This year I wanted to branch away from my Troy Lee Designs A2 helmet that has been my go to head protection for the last few years and try out some more current market options. The Specialized Ambush 2 was the first helmet on my “to try” list as I was already very familiar with Specialized equipment.
If you didn’t know, Specialized makes more than just bikes, and I would argue have some of the best equipment in terms of shoes and helmets I have tried on both the road and gravel side. Would that success travel over to the mountain side? I have been testing the Ambush 2 for the last few months and here are my findings.
Things that I love:
The first thing that I love about the Ambush 2 is the ventilation. The vents are really big allowing lots of air to flow through and never once did I feel overheated. The helmet itself also has a really lightweight feel on your head, and oftentimes, it quickly disappeared while riding. Combine both of these things with its white color, and even on the sunniest days in the desert my head felt just fine and remained cool.
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The helmet itself also wicks away sweat really well, and I didn’t find myself dealing with sweat dripping down my eyes as I sometimes did with my Troy Lee A2. The fit of the helmet is also very comfortable. The weight feels evenly distributed and there were no pressure points on my head. The helmet also has a very beefy feel to it in terms of protection, so that was added peace of mind. You can read more about the safety ratings of it here.
Overall I have loved how this helmet rides on both hot and cold days. I also think aesthetically it looks awesome and has a low profile.
Things that I don’t like:
The first thing that I don’t necessarily love is that the visor has a slightly awkward placement. It’s lifted pretty high, most likely to make room for goggles and glasses storage. As someone who never stores his goggles or glasses on their helmet, I would have rather had a functioning visor as not much sun is blocked out with it in its current form. Another thing to note here is you do feel a little wind resistance from the visor on some downhills as once again it is pretty high and large. Now this is not a deal breaker, just something to be aware of and might even be a pro if you like to store your glasses or goggles while you ride.
Another thing I would deduct a few points for is the quality. While the engineering protection side of the helmet is awesome and it feels like they nailed the comfort side, there are some small details that I would like to see revised in the Ambush 3. The fit system does have an awkward tightening retention system that doesn't allow me to tighten the helmet fully while on my head. It is not the end of the world as I just take the helmet off to tighten where I need it and then put it back on, but it would be nice to do this with the helmet on my head. The helmet also seems to get banged up pretty easily while being stored and the helmet already seems to be showing some signs of age.
Summary:
I think the Ambush 2 is a really good option for riders looking for protection for their head and a little more of an enduro set up that breathes well on hot days. With that being said, there are some quality things I would like to see revised for the Ambush 3.
I do think it is very impressive how Specialized continues to do great on the equipment side. It does make you wonder, what would their helmet line look like if helmets are all that they made?
-Mo Awesome
