Tested by: Dave
Miles used: 600
Price: $220
Contact: rideicon
Icon's marketing spiel for the new HI-Viz Alliance series sums this lid up nicely: "...the best protection is avoiding a crash altogether."
That was my thought exactly when I ordered this helmet to use for my daily commutes. And after dozens of rides and hundreds of miles I can confirm that this helmet is, by far, the best defense on the street. Cars clear the way for me when I'm splitting lanes like I've never experienced in the past. They seriously part like the Red Sea.
Now certainly there are some rogue riders who prefer to keep it stealth. I fall into that category occasionally and this would be the last helmet I would ever choose for those occasions because during twilight and cloudy conditions this helmet literally sticks out like a Playboy bunny would at your local dive bar. There's simply no ignoring this screamer.
As for performance it has a DOT/ECE safety rating, so if you're looking for the SNELL 2010 sticker you're out of luck. Also, the Alliance is noticeably louder than some of my other lids. I've chosen to look past the noise issue based on the increased safety that the luminous orange orb provides. Just be sure to keep your speeds in check, because a radar gun will lock onto this thing like stink on a monkey.