IXS have long been in the protection game, and the Metis is their latest lid. It’s positioned at the higher end yet affordable end of the full face market. The angular, aggressive looking polycarbonate shell looks great, but the stepped design at the rear meant looking up when wearing a neck brace was tricky.
Our first impression with the lid on was that the cheek pads are incredibly loose-fitting for the size, something that was confirmed when we passed it to other riders in the pits at a European Cup downhill race.
The mouthpiece also seems to sit close to the face – an effect that seems to be even more obvious with the smaller sized lids – the mesh was just millimetres from our smaller riders’ mouths.
We managed to sort the size issue out with some sticky pads, and different pad kits should be available aftermarket if the fit isn’t quite how it should be.
Once on the hill, the Metis was surprisingly comfortable, bearing in mind our initial concerns, and the ventilation worked well, keeping us cool on some of the warmest German summer days. Also, the pads are removable and washable.
This article was originally published in Mountain Biking UK magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.