Giro Merit: two helmets in one, literally

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New Giro Merit helmet is built around ball-and-socket Spherical Technology and features dual-density foam liner. SRP £189.

Fifteen vents – including the cute pair of intake ones right at the front – with internal channeling. Roc Loc Trail Air retention. M-m-m-m-MIPS! Adjustable peak. Rubberised goggle gripper at the back. Anti-stink pads. Spherical Technology.

Spherical Technology? Essentially this is separate inner and outer helmets that are joined together with a network of elastomers. This allows the outer helmet to move independently to the inner helmet. The Merit uses two different types of EPS foam: a softer one for slower impacts and a harder one for faster impacts.

Jiggle it. Just a little bit.

As with a lot of things, it’s probably easier just to look at some pics…

Inner helmet (wrapped in white shell) sits inside outer helmet.
Roc Loc Trail Air retention system
Rubberised strip for goggle gripping
Adjustable position, screw-in peak
Dial it in
Side view

Giro Merit Press Release

(February 22, 2022 – Scotts Valley, CA) Giro Sport Design, the cycling world’s design leader, today announced the release of Merit Spherical, a brand new, high-performance trail riding helmet built for fast, flowy trail riding and hard pedaling. Merit Spherical is built around Giro’s market-leading ball-and-socket Spherical TechnologyTM powered by Mips® and features Giro’s dual-density foam liner Progressive LayeringTM technology. It has deep coverage at the rear of the helmet and provides powerful airflow with 15 large Wind Tunnel vents for outstanding comfort. The helmet is available from authorized Giro retailers and www.giro.com for $220 US MSRP / €199.99 / UK £189 / $329.99 AUS.

“With the Merit, we wanted to give riders an helmet option with the added protection of Spherical Technology in a compact yet aggressive design. Through strategic vent placement and deep internal channeling, we maximized airflow through the helmet to allow heat to escape with ease—even at the slower speeds experienced while climbing,” said Giro Director of Product Development Ben Penner. “It’s the perfect helmet for putting in big uphill efforts before pushing it hard on the descent, as well as for trail riders who live for flowy, up-and-down terrain.”

Advanced protection is at the core of Merit, with Giro’s two-piece Spherical Technology powered by Mips® utilizing a ball-and-socket design to redirect impact forces in the event of a crash. Developed in the Dome, Giro’s world-class test lab, and in partnership with Mips®, Spherical Technology redirect

impact forces by allowing the outer liner to rotate around the inner liner during a crash. Spherical Technology seamlessly integrates Mips brain protection system between the inner and outer liner while also enabling Progressive Layering, with dual-density foam liners each designed to address high- and low-speed impacts.

In addition to the superior ventilation from 15 large Wind Tunnel vents, Merit also features deep channels built into the helmet’s EPS foam layer to assist in exhausting heat out of the helmet. Plush, quick-drying Ionic+ padding provides luxurious comfort as well as exceptional sweat absorption, odor protection and permanent antimicrobial performance. Additionally, Giro’s Roc Loc® Trail Air fit system makes fit and stability adjustments simple and fast while providing added comfort and durability for rough trail riding.

The Merit is also constructed using In-Mold technology, which fuses the tough polycarbonate outer shell to the helmet’s foam liner creating a permanent bond, helping to reduce weight and enhance durability. The shell also extends around to the inside edges of the helmet with Giro’s lower hardbody construction, to enhance durability.

Merit Spherical is available in size small, medium and large and features six colorways for men; Merit Spherical W comes in size small and medium and in three colorways for women.

While you’re here…

https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/fox-mainframe-helmet-review-mips-on-a-budget/
https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/smith-engage-review-high-end-protection-at-a-low-cost/

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Orange Switch 6er. Stif Squatcher. Schwalbe Magic Mary Purple Addix front. Maxxis DHR II 3C MaxxTerra rear. Coil fan. Ebikes are not evil. I have been a writer for nigh on 20 years, a photographer for 25 years and a mountain biker for 30 years. I have written countless magazine and website features and route guides for the UK mountain bike press, most notably for the esteemed and highly regarded Singletrackworld. Although I am a Lancastrian, I freely admit that West Yorkshire is my favourite place to ride. Rarely a week goes by without me riding and exploring the South Pennines.

