While seemingly superficial, anyone who has ridden with an aero lid will know the challenge of trying to stow sunglasses when they’re not on your face. They’re meant to be best compatible with POC’s own brand sunnies, but we teamed the helmet with a whole host of brands and found them to hold tight to every single pair. The semi-aero lid did suffer a little with breathability however, and while the ventilation was very good, on the hottest of riding days it could have genesis mountain bike done with the ability to suck even more cool air in. That said, on the sweatiest of days in the saddle, we found that the Protone’s water irrigation design is top-notch, managing to avoid channelling sweat down onto sunglasses or into eyes. Our test model in a small weighed in at just 170g (the claimed weight for the medium is 200g). We certainly found that this translated to a featherweight feel on the head, with the ventilation adding to the general comfort.
The best road bike helmets will be lightest in their given category, making them the most comfortable option because they place less strain on your neck. These types of bikes have long wheelbases for better pedaling and large 29-inch wheels. Because of the distances riders go on these bikes, they’re some of the lightest mountain bikes and walk the line between comfort and efficiency, usually having a shorter level of suspension travel at around mm. Established UK brand Genesis produce some of the best quality road and mountain bikes on the market. Genesis have been bringing the best British designed bikes to the market since 2006.
Kask uses its Ergo Fit retention system, which allows wide vertical and circumference adjustment of the rear of the cradle, allowing two sizes to suit most head sizes, and there is a comfortable synthetic leather chin strap. Rather than an additional layer like MIPS, Kask uses the WG11 protocol to test its helmets for rotational impact protection. For those going on gravel and long tours on their bike, a chromoly steel frame mountain bike might be something to look into. Being resistant to fatigue and easy to repair, these can handle long-term rides with a fair amount of weight. These bike frames are mainly available from custom frame builders and therefore have a large price tag.
However, it’s really important that even the best road bike helmets are replaced even if it looks like just a minor scuff on the outer casing. This is because the integrity of the EPS, and other safety features which are designed to absorb the impact are highly likely to have been damaged by doing their job perfectly. This means that the next time you crash, there won’t be anywhere for the energy to go, making a head injury more likely.
We found it was a very comfortable lid, which provided a close fit with Met’s ‘Safe-T Orbital’ fit system with retention dial. It also had sufficient ventilation thanks to its three small vents on the front and further two ‘exhaust’ holes at the rear – included to channel air out the back. It has a clever magnetic visor system, but bear in mind the visor is quite long and therefore may take some time to get used to. These are mainly suited for slopestyle, freeride, and dirt jump bikes, such as the Cannondale Dave, as they’re stiffer, stronger, and lighter than other sizes which means that they accelerate faster on smooth surfaces. Being a noticeable amount lighter than other types of frame materials, carbon fiber frames are sought after by those looking for a professional edge, as they’re commonly used for higher-end bikes.
Generally made from steel and titanium, these are typically equipped with 26- or 29-inch wheels. Each kind of bike excels in different conditions and riding styles, so getting a few basics out of the way will help you determine what bike best suits your needs. Genesis are building a reputation for thoughtful and well designed bikes so it is fair to say that there had been a sense of expectation once we knew the Alpitude was winging its way to us. There has been much talk about the Alpitude genesis bicycles and the clear design ethos behind it, which was to make a bike that you could… At around 27lbs the Core weighs in somewhere in the middle of the scale that you would expect for a 120mm trail blaster but it feels nippy and easy to spin up to speed thanks to the lightweight rims and fast rolling tyres. The wheelset is lightweight with an internal rim width of 19mm that will take good sized rubber which means you could add some float to the ride with some high volume tyres.
The idea here is to better protect against rotational impacts, while the outer shell can absorb glancing blows. By using its Air Cage design, it’s been able to strip down the usual foam bridges to help increase ventilation by almost 25% when compared to the Prevail 2 without compromising safety. Essentially the cage design acts like a suspension bridge, distributing the forces of an impact across the entire helmet. There’s also a 10-gram weight, saving to be had on a like-for-like size, with the brand putting this weight saving down to the Helios Spherical helmet having less technical ventilation structure than the Aether. I found it a barely noticeable difference having ridden both helmets, with the two equally as comfortable as each other.