Here are the helmets that have been keeping Singletrack staff heads safe this year.

A good helmet is an essential part of every mountain biker’s kit list. If you ride mountain bikes, then you will fall off. Fall off enough times and you’ll end up smacking your head and you’ll be glad of that helmet.

A well-fitting helmet will protect you when you end up on the ground, sacrificing itself to protect your brain. the better it thats, the less it’ll shift on your head and the less likely you are to hang it off your pack on a long climb, or skip it when riding to the shops. At Singletrack we ride everything from enduro races to mountain passes and cross-country to gravel, so our helmets cover that whole range.

the biggest lesson we learned in bringing you the helmets that have been solidly on our heads this year is that while tastes vary from person to person, so do head shapes. Some companies have helmets that suit a particular head and one company’s ‘M/L’ could be a medium or a large in someone else’s. Helmets, along with shoes, are probably the component that is hardest to judge when buying blind, so we always recommend trying on a selection of brands (and sizes) of helmets when shopping - along with considering your general hair volume and whether you wear a cap or a But underneath in the winter. Take them along, as well as your regular riding glasses or goggles. It all has to work together, so you don’t find out six months down the line that your new helmet won’t let you wear your favourite shades or fleecy headband when called for. Get it right the first time.

AMANDA

Fox Speedframe Pro Price: £139.99 From: uk.foxracing.com

I’m very inconsistent with my riding style. I have days when a slow moorland yomp is my ideal day out, and others when I want to ride faster than my eyes can keep up with. I really don’t like to own too much stuff, and my kit choices reflect that. I layer, I wear breathable boots year-round, and now I have a helmet that I believe complements all seasons.

the Fox Speedframe Pro offers more protection than any helmet I’ve previously worn, while being so comfortable I regularly have to tap my head as I ride out the front door to check I’ve put it on.

the protection and comfort is thanks to several features I will now always look for in a lid. the 360° retention system means I can that the helmet around the most comfortable part of my head, as it tightens in all directions. the dual density EPS is there to spread forces from any impact, one of those background activities you don’t really notice with general use but it’s certainly good to know it’s there. that’s in addition to MIPS, something I consider the bare minimum safety requirement.