First Look: Ride safer with the ABUS HiDrop full-face helmet

The new ABUS HiDrop full-face helmet offers downhill riders comprehensive protection for bike parks, enduro racing, and slopestyle.

With the new HiDrop, the security experts from ABUS are already presenting their second full-face helmet. The helmet with Downhill certification is primarily addressing riders who are looking for solid and comprehensive protection for bike park lines, the next enduro race or slopestyle courses. Even before the helmet will be available in stores from spring 2024 on, one ABUS athlete has already made history using it: Tom Isted wore the ABUS HiDrop during his world record jump, a 120-foot (36.6-meter) backflip, at Darkfest 2023 in South Africa.

True to his name, the ABUS HiDrop is designed to take riders to great heights and back downhill, over rocks, roots, doubles, and massive drops. In this terrain, riders may unintentionally and severely come off their bikes. To ensure the ride as unharmed as possible, the features of the new full-face helmet help to minimize the risk of injuries. The solid and robust profile already underscores its high level of safety, which has also been confirmed by an independent ASTM certification. The robust ABS shell encloses the core, that is made of shock-absorbing EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) and slightly more elastic EPP (Expanded Polypropylene). The visor allows for the stable mounting of an action camera but breaks away in the event of a hard crash and can thus counteract rotation of the neck. With the proven double D buckle, the helmet always sits securely on the rider's head.

Perfect ventilation and fit

Strategically placed air inlets on the front area and chin guard, combined with generous air outlets at the back, ensure excellent ventilation even during uphill sections. The fresh air is directed onto the inner padding and cools it down. Additionally, the air inlets and outlets are equipped with bug meshes for additional protection. The padding in the neck area of the helmet provides extra comfort and ensures a tight fit around the head. The fit can be individually adjusted with removable and washable cheek pads. Particularly, the ventilation and perfect fit features are of great importance to enduro racer Christian Textor from the YT-Mob team.

“I was involved in the development of the HiDrop and have been using the helmet for a while now. We have optimized the padding and airflow, which is especially important regarding enduro races, to ensure good ventilation during uphill sections and at low speeds. We have also improved the padding in the neck area to provide a better fit around the head. In enduro races where we ride at high speeds in intense terrain without knowing it by 100 per cent, it is crucial that the helmet tightly fits the head, that I have good airflow and that I can breathe well. The ABUS HiDrop offers all of this in a very pleasant way. It provides an optimal view and goggles from different brands fit well. It doesn't make any noise, creak, or whistle, allowing me to fully concentrate on the race without distractions. Lastly, the helmet looks really cool and has its own design language, which is very well executed." - Christian Textor

Wide field of view for great feats

Tom Isted, Slopestyle professional from Wales, can attest from his own experience that the new ABUS HiDrop provides a secure feeling when it comes to big stunts on the mountain bike. He also highlights a particularly important detail of the helmet: "The helmet definitely gave me the confidence to ride the biggest jumps in the world. I was particularly impressed by the remarkably wide field of view that the helmet offers."

The rest of the world can only dream of the magnificent view Tom had during his 120-foot backflip, but they can at least virtually experience it through one of the countless videos of his world record jump.

Athletes test helmet for the final touch

An illustrious group of ABUS athletes had the opportunity to test and confirm that the new full-face helmet not only performs well for big stunts and freeride lines but is also suitable for downhill, enduro and slopestyle use: Christian Textor (Enduro), Max Hartenstern, Simon Chapelet (both Downhill), Pedro Ferreira (Urban Downhill), Kathi Kuypers , Lucas Huppert, Bernd Winkler (all Slopestyle), the Trailblazer Team around Raphaela Richter (Enduro), the Cube Next Generation Team, the Radon Enduro Team, the Chili Racing Brigade Team as well as Hassfeld Racing Team put the new ABUS helmet to good use.

But also MTB legends like Cedric Gracia and Richie Schley, as well as content riders and freerider like Steffi Marth, Gabriel Wibmer and Charlotte German were already able to test the helmet out on the trails.

German Downhill Champion Max Hartenstern (Cube Factory Racing Team) has played a significant role in the development process and is excited about the new ABUS HiDrop: "I have been using the helmet since early 2023 and had been in close contact with Yannik, the product manager, before that. I told him what was most important to me regarding a helmet, and I am really happy with the result. Compared to the helmet I used before, the ABUS HiDrop is very lightweight, aerodynamic and extremely comfortable to wear. I immediately felt good and safe wearing it. I hardly noticed it while riding since it feels like a second skin."

The weight of the ABUS HiDrop is 1050 g for size M, which is highly competitive in this helmet category. The helmet is available in four sizes (S, M, L, XL) and four colors (shiny white, shiny black, midnight blue, moss green).