Giro Montaro MIPS Helmet, Unisex

Product Information

Roll Cage™ is a light-yet-tough web of reinforcement invisibly moulded inside a helmet’s EPS foam liner. It helps the helmet to hold together under impact and offers an extra measure of strength and integrity that you’ll never notice...unless you need it. Both helmets have 16 vents in total. However, the ventilation on the Montaro is ever so slightly better. This is due to the smaller shape of the helmet and the fitting system, which holds the shell slightly away from the rider’s head, allowing more air to flow. Other than that issue, the Montaro is quite comfortable. The padding is low-profile and amazingly absorbent. I climbed up Bellingham’s Galbraith mountain trails on many 80-90 degree days this summer, and was very pleased with how well it kept the sweat off my face. After all those sweaty days, everyone near me can be glad that the padding is antimicrobial. The helmet also accommodates a variety of sunglasses and safety glasses quite comfortably (the latter of which I wear in the forest in spring for bugs’ sake, for those who may be curious). The arms of the glasses fit underneath the helmet’s front strap quite naturally in fact, and the helmet doesn’t put any undue pressure on them. The Montaro in action on prime dirt. The Montaro MIPS helmet has 16 vents which are all generously sized and strategically placed. There are 3 vents placed below the visor, and the shape of the visor directs the air into these vents. Another 7 angled vents cover the top of the helmet, and 6 exhaust vents at the rear of the helmet.

All Giro helmets are designed to reduce as much energy as possible while meeting and exceeding stringent safety standards. The goal of Giro’s MIPS ®-equipped helmets is to reduce rotational forces. Giro believes that helmets equipped with this technology can reduce the amount of rotational force that may be transferred to rider’s brain in certain impacts.

The visor on the Montaro is a little longer than your standard helmet visor. This comes in use when you are descending in open areas, and the sun is low. It is also quite useful if you are hitting trails in dense bush and need the visor to protect your eyes. Firstly, it has a MIPS liner (Multi-directional Impact Protection System), which reduces the rotational energy transferred to the rider in an angled crash. Slip plane technology (such as MIPS) is considered essential in today’s market, and personally, I would never ride without it! When you tighten the Roc Loc 5 Air system, you can clearly see and feel the retention system tighten evenly around the head. It doesn’t just tighten the rear of the helmet but closes in around the front, sides, and rear equally. It does so in very small increments, so you can really fine-tune the fit.

Both visors are adjustable, but there is a difference. The Montaro visor moves in incremented steps. So, there are 3 set positions, while the Source doesn’t have incremented steps but has infinite positions. I prefer the Source visor as it allows you complete freedom around where the visor is placed, and it is much easier to adjust using one hand. I found adjusting the visor while riding with the Montaro not all that easy (although I suppose it could become easier as the incremented notches wear down a little). The visor is slightly longer than the standard styles, but it doesn’t really stand out, and I find it quite useful when you have the sun glaring into your eyes while descending in the open sections. Features Review Camera & Light Integration Let’s start with the general layout here. Visually, the Montaro MIPS II is all but identical to the original Montaro. The hole pattern is the same. The visor design is the same. The strap placement is the same. Even the logo placement is the same. And the color ways are eerily similar too. Looking at the outside of the Montaro MIPS II, I couldn’t differentiate it from the original Montaro MIPS if it didn’t have “Montaro II” printed on the side in small font. The Chronicle has 14 vents and internal channeling, so the ventilation is reasonable. Some riders find it runs a little hot, but for a mid-tier helmet, it isn’t too bad.While the Montaro is highly regarded for its protection, it doesn't provide the same level of coverage as the "full cut" Giro Tyrant or Fox Dropframe. We also found that the Montaro's less-expensive sibling, the Chronicle provides a bit more coverage at a lower price, though it doesn't include the same molded roll cage technology. The Montaro scored equally in this metric to other helmets with similar levels of head coverage and protective features like the Smith Session, Oakley DRT5, and Bell 4Forty MIPS. Comfort In-Mold Construction fuses a tough polycarbonate outer shell with the helmet's impact-absorbing foam liner. The fusion process allows for better ventilation systems, making in-mold helmets lighter and cooler than traditional helmets. The Source has ability to stow goggles beneath the visor when they aren’t needed, but has neither the goggle grippers nor the integrated camera mount. Both helmets feature the slip-plane technology MIPS. MIPS stands for Multi directional Impact Protection System, which reduces the possibility of brain damage occurring to the rider following an angled impact. The ventilation of the Source is somewhat mid-range. While it is better than the Chronicle, the 16 vents don’t quite compare with the breezy Montaro. However, it does have internal channeling, which helps flow the air over the rider’s head to keep them cool. Visor Review