Putting metal into a helmet might not sound like a good idea, but that’s what Giant have done. Yep, there’s an aluminium alloy V-shaped strip that runs around the front part of this lid.
It’s clear that this is designed to keep the front section of the helmet together in the event of a large impact, essentially tying the two halves together – but putting metal into a helmet still seems like an odd choice to us.
That aside, this is a very good helmet for the money. It’s a higher profile cross-country style lid, but it fits and feels like a lower profile trail helmet. There are two thicknesses of pads included, and the cradle system works as well as any other.
The quick-release buckles have a small micro-adjust lever section on them, so once you have the perfect fit you simply flip the levers closed and they stay in place – so no more loosening the straps every time you put your lid on and off.