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Titan Air Flow Carbon Helmet – $ 549.99 CKX Drummondville , Quebec Ckxgear . com

ADAPTABLE : The ingenious design makes it one of the few helmets available that can be worn by high-speed trail riders , sweaty mountain riders and everyone in between .

LIGHT : One detriment to true modular helmets is they tend to be heavy , but this lid gives riders the modular advantages at a very low weight ( just over 3 pounds ).

WHIPPED : The top sun visor / peak on the helmet caught more wind than some helmets we ’ ve worn , leading to occasional discomfort .

The Quebec-based CKX brand has been making huge strides in the helmet market in recent years , bringing more fresh approaches and innovative technology to a rapidly evolving segment than virtually any other brand . The days of thinking of a helmet as just a hardened skull cover are long over !

Last winter , we spent a season with one of CKX ’ s latest creations : The Titan Air Flow Carbon Helmet . It exemplified a lot of the brand ’ s fresh thinking .

In one sense , the Titan Air Flow is a unique combination of features found on the three primary styles of helmet : full-face , modular and MX .

Like a full-face , the Titan fully encases the rider ’ s cranium and seals up nicely , allowing for a comfortable and relatively quiet ride .

Similar to an MX helmet , it features goggles that cover the eyes . In this case , it ’ s 210 Degree Backcountry branded goggles that hang from a RapidClip strap ( similar to a Quick Strap ), meaning they ’ re always attached to the helmet . They can be easily fastened in place in front of the wearer ’ s eyes or pulled loose from the side and left to dangle .

Once the goggles are off to the side , the wearer can also flip-open part of the helmet ’ s chin bar utilizing the hinged and removeable muzzle . That allows for easy trailside conversations , snacking or a smoke break , much like a modular helmet .

It all adds up to a rather ingenious and adaptable package that exceeds ECE 22.60 and DOT safety standards .

Furthering the concept that this is a full-featured , fully capable helmet , it comes in the box with two breath guards ( one neoprene , the other formed rubber ), two chin curtains ( one long , the other short ), vent plugs and even a mount and security cable for a GoPro camera . We half expected to find a juggler and a mime in the box , too !

With all of these features , how did it function ? Quite well . We had several different riders try it out over the course of the season , and reviews were very complimentary about the helmet ’ s sound level , sealing , light weight and peripheral vision .

“ It ’ s got a really good field-of-view with those goggles ,” one test rider noted . “ In fact , compared to other goggle setups , it ’ s the best view I believe I ’ ve ever had .” Having goggles instead of a traditional face shield also allowed riders to more easily change out their lens color , another tester noted , though he wished for the increasingly popular magnetic lens style for truly rapid trailside alterations .

The drop-down chin bar was very popular with our test team , though some worried about the durability of its plastic parts . That said , we didn ’ t experience any long-term problems , though it did ice up a couple of times .

The helmet had all sorts of venting but it could be sealed up tightly on cold days . When first introduced , CKX warned riders that this helmet was truly aimed at mountain or crossover riders who work up a sweat when riding . They directed trail runners toward the original ( non-Air Flow ) Titan or Titan Electric models . But our test team saw no reason for anybody to avoid this comfortable and surprising warm helmet .

The helmet ’ s sizing was notable . Our XL version was monstrous . It was by far the largest XL helmet any of our testers had ever worn , further proof that you should always try on a helmet before you buy it .

- Staff Report NOVEMBER 2024 / SNOWGOER . COM / 57