TRAIL HELMETS
BELL SUPER AIR SPHERICAL BONTRAGER BLAZE WAVECEL
£149.99 SPECIFICATION Weight: 484g • Sizes: S, M, L Contact: bellbikehelmets.co.uk
£209.99
SPECIFICATION Weight: 430g • Sizes: S, M, L • Contact: trekbikes.co.uk
Bell’s new Super Air is the first trail helmet with Flex Spherical + MIPS technology. So rather than a thin plastic liner, the MIPS in Super Air is actually a thick piece of EPS.
It still rotates in any direction, and crucially will move 10-15mm during an impact event but it doesn’t affect the sizing or the fit – in fact the Bell Super Air is easily the most comfortable half shell on test. Bell’s retention device is also attached to the MIPS, so there’s no restriction of movement.
With 18 vents and four brow ports, air flow is excellent and if you do sweat there’s plenty of padding to soak it up, especially around the forehead. Like the Montaro II, the visor is fully adjustable and there’s plenty of room for stashing goggles.
The difference here is this visor clips into the shell; there are no screws to come loose. On the back of the helmet is a silicone gripper to hold the goggle strap and you also get an
In our last helmet group test we featured Bontrager’s Rally Wavecel, but on this shootout we’ve been given an upgrade.
The new Blaze gets the same Wavecel technology, which is a cellular plastic similar to the Koroyd honeycomb in the Smith Session and Forefront II, but it has a better finish and a few little upgrades.
The idea behind Wavecel is simple – the open cell construction allows air to flow in and out of the helmet and also provides structural rigidity but, and here’s the clever bit, not only does Wavecel act like a crumple zone, absorbing the really big hits, it can also deal with some of those low-key impacts and oblique forces.
Bontrager lines the helmet with a set of high-quality pads and also fits in a Boa retention system. This features the most precise dial on test – helmet adjustment is literally by the millimetre. integrated breakaway camera mount in the box. Unfortunately there’s no Fidlock SNAP buckle, but the old-school clasp works fine.
For trail use the Super Air Spherical is comfortable, fits like a glove and offers a ton of protection via the dual-density closed cell foam construction. The best thing about this helmet though, is you can attach an optional chin bar to the front, which is available for an additional £89.99.
It only comes in black but that would dovetail pretty nicely with this Fasthouse colourway. In that sense, the Super Air
Spherical is the most versatile half shell on test because it has a foot
The helmet is bottom wrapped to reduce wear and the embedded straps come with adjustable side buckles and a Fidlock magnetic SNAP buckle. The visor is a little flimsy but the up/down adjustment creates enough space to park a pair of goggles.
The Blaze has 13 vents and comes with a Blendr mount in one of them, so you can easily integrate a POV camera or one of Bontrager’s light accessories.
Compared to the Rally Wavecel, the finish on the Blaze is definitely a step up and the sizing is better too, although we could still feel some pressure points on the inside. Air flow is in both camps. It’s also currently on sale on the Bell website, down from £200 to £150.
Combine that price drop with the attention to detail, the raft of protective elements, superb fit and comfort and this is easily the best helmet on test. as good as the Montaro II but it’s no lighter, generally doesn’t feel as comfortable and is more expensive. However, it does come with a 30-day unconditional guarantee, so if you don’t like the shape or fit you can always take it back.