Mountain Bike Rider — March 2018

TEST

WINNER!

GROUP TEST

80 mbrMARCH 2018

BELL 4FORTY MIPS

£89.99

SPECIFICATIONWeight: 370g • Sizes: S, M, L, XL • Contact: zyrofisher.co.uk

LeadingbrandBellhastwonewtrail
helmetsfor2018.Thecheaper4Forty
herecomeswithMIPSrotationalimpact
protection for under £90, and, with a
slickshape,two-tonecolourandfull
hardshellwrap,looksabargain.
BellnowincorporatesMIPSintothe
retention system, rather than use a
separate twistable liner, which keeps the
profile lower and reduces heat build-up.
Theuniqueinteriorpaddingdesignis
alsonew,usingbrowpadsthatoverlap
the underside of the shell to direct
sweatoutwardsawayfromtheforehead
to reduce dripping straight into eyes,
andwefounditworksreallywell.
The4Forty is secured by a rear
tensioning dial that pulls a comfy plastic
cradleintotheskullandcanbeadjusted
throughfourindexedtiltpositions.The
innerpadsarerelativelythin,sothey
don’tgettoosaturated,butarewell
placedforexcellentcomfortwithno
pressure points. The interior isn’t as
deep as some enduro lids, so will likely
suitrounder,ratherthantaller,head
shapes. Ventilation is very good, with
plenty of air passing over the head while

moving, but in our experience it’s not

quite as exceptionally breezy as Bell’s

new Sixer lid.

Thisflagshipmodelhasmorebrow

vents and even more minimal MIPS

integrationifyoucanafford

the extra £60. Both helmets

can stash goggles under the

peak,butthe4Forty’sbendy

visorcangettwistedeasily

and the new ‘wrap underneath’

paddesigngetssprayedwith

mudmoreeasilytoo,so

the removable padding

might need cleaning

more frequently.

Overall,thisnewBelllidisfantastic

quality though; stable in use, and

lighterthanthemoreexpensiveSixer

model, it ticks just about every box at

a great price.

ENDURA MT500

£149.99

SPECIFICATIONWeight: 349g • Sizes: S/M, M/L, L/XL • Contact: endurasport.com

Enduraisarelativenewcomertothe

helmet game, but that’s not stopped

it aiming high with this technology-

packed,Koroyd-toutinglid.TheScottish

brand’s MT500 helmet is pricey, but

with good all-

roundcoverageitfeelsreallyprotective,

and is also close fitting at the temples so

theexteriorisnicelylow-profile.

TheKoroydpartisthedistinctive,

honeycomb structure that forms

the helmet’s core, much like

EPS polystyrene does in most

otherlids.Thelittletubeslook

like tiny drinking straws, and

expelhotairaswellasacting

asanextraprotectivelayer.

Endura claims the way the

honeycomb collapses in

acrashcanreducethe

riskofaskullfracture

by 35 per cent, and

the deformation

also acts similarly

to a rotational

impact protection system by buckling

in multiple directions. The Koroyd

layerdoesn’tflowairoverthescalp

as well as sculpted EPS, but it’s also

less insulating, and the massive vents

intheshellareextremelyeffective—

especiallyatthefrontandside,where

huge openings pump air straight onto

the brow and temples.

A four-positionvisor,securedby

snazzyaluminiumbolts,easilyfits

goggles under the peak and there’s a

rearchannelandcliptokeepstraps

secure too. The retention system

hasaone-handeddialwithaquality,

rubberised finish that’s adjustable

bothintermsofdepthattherear,and

widthatthetemples,sothefitcan

be precisely tuned. Inside, the MT500

isreallydishedout,so,evenwiththe

thickandcomfyantibacterialpads,the

helmetfeelslikeit’sreallysittinground

your head with excellent coverage.

TheMT500isexpensive,butisvery

comfortable, stable and really wraps

yourskullprotectively,meaningitoffers

big performance to match the price tag.