Reviews

Bell Gage helmet – review

MIPS-equipped all-rounder from Bell, ideal for long days in the saddle

Bell Helmets have, for 62 years, been at the forefront of crash helmet design for a variety of sports. You’ll find them adorned and trusted not only in cycling, but in Formula One, MotoGP, Superbikes, the World Rally Championship, and practically every snowsport too. It’s safe to say they know what they’re doing – an assessment we have no plans on revising after testing the 2016 MIPS-equipped Bell Gage helmet.

The stand-out feature of the Gage is MIPS technology. It stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System, and allows the helmet shell, which bears the brunt of an impact, to move independently around the head, which itself is cradled by the internal structure.

Thankfully, we didn’t end up testing the system for real, but regardless it adds a level of reassurance that the protection on your head is as good as it can be, alongside the usual CE certification.

Bell’s Gage helmet uses MIPS protection, while also offering effective cooling and incredible comfort

Elsewhere, the Bell impresses. Cooling is effective, thanks to channelled ventilation, via 26 vents that helps keep air flowing past your head, making it most suitable for warm summer riding or hard tempo efforts, while it’s an incredibly comfortable helmet to wear.

It’s not too bulky on the head – comparatively svelte when tried on next to an equivalent medium-sized Giro Aeon, for example. The Aeon doesn’t come with MIPS technology, and that at least partly explains the 40g weight sacrifice, but the smaller profile on the head, something more closely resembling the Kask Mojito, is welcome.

Comfort is boosted by X-Static pads, deployed in tandem with an easy-to-use cranium fit adjuster.

Specification

– Price: £149.99
– Weight: 266g (medium)
– Sizes: Small, medium, large
– Size tested: M
– Colours: Matt Black, Black/Red/White,
– Website: Bell Helmets
UK distributor: Zyro Fisher

Bell call it ‘Twin Axis Gear’, but in reality it works just like any ratchet or wheel-adjust system worth its salt, sited at the back of the head.

But be reassured: in this case that means it secures the inner of the helmet to you head evenly and securely.

The padding inside isn’t the thickest or most copiously employed we’ve ever seen but, while this doesn’t negatively affect comfort thanks to the excellent shape of the helmet itself, it does mean sweat can quickly saturate it and cause inevitable dripping down the face.

However, that’s the only real negative point of the helmet, unless you object to spending £150 on one. Value here is relative, and this helmet is packed with the latest technology to keep your head safe from injury.

MIPS – Multi-directional Impact Protection System – allows the helmet shell, which bears the brunt of an impact, to move independently around the head

Elsewhere, the Gage is fitted with decent quality straps that don’t tangle easily, while the clip is is a pretty standard affair. There’s nothing wrong with that, however, clipping in and out without fuss.