 59cm according to the sizing sticker). I’d say the sizing of both is very accurate, i.e. they’re very similar to each other.

I find the Xar narrower than the TLD (and also my Kask), but it’s still a nice fit. The fit of the A1 is better though – it’s a damn good helmet overall, every part is spot on and brilliantly designed.

Another thing of note is fishers only give you a 30% crash replacement discount and that’s the max as I’ve just found out.
Not a big issue for me as it did its job well and I walked away from a nasty crash.
I will just go to crc and buy another cheaper in there sale so I’m ok with that.

A1 seems to hug my sweede better and appears to provide greater coverage than the feature did, but as always, fit is king.
also the peak does not go up far enough IMO.

if it peels back off your head, as a previous poster said theirs does, that says to me that it does not fit….

going down to Leisure Lakes this weekend to buy a new lid for the boy so i’ll try an A1 on to see how it fits. i know the Feature will fit as that’s what i had before i ran it over 😯

EDIT: having read yesterdays article about how to be a dick in an LBS…i’ll end up buying one of the 2 this weekend as i’ve been without a helmet for the last month…i just hope i can get a good deal from them 😛

I have both in a Medium. The TLD A1 is slightly larger, bulker and more generous with the padding.

Coverage is comparable.

The A1 is definitely a more ‘luxury’ item but ought to be for approx 2 x the price.

p.s. http://singletrackworld.com/?p=108979

😉

cheers Jon!!
i’ve rang the store and they have my size in both so they’ve been reserved for this weekend.
my main concern was that the troy lee looks larger and has a more rounder profile which would make it look massive on me. i know the feature will fit so i’ll be buying one of them along with the sons helmet.
they’ll price match too which makes it better too.

They are not my LBS either…just located closer to my house

Gonzy, it won’t look massive, especially in Medium. I think it’s got a very well proportioned shape, and doesn’t look bulky. Yes, it’s roundish compared to many ‘road’ inspired helmets, but the EPS foam isn’t particularly thick compared to my other helmets.

Here’s a pic of me from Monday’s ride. I think the helmet looks OK – it’s just the rider that looks a complete arse !

I really don’t like the Giro Feature 🙁

I am one of those people who always wears Giro helmets (its what we call “asian fit” head shape)

The Feature has a really odd shape with thin front padding and a retention system with very blunt detents meaning its loose or tight

its nothing like their other road and MTB helmets (I currently have 2 Savants for road, a Xen and Remedy for MTB – Feature was my cold weather lid)

I just gave my Feature away because I just could not get on with it after months of trying

i’ve always used Giro helemts…the fit on them has always been spot on…as with the “asian fit” it works for me…being Asian and all that…lol
recent lids have included the Mojave, Xen, Hex and Feature…they all were a perfect fit but the Mojave and the Hex always looked a bit big on my head…i.e. they looked a bit wide and as if the helmet was too big for me
i liked the feature because of its narrow profile

if the A1 has a similar fit then thats the one i’ll go for but i’ll have to see on Saturday.
thanks for all the advice and info folks…much appreciated!!

so i called Leisure Lakes last week and reserved one that they had online on offer at £69.99
was told they had one in stock in m/l size
they then phoned me to say they have loated the box but it was empty…they dont know hwere the helmet is
never mind i said if you have other variants of the same helmet in that size in-store i’ll come down on Saturday and try one on when i collect my sons helmet
got there and they couldnt find any m/l sized ones…then eventually managed to fins one but i wasnt prepared to pay over £120 for it
they eventually they tracked down the helmet online at their Cheltenham store…is it the grey with lime green pinstripe design? yes it is…was the reply…so i paid and they told me it would be in on Wednesday and they’ll call me as soon as it arrived.
come wednesday they didnt call so i called them at 5pm…oh yes it arrived this morning…thanks for the call LL
went down the following day only to discover that it was actually matt battleship grey with black pinstripe design!!
having said that its now grown on me and i do like its understated look

Am personally not fond of mine its days are numbered I think

Problem is being at the bottom end of the XL/XXL size it is a huge helmet that would obv fit someone with a much bigger head. Have tried the same helmet in M/L and it looks ludicrous.

Used my Feature at the weekend & felt far happier with it

to be fair i actually thought i would end up with another Giro Feature helmet. 2 of my mates also use the Troy Lee A1 but i assumed they both had the large size…but one of them in fact uses a m/l so i tried his on and it felt loose.
but going into the shop i tried on the medium Feature and for some reason it felt uncomfortable which was weird as my previous medium Feature felt spot on. i then tried on the Troy Lee and the m/l felt spot on too and very comfortable.
i love my giro helmets and i may still end up buying another Feature in the summer as a back up helmet

I have the A1 and i liked it a lot until my mate gave me a Urge enduro and thats my goto helmet always,my A1 also doesn’t fit with google both are mega comfy,

Yeah for me the A1 is comfortable but it’s all lining and cradle I think fundamentally the shell is too big but the shell of the M/L is too small

I prefer the more basic interior of the Feature and for me the helmet itself is a better (narrower) shape.

Also tried a Bell Stoker at the weekend. It’s very similar to a Feature but slightly more rounded and bowl-like. Light and unobrusive though & less bulky than my A1

Bought a TLD A1 & the coverage was excellent but it just felt a touch too big & though I tightened it up it still felt just a tad too big size M/L
I tried the Giro Montaro & was impressed it felt comfortable but the same shop had the new Spesh Ambush which was just that bit more snug, lots of protection ok a bit pricey but worth it, worn it enough to say it’s my lid of choice now, very happy with it.

I had a feature and now use an a1 , the fit is far comfier on the a1 , it’s a very good lid but venting isn’t great hence I’m looking for something cooler for the summer months.