Tested
TROY LEE STAGE HELMET
£275
SPECIFICATION Weight: 708g • Colours: sliver/blue, red/black, matt black, matt grey, matt black/pink • Sizes: XS-S, M-L, XL-XXL • Contact: saddleback.co.uk
As riders tackle more technical terrain, and faster trails with bigger jumps, the need for better head protection offering sufficient ventilation for all-day pedalling is becoming more and more relevant. In recent years we’ve seen a slew of new designs hit the market, some offering a convertible solution that transforms from open-face to full-face with the use of a removable chinbar. Others take a full-face design and pare back material and enlarge the vents to give all-over protection with greater airflow.
Of the former category the Bell Super DH noses ahead of the competition, and of the latter type Fox’s Proframe has been our number one choice.
But last year a new contender entered the ring, from helmet heavyweight Troy Lee Designs. It’s called the Stage, and boasting Troy Lee’s typically slick styling and aspirational image, it certainly turned heads when it was released.
In the box, the Stage comes with a carry bag, spare visor hardware, sticker kit and — as there’s no adjustable retention system — a selection of different pads to customise the fit. In total you get two liner thicknesses (13mm and 10mm) to sit over the MIPS device, two neck rolls (25mm and 15mm) and three jawpads (35mm, 25mm and 15mm). All are labelled to make them easy to identify.
With a 56cm-circumference head, I should be in a XS/S Stage, but the M/L actually fitted well when running the thicker liner pad, and didn’t rock, roll or wobble even slightly when riding. And it has to be said that most people will wear the Stage with goggles, and this always helps stabilise a helmet.
On our scales, the Stage came in at 708g, which is slightly heavier than the claimed 690g, but still around 40g lighter than
