Foldable helmet Closca Fuga review

Tempo di lettura: 4 minuti

This blog is named after a bike, my Ellesar; subtitle: life on the pedals. From day one I decided that I would try to respond to the doubts of the passionate cyclist, the one who likes cycling in many different ways. This explains why I deal with sport bikes and sport accessories, emphasizing – at the same time – what we use in our daily life on the pedals, precisely.

In the last few days I alternated my outings to test in fact two very different objects: a little tire at the top in the sport practice and a typical city helmet. What they have in common? They share the cyclist, an enthusiast who, on Sundays, gets on his sport flagship to train, enjoying his athletic move, and who, during the week, uses his bike to get around in town, go to work, go shopping or have a coffee downtown with his friends. He will do so wearing a helmet both on Sundays and in the rest of the week.

But when our cyclist goes out to train, he wears the helmet on the front door and removes it when he’s back; during the week, his many tasks force him, instead, to a continuous take off and wear this helmet, without never knowing where to keep it: a bike helmet – even if light-weight – clutters up. No, I was wrong: I must say it cluttered up, because now we have the Closca Fuga, the first and the only helmet, for the time being, that “collapses”. Yes, because unlike other models that fan in, this Closca Fuga implodes in itself, reducing its height by more than half. Brilliant!

 

Let’s know it and, as usual, let’s start from the package; we don’t judge a book from its cover, but the care in the packaging can tell a lot about the care paid from a company to the details.

The helmet got here closed, so the box is flat, almost a little bigger than a book.

I must confess that if I hadn’t seen the sender’s name, I had difficulty to imagine a helmet inside when they delivered it; it’s strange in fact to find to face a flattened packing…

A packing, as we saw in the images above, very accurate; and with all the necessary information immediately available. They didn’t forget the safety instructions, given in English on one side; and a booklet with instructions inside.

One opened, the Closca Fuga presents itself with a simple line, minimal, friendly. We are far from the aggressiveness of sport helmets and it’s very right. The small visor helps to give it a “deja-vu” appearance, making it look like a cap, but without identifying it with anything already exisisting.

And we can appreciate the three elements that constitute the cap, those intended to fold into one another in order to reduce the bulky.

A very minimal bulky when closed. Just to give an idea, I compared it with a marker of a famous brand, it’s impossible that any of us never used it….

The lock system exploits four “hinges” placed at the sides.

They control the movement.

Opening and closing is very simple: to open, press inside the cap, and to close, press on the top of the cap.

The helmet comes in three sizes; the smallest one has a circumference range of 51,5/55 cm; the medium one 55/58,5 cm; the largest one 58,5/62 cm.

The interior is devoted to facilitate the use and comfort.

Let’s look in detail. The fit adjustement is given to the classic plastic pad on the back of the neck.

You don’t have the usual little wheel, common to many helmets, but a pair of elastic bands, adjustable in length thanks to the two buckles at the sides. The retention system at the back of the neck is wide, rightly soft and perfectly in line with the urban vocation of this helmet.

The use of elastics may seem a choice dictated by the saving; on the contrary, it is the only logic option so that this particular also can be easily resealable inside the helmet, once put to rest. It would have been impossible with the classic system with rigid belts.

Inside we have a soft cushion in the front area, which I raised to show it better.

And then a practical pad to protect your neck from draughts.

Then we have the padding of the cap, removable and washable.

The strap has two buckles that recall the logo of the company; one on each side, to adjust the length (I remind you that the proper adjustment requires that the buckle sits just under the ear). The locking is entrusted to a clip, that can be easily operated even while wearing heavy winter gloves.

One of the characteristic features of this helmet is its small visor.

It is removable, for those who don’t like it. Along the circumference, you can see the areas of connection.

On the contrary, for those who like it, they will be pleased to know that the visor is available in different colors and there is also a high-visibility reflective fabric version. And because the visor is one-piece, so it includes the protection for the neck too, the visibility is guaranteed also for those coming behind us. The variety of colors of this accessory makes up for the little chromatic choice regarding the helmet, for the time being only in black and white.

