Four years ago, word went around about a new safety technology for bicycle helmets that could potentially reduce the dangerous shearing forces of a crash on a cyclist’s brain. This technology was MIPS, and helmets that had it were just beginning to take hold.
Early MIPS helmets were better rated for safety in laboratory testing than those without. As effective as they were, they did not come without downsides. I reviewed the Lazer Blade MIPS four years ago. While it was a comfortable fit, the MIPS slip-plane liner was obviously a late addition to the helmet, and it came at the cost of ventilation. Put another way, the Blade was not designed at the outset to accommodate the MIPS liner and be a good helmet at the same time.
Since then…how have helmets changed? Curious, I turned to Giro this time around, which is a brand notable for going all-in with the MIPS technology. If investigating the concurrent development of cycling helmets and MIPS is the name of the game, I can think of few better brands.
We’re looking at the Syntax model.
While Giro is famous for high-zoot helmets such as the Air Attack and Synthe, which each cost a pretty penny on their own, the company decided to bring those helmets’ technologies to a more affordable, more attainable price point with the Syntax. In hard peso terms, we’re looking at PhP15,000 for a Synthe MIPS, compared to PhP6,200 for a Syntax MIPS. Definitely premium pricing still, but more than half as onerous.
So what does a cut-price Giro helmet get you? Stay tuned for a more in-depth look and my thoughts on the helmet in use.
the accidental randonneur 