The Radavist

Brooks England may be known best for their saddles, yet over the years, they’ve developed various other products including apparel, tools, bags and now helmets. They just announced two helmets for 2017: the Harrier, a road and the Island, a commuter. Currently, Brooks is looking for 300 “Brooks Boomers” to help in the R&D of these helmets. Head to Brooks to see more details.

If you ride downhill or race enduro, chances are you spend a lot of time in a full-face helmet. The Giro Switchblade is a throwback to their first removable chin bar helmet. Back in 1998 they created the first mainstream mountain bike helmet with a removable chin bar and now, the design has been updated to include ASTM Downhill Certification…

Now to answer everyone’s pressing question: no, this will not make you shred like Aaron Bradford, but it’ll keep your smile pretty when you eat shit trying to!

Our good friends at LAND, the design duo who branded the Radavist, have teamed up with Smith to infuse the Maze Bike helmet with their artwork. It’s a classic example of ‘less is more’ when it comes to collaborations. The helmet has a matte tan base and is then overlaid with the LAND jaguar design. I wish this came in a road or mountain design because it’s one of my favorite illustrations of theirs. See more of LAND’s work at their Instagram and check out the Maze Bike helmet at Smith.

Anyone have a better shot of the artwork?

Two new, sub-$200 MIPS helmets have just landed in the Smith lineup. The Route road and Rover mountain helmets are designed with the everyday rider in mind, while not compromising in terms of looks or functionality. Check out the new product video above and see more information at Smith.

For those who want to stand out a bit more with a designer helmet, check out this collaboration between Paul Smith and Kask on their Protone Cycling Helmet. These ombré helmets are made in Italy and have landed at Paul Smith’s webshop.

Helmets provide a lot of real estate for technology but with all the action camera mounts, you end up with a lot of “bobble” weight. This week Bell Helmets announced a new 360-degree video integrated “smart” helmet, utilizing 360Fly. This helmet allows a 360º, 4K video capture and with the 360Fly app, you can edit and share before you even leave the trails. All this within Bell’s Super 2R design, which I would argue is one of the best on the market today.

Details at this time are limited and availability is estimated for fall. Pricing has not been set, so stay tuned. My only question: does it or will it come in black?

Camo and fluoro make for a strange dichotomy, especially with road cycling. The joke’s been made in the past: “why do you want a camo jersey on your road bike? Don’t you want to be more visible?” Is it fashion? Or function? Whatever it is, Lazer helmets tackled it in one of the more successful treatments I’ve seen on a helmet with their new Z1 color option.

Need a new trail or bikepacking helmet? Check out the new Giro Montaro™ MIPS. With looks to kill and great details, these helmets will be hitting dealers in October for a retail of $150, something we can all afford. Check out more information at Giro and see the product details at their web shop.

Last year at the Tour, Giro unveiled the SYNTHE helmet. A lightweight, aerodynamic, well-ventilated helmet with a clean, minimal profile. This year, the SYNTHE got safer with MIPS, or multi-directional impact protection system. MIPS is the by-product of the science behind safety, which in my opinion is more important than any speed or aerodynamic efficiency testing you’ll read online. Another factor to consider is looks. There are colors to match your desired look, from black to fluorescent. The SNYTHE looks good, which will make you want to actually wear your helmet more.

See more on the SYNTHE with MIPS at Giro and check these out at your local dealer in the Fall.

Bell continues their coverage of the Spring Classics with E3 Harelbeke, a race often described as a warm up for Flanders. Don’t be mistaken, this is far from a walk in the park. See more information at Bell!

During the rapidly-approaching Spring Classics, Bell Helmets is running a give-away for each of eight races, starting with Milan San Remo and team LottoNL-Jumbo. Head over to Bell to find out how you can enter for the give-away, featuring Bell products and team gear.

Right about now, I’m jonesin for some SoCal mountainbiking and this new video from Kali Protectives’ newest product launch ain’t helping. See more information on the Maya at Kali.

During my discussion with Bell at Interbike, I mentioned that the average consumer with any amount of eye for style or design, doesn’t really care about how aero their helmets are. We, if I may be so bold, would rather a helmet look good, keep us cold and protect our lives. Sometimes, however, style and aerodynamics overlap. In my opinion, that’s what the Bell New Star Pro is. An aero helmet with style…

With an innovative, closable “vent” system, these helmets not only offer aerodynamics, but I’d like to think, additional warmth during cold seasons.

Check out full specs below and see more at Bell.

The John Boultbee label within the Brooks England product line offers unique color combinations to classic models. Both apparel and accessories, like this special edition Carrera folding helmet. This helmet is available in a plethora of colors, but let’s be honest, black on black looks sick.

See more at Brooks England.

I know well enough than to spark a helmet debate online and that’s not my intention here. All I want to do is share one man’s story about how a helmet saved his life. A few years back, Andy White from FYXO was on a ride, in his backyard, on a familiar road when he fell.

You’ve got to head over to FYXO for the full scoop… and ride safe out there!

I’ve yet to venture into the world of full-face protection, but the new Bell Super 2R helmet would be the one I’d pick up when the time calls. Why? As illustrated above, this helmet is more versatile than any other helmet, ATMO.

While climbing, you can remove the chinbar with one simple snap. Simply strap it to your pack, then when it’s time to descend, you can put it back on. Or if you’re traveling and will be hitting trails that don’t require as much protection, simply leave the chinbar at home that day.

Personally, I’m most stoked on the “coffee shop lock” possibilities…

Available in MIPS and non-MIPS, as well as a whole spectrum of colors. See more at Bell.

This is a game-changer for sure. MIPS’ slip plane technology is backed by science and is changing the helmet market. Giro noted this early on and began working with MIPS on new helmets for late fall 2014…

“Giro Sport Design has announced a new partnership with MIPS Technologies. After years of collaboration researching and validating new technologies to further reduce impact energy, Giro will introduce new helmets in three key categories (Road, Mountain and Urban) that employ Multidirectional Impact Protection System (MIPS) slip plane technology. The Sutton MIPS, Feature MIPS, Feather MIPS, Savant MIPS and Sonnet MIPS will be available worldwide in late fall 2014.”

Check out the full press release, including pricing and model breakdown below.

Aero is the new black. Personally, I couldn’t care less about aerodynamics. I’m more interested in a stylish helmet. The Synthe is just that. See the full press-release below, along with more photos. Sign me up for that all-black model!