Trail helmets
After the bike itself, the one thing you really must invest in to go mountain biking is a helmet. Head injuries are a huge danger off-road, where even the most innocuous slow speed crash can be serious if you’re unfortunate enough to land on a rock or hit a tree. Most of us here at mbr have suffered concussions and broken helmets from crashing, and we shudder to think of how much more serious those incidents would have been without a helmet.
Mountain bike helmets are not vastly different from any other form of cycling helmet, but they do have some specific design features that help ensure they are more effective off-road. For example, modern trail helmets sit a bit deeper on your head, extending down the nape of the neck, and they have extra coverage around the temples. Lots of helmets now incorporate some kind of rotational protection device, such as a MIPs liner, to reduce the risk of concussion. This can also be in the form of integrated reinforcement or crumple technology. There’s normally a visor, or peak, that you’ll be able to adjust up and down, and you may even see features such as integrated adapters to mount a POV cam or light, magnetic buckle closures, goggle strap clips and a storage bag.
Good trail lids can cost anything from around £60 up to £250, but the most competitive price point is around £100-£150, and this is where the bulk of the helmets on test here fit.
BELL SIXER
£149.99
SPECIFICATION Weight: 392g • Sizes: S, M, L • Contact: zyrofisher.co.uk
We’ve replaced the test-winning Super 3 MIPS with the Bell Sixer MIPS. It’s £20 more, but you get a more focused design, up-to-date construction, lower weight and an extra size. Similar to most helmets, the Sixer is constructed using what Bell calls a Fusion In-Mold process and features Progressive Layering, which uses two densities of foam: a hard layer against the outer shell to stop penetrative impacts and a soft layer closer to the head, which crumples more easily to spread the load. Obviously, the MIPS system also adds further protection by dissipating any rotational forces.
The adjustable visor gets three position indents, so when you flip it up you don’t have to tighten any fasteners – it actually stays in place. Obviously with the visor being able to tilt right up out of the way, you can easily stash goggles underneath. Bell even includes a channel at the back for the strap and a rubber coated strip to hold it in place. And if you choose to use glasses instead, there are cutaways on the inside of the helmet for
