ABUS Targon MTB helmet review: open-face & full-face

Full-face or open-face? It’s a question many of us face, usually when it isn’t entirely clear what to expect from a tour or trip. Personally, I’m in the open-face camp most of the time, even though a full-face helmet would occasionally be the better choice – and has actually saved me from more serious injuries twice already. Often it’s a question of weight or, in my case, comfort and looks. The new ABUS Targon scores highly with me on both counts. But before we head out onto the rain-soaked trails around Maso Naranch and then into the production halls, here are a few facts about the Targon.

What sets the Targon apart from its competitors are three features in particular. The Speed Latch System makes it easy to remove the chin bar and – with a little practice – super-quick to refit it while you’re out riding. The Zoom™ Rapid Fit adjustment system features a dial at the rear and wraps around the head more extensively and smoothly than most other systems I know. Thanks to the three-position Vario Pads in the chin bar, the Targon can be adapted to your individual head shape without swapping pads. Moving them closer gives a slightly tighter fit; sliding the pads forwards gives your head more room.

The package is completed by top-quality third-party components such as the magnetic Fidlock buckle – once you’ve used one on a helmet, you’ll never want anything else. The visor allows an action camera and light to be fitted simultaneously and detaches in a crash. The straps sit beautifully flat, while MIPS fans can opt for the version with MIPS Air Node Pro padding, designed to reduce rotational motion acting on the head during an angled impact. The Targon not only meets all stringent testing standards, but has even undergone voluntary additional tests covering the increased requirements specifically applicable to downhill helmets.

My first brief impressions of the Targon were extremely promising. For the first time with a 2-in-1 helmet, I have the feeling that I’ll actually use it more often – because it is primarily a comfortable, good-looking open-face helmet that can be converted into a downhill-certified full-face with a click.

In my case, that could be whenever I don’t know exactly what awaits me, or when it starts raining – as it did at Schöckl during my last bigger crash – and suddenly even cautious riding can no longer eliminate a certain level of risk. Had I been wearing the Targon back then, I would have emerged uninjured; instead, I ended up with six stitches in my chin. The considerations may be many and varied – with the Targon, you can make the good decision not to have to decide.

Part 2 of this story will shortly bring you a look at the testing procedures, a glimpse behind the scenes of production and a preview of the new factory, so stay tuned!

Link: ABUS helmets