Giro Montaro MIPS Open Face Helmet

Helmet reviews are extraordinarily subjective and even asking to try on someone else's helmet gets similar aghast looks as asking to borrow their underwear. However, I did actually try on my friend's Montaro prior to buying one as no shops had them at the time. After getting over his schwette essence enveloping my noggin I was immediately impressed with the fit (size large) which I will characterize as being similar to a new trucker cap. Crisp, with no pressure points and easy to adjust to a pleasant state. The Montaro has a classic "Giro fit" and if you've been riding long enough you know what I am talking about. Bell helmets have always worked better for those with more narrow heads while Giro was the domain of the larger bowling ball types. Those lines have become blurred in recent times though as my previous lid was a Bell and it worked reasonably well. The Montaro however was a big step up in comfort and was a nice return for me to the Giro line.

Moving on, the Montaro is elegantly simple in it's design. The adjustments haven't required a physics degree to figure out and they do what is asked of them without revolt. Furthermore they have basically been a "set-and-forget" deal where the most I've had to do since buying the helmet a year and half ago was to snug down the chin strap. The pads work exceptionally well soaking up the waterfall of sweat I generate. I can simply lean over to one side and push on the helmet to drain them which is a huge plus in the humid conditions here in Georgia. A spare pair of pads can be purchased on the cheap and I simply alternate them every other ride.

Finally, my favorite feature is the SDS (spectacle deployment/retention system). Yes, this my term not Giro's, but I am open to negotiating with them on the trademark. Ha! Basically I keep my glasses off until I absolutely need/want them  for bright sunlight exposure (rare in the deep woods down here), or for wet and/or nasty down hill runs. Maybe it's a holdover from my time doing CX racing/roadie daze, but I like being able to store my glasses on my helmet. Being able to grab them quickly when needed and return them to a safe spot where they will not get covered in slime or ejected inadvertently has become something I am incredibly fond of. Easy on most road helmets, but not so much for mountain lids except on the Montaro. My sunglasses' (Oakley Valves, but other ones seem to work just as well) temples fit perfectly into the anterior vents just above the visor and rest neatly there. They do not bounce around and I've never had them fall off unexpectedly. I can easily grab them and place them on one-handed and return them in the same manner without stopping. This simply rules. There are plenty of other helmets you can store glasses on, but none that are as easy to use and still hold them as securely. I am now cursed to keep buying the Montaro until I come across another helmet that can perform as well not to mention employs my SDS feature. Seriously Giro, call me. Five out of five blazing pentagrams (or cute kitty cats) for the Montaro. 

This is an awesome helmet, probably the best I've ever owned. The adjustment knob is easy to use and hasn't had any issues in the 2 years that I've used this helmet. It's extremely comfortable and the ventilation holes work great.

The only downside is that the visor screws are made of plastic and have both come out (and lost) with normal use, no crashes. I was easily able to find black metal screws that fit perfectly. Also, I've had to replace the foam padding because it's pretty thin and gets easily saturated with sweat and eventually stops absorbing as well. It's easy and cheap to replace though.