Mountain Bike Rider — March 2018

GROUP TEST

MET ROAM

£135

SPECIFICATIONWeight: 343g • Sizes: S, M, L • Contact: met-helmets.com

TheRoamisMet’slatestall-mountain
helmet, available with or without MIPS,
in an array of eight colours. It’s made
outofthreesectionsandfinishedin
chunky-looking polycarbonate, with
atough,plasticrimroundtheedges.
The stylish shell has 22 vents and a
significantly sculpted polystyrene
interior to help channel air over the
scalptotheexhaustportslitteredall
overthehelmet’stail.
Themoulded, three-position peak
is flexible to ensure it bends in a crash
(ratherthanexertingleverageand
twisting your head) and tilts out of
theway,sothere’sampleroomfor
goggles.Metevengoesfullenduro
andintegratesaslotintheedgeof
the visor to clip the strap into. The
Roam’s tensioning system has a band
thatwrapstheskullentirelyabove
theearsandisadjustableinthree
different axes. As well as squeezing
more tightly, the rear retention dial can
shiftupanddown,andthetwooval
‘cradles’behindtheearsshiftleftand
rightforextrafit-tuning.Indexingon
the tensioning band is quite light in all

three directions though, and descending

hardandflexingneckmuscleslooking

forward, it’s possible to unintentionally

popopen one ‘click’ on the

retention dial. It’s not a massive

deal, or enough to upset the

helmet’s stability, but not

exactly ideal.

Thebuildqualityand

solidityoftheRoamisreally

top-notch. Like the latest

Bellhelmets, it feels

solid and extremely

comfortable on the

head and also

lightweight

enough

thatyoualmostforgetyou’rewearing

it. Met’s offering has great airflow and

coolingtoo,leavingjusttheprice,

andtheimperfectsecurityofthe

tension wheel, as drawbacks

to consider.

SCOTT VIVO PLUS

£89.99

SPECIFICATIONWeight: 343g • Sizes: S, M, L • Contact: scott-sports.com

Scott’sVivoPlusisanaffordable

lightweight trail lid with a quality two-

tonematt finish. It uses Scott’s top-tier

MRAS2fitsystemwithitscomfy,

easy-to-tweak rear cradle

tightenedbyamicro-adjustdial.To

switch between three height positions,

youneedtoremovethehelmetandfix

thetiltusingplasticstudsthatsit

behind each ear. This takes a

few seconds longer to adjust

thannormal,butisn’tabig

deal, as you’ll only do it once.

The Vivo offers extended

protection above the ears

andattheback,but

doesn’t envelop the

head as fully as

some, leaning

more towards

trail/XC

rider than full-on enduro warrior in

terms of looks. The outer shell is well

finished,withcleanedges,solidstrap

fixings and a full wrap-around on the

lower section to protect the polystyrene

from damage. The all-over vents are

pretty spacious, but there are fewer

ports, especially on the forehead zone,

than some helmets here and the Vivo

Plusrunsatadwarmerasaresult.

At£90itisgoodvalueconsidering

yougetalow-frictionMIPSlayerthat

allowsScott’shelmettorotaterelative

totheheadinaviolentimpact.This

protection takes the form of a thin liner

coveringmostoftheinterior(likemost

first-generation MIPS lids) and it gets

abitsweatyandclammyclosetoyour

scalp.There’sonlythininternalpadding

at the front too, which wriggles a bit

nexttotheslipperyplasticandcan’t

quite absorb enough sweat.

TheVivo Plus fits well and feels

reallylightonthehead,butit’s

notascomfortableandcoolasthe

brand’s £40-more-expensive Stego

model,whichisahelmetwe’dreally

recommend if your budget can

stretch to it.