Aero road helmets continue to evolve, just as aero road bikes are. In the past, both were specialized pieces of kit, but now the lines are getting more and more blurred, allowing you to use more aerodynamic focused products on your everyday ride and see benefits, not just when racing. The Abus GameChanger aero road helmet is one of those products.
Personally, I love how aerodynamics are becoming more prominent in cycling in general and not saved only for the sprinters on flat stages. Incremental gains are a thing, and whether you are riding road, gravel, or cyclocross, for a short or long distance, fast or slow, adding aerodynamic properties will help you go faster with the same amount of effort, or help you save your effort to go longer. We are starting to see the idea permeate outside of the aero road bike category, while also seeing aero focused bikes becoming more comfortable, functional, and lighter than they were in years past.
With helmets, the newest crop of aero road helmets are becoming lighter and more ventilated, while continuing to push the bar higher in aerodynamics. Abus’ entry is the GameChanger. The name might be a bit ambitious and they don’t have data to compare performance to competitors, but after riding it, it feels like a solid helmet with only a few improvements I’d like to see.
To start out, Abus claims that the GameChanger offers 23% less frontal area than their other helmets. The keyword is their. This is where it would be nice to have some wind tunnel data against their competitors, but since each brand has their own protocols, I usually take that info with a grain of salt anyway. The helmet does have a lower profile than many helmets, aero or not. It features a head-hugging round profile with a bit of a truncated rear tail. On the sides, it hugs close to your head to keep that tight profile throughout. Abus claims this shape retains its drag reduction whether you are looking forward, down, or anything in-between. Again, it would be great to have numbers to back this up, but we’ll have to take their word for it.
Abus uses their Forced Air Cooling Technology in the GameChanger. The front of the helmet is relatively smooth, with an intake channel allowing air in between a lower and upper shell. It also has some ports on the sides with mesh panel covers making them appear smaller than they are while still letting air in. Up top, there are two vents that allow air in over the top and push the hot air out the back. The rear of the helmet has larger ports to create a bit of a venturi effect. As air comes in through the front ports, the larger ports in the back create a lower pressure which pulls the air through the helmet faster. Internal channeling helps guide the air around your head to cool it off and remove the hot air trapped in the helmet.
The shell itself is a typical in-mold design, meaning the outer shell is inserted into the mold for the foam, and they are bonded together as the foam is pumped into the mold. This creates a light and safe helmet. A pad along the brow and some thin pads along the top provide comfort, even with being smaller than many other brands I’ve tested. My only complaint here is that the front pad could be a little better and managing sweat like the Specialized Evade II. It still manages sweat well, but it could benefit from a gutter type of a system. Something I really would like to see in the future is a MIPS system, which is becoming the standard for managing rotational impact forces in a crash.
The retention system they use is called Zoom Ace. It’s fairly similar to other systems that uses a micro-adjustable dial in the back to dial in the fit to your head. The cage itself comfortably wraps around your head, and features a port for long hair, which is a feature I’ve begun to appreciate in helmets. Abus calls the straps FlowStraps, which are made to stay close to your cheeks and not flutter in the wind.
On the road, this all adds up to a comfortable helmet, regardless of the conditions. The nearly solid shell helps to protect you in adverse weather, yet is still ventilated enough for hot days in the hills. It’s not as ventilated as a traditional road helmet, but for an aero helmet, it is right up there with my gold standard, the Specialized S-Works Evade II. A smart touch is the sunglass dock in the rear of the helmet which doesn’t affect air coming into the helmet, but still holds your glasses solidly in place when you don’t need them. The straps, pads, and retention system are all very comfortable, and I never had any issues of discomfort during my rides. The side splitters are not adjustable, but I didn’t find this to be an issue. One area that can be an issue for me, the length of the chin strap. I appreciate when helmet makers keep the strap on the longer side, which Abus did on the GameChanger. Maybe it is the beard, but I don’t like to feel like I am choking during my ride.
At 274g in size medium, the GameChanger is not the heaviest of helmets, but for an aero road helmet, it is not bad. The colors are good too, with 19 different options. The full black version tested keeps a stealthy profile, but there bright and unique options if that is your thing. Hi-Vis yellow, red, shirmp, and Movistar edition are just a few. Two of the most interesting for me though are the Flip Flops finishes. The original Flip Flop changes from blue to purple, depending on how the light hits it. The Flip Flop Rosè changes from a rose gold to pink. Sizes are available in Small (51-55cm), Medium (52-58cm) and Large (59-62cm).
Overall, the Abus GameChanger is a solid offering from a company that is more well known for their locks than helmets, at least in the US. If you are like me, and looking to take advantage of adding some of aerodynamics to your ride, whether it is road, gravel, or cross, the GameChanger is a great option. It is ventilated enough to keep it versatile
Heckling Editor, Image Taker, Crash Test Dummy, and Beard Master at Bikeworldnews.com
~Veggie Powered Athlete~
Location – Lancaster, PA
Current Testing Rigs – 2024 Van Dessel Arch65, 2019 Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie, 2018 Van Dessel Motivus Maximus LTD, 2016 Van Dessel Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, 2015 Bianchi Sempre Pro, 1978 Trek TX900
Dream Bike – I’ll tell you when they make it
Discipline – Cyclocross, gravel, road and duathlons (ride/run)
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