Well worth the long wait.
Back when I found the Kickstarter for this idea, I knew that if it ever came to be one day, I simply HAD to have one. From the very beginning there have been consistent and comprehensive updates regarding every aspect of progress on the helmet. From day one, every inquiry has been quickly and clearly addressed by a real human being that never once left me wanting for better customer service.
Ok on to the good stuff. After riding with this helmet for about a week now, there is A LOT I am very happy with and very little I have an issue with. First and foremost, the fit is seriously amazing, bravo! It is perfectly snug while not having any real uncomfortable points inside (not including one already addressed in v1.2).
Packaging is very clean and your brand new icr helmet comes in a nice black drawstring bag inside a uniquely folded black box with owners booklet and parts. After following the QR code received with the rest of the packaging, I watched a couple videos on setup, admittedly had to reach out to live chat for support a couple times, and was up and running in a matter of 10 or 15 min.
First ride with the helmet was overall really impressive. I expected an odd and obtrusive 'thing' sitting in front of my eye displaying a distorted dual feed rear view. A clunky and heavy piece of kit that was more novelty than anything else. And unimpressive internal speakers that couldnt really overcome highway road noise similar to every other conpany thats taken a whack at it. To my surprise however, what I got was nothing like that at all.
The 'screen' if you can call it that, is perfectly positioned out of your main line of sight and really only becomes visible when actively focusing on it. It appears clearly over the right half of the visor while also remaining transparent enough to see through to the road without any trouble. While the super wide view from the rear cameras takes some acclimating, the camera feed itself is clear and seemingly without any latency at all, even at night. The only marks agsinst this part of the helmet in my opinion would be; the native UI could use a bit of work on both the helmet side and the mobile side. Icon labeling within the helmet UI could also be a bit more comprehensive. And finally, the mounting apparatus for the display appears to be fixed with double sided adhesive to the lining fabric. Mine came loose while trying to adjust the display positioning but was easily and quickly fixed by replacing the adhesive with VHB tape.
I was really happy to find that my biggest fear regarding the helmet was without merit. The helmet is surprisingly light considering everything it houses. The longest I've gone with it so far is 2hr20min ish, and didn't experience any weight related discomfort that was out of the ordinary for me on a ride this long. The intake and exhaust vents do well to keep fog off the visor at low speed, and dont seem to add too much internal noise at higher speeds. No real conplaints here, the magnetic chin strap latch is really smooth and easy to use however the strap itself to me seems much too long.
The sound from the internal speakers, while not perfect is certainly loud enough to make up for anything they may lack in overall sound quality. My only complaint in this area would be with how the ear cups are fixed in place (velcro), and the rigidity of the material they're padded with. On a number of occasions I have had to reposition the ear cups because the were dislodged while putting on or taking of the helmet. When they do stay in place, they seem to deform under your ears and require some manipulating to actually cover the ear properly and comfortably. I feel like a more permanent fixture and more rigid padding may assist with this.
To sum up, I'm absolutely in love with this helmet and i hope i havent left anything out. It's not often that a product enters the market space so far and away superior to everything else in the space. Are there improvements that can be made? Of course. But regardless, this is the new standard in my opinion and this is just their first product offering. From what I understand, a version 2.0 is already in the works and just about every gripe mentioned in my review is either already addressed or being addressed. ICR has a customer for life in me and I couldn't be happier to share this opinion with anyone who cares to hear it.