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Home Forums Giro Merit: two helmets in one, literally

Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)
  • Giro Merit: two helmets in one, literally
  • argee
    Full Member

    I’m trying to understand the information here, is it basically just saying we’ve done another helmet that uses the current standard of MIPS (as do many other brands) and has lots of vents to try and keep you cooler on rides?

    singlespeedstu
    Full Member

    Does it squeak when the inner and outer bits move in different directions like the Bell Super DH does?

    b33k34
    Full Member

    we’ve done another helmet that uses the current standard of MIPS

    also puzzled – noticed this on Giro’s snow helmets. At first throught it was their own proprietary alternative to MIPS (which presumably has a licence fee attached) but I see this has a MIPS sticker on it as well…

    Looking at the pic of the inside it sounds like it’s moved from a thin plastic liner with the pads attached that moves to something further back in the helmet structure.

    barney
    Free Member

    It’s the same tech as the MIPS Spherical on the Bell Super DH from what I can tell. I have no idea why they’re separating it from the MIPS bit in the marketing – as far as I know it was developed and designed by/in conjunction with MIPS – the difference is that you need to design the helmet around the tech, whereas ‘standard’ MIPS can be retrofitted to (most) ordinary helmets for an extra layer of protection.

    This one has an inner helmet layer of polystyrene and an outer layer separated by the usual silicone attachment that standard MIPS uses. The main difference is that, as it doesn’t have to conform to the (ovoid) shape of your head as much, you can dial in extra movement in the event of a crash.

    When you crash with normal MIPS, there comes a point after a few degrees of rotation where the MIPS layer and your head binds against the helmet. The idea of the spherical stuff (it’s not *really* spherical) is to increase the degrees of rotation before the forces are applied to your head.

    Does that help?

    I can’t say I’ve found my Bell Super DH to be squeaky at at, but it’ll be interesting to see whether this Giro manages to avoid the somewhat mushroomesque demeanour of the Bell…

    singlespeedstu
    Full Member

    I can’t say I’ve found my Bell Super DH to be squeaky at at all

    It’s not so bad as an open face helmet but as soon as I put the chin bar on it squeaks quite badly.
    Mrs has the same lid in a different colour/size and that does it too.

    barney
    Free Member

    It’s not so bad as an open face helmet but as soon as I put the chin bar on it squeaks quite badly.
    Mrs has the same lid in a different colour/size and that does it too.

    Interesting! I guess it’s friction between the inner and outer shells, rather than the silicone attachments? I suppose some sort of lubrication (talc, graphite, – uh – olive oil?) between the inner and outer shell might help. Maybe I just have very greasy hair 🤣

    singlespeedstu
    Full Member

    I guess it’s friction between the inner and outer shells

    Yep. You can push the two together to recreate the squeak.
    I have actually tried silicone spray in there which kind of helped for a very short time.

    chipps
    Full Member

    To be fair, I have a regular Giro MIPS-linered helmet and that squeaks… I also have a Manifest, which looks a bit more quirky than this (and costs more!) that’s been silent.

    davidd
    Full Member

    I quite like the concept but genuinely interested to hear how this helmet will be faring after a couple of months worth of rain and grit in between the sliding elements. Let us know. Ta.

    gazzab1955
    Full Member

    I posted on the forum about squeaky helmets about 3 months ago. I have a Bell 4Forty and several people replied that their Bell DH helmets squeaked. I played around with the height adjustment and it disappeared.
    https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/squeaky-helmet/

    barney
    Free Member

    I quite like the concept but genuinely interested to hear how this helmet will be faring after a couple of months worth of rain and grit in between the sliding elements. Let us know. Ta.

    Assuming it’s essentially identical to the Bell one (and given that Bell and Giro are basically the same company I expect this to be an iteration of it, if not exactly the same) I’ve ridden my Bell in a variety of different conditions for a couple of years now, both open and full-face, with no issues. It’s a little weighty, but it’s not unmanageable. I’m fully behind the idea, I just need this to be perhaps a little lighter and less mushroomy than the Bell SuperDH (in open config) and I’ll be happy.

    cannondalem500
    Full Member

    I’m going to wait until it’s in the Evans sale for £35 like my last Giro MIPS helmet. Thanks Mr Ashley

Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)

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