Giro is a global name in protective gear and accessories for cycling, ski and snowboard, based in Scotts Valley, California. Established in 1975 by Jim Gentes, they are best known for producing cycling helmets. It was the mid-80s before the world really sat up and took notice though. In 1986 they produced their signature Prolight helmet, an EPS foam affair which Greg LeMond wore during his Tour de France win that year. Three years later and Jim, Giro and Greg were at it again with the Aerohead; a pioneering aerodynamic helmet that Greg used to help make up that 50 second deficit on Laurent Fignon.
Today Giro still maintain that drive to be at the cutting edge, meaning they’ve got a lot of trademarked technologies. The Roc Loc fitting system, Point of View visors, their Wind Tunnel ventilation and Roll Cage protection; they’re all in caps because the all belong to Giro. For UK customers, they also have a couple of less technical innovations to set them apart; the Giro Crash Replacement and Grow With Giro schemes both allow customers to replace their Giro helmets if they suffer a crash or if they have a child with a rapidly expanding head.
Signature models of road helmet include the Selector, the Air Attack and the Aeon, which are being used by teams such as BMC Racing and Garmin – Sharp Barracuda. Their offroad models include the Remedy, the Feature and the Xar, which you’ll see on Team Rapha – Focus CX and a long list of riders, including Rene Wildhaber and Yannick Granieri.