Uvex FP1 helmet

The FP1 is the top of the Uvex range of helmets, aimed at the road-racing market, and is also ideal for sportive riders. Trim and cool, it’s a nice piece of kit.

Picking up the FP1, it just feels good. That’s no way to judge a helmet, but it’s an OK start. Maybe I’m seduced by the Made in Germany sticker. Naturally, it meets all the European safety standards.

The construction is conventional - high density polystyrene on the inside, under a hard ‘makrolon’ microshell. The internal pads are slim, but the fit is snug, without being too tight anywhere. The fitting at the back of the head can be adjusted with one hand, simply by turning the dial of Uvex’s ‘IAS’ system.

I tested the FP1 on a recent ride in warm weather (well, warm for April) and it was great. Plenty of vents front and back - 21 in all - meant no sweaty head (well, no sweatier than usual).

The ‘monomatic’ strap under the chin took a bit of getting used to - a strip of plastic slides into a clip with a ratchet, something like a big cable tie, with a red release button - but I like it. There’s less chance of pinching a delicate bit of skin, as there sometimes is with conventional clips. One-handed micro-adjustment is also possible, meaning you could, if you wanted, loosen off the straps a bit on a long hot climb. There’s also a short tube of soft fabric round the under-chip strap for added comfort - but this is removable if you don’t need it.

The FP1 weighs in at 240g. Not the very lightest lid these days, but by no means the heaviest either. That’s for the 55-59cm model. Larger sizes will be a tad more. The 50-54cm will be not far off 200g. This makes it perfect for fast sportivistes, and fine for most road-racers too - unless you’re really trying to shave down everything to the utter minimum.

This helmet is available in plain white, black-red-and-white, or blue-and-white. Some other colours may be available. Wannabees can also get the FP1 in the red-white-and-blue of team Francaise Des Jeux, and the yellow-white-and-black of HTC-Colombia.

Verdict

Overall, this is a very good-quality helmet for racing or sportives. It’s light, comfortable and stylish too. And when the going’s good, you can pretend you’re sprinting like Cavendish.