The Boardman Team’s EPS foam core has a tidy in-moulded shell that covers most of its outer surface, with only the front edge above the brow and a recessed section of the tail exposed. Our 54-59cm lid weighed 285g, excluding the clip-on visor, and there’s a 56-61.5cm size too.
Its compact swoopy design has a close fit and isn’t bulky. It has 22 vents, and a truncated rear that’s more backpack-friendly than pointy designs. There’s a large reflective patch on the rear, four colour options and the overall impression is of a helmet costing much more than 50 quid.
Boardman’s RC5 retention system has a plastic band fixed in two places with no height adjustment, and a padded occipital cradle with a rotary dial. The straps adjust with slide-through, non-lockable guides, a soft chin protector keeping the clasp away from sensitive skin. The cradle grips low down for security, and although the padding is quite minimal, we easily achieved a secure fit. Our round-headed tester experienced no undue pressure or hot spots.
Although there are lots of vents, none of these face forwards at a low level. This means you don’t feel so much airflow over your head in a normal riding position, but when you’re looking down there’s a big difference and a much more cooling effect. The two internal channels aren’t that effective, but still cool your head acceptably.
