The R2X is a smart helmet with rider to rider intercom plus Alexa Built-in. The R2X features seamlessly integrated speakers and microphone, which allow users to use the R2X’s communication features and speak directly to Alexa. Sena’s hands free helmet-to-helmet Mesh Intercom™ communication platform makes it easy to communicate with cycling partners while riding.
If you’ve never heard of Sena helmets, that should come as no surprise. They’re really a technology/communications company that “realized that his technology could bridge the gap for wireless rider-to-rider motorcycle communication, which was virtually impossible at the time. Sena set out on a new mission to provide a solution for motorcyclists to communicate with one another safely and efficiently.” And “as innovation expanded, Sena’s product offerings began to cater to the cycling, outdoor, and industrial markets. Sena has expanded upon its original Bluetooth communication platform with a proprietary Mesh Intercom™ platform that allows even more riders to connect with the single touch of a button.”
As a helmet, the Sena R2X is a lot like many other road helmets that you would see at your LBS. It has an aerodynamic shape (but isn’t an aero helmet) with 12 intake vents for cooling/airflow and 3 exhaust vents. It wouldn’t look out of place on your local group/shop ride. PEZ got matte white, but it also comes in matte black and matte gray.
The inside is well padded (but not MIPS). The chinstrap has a pad that velcros over it that’s comfortable and also keeps the excess strap in place #marginalgains. A dial at the back of the helmet adjusts tightness/fit. In other words, pretty much like your typical road helmet.
Side strap adjustment is held in place with a buckle that locks down
And like any other helmet that’s intended to protect your noggin’, it’s CPSC certified.
One thing that is different is the weight. At 420 grams for a size medium, the Sena R2X is probably ~150+ grams heavier than your typical road race helmet (all my helmets weight less than 300 grams). But that weight is to accommodate the electronics that set the Sena R2X apart from the crowd.
Spot on Sena’s spec of 420g for a size medium helmet
NOTE: Most of that extra weight is at the back of the helmet. I could certainly feel the extra weight but not the point where it was bothersome (ditto for my friend, Seth, who helped me test the rider-to-rider communications). The weight isn’t as noticeable when just riding. But when you swivel your head left or right, you can feel the weight more. So far, my longest ride with the Sena R2X has been 40-something miles in cool-ish weather. It will be interesting to see how it feels on longer and hot weather rides (but probably not a helmet for a long, hot day in the mountains).
Charging port and LED taillight (solid, night flash, and day flash) at the back of the helmet
The Sena R2X has built-in speakers and a microphone. With a Bluetooth connection, you can connect to your phone to listen to music (songs and playlists on my iPhone) and for phone calls. Both Seth and I found we could listen to music (not audiophile quality but still very good), but even at lower volumes (but loud enough to hear the music) it reduced our ability to hear ambient noise, i.e., cars. Not like having earbuds that totally isolate outside sounds, but enough of a difference. In other words, please be smart riding listening to music (and don’t crank up the volume!)
Speakers (green arrows) and microphone (red arrow)
Not that I want to be talking on my phone while I’m riding, but it’s a nice convenience if my wife or daughter need to get a hold of me. The sound quality was very good. I could hear my wife clearly and she could hear me without any wind noise while I was riding. Kudos to Sena for their microphone.
The Sena R2X can also connect to the Alexa app on your phone. I tried it just to see how it works, e.g., I asked Alexa about the weather. At home, I mostly use Alexa to listen to music and I could do the same thing with the Sena R2X. If you have smart devices connected to Alexa, you can control them from your helmet. But I don’t know that I have a practical riding use for this feature. YMMV.
NOTE: The Sena R2X will also work with Google Assistant (what my friend Seth has) and Siri (what I have) just like any other headset connected to your phone via Bluetooth.
You control the electronics with the buttons on the left side of the helmet
For me (and Seth), the really cool thing about the Sena R2X is the mesh intercom. When activated, it’s an always-on voice connection for anyone on the same channel (there are nine channels to choose from) — not just another rider, but you could also communicate with someone in the “team car” if they have a compatible Sena communications device, e.g., Expand Mesh Communication Headset. Unlike a race radio that’s push-to-talk, you just talk (you can mute the mic if you’re talking to someone near you and don’t want everyone else on the network to hear the conversation — but you’ll still be able to hear if someone on the network talks). As with phone calls, the sound quality of the mesh intercom was crystal clear.
Lots of vents
Sena says the range between each R2X in open terrain can be up to a half mile. Seth and I were riding in a mostly urban environment with a lot of houses and other buildings and we estimated the point-to-point range under those conditions was more like a quarter mile. But if there were more riders with the R2X, that range could theoretically be extended (despite all the buildings) because how a mesh network works is by bouncing the signal from one node to another (the same way cell phone towers work). Pretty cool, eh? So as long as each node has a clear signal to the next node, you should be able to communicate with the furthest away node even if they’re out of point-to-point range. Sena says that in open terrain the mesh network can be extended up to 2 miles with a minimum of 6 users.
Even if I’m not riding with someone else with a Sena R2X, the helmet still has functional utility for me on rides where I’ve loaded a route. With the route on Ride With GPS, I can get audio cues for directions in addition to having the route on my bike computer. It’s the voice in my head.
Talk to me, Goose
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