The Ventral is one of the lightest helmets available, making it ideal for those who measure rides in vertical metres rather than horizontal kilometres. Excellent ventilation helps in the heat but the adjustment mechanism is a bit basic and there is no MIPS to save weight. Specialized Soil Searching is a movement to recognise, celebrate, and support the trail builders who help shape our sport and our stoke. That tender closed in mid-February, and Elevation Parks, Dirt Art’s bike park management and development arm, had won.
There are strengthening gussets where the down tube and top tube meet the tapered head tube and the seat stays are an old school wishbone style, the lack of a bridge gives ample mud clearance. The wind-cheating silhouette of the Giro Ultimate Aerohead will maximise your performance with its excellent aerodynamic design which also boosts plenty of ventilation with its four Wind Tunnel vents. The XR uses Bell’s Float Fit system, which we found simple to use and is paired with a comfortable strap and magnetic buckle. Combined, they allow for genesis bicycles a stable fit that we found added to the helmet’s high level of comfort – as did the great ventilation. The Prevail 3 also uses MIPS AirNode, which integrates the MIPS system, designed to protect against rotational forces during a crash, directly into the helmet padding to reduce weight and improve ventilation. Bridging the gap between road and off-road adventures, the lightweight helmet uses the same Spherical MIPS protection as the Giro Aether, which isn’t the only way this lower price offering challenges its more expensive sibling.
Generally made from steel and titanium, these are typically equipped with 26- or 29-inch wheels. Each kind of bike excels in different conditions and riding styles, so getting a few basics out of the way will help you determine what bike best suits your needs. Genesis are building a reputation for thoughtful and well designed bikes so it is fair to say that there had been a sense of expectation once we knew the Alpitude was winging its way to us. There has been much talk about the Alpitude and the clear design ethos behind it, which was to make a bike that you could… At around 27lbs the Core weighs in somewhere in the middle of the scale that you would expect for a 120mm trail blaster but it feels nippy and easy to spin up to speed thanks to the lightweight rims and fast rolling tyres. The wheelset is lightweight with an internal rim width of 19mm that will take good sized rubber which means you could add some float to the ride with some high volume tyres.
However, it’s really important that even the best road bike helmets are replaced even if it looks like just a minor scuff on the outer casing. This is because the integrity of the EPS, and other safety features which are designed to absorb the impact are highly likely to have been damaged by doing their job perfectly. This means that the next time you crash, there won’t be anywhere for the energy to go, making a head injury more likely.
Depending on the type of riding you’re doing, the frame material can either be a large help or a huge detriment. The benefit of rigid bikes is that they can be more efficient over smooth terrain since there is no suspension movement interfering with pedal efficiency. However, today many hardtail mountain bikes, including some Trail models, have a lockout on the suspension fork meaning you can have the benefit of suspension when you need it and the ability to lock it out when you don’t. Where we’ve been able to link to a review, it means that we’ve put the head protection through its paces. All of the members of the Cycling Weekly Tech Team have years of experience in riding bikes in all disciplines and have a huge wealth of knowledge and wear helmets almost every time we ride.
A major advantage these have over mechanicals is that they’re sealed off to outside debris. Set up was simple, the bike did come with a whole bunch of spacers below the stem, after less than 30 seconds on the bike I had these shuffled to get the front as low as possible and it was off to the trails. Genesis bikes became renowned for their use of steel tubing and ethos for function over form. The first Genesis bike was produced under the Ridgeback brand as the Day One model in 2001. The Genesis Tour de Fer, as the name suggests, is a fully equipped long distance all road tourer.
This means that the helmet has passed several tests that look at the helmet’s construction, field of vision, impact absorption, retention system, chin strap and buckle. In order to ride in races, sportives, gran fondos and triathlons it is often a requirement to have a helmet that adheres to the relevant local standard. A recently developed safety system called MIPS, Multi-directional Impact Protection System, will often be referred to when discussing the level of protection provided by a helmet.
It should be possible to loosen the retention system on a helmet to allow for a thermal skull cap or cycling cap to be worn underneath. This is done for added warmth, and the bill of a cycling cap can be useful for deflecting rain from the eyes. Because of this, caps are a common sight in the spring classics, such as Paris-Roubaix. If when you try on a helmet the retention system is at either end of limit, it is probably the wrong size for you. All helmet manufacturers will have a size guide on their websites, and we highly recommend following each brand’s recommendations of how to measure for its helmets before investing in a purchase.
Specialized’s updated S-Works Prevail 3 helmet is designed to be both airier and safer than the outgoing model. Unlike some other aero lids, the Utopia Y is not bulky looking, and it also comes in a wide range of nine colors so you’ll be able to find a look that suits your individual style or matches your bike. Despite its closed-off silhouette, the deep channelling and vents under the brow keep your noggin cool and your sunglasses free of sunscreen-infused sweat. You can adjust the retention band down to the millimetre, giving the helmet an excellent snug – yet comfortable – fit.
As we touched on before, a top priority is to bring in a lower mountain, beginner shuttle experience similar to Dirt Surfer at Maydena, which offers 200m of elevation and a green flow trail. French tells Flow this would genesis bicycles ideally be serviced by ATV uplift though further investigation is needed to see if that last part is feasible. “Ultimately, we’re trying to provide the best riding experience, and that’s not a cheap thing to do.