Giro Sport Design has released Merit Spherical, a new, high-performance trail riding helmet. According to the company, the new off-road helmet is built for fast, flowy trail riding and hard pedalling.
Merit Spherical is built around Giro’s ball-and-socket Spherical Technology powered by MIPS and features Giro’s dual-density foam liner ‘Progressive Layering’ technology. It has deep coverage at the rear of the helmet and provides airflow with 15 large vents. The helmet is available from authorized Giro retailers and giro.com for €199.99 / UK £189.
“With the Merit, we wanted to give riders a helmet option with the added protection of Spherical Technology in a compact yet aggressive design,” said Giro’s Director of Product Development, Ben Penner.
“Through strategic vent placement and deep internal channeling, we maximized airflow through the helmet to allow heat to escape with ease – even at the slower speeds experienced while climbing.
“It’s the perfect helmet for putting in big uphill efforts before pushing it hard on the descent, as well as trail riders who live for flowy, up-and-down terrain.”
Advanced protection is at the core of Merit, with Giro’s two-piece Spherical Technology powered by MIPS utilizing a ball-and-socket design to redirect impact forces in the event of a crash. Developed in ‘the Dome’, Giro’s test lab, and in partnership with MIPS, Spherical Technology helps to redirect impact forces by allowing the outer liner to rotate around the inner liner during a crash.
Spherical Technology integrates the MIPS brain protection system between the inner and outer liner while also enabling Progressive Layering, with dual-density foam liners each designed to address high- and low-speed impacts.
In addition to the ventilation from 15 large vents, Merit also features deep channels built into the helmet’s EPS foam layer to assist in exhausting heat out of the helmet.
Plush, quick-drying Ionic+ padding provides comfort as well as sweat absorption, odour protection and antimicrobial performance. Additionally, Giro’s Roc Loc Trail Air fit system makes fit and stability adjustments simple and fast while providing added comfort and durability for rough trail riding.
The Merit is also constructed using In-Mold technology, which fuses the tough polycarbonate outer shell to the helmet’s foam liner creating a permanent bond, helping to reduce weight and enhance durability. The shell also extends around to the inside edges of the helmet with Giro’s lower hardbody construction, to enhance durability.
Merit Spherical is available in size small, medium and large and features six colourways for men; Merit Spherical W comes in size small and medium and in three colourways for women.
