When you tighten the Roc Loc 5 Air system, you can clearly see and feel the retention system tighten evenly around the head. It doesn’t just tighten the rear of the helmet but closes in around the front, sides, and rear equally. It does so in very small increments, so you can really fine-tune the fit. Cons: I cannot come up with a con for this helmet. It fits great, is lightweight, and very breathable. I had read somewhere that in cold conditions perhaps there is too much venting, but I have not found myself yet in this position.

Both visors are adjustable, but there is a difference. The Montaro visor moves in incremented steps. So, there are 3 set positions, while the Source doesn’t have incremented steps but has infinite positions. I prefer the Source visor as it allows you complete freedom around where the visor is placed, and it is much easier to adjust using one hand. I found adjusting the visor while riding with the Montaro not all that easy (although I suppose it could become easier as the incremented notches wear down a little).We were surprised to find that it felt as well ventilated as the Bell 4Forty MIPS which has larger vents. That said, it still didn't hold a candle to our most well-ventilated models like the 100% Altec or Giro Manifest, our most airy models. We were also more impressed by the ventilation on the Troy Lee A2 MIPS and the Smith Session. Features The visor is adjustable, so if you do find the visor being a bit long, you can always tilt the visor up and out of the way. The original Giro Montaro MIPS helmet developed a following and established itself as one of Giro’s best selling trail helmets of all time. When I reviewed it earlier this year, I noted a handful of its excellent traits, but it wasn’t perfect. With the launch of the Giro Montaro MIPS II, nearly all the features that made the original great are retained. And the flaws? Well… some of those are retained too. While the Montaro MIPS II may be a sequel, the plot is very much the same, in good ways and bad. The Chronicle has 14 vents and internal channeling, so the ventilation is reasonable. Some riders find it runs a little hot, but for a mid-tier helmet, it isn’t too bad. The Montaro has a roll cage reinforcement. This reinforcement is constructed of a lightweight but extremely strong material that is hidden in the EPS foam layer. This helps keep the helmet sturdy and able to withstand greater impacts than those without.

This revolutionary fit system adds a new dimension to helmet performance by enhancing cooling, as well as fit comfort and stability. Using a patented design that suspends the helmet just slightly off the top of the skull, Roc Loc® Air allows cool airflow to pass directly over your head, further enhancing the performance of vents and internal channelling that exhaust heat out of the helmet. Fit and feel adjustments mimic the Roc Loc® 5, allowing you to easily custom tune fit tension and fore-aft tilt of the helmet in seconds using a single hand. Huge bump, concussion, out of work for 3 days, etc, etc. The damage from a low speed fall was a wake up for sure. Inside the helmet, we see some similarities and some differences from the original Montaro. Pad placement remains the same, and the pads themselves are still the same Ionic+ antimicrobial pads used in the Montaro. The padding is still comfortable, absorbent, and non-smelly, even after long, high-output rides. No complaints there, from me or from my wife. The MIPS system remains in place too, and it’s just as confidence-inspiring as it was in the original. Not familiar with MIPS? In short, it’s a system designed to disburse rotational impact forces ( great article on it here), and it’s a key safety feature for a helmet like this. Mud on my face. Flashlight on my head. I’m ready for some extended hours in the dark. All Giro helmets are designed to reduce as much energy as possible while meeting and exceeding stringent safety standards. The goal of Giro’s MIPS-equipped helmets is to reduce rotational forces. Giro believes that helmets equipped with this technology can reduce the amount of rotational force that may be transferred to rider’s brain in certain impacts. Learn more about MIPS in the video above.

The Bottom Line: Giro Montaro MIPS Helmet

Let’s start with the general layout here. Visually, the Montaro MIPS II is all but identical to the original Montaro. The hole pattern is the same. The visor design is the same. The strap placement is the same. Even the logo placement is the same. And the color ways are eerily similar too. Looking at the outside of the Montaro MIPS II, I couldn’t differentiate it from the original Montaro MIPS if it didn’t have “Montaro II” printed on the side in small font. Other than that issue, the Montaro is quite comfortable. The padding is low-profile and amazingly absorbent. I climbed up Bellingham’s Galbraith mountain trails on many 80-90 degree days this summer, and was very pleased with how well it kept the sweat off my face. After all those sweaty days, everyone near me can be glad that the padding is antimicrobial. The helmet also accommodates a variety of sunglasses and safety glasses quite comfortably (the latter of which I wear in the forest in spring for bugs’ sake, for those who may be curious). The arms of the glasses fit underneath the helmet’s front strap quite naturally in fact, and the helmet doesn’t put any undue pressure on them. The Montaro in action on prime dirt. In-Mold Construction fuses a tough polycarbonate outer shell with the helmet's impact-absorbing foam liner. The fusion process allows for better ventilation systems, making in-mold helmets lighter and cooler than traditional helmets. Unfortunately, the padding on the Montaro doesn’t have a long lifespan. Some riders have mentioned the padding only lasts around 6 months before it needs replacing. While this might only be for the hottest and sweatiest of riders, it isn’t a huge issue, and replacement pads can be easily and cheaply.