First Look and Giveaway | 3 x Giro Source MIPS Helmet to be won!

First look at the Giro Source MIPS helmet, a cool, fashionable and safe trail lid suitable for all off-road riding.

I think it’s safe to say that we all think mountain bike helmets are cool now. Yes, of course, they all look great, way better than those huge marshmallows we wore back in the ’90s, but modern helmets are also pretty cool in the not hot department too. When you think about that, this is pretty impressive because generally when we want to make something safe and wear it for protection we don’t normally want to add large holes in it, but helmet manufactures have some sort of engineering voodoo that allows the creation of these ultra-safe structures with large cooling channels running through them.

I don’t claim to understand the engineering methods involved in modern helmet design, but I do appreciate that there are brands out there raising the bar and making head protection comfy, cool and cool to wear (yeah, both types of cool).

The Giro Source MIPS is one such helmet, it doesn’t weigh much, it’s great to look at, it has a bunch of high-tech safety features and it’s very comfortable.

Giro has a long history of producing cycling helmets, with the company launching almost 40 years ago in 1985. With nearly 4 decades of experience under their belts, it’s easy to see how Giro is able to produce some of the best mountain bike helmets on the market. It’s also hardly surprising to see a feature-packed Giro helmet too, after all, they have many many years of innovation to borrow from.

According to the Giro website the Source MIPS helmet “combines advanced performance and protection in a rugged, trail ready design” meaning that if you ride off-road then the Source MIPS is likely to suit your style of riding.

The shell itself is perforated with 16 large vents that allow cool air to enter the helmet run over your head then exit through the rear. Internally Giro has also included large air channels to promote airflow and increase the capacity for cooling on the trail. The vent size and position is large enough to ensure fresh air can come and go but doesn’t leave your head so exposed that you might worry about injury in the event of a crash.

To further promote a cool and comfortable fit, Giro uses a Cool Fit padding system. Each low-profile pad offers enough cushioning to ensure a snug fit without any unwanted pressure points. The Cool Fit pad material has been specially developed to wick moisture away from your head and dry quickly. The pad system can easily be removed for cleaning and its Antimicrobial properties stop any bacterial growth and prevent odours from forming.

Each of these pads is installed on a moulded cradle that wraps around your head for a perfect fit. This internal cradle uses Giro’s Roc Loc 5 micro-adjust fitting system. Roc Loc 5 uses a dial on the rear of the cradle that ensures a tailored fit at a twist. It literally takes seconds to adjust and achieve a genuinely comfortable fit.

The cradle itself is fastened to the EPS liner of the Giro Source MIPS via yellow MIPS elastomers. MIPS was created to reduce rotational forces in the event of a crash, which intern can ensure better brain protection in an accident. Another benefit of MIPS is added comfort and enhanced fit. It offers so much which taking very little space up in a helmet.

As for the outer shell, the Source MIPS boasts an in-mould polycarbonate shell and EPS liner polycarbonate hardbody lower shell. The EPS foam used in the construction of the helmet absorbs impact forces rather than transferring them through your head, while the external shell neatly holds it all together and provides a rather stylish design.

Riders who wear glasses or goggles or those riders who struggle with line of sight with a visor will be happy to see that Giro has included an adjustable visor to the Source MIPS. The visor is screwed into position and can be simply lifted or lowered to suit your preference, either to improve visibility or offer a position to keep your eyewear.

Ensuring a secure fit is a simple buckle that fastens into place and holds the Source MIPS on via comfy slimline webbing.

The Giro Source MIPS helmet is available in sizes S, M, L and XL and there are 6 colours to choose from including Matte Black Fade, Matte Chalk, Matte Portaro Grey, Matte Trim Blue, Matte Trim Red and Matte Warm Black. The cost is £119.99.

For more details visit the Giro website or head to the Zyro website and find out where your nearest Giro dealer is.

Win your very own Giro Source MIPS helmet

We’ve teamed up with Zyro, the distributors of Giro in the UK, to offer Singletrack readers a chance to win their very own Giro Source MIPS helmet. We have 3 helmets to giveaway and all you have to enter for your chance of winning is to answer the simple question below.