With the summer riding season knocking on our door, and a load of new shuttle-able riding locations ready to be explored, Bluegrass Eagle’s timing could not have been better. We’ve just received one of the new Bluegrass Legit Carbon full-face helmets, which are now available in Australia through Advance Traders – the Aussie distributor for both MET & Bluegrass Eagle. Before we grab our goggles and book the shuttle though, let’s take a closer look at this new premium full-face lid from the Italian Stallions.
Winning Ways
For those unfamiliar with the name, Bluegrass Eagle is the gravity offshoot of MET. But whereas MET is focussed on the road, commuter, XC and trail markets, Bluegrass Eagle is the heavy-duty arm of the brand, with a range of full-face helmets, trail helmets, body armour, knee & elbow pads, and gloves.
The Legit is Bluegrass Eagle’s full-face helmet, and it’s available in two versions: the regular Legit, and the Legit Carbon version we’ve got here.
Despite being freshly launched as of this year, you might have already spotted the Bluegrass Legit Carbon on top of some of the fastest noggins on the World Cup DH circuit. Dean Lucas, Mick Hannah and Sam Blenkinsop have all been running the Legit Carbon, and in the Elite Women’s field, the top fastest three riders for the 2019 season – Tracey Hannah, Marine Cabirou, and Veronika Widmann – are all Bluegrass athletes too.
Legit Protection
To handle the impact forces associated with World Cup riding speeds, the Legit Carbon is made up of a carbon fibre outer shell along with a polycarbonate chin guard. Additional polycarbonate shells are used to shield the outside of the multi-impact EPS foam core.
Inside the helmet you’ll find the full-face specific MIPS liner, called MIPS-E2. With more coverage around the rider’s head, the MIPS-E2 system is built around a thin, plastic cap that is sandwiched between two multi-directional, stretch fabric layers that are then sewn together. The fabric is able to slide easily against the plastic cap inside, which helps the whole helmet to rotate around the rider’s head in the event of a crash. Just like the regular MIPS system, this is all about limiting the amount that the brain rotates inside the skull during an oblique impact.
Easy-Breezy
Bluegrass has packed in 15 vents into the Legit Carbon helmet, including three large intake ports on the chin guard. There’s also a small vent over each ear, which Bluegrass reckons helps with both hearing and balance.
If you’re of the particularly smelly-sweaty variety though, you’ll be happy to know that that all the internal padding can be pulled out of the helmet by releasing several snap-buttons. Even the chin strap pads can be removed. Speaking of the chin strap, it’s secured by a simple, but reliable Double-D buckle system.
With that kind of ventilation, and it’s impressive 1109g weight (Medium size), the Legit Carbon isn’t just for World Cup downhillers – it’s also for the enduro racers and All mountain riders who are looking for proper full-face protection.
There’s A Non-Carbon Version Too
Selling for $600, the Bluegrass Legit Carbon is one premium piece of kit. For those wanting to spend less than that, the good news is that the standard Legit comes in at half the cost at $300. The standard Legit moves to a composite shell, and loses a few vents in the process. It also misses out on the MIPS-E2 liner, which is part of the price differential.
Both the Legit and Legit Carbon come in four shell sizes, from Small up to X-Large. You also get four colour choices too, and both Legit helmets feature a non-adjustable visor that’s designed to easily breakaway in the event of a crash.
How’s It Stack Up Against The Competition?
Coming in at just over 1100g on our scales, the Legit Carbon is one of the lighter full-face downhill helmets on the market. It’s also a bit cheaper than the very popular Troy Lee Designs D3 Carbon and the Fox Rampage Pro Carbon helmets, making it a potentially better value proposition on paper.
- Bell Full-9 ($600) – 1130g
- 100% Aircraft Carbon ($619) – 1140g
- Troy Lee Designs D3 Carbon ($699) – 1075g
- Fox Rampage Pro Carbon ($699) – 1230g
- POC Coron Air SPIN ($N/A) – 1170g
Bluegrass Eagle Legit Carbon Full Face Helmet Specs
- Carbon fibre outer shell & polycarbonate inner shells
- Multi-impact EPS foam core
- Full-face specific MIPS-E2 system
- 15 vents in total, including 3 chin guard vents & 2 ‘hearing’ vents
- Chin guard features injected PU foam lining
- Flexible visor with safety-release system
- Double-D chin buckle
- Removable and replaceable internal padding
- Sizes: Small (54-56cm), Medium (56-58cm), Large (58-60cm), X-Large (60-62cm)
- Colours: Matt Black, Matt Black/White, Matt Black/Yellow, Matt Black/Red
- Certification: ASTM, CE & AS/NZS 2063:2008
- Confirmed weight: 1109g
- RRP: $600
We’re looking forward to getting dusty in the Legit Carbon over the coming summer season, and we’re also eager to see just how comfortable and ventilated it is on the really hot days. In the meantime, you can get more information on the Legit & Legit Carbon helmets via the Bluegrass Eagle website, or get in touch with Advance Traders to find your nearest dealer.
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