8 Best Road Bike Helmets (May, 2023)

Updated on August 18, 2022

Any helmet’s principal role is to protect the wearer’s head. They come in a variety of forms and sizes to complete the task.

Selecting the appropriate helmet for your needs, budget, and riding style will ensure that you ride protected and with a happy noggin on the road and trails.

Best Road Bike Helmets

1. MIPS Giro Chronicle

The Giro Chronicle, along with the Bontrager Velocis, is the helmet with the most discrete application of MIPS (multi-directional impact protection system).

The protective system integrates seamlessly with the expanded polystyrene liner that is moulded to the polycarbonate shell.

Fourteen vents allow air to circulate, keeping you cool while on the path. The Roc Loc 5 fit mechanism secures the helmet to your head.

It has a subtle dial on the rear that is a little difficult to set. However, if the Chronicle is properly fitted to your head, it is fairly pleasant, owing partly to the Coolmax pads, which also drain away moisture.

2. Octal X POC

It’s difficult to tell the Octal X from from POC’s flagship Octal. Both have the company’s distinctive large chunky vents.

However, if you look closely, you’ll notice that the Octal X, the cross country and gravel road-oriented helmet, has a thicker shell covering the EPS lining than the Octal.

The firm claims that the shell enhances the safety features of the POC helmets; thus, more shell is better.

A aramid (think Kevlar) bridge is moulded to the foam liner beneath the shell.

This aramid bridge, which POC initially employed on the trail-oriented Trabec, reinforces the helmet’s construction and aids in preventing items from passing through.

Related Article: How To Measure Bike Chain Size

3. Mavic Pro Cosmic

The Cosmic Pro is a stylish helmet with a checkered gradient running over the top. At the rear, the Ergo Hold SL retention system makes it simple to adjust the fit of the helmet.

37.5 pads regulate sweat, a technology that you may have seen in hockey equipment or mattresses. The pads’ textiles contain tiny particles that attract and release water vapour.

At the front, memory foam aids in fit. It works well, however the helmet is better suited to a round oval-shaped head than a long oval-shaped head. A medium Cosmic Pro is 230 g in weight.

Related Article: How To Replace A Bottom Bracket On A Bmx Bike

4. Centric Plus Scott

What is the difference between a road helmet and a mountain bike helmet?

Yes. Orica-Scott cyclists, as well as multiple cross country world champion Nino Schurter, use it. Scott claims that the ventilation design of the helmet really keeps the rider’s head cooler than riding without a helmet.

Another amazing feature is the Halo system, which adjusts quickly and easily.

Typically, you alter the position of a retention system at the back of your head by removing a plastic pin from a hole in the helmet’s EPS layer, picking a new hole, and then snapping the pin back into place, similar to adjusting a snapback.

With the Halo system, you can quickly slide the adjustment dial into a comfortable position at the back of your head.

Related Article: Who Wins Antm Cycle 22

5. MTB Smith Forefront

Smith designed the Forefront MTB helmet for all-mountain riding.

It features a honeycomb Koroyd construction, which provides additional protection and ventilation.

These honeycomb tubes connect to the AirEvac vent located right above your brow.

The vent allows air to enter, which slurps additional air through the tubes.

A visor that is both adjustable and removable helps keep the sun out of your eyes.

A mount enables you to attach a light to improve visibility on the trail or an action camera to show others where you’ve been riding.

A MIPS layer is included on the inside for added protection.

6. MIPS Bontrager Velocis

At the end of June, Bontrager reintroduced the Velocis. The new lid incorporates a genuine Boa dial for adjusting the fit from the back.

Another significant element to the Velocis is the MIPS layer, which addresses rotational forces caused by a crash, which can have a detrimental effect on the brain.

Additionally, it is quite subtle: clear in colour rather than the glaring yellow of earlier generations of MIPS.

To combat the sun, the helmet includes the NeoVisor; think of it as a removable brim from a cap.

Even after the helmet has done its job, Bontrager has you covered. If you are unable to operate the Velocis within the first year of ownership, the business will replace it.

7. MET Manta

MET claims that its aero lid will save you ten watts at 50 kilometres per hour, which equates to a five-second time savings at that speed.

When you ride rapidly, air passes through the helmet’s seven intake vents and out through the six exhaust vents, cooling you down without creating drag.

DualGel padding smushes into your skin where the helmet meets your forehead. DualGel is a dual-density polyurethane pad that aids in fitting and keeps sweat away from the eyes.

In medium size, the Manta weighs 200 g.

8. Lazer Z1

The Lazer Z1 is a staple of the peloton, offering road riders with superior protection.

It features an innovative retention system: rather than a dial at the rear of the head, it utilises a screw-based mechanism on the top of the helmet to adjust the fit.

The Z1 is manufactured in-mould, which means that the exterior shell and expanded polystyrene (EPS) lining are fused together in the same mould.

Lazer was able to create a lightweight helmet (190 g in size small) with 31 vents using this technology. To keep out the wind and rain, you can add an Aero Shell cover.