Review: The ABUS GameChanger helmet
It is true to its name, both on the course and as an industry standard. With great features like the Forced Air Cooling and AirPort, it sets itself apart.
I first noticed the Abus Gamechanger when it was still a prototype at the Berlin Fahrradschau (bicycle show) at the beginning of March. I saw it clipped to the backpack of one of the show attendees. Shortly after, it was ridden in various races like the Milan-San Remo and I knew I needed to have it.
First true aero helmet by Abus
The Gamechanger is the first truly aerodynamic helmet by Abus and it was developed in cooperation with one of the oldest World Tour teams, Movistar. It was officially released in time for the Queen of the Classics, Pairs-Roubaix. On the flat, rough course winds can cause some trouble, so a good aero helmet can make a difference with it comes to overall performance. The cobblestone course also puts the main function of the helmet, protection, to test too often. Since I have been riding it however, I have been lucky enough not to crash, but I am sure that the Gamechanger would protect my noggin from injury. This is definitely a test I will leave to the pros, who by the way haven’t had any problems with the helmet not protecting them.
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Jonas testing the Abus Gamechanger helmet.
It's a fast one
Abus put this helmet through plenty of wind tunnels and equipped it with small ‘winglets’ to push the air through it. They call it Forced Air Cooling and the ventilation ports do a great job of keeping the backside of the head cool.
Thanks to the wonderful summer here in Aachen, Germany (sarcasm), I wasn’t able to test the helmet while it was really hot out. Still, I was impressed at the helmets ventilation on days when the temperatures were still high. Of course, it isn’t anything like Abus Tec-Tical for example, but both helmets are made with two different goals in mind, the Gamechanger for aerodynamics and the Tec-Tical for ventilation. For those who still deem the Gamechanger’s ventilation too little and the Tec-Tical too much, Abus now also has the Aventon in its lineup. Not as aerodynamic, but better ventilated and a little lighter.
The large, front facing air intakes make for excellent ventilation at the back of the head.
The winglets are a result of wind tunnel testing.
The openings at the back of the helmet are a real eye catcher.
Stow your eyewear correctly - The AirPort
A very cool feature of the helmet, which shows how well the engineers approached the aerodynamics topic, is the eyewear AirPort behind it. When you think of how long developers work to get the perfect teardrop shape only for riders to stick a pair of glasses in front of it, you wonder if there is a better way.
For this reason, Abus put the eyewear port, or AirPort, behind the helmet to keep the rider’s glasses out of the wind. This allows the aerodynamic shape of the helmet to perform even when it gets darker and the rider takes of their glasses. Even the FlowStraps, or chin straps, did their job and did not flap around in the wind.
When inserted into the AirPort, the glasses don’t cause additional drag.
The AirPort dock is naturally located at the back of the Gamechanger.
This is NOT how it's done.
While some aero helmets look just plain bananas, I find that one can wear the Gamechanger in public without getting second looks. If it wasn’t so good looking you wouldn’t see it so often in the German fixie race scene.
Make the Abus Gamechaner a candidate to be your next road helmet. It’s a great helmet.
In combination with reto shades, the Gamechanger is a real star.
Wrap-up
Overall, I found the Gamechanger to be a great, well-ventilated aero helmet. With features like the AirPort and its stylish look, it’s hard to beat when looking at the competition. This is the kind of helmet I would ride year round no matter the weather, knowing it will protect me as it has the pros.
