NOW Helmet Zappi review

I got to spend some time with the Zappi lightweight road bike helmet from NOW Helmet and my initial thoughts are... I'm in love.

The Zappi features 32 vents that keep you cool, and feels so lightweight on your head, it'll make you think twice if you're even wearing a helmet at all. The Zappi has gone through extensive wind tunnel testing, and had been tweaked to become the perfect helmet for any rider looking for an edge. It complies with all safety standards and has been designed with speed, comfort, and safety in mind.
NOW lets jump into actually testing the Zappi on some rides. As soon as I put the Zappi on, it fit better than any other helmet that I've ever owned. To be honest, I love the fit of this helmet so much, I haven't even thought about wearing my Giro Synthe or Kask Vertigo since it graced my dome. The weather recently in Southern California has surpassed 100 degrees, and I have not experienced any trapped or unwanted heat under the helmet. With the open airy design, airflow gracefully enters and exits keeping you cool no matter what riding conditions you face. The Zappi was designed to absorb contact from an impact and protect your skull from further damage in the event of a crash. Most helmets on the market have a dense foam that will crack on the outer part of the helmet, where in fact, you need a soft cushion like the Zappi when impact is applied. Luckily enough, a crash was not part of my ride, but the extensive safety testing and design will ensure that this is the safest helmet in the event of an unfortunate crash.
As I took the drops, I got as aero as I possibly could and on a route that I normally take, I slowly watched my speed creep up and up until I started to obtain a pace I normally haven't hit. Once I uploaded my ride, It was refreshing to see that I had captured a few PR's. Looking back on the ride conditions, the only thing that was different was the NOW Helmet.
Zappi will not only look and feel great, I'm almost certain it will attract many looks from everyone you pass.

2017 Tour of California

     With 2017 being another fantastic year for the Tour of California, I wanted to take the time to reflect on my involvement with the race. Each year living in Santa Clarita I'm grateful to see at least one stage finish. This year was no different. The riders started their day in Santa Barbara and ended on Magic Mountain Road in Santa Clarita. The day of the Santa Clarita stage finish, Road Bike Action Magazine hosted a supported ride up Bouquet, to Spunky and back to the finish line down through San Fransquito Canyon Road. All and all there were a total of 100 riders. Just before the ride started, I decided to drop some race weight and head to the outhouse. As soon as I arrived there, I was passed by Phil Liggett. I let Phil do his thing before the official meet and great. I'm sure he gets stopped a lot at races, but Phil took the time to chat and even discuss our similar roadID safety bracelets. Now on to the ride. The headwind didn't care which direction you were going. If you were travelling East, it was blowing hard from the East. You turn a bend and started to head West, The wind suddenly came at you from the West. It was a day where you buried your head and kept your legs spinning.
     Once back at the Finish Line, I was lucky enough to have entered the VIP viewing area. Needless to say this area is filled with free food and adult beverages. We watched as the break stick and came flying into the Finish Line. It was nice to see the underdog Team Rally take the win.
     While watching the Mount Baldy climb, which I climbed last month with the l'etape California, I knew exactly what the riders were in for. 78 miles, and 11,000 feet of climbing. While keeping up with the live race stream, I was calling for George Bennett to take the overall tour win. He had been a very consistent rider and was always found upfront with the seasoned riders. Majka was holding strong until the end where Andrew Talansky took the victory.
     For the final stage in Pasadena, I went with my daughter and once again we found ourselves in the VIP viewing area. I think my daughter was more excited to visit vendors and receive free gifts and ring the cow bell than the actual race. Regardless, I'm grooming her to be a number 1 cycling fan. Team Rally Cycling grabbed the win on Stage 7 with Evan Huffman's second stage win of the 7 stage race. My Mt. Baldy predictions about George Bennett were true. The great thing about cycling is that you don't always have to be the fastest rider to win the tour, you just need to be consistent and lucky. George Bennett didn't have a stage win, but finished with an overall saddle time of 22h54m38s to take the Yellow Jersey for the 2017 Tour of California.
     I'm excited to see where Rally Cycling goes from here, and I know they can only continue to grow. Congrats to George Bennett.

Giro Synthe Review


     The streamline styling of the new Giro Synthe definitely caught my eye. The design and styling is that of a high end sports car. I’ve heard that with this aero style helmet, it potentially could shave time off of your rides, races, or TT’s. Once I properly adjusted the straps for my head, the Giro Synthe was a helmet that felt like it was designed specifically for me.

The aero venting provided more airflow than I have ever had with a helmet. With a quick turn of my head, the side ports allowed for maximum airflow to enter the side of my helmet. A quick turn of my head left to right, provided cool air to cascade over my entire head. At no point during my 40 mile ride did I feel any discomfort from this helmet. As mentioned before, the fit felt like it was customized specifically for me. Inside the helmet I found slender plastic ribbing that contours to the top of your head. This ribbing provided flexibility to essentially ensure that the helmet floats on your head. This gave me the sense that the helmet isn’t sitting directly on my head. I feel that this also contributed to maximum airflow.

     Unlike the Smith Overtake, at no point during the ride did I feel that the helmet was too hot. The weather and riding conditions were about the same, which gave me a close comparison. The forehead padding provided adequate absorption to prevent sweat from dripping down my face.
As for the aero design, without comparing two identical rides with the same riding conditions, it’s hard to say for sure how it performs. What I can say it while on my test ride, and hitting speeds of 40+ mph, I definitely felt like I was going faster. There seemed to be less wind resistance, which in turn felt like there was less strain on my neck muscles. I have no doubt that when looking to shave time off of a ride, the Giro Synthe is the everyday road cycling helmet to use.

     This helmet, hands down has been the most enjoyable helmet I have ever used. It definitely would make its way into my collection.