ABUS HiDrop Helmet Review

Although fairly budget friendly, the ABUS HiDrop helmet is not just an entry level lid designed to get you by, it’s been used in multiple UCI World Series events.

• Brand: Abus
• Product: HiDrop Helmet
• Price: £175.00
• From: Upgrade Bikes
• Tested by: Aran Francis for 3 months (and two cents from Fahzure Freeride)

HiDrop

ABUS is a brand that in the past has pleasantly surprised when it comes to helmets. The brand, perhaps most notably known for their very good locks, offers the HiDrop as a downhill helmet “for the toughest requirements”. Naturally, you would imagine this comes with a pretty hefty price attached, yet compared to most other downhill lid options breaching the £250 barrier the HiDrop sits around a fairly budget friendly £180 in comparison. A helmet is the most important piece of protection you need for downhill bicycle riding, so for a helmet aimed at the most severe end of riding, this budget friendly lid needs to still retain that high quality that you will hopefully never need to rely upon. 

Whilst the Hidrop doesn’t feature MIPS technology or any other rotational impact system, it does meet a number of high level downhill standards implementing an ABS outer shell and an EPS and EPP core. Although fairly budget friendly, the helmet is not just an entry level lid designed to get you by, it’s been tried and tested at both the Enduro World Series and at World Cup Downhill races. 

With the low cost, high level downhill rating and no carbon fibre you’d expect then that the HiDrop would surely be a heavy thing. Unfortunately for all you cynics, it isn’t really. Coming in at just over a kilo, it’s not super lightweight but it certainly isn’t by any means heavy. On top of all of this it looks great too. The HiDrop comes in a good range of colours including a very agreeable moss green and a gloss white tested here. 

Designed at least in part for the enduro world series, you would expect the HiDrop to be decently breathable. For a pretty full on protective feeling helmet the breathability is acceptable. It won’t compete with lighter, more purpose built enduro helmets with more cagey chin guards, but for a full coverage helmet it isn’t a horrible sweatbox.

Another issue that faces sometimes even the lighter of downhill helmets is a bobblehead like feeling. Whilst the Hidrop does look visibly large you don’t get this bobblehead feeling nearly as much as you would expect. I would say you do feel quite boxed in wearing the Hidrop, especially when paired with Abus’ Buteo goggles which were made specifically to work well with this helmet. Whether you like this tunnel vision boxed in feel or prefer a more open airy feel is down to personal preference. However for me this high coverage fairly snug fit feels confidence inspiring and tough.

There isn’t much size adjustability so you should be careful when picking a size. As for the quality, it again feels pretty separate from its fairly budget price tag. Overall the quality is good, the gloss paint finish looks really smart, the pads feel nicely secured in and there’s no hints of flimsiness. The fit is further secured by a D-ring fastening under the chin and whilst there is no height adjustment, the lid features a breakaway peak. The only slight issue I’ve found is this peak has come a little loose on one side but this really isn’t noticeable until you start fiddling with it. 

Aran Francis’ Overall:

Overall then, not to mention its price, the HiDrop is a very good option for a good range of riders. For racing downhill, yes features like mips could have been implemented, but it still meets plenty safety standards and is suitable for the highest level of racing in the sport. On the Enduro side the HiDrop might not be as breathable as some of the other enduro specific helmets on the market and as a result if you were strictly picking a helmet for racing enduro only, it may not be the best choice. But for someone who enjoys racing enduro and downhill or for the less competitive riders who would dabble in an uplift from time to time but still pedal for their descents here and there, the Hidrop could be the perfect option. 

Fahzure Freerie’s Overall:

In terms of protection, the ABUS checks all the boxes and includes a few better details. I particularly like a D-ring closure and ABUS has made the strap tail plenty long, so that you can loosen it, without completely undoing it, to remove or ventilate without a microderm abrasion of your chin, nose and forehead. This is super handy for shuttles, talking to friends at the bottom or wearing “chinbar to hatline” when pushing up for another lap. Another neat detail is the breakaway visor which relies on embedded clips to anchor the three visor tabs to the helmet. The visor mounting is at once secure and easily removed (for you Rogatkin types) minimizing any transfer of force from the peak to the users head and neck. Because of their length and position, visors actually have the potential to cause injury as a significant point of leverage against the neck.

I found the helmet to be very well fitting and comfortable. Between the solid panels over the ears (and ABS shell?), the helmet really quiets the surroundings, something that may annoy your riding partners. While the fit is nicely wiggle free and the white shell works to make sure it doesn’t absorb the sun’s heat, the venting isn’t substantial, so if you’re pedalling or pushing up with the helmet on, you’re likely to get too hot. The lack of airflow was a bit of a problem with my goggles, where fogging was consistent, unless you were moving at a good clip.

Review Info

Brand:	ABUS
Product:	HiDrop Helmet
From:	Upgrade Bikes
Price:	£175.00
Tested:	by Aran Francis (and two cents from Fahzure Freeride) for 3 months