Mavic launch new range of road helmets

Mavic have chosen Eurobike to unveil their new range of road helmets. There's three models in the range: The Syncro, the Plasma and the top-dollar Plasma SLR. In the UK expect to pay £80 for the Syncro, £125 for the Plasma and £150 for the range-topping Plasma SLR and they should be hitting shops from today (Thursday).

Top of the pile, the Plasma SLR has a Carbon fibre skeleton within the foam superstructure of the helmet which allows for big vents without compromising the strength of the lid. There's five huge vents across the front, and the back is a grille design with three rows of three vents. The shell is in two parts, with a yellow or black front and a black rear; both feature reflective decals for better visibility. The helmet has a fairly low back, but the big vents should mean plenty of air coming through.

The SLR uses Mavic's Ergo Hold system, a dial adjustment that offers up to 6cm of adjustment. There's height adjustment too, but not on the fly as it requires you to relocate the rear harness in one of a row of holes inside the helmet. Comfort-wise you get plenty of padding with X-Static antimicrobial technology for odour control. The pads are a low density foam next to the head to draw sweat away from the skin, with a higher density section next to the lid to provide better padding.

The second-tier Plasma is essentially the same design, but swaps the Carbon skeleton for an Aluminium one to lower the cost with a 5g weight penalty over the claimed 285g for the SLR. The entry-level Syncro bears a family resemblance to the Plasma helmets, using a similar vent layout, but the lack of an exoskeleton means there's more material and the vents are smaller. The Syncro also comes with a peak, suggesting that mavic are aiming it at the commuting and MTB market as well as road riders.

They're good looking helmets and the rounded shapes of the Plasmas, especially at the rear, are a departure from the trend towards peaks and spikes over the last few years. The Syncro is a bit more jagged at the back, which is understandable for a crossover helmet and would compliment a peak if one was fitted.

We don't have UK pricing at the moment, as the UK chaps were off on a fag break* when we went to see the lids, but suffice to say they'll be at the upper end of the helmet spectrum: US prices are $220 for the Plasma SLR, $180 for the Plasma and $125 for the Syncro. When we get UK numbers, we'll update this story.

*or possibly a meeting