A NEW PEAK FOR TRAIL LIDS?

The new Manifest Spherical from Giro will set you back a staggering £250 (that’s £100 more than their previous top-end trail lid, the Montaro MIPS), making it, by our calculations at least, the priciest open-face helmet on the market.

Why so expensive? For starters, there’s the Spherical Technology, designed in partnership with MIPS. This already features on some of Giro’s snow and road helmets, as well as their Tyrant MTB lid. It consists of separate inner and outer liners that work a little like a ball-and-socket joint, with the outer liner able to rotate around the inner during a crash. This should help the helmet deal with angular impacts more e ectively and ultimately do a better job of protecting your brain. The liners are also made from di erent-density EPS foams, to better handle both high- and low-speed impacts.

At 363g (medium), the Manifest Spherical is a competitive weight. The huge vents should keep your head from overheating on climbs, and are made possible by Giro’s Aura Reinforced Arch, which spans the outer liner of the helmet and boosts structural integrity. There’s 15 degrees of adjustment on the peak and enough room to stow goggles beneath it too. Other highlights include a rubber strip at the rear to grip goggle straps, small rubber bumpers inside the lid to help hold onto glasses when they’re perched on top, Giro’s acclaimed Roc Loc Trail Air retention cradle, a Fidlock magnetic buckle and some subtle reflective detailing at the rear.

Giro Manifest Spherical, £250 www.zyrofisher.co.uk