Endura’s MT500 Mips is a comfortable open-face trail mountain bike helmet made from Koroyd and EPS with a MIPS liner. It is available in 3 sizes, is well specced and fits well straight from the box and comes in a variety of colours both bold and understated. It offers the highest level of protection from Endura for your head and whilst not cheap, its definitely a contender for the best mountain bike helmet crown.
Endura MT500 Mips helmet - Techincal details
The Endura MT500 Mips helmet is made from standard expanded polystyrene foam or EPS as it is more commonly known with a 3D-moulded Koroyd core section from the brow almost all the way to the back of your head. At the rear of the helmet and behind and below your ears, EPS material takes over the protection duties. The quality of the in-mould manufacturing process looks as good as it gets with all sections of EPS, Koroyd and the outer hard shell extremely well finished with no rough edges present.
With this bright white and lime green version, the 3D Koroyd material is clearly visible and looks not too dissimilar to green straws sandwiched together on the inside of the helmet and filling all the vents on the top and front of the helmet. But that’s not the true picture here. The Koroyd system is not just straws and they are not just filling the gaps in the EP mould - Koroyd is the structure body of the helmet above the lower EPS levels.
Endura has chosen to use this manufacturing process as it believes Koroyd provides unrivalled impact absorption for the weight of the material used. The company is not alone in using Koroyd, others have used it, of which the most well know is Smith who was the first brand to use it for a cycling helmet material. And although there is a general lack of corroborated evidence as to what material is best in the event of a crash, Koroyd helmets have tested well in the past.
In order to give the rider the best protection possible in 2023 Endura has also added a low-friction Mips liner to this striking and unusual helmet material. For those unfamiliar with what Mips is, it’s a very thin section of plastic, not unlike a plastic hairnet or cage that sits between your head and the Koroyd and EPS material of the helmet. It’s fixed to the helmet but allowed to move around on its mounts and is designed to reduce rotational motion being passed to the brain from angled impacts. It’s a hot topic of conversation - we've covered it in detail in our feature entitled 'What is a Mips helmet?'
If, like me, you are happy that Endura’s designers have done their homework then we can move on to all the other features of this MT500 Mips helmet. Starting with the outside, at the rear there is a rubber gripper moulded into the helmet to hold your goggle strap, upfront Endura has fitted a well-integrated easily adjustable visor that goes high enough for goggles or sunglasses to be parked under it when not in use and there are arm channels under the visor to hold your glasses as well. In the box, although not tested is an action camera/ headlight snap-in mount that will snap out should you take a tumble.
The under-ear strap yokes are not adjustable for height but can be adjusted with some faffing with the straps around their grippers forwards/backwards to accommodate most ears. Luckily the yokes are in the perfect position for my ears. The yoke is designed to lock the straps removing the issue of wandering and or broken adjusters leading to an ill-fitting and unsafe helmet.
The clasp under the chin is a traditional clip buckle (no magnets here) complete with a strap keeper for the loose end. A tried and tested straightforward solution your fingers will have no problems with.
At the rear of the helmet, there is a rotary dial that allows micro-adjustments to the cradle and with the three sizes available covering a total range of 51-63cm most people should find a good fit. The cradle itself is also adjustable in height on the nape of your neck by unclipping the cradle mount inside the helmet and moving it up or down. There are three positions to choose from. The pads inside the MT500 helmet are anti-bacterial and fast drying and replaceable.
I normally wear a medium helmet from most brands and that is true here.
Endura MT500 Mips helmet - Performance
The first thing I do to see how well a new helmet fits my head is to put it on and comfortably adjust it until it tightens and then see how well it stays put without the chin strap done up. I’m looking for the least amount of movement side to side or front to back and how well it follows my head shape. The less it moves, the less you need to wind the cradle in, and the better the fit.
The Endura MT500 Mips passes this test with flying colours. There are no pinch points at the temple, forehead or rear and no gaps so the mould designer has done a great job in my case. The strap yokes below the ears are in the right position and I’ve never thought twice about them when riding. I did adjust the rear cradle for height a few times until settling on the middle position.
The Koroyd design provides excellent heat escape management from all the holes – 17 in total - working as exhausts removing air from your hot head. For some people the lack of large see-through vents makes them think they will quickly overheat which is not something I have had an issue with. In fact with the MT500, the 3D Koroyd material has been well angled to allow a flow of air at the front of the helmet at brow level and this can be felt as you ride, especially if it's freezing.
Sometimes Mips liners can make helmets feel hot or sweaty but I’m pleased to say in this respect the MT500 is better than the Smith Forefront 2 Mips. The standard Forefront 2 is fantastic but the Mips cradle covers too much of the Koroyd structure to allow heat out easily. The MT500’s Mips low friction liner is a lot slimmer design with less plastic and does a significantly better job of heat removal. Nice work Endura.
During my test period from Late Autumn until April, I have had absolutely no issues with overheating, which, while not a perfect four-season testing period, has had its moments when I’ve been comfortable without a jacket on and I’ve been racing laps of my woodland track. The Visor has continued to move up and down smoothly, the straps have stayed still and the MT500 Mips works well with a variety of sunglasses arms.
The MT500 Mips helmet is a very well-designed helmet with all the features you need and none that you don’t. It all works, fits well and looks good on your head which at £180 it had better do as you need to be happy wearing it every time you ride. It’s not an XC helmet or a Gravel helmet, whatever that latter category is, it offers fuller coverage than those although there is nothing to stop you from wearing it of course. The visor is removable should you wish but I felt it moved up out the way enough for steep climbs and was a welcome addition to help block the sun (when it shone) when down.
It’s definitely not the lightest helmet tipping the Park scales at 422g - nearly 50g heavier than the Smith Forefront and 78g heavier than the Abus Cliffhanger. This fact, however, never seems to be an issue in fact the only time I have questioned the weight was to weigh it for this test. Reassuring.
Endura MT500 Mips helmet - Verdict
Competitors come from across the market with most brands making a trail helmet with a similar specification. Smith Forefront 2 MIPS is the closest rival in all ways and, while I actually prefer the design aesthetic of the Smith, the Endura MT500 breathes better. At around £180 you have the excellent ABUS Cliffhanger MIPS with optional Quin safety tech, the famous Troy Lee Designs A3 MIPS and the hi-tech POC Kortal Race MiPS at £220.
While the MT500 doesn’t offer safety alarm technology like the ABUS’s QUIN system or POC’s RECCO with NFC, you can actually add some of this technology via a new gadget and app from Tocsen. If this appeals to you, stay tuned to the site for a full review soon.
Endura MT500 Mips is a great trail helmet with good coverage for those looking for more safety than a road/XC helmet. It’s packed with standard technology and extremely well-made. It’s multi-adjustable, comes in three sizes and has six colourways. During my test period, I had no issues with overheating and found it to be comfortable for long periods in the saddle. It may not have any electronic alarm technology but I think it's still a great option regardless of the initial investment; how much is a new head?
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