“It will be similar to what we do in Maydena, where the whole area will be under our lease and under our responsibility. So we’ll manage the trail development, the trail maintenance, and the general operation of the park, including safety management and putting on bike patrol,” he says. The key change going forward is that rather than splitting management between two entities to run the park day to day and then having more outside contractors come in to build new trails, Elevation Parks will be in charge of everything.
There is more information about these below in the ‘How to choose a helmet’ section. The Feather is an all-purpose single-speed commuter or urban utility bike that might just be the most fun bike you’ve ever ridden. A flip-flop hub puts a fixed gear cog on one side and a freewheel on the other so you can choose your riding style.
As she competed at the elite level, her journalism career followed, and soon she became a full-time cycling journalist, a career she’s now had for 11 years. There’s little venting though, with the visor covering the two small slot vents in the front of the shell, making for a warm, but manageable ride. It also lacks some of the more modern safety features, with no MIPS or MIPS equivalent technology included. On the scales it’s pretty similar to some of our other lightweight helmets, coming in at 242g for the medium. What’s different from lots of other helmets in this guide is the price, it’s a good $100 cheaper than many of its competitors. Other safety features include the Spherical MIPS system, with the outer and inner shell capable of moving independently during an impact.
The Protone features a reinforced internal plastic sub-structure, which has been certified in passing the Kask Rotational Impact WG11 Test, the brand’s protocol on rotational impact. With its short tail, the MET Codatronca has an advantage which makes it a more versatile time trial helmet for most riders. Riders will still get significant aero gains but without having to worry that they are always in a perfect optimum “turtle” position – this is particularly relevant when faced with sporting courses. On the bike, we were impressed by the airflow as well, which works better than some more obviously vented helmets, despite there only being two front-facing vents. We also rated the ponytail-friendliness, although adjusting the cradle height at the rear is a little fiddly. To keep the weight as low as possible, the helmet doesn’t feature any additional safety features such as MIPS, although other versions of the Ventral do.
One of the other big development goals is to create a trailhead space that will bring the riding community together. “The cool thing about Mystic is that there are so many logging roads crisscrossing the hill. With some careful planning, you can make it a really cool trail riding experience with a few links here and there,” he says. Dirt Art was contracted to put together a master plan about 12 months ago to look at the future of the park. As part of that they designed several trails on Emily Spur, some of which has just been built, to offset some of what will be lost in Mystic Bowl.
The Ventral is one of the lightest helmets available, making it ideal for those who measure rides in vertical metres rather than horizontal kilometres. Excellent ventilation helps in the heat but the adjustment mechanism is a bit basic and there is no MIPS to save genesis bicycles weight. Specialized Soil Searching is a movement to recognise, celebrate, and support the trail builders who help shape our sport and our stoke. That tender closed in mid-February, and Elevation Parks, Dirt Art’s bike park management and development arm, had won.
Some helmets are women’s specific and even feature a special gap to allow for a ponytail, such as Specialized’s Hair Port system. The MIPS liner is designed to reduce rotational forces on the brain that can occur in the event of a crash. It creates a slip plane to mimic and amplify the brain’s protection system to minimize the force transmitted to the brain in the event of an impact. If you’re looking specifically to save some money then you might want to check out our guide on the Best cheap and budget friendly bike helmets to get the best without breaking the bank. If you choose to spend more, the helmet won’t necessarily be safer but instead may be lighter, and more breathable. The retention system often becomes more comfortable and adjustable on a more expensive helmet too.
“Intermediate jump trails are some of the most popular trails no matter where you go, so we really want to grow that out. And then obviously looking at some of that technical classic singletrack that Maydena is known for,” he says. French says they also plan to go in after the trees are harvested to build new trails in the Mystic Bowl area.
The shaping of the vents at the back and a more enclosed rear keep the drag low. Whilst we can’t vouch for the added watts this design certainly does provide really good airflow through the helmet in our experience. During the review period, we found this helmet to be exceptional in its ventilation ability and at the cutting edge for safety features.
This leads to an added element of upkeep as more parts generally mean more maintenance. Bearing the same name as the sport, XC bikes are for long-distance riding and racing. Hardtails make up a large proportion of the bikes designed for cross country, although full-suspension bikes with a lockable front suspension are now more common. As mountain biking has developed over the years, so too have the types of bikes. Besides the ones listed below, there are several subcategories and combinations thereof. They have two functions – to reduce the weight of the helmet, and also to add ventilation.