Kask Vertigo C50 helmet

If I had to sum up the Kask Vertigo in one word, it would be this one: quality. There's no doubt that £165 is a serious wedge to pay for a helmet, but whereas some bike kit seems to get more ephemeral the more you pay, this helmet feels every inch a dependable, pro level piece of kit.

Kask, for those who don't know, are Italian and Sky's helmet sponsor; this is the lid you'll see perched atop the heads of Wiggo et al, though you'll have to pay £20 extra if you want it in the team colours. As top dog in the road range the Vertigo has some neat features. Structurally it's the usual high-end deal: an EPS layer formed around a skeleton (polycarbonate in this case) with an in-moulded shell. There's plenty of attention to detail and it's good to see a protective shell layer all around the base of the helmet.

The retention system pivots from the side of the helmet and there's a second pivot nearer the back to allow for plenty of height and angle adjustment. A nice big clicky dial allows you to adjust the fit on the go. The pads on the retention system are a very grippy silicone which feels a bit odd first time round and can pull your hair, but you get used to that. The upside is that once on and fitted this is the most secure-feeling helmet I've ever tried. That may be partly down to it fitting my particular head shape but everyone who's tried has agreed: if you fall off, your helmet's not going to. The Vertigo is certified to the European EN-1078 standard.

It's not uncomfortable with all that security either: there's big pads at the side and a waffle-profile one in the top that's supposed to help with air flow, and the straps are imitation leather instead of the usual nylon. That doesn't sound like a big difference until you've tried them. The 24 vents do a good job of keeping you cool and the skeleton system means there's two big channels all the way across the top of your head to funnel away hot air.

Weight-wise it isn't light: 280 grams is a hundred more than the lightest lids out there, so if you're a weight weenie it isn't for you. If you like a bit of quality and have the readies for it though, this is the kind of thing you'll be wanting to buy. If it's good enough for Team Sky and all that... If you don't have the requisite pocket depth then it's worth looking at the K-10, which carries a lot of the features over to a slightly cheaper lid.

Verdict

If you want to splash out on a pro-level lid then the Vertigo gets top marks for quality. It's comfy, too.