Bell Volt £139.99

Bell’s top-of-the-range mountain bike lid is also its second-most-expensive road helmet. How so? Well, Bell has worked hard to design a helmet that looks good with or without a peak, and by and large it has done a good job. Plastic plugs are supplied to fill the mounting holes for the peak, should you choose not to run it. That’s something we would be tempted to do, despite the aesthetics, because the peak didn’t have quite enough angular adjustment to prevent it from creeping into my peripheral vision.
Comfort was superb thanks to the Twin Axis Gear (TAG) retention system. Simply dial in the correct fit using the large rubberised thumb-wheel at the back. An additional three-position height-adjustment allows you to tune the location of the retention band in relation to the occipital lobe. And with a vast array of channels and vents, the Volt keeps you cool even on the hottest day.
If you’re sick of the current vogue for low-back, enduro-style lids, the Volt is a high-quality alternative. However, this model has been around for a while, and it either needs a refresh or a drop in price to reflect the extra features other manufacturers are introducing on their top-of-the-line helmets. Danny Milner

MBR rating: 8

Specification: Weight: 340g / Colours: matt black/white, matt titanium, matt white/black/Jimbo Phillips eyeballs, red/white, silver/white, matt blue/black, black/carbon / Removable peak / Contact: madison.co.uk

This test originally appeared in the August issue of MBR.