Words Lester Perry
Images Thomas Falconer
RRP $299
Distributor Worralls

I was excited to get my head into this new Giro Montaro III Mips helmet. Before receiving it, I’d seen some pics online and thought it looked pretty decent and ticked the necessary boxes for me to select a helmet.

The trail-focused Montaro III is almost a complete revision of the hugely popular, but ageing, previous edition, uniquely named the Montaro II. This new version certainly draws inspiration from other helmets in the Giro range and, dare I say it, from other brands. Although I poke fun, the result is a unique overall silhouette. I’m sure it won’t be for everyone, but when it comes to helmets, one seldom suits all.

There’s plenty of coverage on offer, and the helmet feels like your head goes some ways into it, meaning it comes relatively low towards the ears and back of the head. Internally, there’s a Mips Evolve Core, which is a refreshed version of the Mips slip plane liner. During an angled impact, the sliding action between the Mips layer and the impact-absorbing outer shell helps dampen rotational forces and, therefore, reduce neck and brain injuries (at least according to Mips). In the case of the Montaro III, the Mips shell doesn’t significantly affect breathability or airflow through the vents, unlike the earlier Mips liner system.

Giro’s Roc Loc tensioning system gives users a micro-adjustable fit via its dial tensioner and vertically adjustable tensioning cradle. The visor is vertically adjustable through two fixed positions. When in the highest position, there’s plenty of room for a pair of glasses to be holstered in the front vents. Most glasses will slide comfortably into the rear vents, too, so whichever place you prefer to stow them, you’ll find a solution on the Montaro. The helmet plays nicely with goggles, too. A rubberised section on the rear helps keep a goggle strap in place, and there’s ample room below the front of the helmet so goggles don’t get squeezed downwards on most faces. However, I do wonder if this may happen on smaller faces with large goggles – something to consider if you’re an open-face helmet goggle wearer.

Keeping the lid in place is a FIDLOCK V-BUCKLE, something I miss on helmets without it now. This magnetic wonder is a single-hand quick release and even securing it can be done with one hand with the proper technique and some practice.

On the trail

I find the fit of the Montaro is pretty good on my head – not the best I’ve worn, but one of the better. It seems the low-profile, sparse padding means it doesn’t feel as snug on the head as some, though the upside is it has minimal contact points on my head, which helps with cooling.

All the features of this helmet mean it tips the scales towards being one of the weightier trail helmets I’ve used. No doubt it offers plenty of protection thanks to its features, but theoretically, other lighter-weight helmets offer equivalent protection. There’s roughly a 75-gram difference between the Montaro and another recent review helmet with very similar features, including a rotational impact damper and FIDLOCK closure, so it’s not insignificant.

Weight aside, everything else with the Montaro is excellent; there’s a ton of airflow thanks to ample venting and substantial internal channelling. Even at slow speeds, the helmet didn’t feel stifling.

The outer hard shell wraps right around the bottom edge of the helmet, keeping that all-important inner foam safe from harm. Even while the helmet rolls around in a car boot between rides, it should still look pretty fresh, though results may vary!

It took me some fiddling to get the Roc Loc tensioner adjusted to the optimal position, but I got there in the end. At times, I still find the curvature of the tensioner on either side of the dial doesn’t quite suit my head perfectly, and occasionally, it’s caused me some annoyance. However, this could be a ‘me’ problem exacerbated by having no hair to give a little more padding.

With a $299 RRP, the Montaro III sits at the lower end of the price spectrum for a helmet with these features and coverage. All in all, it’s a solid helmet that offers a lot of protection for the dollars. Sure, there’s a bit of a weight penalty, but I’d wager that this extra weight comes in the form of more protection over some lighter-weight options in the market, so that’s got to be a positive.