The Giro Foray MIPS pays more than a nod to Giro's range-topping Synthe aero helmet, with a smooth, rounded compact shell and truncated rear to maintain efficiency in all head positions.

It’s getting hot out there, and my first ride in the Giro Foray Mips was one of those early spring solo afternoons (as they all are until further notice…) that leaves salt deposits on your temples. The Coolmax padding of the Foray does a great job of absorbing the majority of your perspiration. With a Cycling Weekly subscription you can improve your performance with our expert practical, nutritional and training tips In-Mould Construction - In-mould construction fuses a tough polycarbonate outer shell with the helmet’s impact-absorbing foam liner. The fusion process allows Giro to sculpt better ventilation systems, so In-mould helmets can be lighter and cooler than traditional helmets. Aero road helmets have historically been an exercise in compromise: you could have a speedy shape, good ventilation, low weight, or sleek aesthetics but not all four. Giro broke that paradigm with the Synthe.The ventilating aero mesh on either side of the silicone-edged sunglasses ports has been replaced by a finely ribbed plastic. The Giro logo and aero mesh covering the truncated tail's central port have gone too, and the only branding on the helmet is a single Rapha logo on the very top.

Notably, the Velocis comes with a one-year crash replacement policy: if you crash it in the first year, you get a free replacement. The Lazer Tonic is an excellent budget road helmet that looks and feels like a much more expensive lid. At 230g for a Medium, it weighs the same as helmets more than twice as expensive, such as the Specialized S-Works Prevail or the Bontrager Velocis.I’ve worn a Giro Synthe Mips on and off for a few years now; it’s my go-to road helmet. Being au fait with its Roc Loc closure system and Mips interior – designed to rotate with the helmet in the unfortunate case of any ejector seat moment, rather than digging in and jarring the skull on impact – pulling the Giro Foray on to my head for the first time felt satisfyingly familiar. Family resemblance is a funny old thing. My grandfather’s big nose, for example, skipped a generation and made my own face its next home, sparing my mother a lifetime of ‘keep your big nose out of it’ jibes. The Giro Foray Mips helmet, on the other hand, could – at a glance – be mistaken for its much more expensive predecessor – the Synthe. Beneath the shell is a heavily channelled EPS (expanded polystyrene) core that offers far more ventilation than your usual aero lid. The large base vents at the temple also feature textured grippers to hold your glasses when you're not wearing them.

It's worth noting that this is an older version of the Velocis and we have the latest generation of the helmet in for test currently. Giro Foray MIPS helmet Specialized has taken its ultra-aerodynamic S-Works Evade lid as the template for the Airnet, although it still has touches of the old leather ‘hairnet' helmets (hence the name) worn by racers from the 1970s.Giro says its Synthe is its most aerodynamically efficient road helmet — but it's also very well ventilated at both fast and slow speeds, light and comfortable

With a very competitive weight (228g in size Medium), ample venting and good looks, the Bontrager Velocis stands toe-to-toe with similarly priced competitors such as the Giro Aeon or the Specialized Prevail. Cycle to Work is a salary sacrifice scheme, where you can save up to 42% off a new Bike and Safety equipment. This means the cost is deducted from your salary as a non-cash benefit, so you save on tax and national insurance. The Rivale's shape is more rounded than most aero helmets. The internal padding is minimal yet well placed, and the micro-adjust dial offers plenty of tensioning to keep it securely on your head. We especially loved the 4cm vertical adjustment in the retaining cradle, which enables you to situate it in just the right spot.

Ventilation is superb thanks to eight forward-looking vents and six large exit ports, and the Octo Fit retention system offers a huge adjustment range to keep everything secure and comfy. Our 251g medium fitted well, even with a skull cap, when we'd usually wear large. Lazer Tonic road helmet