Madison Tour Road Helmet

The Madison Tour is a mostly forgettable – in the best possible way – budget, everyday helmet ideal for a short commute or occasional longer rides. Very light and comfortable, it lets you forget you're actually wearing a helmet and allows you to push on and enjoy the ride.

It's a minimalist bit of kit with no frills, and consequently little to go wrong. At home I have an old favourite, expensive and now unworn helmet. Once, its gel-filled cushioning caressed the cranium and held it firm – until the lining split and dribbled sticky gunk down my face. That was replaceable. What wasn't is the integral spider's web of fiendishly clever cables and cogs that could be tweaked minutely; great while it all worked, hopeless when a thin cable snapped irreparably, leaving the helmet bouncing around uselessly and unsafely. It's destined to become an unusual garden feature.

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So, simplicity is what I like about the Madison Tour. I also like the glaring Flash Yellow colour – other shades are available – for its visibility when you need to mingle with the traffic (it also has a wide reflective strip across the back). It's a slim and flattering shape and I particularly enjoy its spiky rocket fins at the back that make me feel like Billy Whizz, the fastest boy alive. (Ask your parents/grandparents...)

Its 19 vents have provided adequate cooling this summer, although when the sun has actually shone there's some noticeable heat up top. The padding inside and around the forehead and temple is bit minimalist; the helmet fits snugly enough, but could probably benefit from some personal bespoke foam additions.

The rear cradle can slide up or down to fit, while the ratchet dial has a slightly clunky and wide action that doesn't allow much fine-tuning. But its solid teeth do weld the lid to your bonce where, once attached, it's going nowhere when you're jolting over potholes or towpaths.

Some niggles do emerge on longer rides, particularly the helmet strap material and fastener. The straps are thick and rather inflexible and can start to irritate after a while, and the fastener didn't sit flat or particularly comfortably under the chin. But adjustments are quick and simple to make, and stay in place.

> Check out our guide to the best cheap cycling helmets

So, the Madison Tour is, mostly, positively and favourably, forgettable in nearly every way. At £40 it's hard to grumble.

Verdict

Ticks a lot of boxes as an affordable, everyday helmet that's light, comfortable and sporty-looking