IXS Trail RS Evo £79.99
Even with the retention cradle set to its shallowest position, the Trail RS Evo sat deeply on our heads with a cavernous fit. The depth is felt more at the front of the helmet than at the back, making it difficult to get goggles to fit. Glasses work slightly better, but we couldn’t get the arms to sit comfortably with the rear of the retention cradle. Without eyewear, the lid was comfortable thanks to that generous fit, but never felt too loose or wobbly over rough terrain. The front rim was always in our field of vision when climbing or descending, though, which was distracting. At least the peak didn’t get in the way, and is designed to break away in the event of a crash.
The soft pads absorb moisture well and, thanks to full-depth cushioning across the whole of the front section, reduced the amount of sweat dripping down our brows until they got saturated. This is a well-ventilated lid too, with 22 openings in total, and it has a light feel on the head. While the Trail RS Evo benefits from inmoulded construction, with the shell wrapping around the bottom rim to protect it from knocks, at this kind of price we’d expect more tech, such as MIPS or a proprietary equivalent. It would also be good if iXS could tweak the shape of the helmet slightly so that it works with glasses or goggles more comfortably. www.hotlines-uk.com