Rudy Project RUSH Helmet – One of the Best!

OVERVIEW

Known for their sunglasses and helmets, I have always liked Rudy Project. They make top quality products, but, their higher prices have kept their products out of reach for a lot of us. Until now. At $124.99, this is a real bargain. Everything on this helmet is well thought out. Lightweight, great fit, great look and a lot of adjustability. This helmet competes with those at a price half-again as much.

6 TOP FEATURES

1.Fastex™ Buckle Closure System. The Fastex™ system consists of an ergonomically shaped simple and quick snap-lock buckle for securing the under chin strap. Added pads make for a very comfortable fit.

2.Removable & Adjustable Vertical Sizing. The RUSH helmet allows vertical adjustment on the nape of the neck and can be adjusted up to 3 vertical positions. This allows you to adjust the height of the retention system so that the helmet fits snugly and securely.

3.Adjustable RSR7 Retention System. To ensure that your helmet fits totally secure to your head, the Rudy Project RUSH helmet has an easy-to-adjust retention system which makes the helmet tighter or looser by the turn of a knob located at the rear of the helmet. This retention system is even padded on the inside and it allows for the perfect balance between comfort and safety.

4.Interchangeable Custom Padding. To allow for different head shapes, Rudy Project offers interchangeable custom thickness padding that can be easily swapped. This helps to further optimize the fit of this helmet for even more comfort and stability.

5.Integrated & Removable Visor. Some like a visor and some don’t, so Rudy Project includes a visor which can be easily attached or removed. When installed, the visor has an integrated look that makes it appear like its part of the helmet.

6.Flow Through Air Vents. This helmet is perfectly ventilated to keep your head cool and dry. Careful consideration of the shape and positioning of the external air openings (both intake of cool air and exhaust of hot air) as well as internal air channels make this a perfectly ventilated helmet.

This ‘Air Flow System’ acts to minimize internal heat and maximize the evaporation of sweat. Even the padding is part of the Air Flow System by keeping the amount of surface area in contact with your head to a minimum.

HOW EASY WAS IT TO ADJUST?

This is one of the first problems someone new to the sport has. So many straps and buckles…where do I start? Well, Rudy Project has made it very easy by pre-sizing the helmet straps based on helmet size. The LARGE version which I tested is preset right in the middle of the size range 59-62cm. I first loosened the RSR7 retention system by twisting the knob.

With large scallops like that on the bezel of a high-end dive watch, there is plenty of purchase for your fingers to easily grip the knob, even while wearing full fingered gloves. Sliding on the helmet and twisting the knob a couple clicks to tighten, it fit like a glove! The only thing I had to adjust were both chin buckles as they were too low. I slid each one up an inch and the fit was perfect!

HOW DID IT FEEL ON THE HEAD?

Most of my helmets I have used in the past are sized LARGE and fit on the looser side. Cinching down on the rear adjuster tightens them up enough so I get a pretty good fit. Once I start sweating, they tend to slide down the forehead slightly. On the other hand, the Rudy Project RUSH helmet fit more on the snug side.

In fact, it was like they had a mold of my head and made me a custom helmet. What I noticed is that the RUSH did not slide down the forehead. No matter how sweaty or how many miles, the RUSH stayed in place.

This winter has been fairly warm in Southern California. In fact, tomorrow 3/14 is supposed to be 87 degrees at the beach! So how cool does the helmet stay? There are other helmets I have used that have more vents and larger vents. Sometimes, it feels like there is TOO MUCH air flowing through these other top brand helmets.

On a scale from 1-10 (10 being helmets with  maximum airflow and 1 being a BMX helmet with no vents), these top brand helmets would rate a 10.  I would consider the RUSH in the next group giving it an 8.5. Still plenty of air, in fact, just the right amount of airflow for most weather conditions you would ride in.

SUMMARY

The RUSH is one of those helmets that fits like a glove. After a minute, you forget you are even wearing it. It is comfortable and the air flow is very good. There’s plenty of room to add your favorite sweat guard and there is no wind noise that other helmets generate.

The RUSH is fully Certified to CPSC 12.03 and has plenty of adjustability to perfectly fit everyone.

This is truly a HIGH QUALITY helmet from Rudy Project WITHOUT the HIGH PRICE!

YES, I highly recommend this helmet!

Rick Schultz

I have always enjoyed bicycling and, through a series of coincidences, became a Bicycle Industry Consultant and Product Tester. I test prototype products for companies and have published only off the shelf production products on biketestreviews.com.