Giant has released a couple of new higher-end mountain bike helmets, with the Rail being its top-end offering. It comes with the newest Mips standard - the Air Node Liner - which is both thinner and less intrusive than older versions of Mips. The helmet has a great fit, is super comfy and comes with a magnetic buckle, but unfortunately doesn’t offer anywhere sunglasses storage.
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Giant Rail helmet - Technical details
Giant has built the Rail around the newest version of the Mips liner, in the form of the Air Node Liner, which is much less intrusive than the previous version. In fact, it doesn’t have that plastic layer of before and, at a glance, it’s almost impossible to notice. This liner has the aim of reducing the rotational impact on your brain in a crash, and reducing the effects of concussion.
The buckle is a magnetic Fidlock item, which clicks itself together once the two sides are close enough and then comes apart with just a slide of the right-hand side forward.
Unlike the majority of helmets, adjusting the rear height requires snapping out two separate arms and then snapping them both back in, which is an easy and intuitive adjustment to make.
The visor has three positions going from flat to very high. There are also a whopping 21 air vents, designed for maximum airflow. The Rail tips the scales at 360g in a size medium.
Giant Rail helmet - Performance
The Rail is a great performing helmet with comfort, looks and protection on its side. The only area I felt it was lacking was when it came to storing my sunglasses. Riding for hours on end, I barely noticed I was wearing it and that’s certainly due to its lightweight properties and comfort. Giant has designed this with a new, rounder head form for maximum compatibility.
Adjusting the helmet to fit your head is a breeze with nice large plastic guides sitting under the ear which are easy to adjust, and an easy-to-use rear adjuster to snug the whole thing to your head. I found the fit to be great – matching my head contours pretty impressively, something many other helmets fail to address.
I really like the helmet's aesthetics. The colourway and design are very modern and minimalist – in fact, there isn’t even a single Giant logo on offer, which should help attract a whole new customer base (especially brand-loyal riders who won't easily switch to something with conflicting logos). The helmet comes in four colours, with a green and three variations on black or grey. I personally really like the looks of the Rail, especially the minimalist approach which matches almost every kit and bike colour.
Attaching the helmet to your head is a breeze with the magnetic Fidlock buckle system. It uses a reasonably strong pair of magnets to snap the buckle into place and can’t be undone unless the right-hand side is slid forward. This all means taking the helmet off is an easy one-handed job and doing the helmet up is super simple.
The Rail comes with 21 vents, providing as much cooling as can be realistically achieved. In practice, this works well keeping your head as cool as possible on those hot days.
I found the peak easy to adjust and was able to position it where I wanted which, for me, was the middle height setting. It felt like it had enough length to be useful, but not so long as to get in the way.
Giant Rail helmet - Verdict
Coming in at £150 puts the Rail right in the competitive zone, going head-to-head with helmets such as the Troy Lee Designs Flowline SE and the Fox Speedframe Pro. The Giant Rail, however, boasts extra features such as the Fidlock buckle and the newest Mips liner.
Looking at all the features, its weight and the range of colours available, I feel the price of the Rail is justified –and it will take a lot to beat its value.
The Giant Rail is a great helmet, coming with almost all the top-end features such as a Mips liner, a magnetic buckle and plenty of adjustment; all at a very competitive price point. If you’re after a minimalist helmet, with great safety and comfort features, the Rail represents a good shout and is easily one of the best mountain bike helmets currently on sale.
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