Review: Giant Roost and Rail Helmets

PERFORMANCE

ADJUSTMENT

Like most premium open-face helmets, the Rail has all of the necessary adjustments to fine tune the fit once you’ve decided on a size. There are just three shell sizes to choose from; S (51-55cm), M (55-59cm), L (59-63cm). After that decision, it all falls on the straps around the ears, under the chin, and at the back of the shell to snug it up.

At the rear of the helmet, a plastic strap cradles the occipital bone comfortably. That system has an on-the-fly dial to adjust the tension of the strap and includes four vertical positions to tilt the helmet forward or backward on your head. The further down the cradle is positioned, the lower the brow of the helmet will sit on your head.

Giant hasn’t labelled these with numbers, so we’ll call position one the highest notch. There are no standards when it comes to where these straps are located, but most often I find myself choosing position two on modern helmets. Number three pushed the Rail too far forward on my brow.

Adding in a dual chin strap lets you independently position the fabric away from your neck after selecting the fit of the occipital strap - a crucial part of finding a balance between a claustrophobic and secure fit (the Roost also incorporates this design). The only problem with the chin strap on the Roost, at least for the size medium, is that the chin strap is far too long. Yes, you could try to double it up under the elastic tie, or even cut, then singe the ends together but less flap from the factory would be appreciated.


FIT

Giant’s theory on universal fit, now with a rounder shape, didn’t pose any discomfort. I usually find myself in medium helmets and the Rail felt totally normal. There were no pressure points, although I’d be inclined to say that the Rail fits on the snug side for a medium.

The Rail has a medium depth compared to my well-weathered POC Kortal Race that wraps further around the back and sides. A comparable helmet in terms of coverage would be the Specialized Ambush 2.


VENTILATION

Summer is in full swing in Squamish with the temperatures often exceeding 30 degrees Celcius. Riding in the morning or evening is preferable, but when that’s not possible the Rail does well to let air flow into the front and out the rear vents, in a very zen-like manner.

Inside, the MIPS Air Node liner is moderately cushy but not overly tall at the brow. Performing scientific tests on how much sweat dripped down my face might be taking helmet testing too seriously, however, there are also small indents in the brow that lack absorbing material.


PRICE

$200 should get you a sufficiently safe helmet that has all of the adjustments. The Rail does that without going overboard on silly looks or gimmicky features. A MIPS Air Node liner acts as the slip plane to dissipate rotational energy and can be quickly removed for washing. Furthermore, the Rail received a 5-star rating from the well-respected Virginia Tech Helmet Safety Lab.

Obviously, Giant is competing with Specialized here and the Ambush 2 ticks nearly all of the same boxes. Pricewise, the Rail is $10 more and has an arguably less edgy appearance than the Ambush 2 ($180). That’s still cheaper than the Giro Merit ($220), TLD A3 ($220), and the expensive POC Kortal Race MIPS ($280).

Where the two trade off are the chin strap type and eyewear storage department. The Giant has the magnetic Fidlock closure that can be buckled with one hand, but lacks the capacity to securely hold eyewear. I tried various sunglasses in all of the vents without finding a confident solution (Update: Depending on what glasses you use, this may be a solution.)

WEIGHT

360 grams seems to be the target weight for these trail-enduro half shell helmets. The Rail, Specialized Ambush 2 and Giro Merit level out the scales at that mass. A helmet with increased coverage, like the POC Kortal Race MIPS weighs 30g more.

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Pinkbike's Take

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Reviews and Tech Reviews Helmets Giant