I know, I know. Why is Pro Tool Reviews doing a review of the Coros Linx Smart Bike Helmet? After all, it’s not like you can replace your hard hat with it.
That’s a true statement. You’ve stumbled upon our Weekend Life series where we bring in aspects of our passions that sometimes fall away from the jobsite and bring you our objective opinion on other gear. In this case, it happens to be a bike helmet. But not just any bike helmet – the Coros Linx is nothing like the ones you find on display at your LBS (local bike shop).
And if you’re wondering why you should take a tool guy’s opinions seriously, I’ll just add that I am both a road and mountain cyclist and former triathlete. And yeah, I’m an Ironman. So let’s jump on it.
What Does the Coros Linx Do Different?
The Coros Linx solves one of the biggest issues facing cyclists with today’s technology. Like runners, we prefer to have music playing to push us through tough workouts and keep us company on long days in the saddle. The issue is that you really shouldn’t wear earbuds since it diminishes your ability to hear what’s going on around you.
One solution has been to listen with only an earbud in your right ear, keeping passing traffic on your open ear. That’s been one way to do it, but often you miss out on parts of the stereo sound. In some places, you have pedestrian traffic on your right, so you’re right back to a block part of your hearing.
Coros allows you to keep both ears open to hear what’s going on around you and still gets the music or podcast to your ears. It also allows you to use your phone for calls.
How Does it Work?
The Coros Linx uses a combination of Bluetooth connectivity, wireless remote, bone conduction speakers, and a wind-resistant microphone to keep you not only entertained but connected.
Bluetooth 4.0
At the heart of the communications is the Bluetooth 4.0 connection. This allows you to keep your phone stored safely out of the way. I have a Kyocera DuoForce XD, which is waterproof by nature. On the road, it lives happily in the back pocket of my jersey. On the trails, I stick it in my hydration backpack.
I typically run Spotify for my music and occasionally kick it over to Podbean for some of my favorite talks. Regardless, you’re using a Bluetooth connection, so whatever app you want to use to produce sound will work, including voice navigation when riding in new areas.
The Remote
A wireless remote control is included that is easily mounted to your handlebars. On it, you’ll find controls for volume, pause/play, track forward, and communication.
Simply take the mount and wrap the appropriate sized bands around it for your handlebar size in the position you like. Click the remote into place and you’re ready to go. I prefer to keep the remote close to my right hand controls to avoid having to bring my hand away from the shifters and brake.
Since you’re using bands to strap the mount to your bars, it’s easy to switch between bikes or remove it completely for race day. No one wants to get DQ-ed by a USAT race official or take an aerodynamic penalty in a triathlon just because the remote is stuck there.
Bone Conduction Speakers
Bluetooth may be at the heart of your connectivity, but the speakers deliver the sound. This is my first experience with bone conduction and I came away impressed. You can hear the music coming through without having the helmet on, but it’s pretty poor quality. Once you get those speakers physically touching the bones in front of each ear, it becomes more rich and dynamic than I initially thought possible.
We’re not talking Denon quality here, but I was surprised just how well the speakers transmit sound clearly. That’s despite road and wind noise and allowing me to keep situational awareness.
Wind Resistant Mic
When I first saw the Coros Linx, it offered an incredible first impression just because of the music solution. I didn’t expect a microphone to make and take phone calls. This puts the helmet on another level for a couple of reasons.
Obviously, you can stay in touch. Whether it’s your wife calling to ask what time you’re going to be home, the boss wondering where you are on a lunchtime ride, or calling up to the next town to order a pizza, it’s nice to have.
There’s some collateral safety inherent as well. Take a spill on a mountain trail (assuming you have a cell signal) and the same hands-free features that work with a Bluetooth headset work with the Linx. With just your voice, you’re able to call for help. There’s also an automated call for help on the app.
Using the Coros Linx
Fit
As you can imagine, I use the Coros Linx for music more than anything else. But to get the right sound, you need to fit your helmet correctly. There are your typical helmet adjustment straps to get a good fit, but you’ll need to pay attention to where the speakers are. Your jaw bone protrudes out just in front of your ears and this is where you need the speakers to sit – with the soft pieces pressing against them.
One thing you should note is that you’ll need the helmet to fit a bit tighter than you might be used to. Comfort is helped with a chin strap pad. With the included basic instruction, it took all of about 3 minutes to get it right. Once I got it dialed in, it took about 10 minutes to get used to the tighter straps and now I don’t even think about it.
