GIRO TRELLA URBAN HELMET
£54.99
SIZES One size (50-57cm) COLOUR Matt grey/dark teal
With a well-vented, unaggressive shape and colour combinations that go as well with cycling kit as casual wear, the Trella Urban helmet from Giro is undeniably stylish.
Its simple straps aren’t adjustable under the ears, which makes for easy fitting, and testing it with my female friends it felt light and comfortable for all. The Roc Loc Sport dial mechanism at the rear is easy to use, ensuring a secure fit around the head, although for longer-haired riders it only allows low ponytails.
There are two versions of this helmet available, with a more expensive £69.99 model featuring the multi-directional impact system (MIPS), which aims to protect the brain from rotational forces as well as linear ones. In both, the safety technology for the price place it in line with similar models from other brands, but the Trella Urban is one of the better looking urban lids around. It’s also more ventilated than Giro’s Caden urban helmet, with 18 sizable channels compared to the Caden’s 12 smaller vents.
Overshadowing the positive aspects of the Trella helmet, quite literally, is the peak, which is a small add-on to the front of the helmet, seemingly in the name of fashion rather than function. It’s removable but I’d only recommend doing this if your forehead enjoys Velcro spikes. Most pressingly, the unadjustable downward angle of the peak actually reduces visibility on the roads and forced me to crane my neck to see ahead.
Overall, I found the Trella Urban uncomfortable on a drop-bar bike. On a sit-up town bike it does work better, but for gravel and venturing away from the city? No, thank you. So it works well as a fashionable urban runaround but, if you’re after a versatile mid-price all-rounder for longer rides, I’d recommend looking elsewhere.
The Trella works well as an urban runaround but look elsewhere for a mid-price all-rounder