Bell Gage Mips

The Bell Gage Mips brings together some top-of-the-range features, a good fit and the Mips anti-concussion system. Ventilation is also strong and it looks good too, with a low profile and no 'mushroom head'.

The Gage still sits at the top of the Bell helmet hierarchy, although we expect to see a new top-line lid from the company, used by LottoNL-Jumbo in this year's Tour de France but technically still unannounced. Bell has, however, made an upgrade to the Gage ahead of this, adding in the increasingly popular Mips system.

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For those who haven't come across this before, Mips is essentially a plastic netting on the inside of the helmet that helps to prevent concussion by moving with the head upon impact. Full disclosure: I did not test out this system to see if it stopped me getting a brain injury as, regardless of scientific fact, I am not going to try to hit my head hard enough to give myself concussion even for road.cc.

One element that concerns me with Mips systems is their effect on the ventilation of a helmet, given that they essentially act as another layer. In this case, I found it didn't have too much impact at all (good for a helmet…) and the air moved freely around my head while riding. Bell has managed to retain the 26 vents throughout the helmet, as you would find in the non-MIPS version, and these, combined with the well-thought-out channelling, provides a decent breeze to cool you down.

Another area some might think the helmet could suffer is weight, but when we reviewed the original Gage it came in at 230g, and this version is only 235g. Only adding 5g is impressive, and doesn't negate the efforts made to keep the weight down with the EPS (expanded polystyrene) structure.

> Read our guide to the best performance helmets

The helmet has a good level of comfort, with the Mips system not affecting fit at all. Fitting is handled by Bell's Twin Axis Gear (TAG) system, which allows for three heights on the cradle at the back of the head and also a dial that loosens or tightens the rubber fitting system around the rest of the helmet. It works well, though I think it maybe falls just short of the kind of fit you get with full head systems like the Rollsys you find on Lazer helmets.

Padding is also not impacted by the new system, with the antibacterial pads sitting in the same place as on the non-Mips model, though just inside the system instead of directly on the inside of the helmet. They work well, with one placed at the top of the head and another across the top of forehead to prevent discomfort while also stopping sweat dripping down your face. This is combined with soft and light straps that are easy to adjust but do have a tendency to twist slightly, though nothing too major.

> Too much? Check out our guide to the best cheap helmets

Although £150 isn't to be sneezed at, I think the Gage is really good value for money. Compare it with other pro peloton helmets with Mips and we have £219.99 for the Lazer Z1 Mips, £225 for the POC Octal, and £224.99 for the Giro Synthe Mips.

Overall, I really like this helmet. It's good value for money, has a strong fitting system, and although not the lightest, certainly isn't going to overly slow you down on a climb.

Verdict

A well made, strong performing helmet that loses nothing with the inclusion of Mips