There have been a couple of interesting happenings in the Bontrager helmet line over the last little while, all ready to hit the stores for 2016.

The first one is the inclusion of the MIPS system in the men’s Starvos. MIPS stands for Multi-Directional Impact Protection System, and is designed to reduce rotational forces on the brain that happen when your head hits the ground. It’s described as ‘slip plane’ technology, meaning the MIPS layer inside the helmet rotates independently of the outer shell, reducing the amount of rotational energy transferred to or from the head. It’s a very smart system, and definitely worth checking out.

On top of that, you can now get your hands on the Ballista aero road helmet that the Trek Factory Racing team have been using (and Stijn Devolder matched up with a cap on the final stage of the Tour, in a very fetching old-meets-new combo). The Ballista gets its name from the ancient Greek weapon used to launch large stones at enemies, and the theory is that it’s similarly powerful at aiding a rider’s progress through the air in front of them.

The three large vents at the front are designed to channel more air through than current aero road lids, and it uses the same Headmaster II retention system at the back as the top of the line Velocis helmet. It’s also compatible with Bonty’s NeoVisor which means you can channel your inner Devolder without having to commit to the full cap.

One of the best aspects of the Ballista, though, is the RRP. You can get your hands on one of these for just £129.99, far cheaper than almost all of Bontrager’s aero lid competitiors. It comes in white, flouro yellow or matt black colour schemes, so there’s something for everyone.

The aforementioned Velocis remains top of the Bontrager helmet line, and ups the number of colours in the range to six with the addition of ‘Miami Green’ (read: turquoise) and the Trek Factory Racing edition.