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The Kudo is Fizik's lightest and most ventilated road helmet. The rounded low-volume design makes it light and very airy, and the fit is highly adjustable.
However, the somewhat scratchy straps and a rear clip-in light that needs to be more secure hold it back.
Factor in a high price, of £269.99, and the Kudo is struggling to make our list of the best road bike helmets.
Fizik Kudo specifications and details
The Kudo is a sleek-looking helmet, especially in the Bronze colourway of my size-large test sample.
The light matt, contrasting mid-tone and high-gloss metallic insert on the rear make for a premium finish.
The in-moulded shell provides coverage throughout the whole of the helmet, adding optimal protection to the expanded polystyrene core.
At 337.2g for the size large (including the rear light), the Kudo is a light helmet, although not as light as the Lazer Z1 Kineticore (272g size large) or the similarly priced Specialized Prevail II at 266.4g (large).
I like that the Kudo design prioritises protection of the core over shaving grams.
There are two large horizontal brow vents and seven large forward-facing vents, the lowest of which are shaped to grip cycling sunglasses.
Five vents across the crown and large twin exhaust ports at the rear make for a very open design, while the huge internal channels add to the airflow.
Fizik claims the Kudo design reduces wind resistance, while providing optimal thermoregulation, thanks to the Venturi effect created by the brow vents, internal channels and large exhaust port.
The Venturi effect is where the air passing through the helmet and over your head is accelerated on entry due to being sucked out on exit, with the intention of providing a constant flow of cool air across your head.
The Kudo's £269.99 price tag is in line with premium offerings such as the Kask Utopia Y (£245), Giro Aries Spherical (£290) and Specialized S-Works Prevail 3 (£275). However, like those rivals, it doesn’t offer significant performance gains over more reasonably priced helmets such as the MET Rivale MIPS (£140), Abus Stormchaser (£140) or Scott Centric Plus (£164.99).
Fizik Kudo safety standards
Like many brands, Fizik makes different helmets for European (CE) and American (CSPC) standards, the latter of which is arguably tougher. Therefore, you can expect helmets aimed at the European market to be lighter than the American version.
The Kudo has attained a 5-star rating from Virginia Tech for both designs.
Inside, Fizik uses the MIPS Air Node system; the anti-rotation design is built into the pads rather than a separate slip-plane piece. This means the helmet's volume is not affected and the air channels are not impeded.
Fizik Kudo fit
The Kudo offers 4.5cm of vertical adjustment to the rear cradle, which alters the helmet's angle as it sits on your head. The rear cradle also offers horizontal micro-adjustments from its dial.
So far, so standard, but Fizik has looked at how the retention system can be used to alter the shape of the fit. Three points of attachment around the temples (called ‘custom crown adjustment’) have been added, changing the shape from round to oval, with a mid-point between them.
A simple click-fix buckle connects the straps, which mount to Y-shaped plastic pieces with separate anchor straps to the helmet. The straps are removable to enable washing.
Fizik Kudo performance
Once I’d dialled in the fit, which was simple to do, I found the Kudo to be a very comfortable helmet, albeit with one small niggle.
The straps have good adjustment and the Y-shaped plastic pieces didn’t interfere with my glasses or catch my ears, but the ripstop-like woven fabric of the straps was quite scratchy under my chin.
Even though the inner face of the straps is a smoother, lighter weave, it’s the edges of the tougher outer weave that catch – especially on stubble.
Straps aside, the Kudo is extremely comfortable, with the open design providing a very cool feel. On some unseasonably warm April rides, where the temperature exceeded 20ºC, I was glad of the Kudo’s cooling airflow, and I look forward to using the helmet on hotter days.
The pads wick moisture well and didn’t get overwhelmed by damp, even when working hard – a testament to the Kudo design's airflow.
I like that Fizik includes a clip-in rear light as standard. It also supplies a blanking plate for the rear of the helmet and a simple reflector piece.
The light is easy to operate, with the on/off/mode button part of the light's face on the right-hand side. The left side hides a USB-C male connection for easy charging.
The clip-in system, however, which is two prongs and an N-shaped interface with the helmet, doesn’t have a positive clip-in. I have found that when reaching back to activate the light when pushing the side, the overhang of the light unclips it from the helmet.
I often found myself fumbling when trying to re-fit the light without dropping it while riding. Perhaps Fizik offers the light separately (£29.99 / $29.99 / €29) knowing that riders could lose it in certain circumstances – I can see myself dropping it while riding.
Fizik Kudo bottom line
The Fizik Kudo is a fine-looking helmet. I love the attention to detail in the shell's finish, with its combination of tones and textures; it’s one of the most aesthetically pleasing helmets around.
The clever retention system, with lots of adjustability, meant I got a great fit, and the ventilation is among the best I’ve tried too – the resulting great level of comfort is only hampered by the scratchy edges of the straps.
That may well become less prevalent should the straps continue to soften after a few more weeks of riding.
What won’t improve, however, is the rear light's clip-in retention. If the connection were more secure, in the manner of Lazer’s universal rear light, or the smart magnetic attachment found on both MET and Canyon’s road helmets, it would be a winner.
As it stands, I’m not convinced by the security of the current fitting.
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