7iDP M2 helmet review

Attention-grabbing and impressive mountain bike lid

Our rating

4

110.00

60.00

7iDP M2 helmet is ideal for mountain bikers on a budget

Alex Evans

Published: November 6, 2015 at 10:00 am

Our review

Well worth a look – if you can get with the fit and the garish styles Buy if, You're after a new trail lid, are on a budget and like to be seen

Pros:

Well ventilated, good level of protection and keenly priced

Cons:

Fit won't suit everyone, divisive looks

The guys at 7iDP aren’t afraid of eye-catching/garish hues. This lid’s looks certainly divided opinion in the office, but that’s no bad thing.

The bright orange M2 helmet (it’s available in more subtle hues too) boasts 19 vents and an easy-to-use indexed adjuster dial to get the cradle fitting just right. But best of all is the bargain price tag.

Helmet fit is subjective. We found the M2 snug, but did need to crank up the cradle quite a bit to eliminate unwanted forward movement.

In use though, it took a matter of minutes for that tighter than normal fit to be forgotten. Thanks to the 19 vents, airflow and cooling felt on par with other ‘trail’ helmets like the Bell Super 2, Giro Feature and Scott Stego.

Coverage is good, with a dropped rear to help keep your bonce intact if you do take a big spill. We walked away from our only crash during testing pretty much unscathed – though we did manage to break the M2’s peak.

All in all, it's an impressive design – and the price makes it seriously tempting.

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Senior technical editor

Alex Evans is BikeRadar and MBUK’s senior mountain bike technical editor, as well as a regular on our podcast and YouTube channels. Working for BikeRadar and MBUK for nearly 10 years, Alex has been living and breathing mountain bikes since he was nine years old. Competing in his first downhill race aged 11, he went on to race in DH world cups and other international events across Europe – and even represented Great Britain at the downhill European Championships. Before moving back to the UK when he landed a job as MBUK’s features editor, Alex lived in the French Alpine mountain biking hotspot of Morzine for eight years. There, he clocked up an enormous amount of riding – and broke more bikes than he cares to remember. Alex now calls Scotland’s famously gnarly and gruelling trails of the Tweed Valley home, which is where he tests kit and bikes. While once a gravity racer, Alex now rides to the tops of his descents and feels most at home on an enduro bike or eMTB. He’s no stranger to flat-out efforts, however, and isn’t shy about donning Lycra to ride cross-country, or even competing in the occasional road hill climb event. Although he’s retired from official competition, he loves a challenge, especially when it comes to trying to top his local Strava leaderboards – just for fun, of course.

Height: 178cm
Bike size: Large/480mm reach