Built around ‘Spherical Technology powered by MIPS’, the Giro Insurgent claims to have 50% better cooling and 200g less weight than the Giro Disciple MIPS. It’s the brand’s flagship enduro race lid.
- Brand: Giro
- Product: Insurgent Spherical
- Price: £349
- From: Giro UK
- Review by: Aran Francis for 2 months
Giro’s new premium full face helmet, the Insurgent, has impressed me straight out of the box. It’s immediately clear this helmet means serious business from its sleek design and comfortable feel to the numerous safety features that Giro have impressively put together into the lid.
Giro use the line “confidence to commit” to describe the Insurgent and to me this really couldn’t hit the nail on the head(!) any more directly.
The main feature of this helmet is the ‘Spherical’ lid-in-lid design. This system essentially means the helmet is made up of two inner shells in a ball-and-socket arrangement that allows for independent movement of these two pieces and the use of two different materials in each shell.
The outer layer uses an EPS material, usually expected from most modern helmets, to address high speed impacts, whilst the inner layer uses an EPP material designed for lower speed impacts. As well as this ‘Spherical’ design, the helmet uses the familiar MIPS layout, a system which is becoming an increasingly must-have feature that helps redirect rotational energy away from the brain.
The helmet also includes Giro’s ‘flex gasket’ which aims to reduce the role the helmet can play in worsening collarbone injuries.
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As soon as you put it on you can feel that this helmet is extremely well kitted out when it comes to comprehensive head protection. The helmet feels tough and really does give you the ‘confidence-to-commit’.
This double layered Spherical design, along with the strong outer shell and well-padded interior should in theory lead to a more cumbersome and sweaty experience. However, whilst this helmet isn’t the most breathable helmet I’ve ever worn, it is clear that Giro really have designed this helmet to breathe better than its predecessor (the Giro Disciple).
With this helmet being more downhill-oriented, the venting is comparatively minimal but the vents are well positioned and I would still be happy wearing this lid all day on a relatively warm uplift.
It is not an amazing helmet for an all-day enduro pedal in hot weather but this could never really be expected of any full facer. That said, I have done several reasonable days of pedalling whilst wearing the Giro Insurgent and with strategic breaks – and periods of ashamedly pushing up some of the steeper climbs – it’s perfectly manageable. If you can bear the slight inconvenience of a big lid on one of these longer rides you will really reap the rewards when descending.
When it comes to the descents, this helmet really impresses. The Insurgent inspires confidence and fits firmly on the head further aiding a nice composed feel. Thanks partially to its lightweight design (just over a kilogram on the Small) the Insurgent doesn’t feel as bobbleheady as one would expect.
If pushed to nit pick, the Spherical shells do sometimes make some noise as they wobble against each other. But as someone who is very annoyed by little noises on the bike, I can still say this wasn’t noticeable most of the time and never bothered me at any point.
Overall
This helmet is now without a doubt my go to full face helmet and I will look for any excuse to wear this on a ride, even if it’s just for an evening run down the local after work.
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Review Info
| Brand: | Giro |
| Product: | Insurgent Spherical |
| From: | Giro UK |
| Price: | £349 |
| Tested: | by Aran Francis for 2 months |
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