Giro’s Xena Gloves and Xara Helmet: Reviewed

It’s here! Bike season is finally here! Last night’s first ride of the season (for me) at Lunch Loop was the perfect time to finally get a good trail test of my Giro Xara Helmet and Xena Gloves.

Xara Helmet

I’ve worn the helmet back and forth to work several times while riding my commuter bike, and for those trips the Roc Loc 5 fit system has proven invaluable.  If I need to wear a skull cap under my helmet because of cold temps, I’ve been able to easily adjust the fit to compensate.

Last night’s ride was just one more chance to test out the helmet.  I could have truly tested its durability by crashing at some point, but I chose to just trust that the Full-wrap In-Mold polycarbonate shell with EPS liner would do its job when necessary.

The helmet has 17 wind-tunnel vents, so I have no fear of getting a sweaty head during a ride.  It’s also sturdy enough that adding the weight of a GoPro camera to it didn’t affect the fit or comfort at all.

Finally, this helmet is noticeably lighter than my old helmet.  I barely even notice that it’s there–but I’m sure I’ll notice and be grateful for it when it counts!

Xena Gloves

I’m also glad to finally get in a good trail test of my Xena gloves. The silicon grips at the fingertips are great not only for touch-screen technology, but also for keeping a better grip on brake levers and handlebars.

I’ve often felt that fingerless gloves, while definitely cooler for summer riding, weren’t for me.  My fingers get sweaty and slippery and there are times when I feel like I don’t have a good grip on the handlebars because of that.  I think these gloves might be the solution.  Yes, they’re full-fingered, but they have breathable mesh panels on the sides of all the fingers (see above photo).  You can actually get the best view of it on the middle finger of my right hand in that photo.  This way, my hands still get some good ventilation, but they are also fully protected.

You can see the great low-profile velcro wrist closure and the padding on the gloves as well.  I also really appreciate the knuckle breaks these gloves have.

Overall I’m completely satisfied with my new Xara helmet and Xena gloves; they’ll definitely become staples on my bike rides this season!

The Xara helmet retails for $130, and the Xena gloves retail for $40.

For more information on the Xena Gloves and Xara Helmet, click here to read my preview blog post.

Thanks to Giro for sending these over for review!

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