Choose Your Fighter: Full Face or Trail Lid? Both?

Having just headed out on a road trip around Scotland, Chris our Graphic Designer & Content Guy shared a van with 3 other riders. Covering 4000m of climbing over the trip and riding bikepark style jump lines at Glenlivet, the trail lid alone can sometimes feel inadequate for this mix of riding types but the bulk of 4 riders bringing full-faces – is just too much.

Welcome the Targon. a really simple latch mechanism (aptly named the Speedlatch), removes the chin bar and turns a full face into a trail lid in seconds and removes clutter from the car/van on race weekends or road trips.

 

The Speed Latch System: Conversion Without the Faff

The headline feature is the patented Speed Latch System. On many convertible helmets, detaching and reattaching the chin bar is enough of a nuisance that riders end up just leaving it in one position. Abus have tackled this head-on (so to speak) with a no-tools-required mechanism. It really is simple and quick.

 

Comfort

We took the Targon out in the winter for a full day at the Golfie. Trying both configurations when riding the different speed of trails. I found the Targon the feel comfortable in both setups, but more importantly, felt purposeful in both configurations. It’s downhill rated, and it feels like it. The dial on the back of the helmet fine-tunes the feel to suit, quickly loosen on climbs for some airflow and tighten before a lap of Mega Track. Confidence inspiring and comfortable at the same time. I did find the chinbar to be slightly tight when putting the full face setup on, however I didn’t try adjusting any pads, which I’m sure would have solved my issue.

 

Who Is It For?

The Targon makes most sense for riders who mix up their riding between mellower trail days and more committing descents — enduro riders, bike park visitors, those heading on a mountain bike holiday where conditions are unpredictable, and anyone who’s ever turned up in an open-face lid and wished they’d brought the full-face. It’s also a sensible choice for riders who travel with their bike and want one versatile helmet rather than two.

If you’re a dedicated downhill racer after the lightest, most focused full-face on the market, a dedicated DH lid may still be your best bet. But for the vast majority of UK riders who spend their time somewhere in the middle ground, the Targon is a very well-executed option.

 

Shop the Abus Targon at Wheelbase

You can find the Abus Targon at Wheelbase, available online and in our stores. As ever, if you need any advice on sizing or whether the Targon is the right helmet for your riding, our team are on hand to help — just give us a call on 01539 821443 or drop us an email at info@wheelbase.co.uk.

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