Sound
As I mentioned before, the sound quality is impressive for the setup. Volume is another story. Don’t expect concert hall, room filling kind of sound. At the highest volume, road traffic will compete for your ears when you’re sharing a lane. I wouldn’t change that, though – I want to be able to hear the traffic around me over the music when it’s that close.
On the trail, I rarely turn up the volume all the way. There’s plenty to spare. Noise from the tires and wind noise simply isn’t an issue that’s difficult for the system to overcome.
Sound on phone calls is a bit different. There there are definitely times when it can be difficult to hear the other person. From what my Bride said, she could hear me just fine, but I had a little trouble picking up a word here and there while riding. Bottom line – don’t try to ride when you’re leading a conference call.
The App
The Coros app for Android and iPhone has enough features to write an entire review on by itself. It is capable of tracking your ride with a variety of metrics, storing routes, ranking against friends – it’s very Strava-esque. It will also connect to Strava.
If you’re like me, you’re already running a plethora of apps to track your overall fitness. I track my workouts with my Garmin watch which is connected to Garmin Connect, Strava, and MyFitnessPal. Add in Road ID so my Bride can keep an eye on my progress (and know where I am in case something happens) and I don’t really need another app.
That said, there are some cool features of the Coros app as a standalone platform. One of the most helpful is its ability to alert an emergency contact in the case of a crash. You can input one phone number and a short message if you hit hard enough to trip the sensor in the helmet. Once that happens, it will send a text to your contact with a link pinpointing your exact location after a 30-second warning. I actually tried it out by dropping the helmet on the carpet during a “ride”. It delivers as promised.
There’s also GPS routing with voice navigation if you want to use it. There’s enough here that if they add live tracking, I’d be tempted to just run this on its own connected it to Strava. The only issue I’ve run into so far is that using voice navigation or mile data updates interrupts Spotify, which then pauses. You have to dig out your phone to push play again or have a smart enough phone to use voice commands to get it running again. Either way, it’s a pain.
The Bottom Line
The Coros Linx is a solid choice for any cyclist whether you’re an urban, road, mountain, or gravel rider. Getting the fit right is critical to a good experience. When you do, the sound quality is excellent for the system and the volume is adequate for all types of riding. As you can imagine, adding some electronics and a battery does add to the helmet’s weight – but it’s not horrible at 400 grams. Ventilation is also decent, but not phenomenal, with 15 total vents.
If you’re a racer, be aware of the course rules. Races like USAT sanctioned triathlons ban electronic communication and music devices. Also be aware of the rules for your Saturday group rides. If in doubt, ask the leader or bike shop owner if it’s okay. Chances are, you’re going to end up selling a few helmets for Coros in the process.
You’ll get roughly 10 hours of runtime out of the integrated battery. It will definitely take some time to get used to charging your helmet, but that’s done with a simple Micro USB cord (one is included). Coros also includes an extra set of helmet padding for when the original finally gets too gross to keep wearing.
At the end of the day, the Coros Linx is a safety-certified helmet that solves the problem of having music and communication on your ride without impairing your situational awareness. That said, it’s still up to you as an individual to not get lost in the music or conversation. The Linx may free up your ears, but you still need to know your limitations.
Coros Linx Smart Bike Helmet Key Features
- Performance road cycling helmet with high speed, low drag aerodynamic design and airflow vent cooling
- Smartphone audio capability integration for music, calls, voice navigation and others
- Open-ear Bone Conduction Audio for precision sound and full environmental and auto awareness
- Handlebar mounted Smart Remote for hands-free audio control for volume, track forward, pause/play, communications
- App to manage GPS ride details, routes, voice navigation; Data share with popular apps
- SOS emergency alert via impact/G-sensor
- Comfortable, foam strip lining, and dynamic fitting via ratchet system for extended wearing
- All weather (Rain, water, splash, sweat resistant)
Coros Linx Smart Bike Helmet Specifications
- Model: LINX Smart Cycling Helmet
- Material: Polycarbonate shell with EPS impact foam
- Ventilation: Aerodynamic optimized, 15 vents
- Speaker type: bone conduction transducers
- Speaker sensitivity: 100 ± 3dB
- Frequency response: 100Hz—20KHz
- Microphone: Wind resistant, top mounted
- Battery: Rechargeable Lithium; 10+ hrs play/talk time
- Indicator: LED for operation, charge, low battery
- Compatibility: Bluetooth 4.0; iOS, Android devices
- Consumer Product Safety Commission Certified: Yes
- Sizes: Medium, Large
- Available Colors: White-orange-gray, Black-orange, Orange-white gloss, Black-white
- Weight: 400 g
- Warranty: 1-year limited warranty
- Price: $199.99
