Bike helmets are necessary to keep your safety while pedaling. There are plenty of options to choose from as well depending on which seems to work best on your application or preference. If you want to look stylish but also safe, the Smith Venture Vs Giro Chronicle are great options to consider. These helmets are sporty, comfortable, and also protective but if you are not sure about which to go for, let’s see what they can offer first.
In this comparison, we are going to talk about:
- Are You Currently Looking to Buy a Bike Helmet
- What are Smith Venture and Giro Chronicle
- How are the Design of Smith Venture and Giro Chronicle
- How are the Build Quality of Smith Venture and Giro Chronicle
- How are the Fit of Smith Venture and Giro Chronicle
- Are Smith Venture and Giro Chronicle Comfortable
- Smith Venture and Giro Chronicle
Cycling and Bike Helmets
Cycling is a very healthy habit that you can try at home if you prefer to but we do like the outdoor activity more. It is not only healthy but also fun and not many exercises can provide the same experience. We can also use it as a transportation method if your traveling distance is still manageable with a bicycle and it can help to reduce pollution too. One thing that we can’t forget when riding a bicycle is the helmet because a helmet is necessary to keep your safety.
In some places it is even mandatory to wear a helmet when you are riding a bike or scooter and similar vehicle, in order to avoid serious injury that may happen. In the United States alone about 800,000 cyclists are killed and 500,000 are hospitalized with a death rate of 2/3 and injury 1/3 especially on the head and face area. Wearing a helmet may not remove any risk of getting hurt but they can reduce the risk of head injury by up to 85%.
When buying a bike helmet, you have to consider various things but the most important is to look for the Consumer Product Safety Committee or CPSC sticker inside the helmet. This helmet is meant to provide information that a high level of protection is available when meeting an impact. It is required by law to provide this level of security based on how the helmet is made and how it performs. It can vary however if you live abroad so do check with the standard used by the country.
Besides buying a new helmet, some people may just want to use the one already worn by their family or friends. What to note is never buy or use a helmet that is already worn when facing a crash or have some damage on the unit. We have to inspect it carefully to not wear a worn out helmet because they are not going to work as effectively when you face some impacts later. Mind that helmets are designed to crack with impact in order to reduce the level of energy transferred.
When trying a new bike helmet, wear the lid properly first and buckle the chin strap too. Try adjusting the helmet so it snug comfortably on your head and it should not move from side to side or up and down. It must be level too or not tilted back, or rest low on the forehead. The bottom edge is about 1 to 2 finger widths above the eyebrow too. The helmet must not harm your view as well and the fit for chinstrap allows for one finger to provide room when we open the mouth.
| Smith Venture | Giro Chronicle | |
|---|---|---|
  |   |
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| Product Dimensions | 13 x 9.75 x 8 inches | 14 x 11 x 6 inches |
| Shipping Weight | 0.34 Kilograms | 2.4 Pounds |
| Shop now at Amazon | Check price | Check price |
About Smith Venture and Giro Chronicle
Now when you are ready to find a new helmet, it is time to see what the market has to offer because there are also so many of them out there. Besides the fitting, it is necessary to consider the type of riding discipline that you are doing because if you mix trail and road cycling, it is wise to get the higher model instead or buy a trail helmet that we can still comfortably wear on the road to save the budget.
Trail helmets are typically heavier but they are also covering slightly more of the surface and you get a visor too. Smith and Giro are two ideal options that you want to consider because they carry a wide range of helmets both for road and mountain biking. These companies are also well-known for quality and depending on your riding discipline, we may have to choose a different helmet based on which fits the activity and preference the most such as road cycling or mountain biking.
For those who often go for the trail but still want something that can be worn during the road cycling as well, Smith Venture and Giro Chronicle are two incredible options to choose from. These helmets are very attractive in the sense of look with how sporty the designs are. The two are perfect for your mountain cycling and still useful for riding to the grocery store, school, or even to work if the distance is manageable. Price wise they are not really far apart from each other and still quite affordable too.
The main difference between Smith Venture and Giro Chronicle besides their price point is the build quality because price often affects the product quality and it is apparent here that Venture is more durable, especially if you often transport the helmet. But, they are very similar when it comes to protective ability by being made to meet or surpass the safety standard. As for the styling we do think they will look great on most cyclists.
Smith Venture and Giro Chronicle Design
Just like most MTB helmets, the two are very sporty and rugged with lots of vents located all over the helmet. They are also a bit more protective compared to typical road helmets by extending the coverage on the rear and above the ears yet, we do think the Chronicle is slightly covering more, especially on the rear. The two are low profile but side by side Venture does look rounder and the most noticeable is probably the visor itself.
This visor is useful to cover our eyes while on the bike but Venture is too short if you often ride with the sun glaring above. It is probably better if you choose to wear sunglasses or often find a typical visor’s length too obstructive. In comparison for weight, Chronicle is also heavier than Venture in which it is already in the 400 grams range while the other is around 355-360 grams for the same size. We do like the finish however because they are matte.
Smith Venture and Giro Chronicle Build Quality
Now for the most important part, let’s see what the Smith Venture and Giro Chronicle can offer starting from the build quality. As it has been mentioned above, the Venture is better here and this is visible when you flip the helmet and check its edge. The outer rim of Chronicle is not properly covered with the hard lid but is exposed showing the foam. It is not uncommon to save weight and also material but it may cause the foam to chip or be damaged if met with an impact or over time from transporting it.
The Venture is surprisingly light and also covers this area really well, which makes it more durable when you will often transport or wear them since there is less chance of damaging the foam inside. It may not affect the safety rating but surely help the helmet to last longer. On the additional safety feature, both helmets are coming with MIPS which is useful to reduce the damage from rotational impact. Read also: Smith Venture Vs Rover here.
Smith Venture and Giro Chronicle Fit System
Next for the fit, similar to many other helmets from their collection, the Smith Venture and Giro Chronicle are coming with VaporFit and Roc Loc 5 respectively. These fitting systems are very comfortable but also different because Giro typically has this deep fit that feels great on most people. VaporFit itself is also comfy with a wide range of adjustment inside. We do think they are equally comfortable but slightly different.
The rear adjustment is the same but if you have a taller head or neck, Venture feels a bit better because the rear cradle’s height is adjustable. It is also a bit lower or further from the helmet so our hand can find and adjust the knob easier. Chronicle can be too close to the helmet and the knob is also smaller.
Smith Venture and Giro Chronicle Comfort
As for the comfort, these helmets are easy to wear when you can fit them properly. The vents of Chronicle are deeper and this is effective to help the air circulation inside. The Venture is still cooling but not as breezy as the Chronicle. The weight difference is not very apparent once you fit the helmet and ride the bike. The fit system is also easy to use and can accommodate a wide range of head shapes and sizes.
Smith Venture Vs Giro Chronicle
Both Smith Venture and Giro Chronicle are good helmets to try if you are often going on trails or mountain biking. The most prominent difference is in build quality since Venture is covering more of the foam but safety wise they are similarly reliable and protective, especially with the additional safety features like MIPS. The fit is also comfortable and for the ventilation Chronicle works better to cool the head.
Conclusion
The decision is all yours since we may have different preferences and budget but we will recommend Chronicle here because it is more affordable, very comfortable, and has a longer visor which is also adjustable.