Those most sensitive to the cold can replace the visor with a woolen band.

A very simple operation, as we can see in this animation.

On the top of the cap a great idea: under the logo a NFC technology chip is inserted; it is combined with the RideU app, that connects more than 240 cities around the world and shows where to find a rental bike or a sharing one. It also allows you to instantly connect to an emergency number or pick a bike even though at the moment you forgot your authentication card.

I am reporting all these beautiful things as I read them in the Closca website. Here, in my city, the bike sharing was a flash in the pan and my city, obviously, is not in those 240 and more cities connected. It’s not Closca’s fault, mind you. But you know it’s better I don’t touch the sore spot of the bike sharing in Neapolitan way….

After the long static presentation, justified by the peculiarities of the helmet, it’s time to wear it and mount on the saddle. But first a consideration on aesthetics, which equally divided those enthusiasts and those doubtful. Unanimous the dissent when I do wear it, but not for the demerit of the helmet….

I liked it; I initially wrote that it has a friendly aspect and I am convinced of it. The line is simple and those who have some notion of design know that achieve simplicity is the hardest thing. It reminds but not repeats; it reminds us of some cap of our childhood or the helmet we used to wear while playing with toy soldiers; it refers to the cartoons which nailed us to the television and to the comics we devoured. It is like it had accompanied us since ever, that’s why I use the word “friendly”. Then, of course, everything is subjective and above all our aesthetic taste, so those who don’t like it, they simply don’t and that’s it. But they could appreciate its technical qualities.

First of all – obviously – its reclosability; presenting the helmet in English language, they use the term foldable, but collapsible also. But if we translate “foldable”, we get “reclosable”, and when translate “collapsible”, we get “collapsible”. That it’s right, I cannot deny it, but in the Italian language the term has other interpretations too, so I will always write of a resealable helmet, giving up for once to my zelous writing.

Those who choose this helmet do it precisely because it is resealable; but it’s a choice that requires any renunciation, either in terms of comfort or weight or security. I start with the latter.

The helmet passed the approval test according the European standard ISO EN 1074 and the American CPSC, so in this respect we don’t have to worry. It meets all safety requirements like all other cycling helmets.

The weight i slow; it’s not a feather but much less than the “full” form could lead you to suppose; in this size M I am testing, the balance indicates 270 grs. in the naked version and 320 grs. with the visor applied.

The comfort is high, not only for the soft padding. Once again the full form deceives, because there is a ventilation system even if well hidden from view. I hope with these pictures, taken using an internal light, are visible the many small openings along the circumference of the rings.

Of course, it is not comparable to the ventilation of a sport helmet, but this Closca Fuga, let’s not forget it, is obviously a city helmet and as such it should be evaluated. And with this in mind, then it becomes useful the practical eyelid that protects the neck from draughts. And still in this view, it emerges the only thing that I would improve: the rain protection. I would like if Closca would foresee, even only as an option, a waterproof cover, a little cap just to be clear, perfectly shaped like this helmet. As usual when I do my tests, I give the go-ahead to the manufacturer, just in case he would endorse it.

In any case, it shows its usefulness in the urban field and in everyday use. The recloseability allows you to bring it along without encumbrance, an unique recloseability in its execution, which allows to easily store the helmet in your bag; even more, it allows the lucky ones who live in cities served by bike sharing to always have a helmet ready to use, kept in a pocket of your bag. And then if you are so favoured by the blind goddess and you live in one of more than 240 cities served by RideU system, thanks to the NFC chip, you can take the bike and ride with a click.

The possibility of using a high visibility visor improves security; the wool band helps to prevent the helmet liner in the coldest months: in short, the practicality first.

Usually I close my tests indicating to which cyclist an accessory or a component is suitable. This time I reverse the trend and I will say to who this helmet is not suitable: it is not suitable for the cyclist during a sport outing, where the helmet must be much more aired and light. All the others, all those who use their bike in their daily commute, their own bike or the sharing one, and that once reached their destination they never know where to keep their helmet, they found the solution. You pull of, press and go. Simple, isn’t it?

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