Van Rysel RCR MIPS helmet review: Truly incredible value for money and performance that punches well above its weight

Choosing the best road bike helmet for many is all about aerodynamics nowadays. As the helmet hits clean air it can have an outsized effect on performance compared to many other upgrades, but for many, the main consideration is going to be price. Top-end helmets can easily set you back over £200/$250, and for many, that’s just too much money for what, first and foremost, is a piece of safety equipment.

Van Rysel is doing a great job in recent years of trying to cast of its bargain aesthetic. The Van Rysel RCR Pro road bike had the most hype of any road bike launch I can remember in recent years, and with the brand’s equipment being used at the top level of the sport it’s certainly becoming a big player that’s disrupting the usual order of things.

In a recent wind tunnel test, the RCR-F helmet (previously known as the FCR) came out third fastest among a huge range of road helmets (ignoring the mad POC Procen Air for a second), despite costing a fraction of the price of many in the list. While my colleague Tom reviewed that helmet, which, considering the aero performance,e offers truly astounding value, I have been using the even cheaper Van Rysel RCR MIPS helmet for several months now, and if you aren’t counting each watt, then I think it’s likely an even better buy.

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Design and aesthetics

In terms of form, the Van Rysel RCR MIPS shares a lot of similarities with the more aero RCR-F. Shape-wise, the two are similar, but the RCR MIPS just has more vents. The front section features three lower vents around the brow, along with five large main vents, which are bisected by a stiff plastic beam.

At the rear, there are a full seven vents to dump hot air out into the turbulent air behind, and while in total this may sound like a lot, this doesn’t actually look like a wildly vented helmet when taken in the round. The central portion is very smooth, similar to the venerable old Kask Protone.

Naturally, one can’t judge aerodynamics by eye, but it’s clearly a more ventilated helmet than its aero sibling. With one’s head down in an aero position, it isn’t hard to imagine it also being relatively fast. Again, this needs testing to corroborate, so I’ll leave any aero discussion there.

Inside the glossy white or blue plastic shell is the usual expanded polystyrene shell, and inside that the padding looks relatively minimal. What’s key to note here is that, despite an RRP of just £79.99, the helmet includes MIPS Air Node technology. MIPS (multidirectional impact protection system) allows the shell of the helmet to rotate around the wearer's head to some degree during an impact, with a reduction in the rotational forces felt by the brain. Air Node is the brand’s latest, lowest-profile offering, and to see it at this price point is pretty incredible.

The cradle is adjustable via a dial and can be raised or lowered at the back several notches to achieve an ideal fit. The padding can be removed for washing too if you’re dead sweaty. The chin strap is adjustable, though a little basic, ditching the fidlock magnetic clasp of the FCR in favour of a standard buckle. The Y-junctions under the ears are neatly done but aren’t adjustable in any way, so if they sit in the wrong place for you, then you’re going to have to deal with it.

My size medium version weighed in at 278.6g/9.8oz, which isn’t necessarily going to challenge for the title of lightest road bike helmet, but it’s certainly respectable. It is only 14g lighter than the FCR, which is a little surprising given the extra vents.

The Van Rysel logos are just stickers, and so might be prone to peeling off in the fullness of time, but so far, mine have been absolutely golden.

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Performance

I’ve used some cheap helmets in the past, and, on the whole, they all feel as such, but that’s not the case here. The Van Rysel RCR MIPS helmet feels significantly more premium than its price tag would suggest it ought to. While the padding looks relatively minimal, the helmet is extremely comfortable, and I never encountered any pinching or rubbing. This may be because it perfectly matches my head, but regardless it’s on a par with some helmets that are twice the price.

The cradle sits relatively low on the ears. Not low enough to interfere with your cycling glasses, but in combination with a relatively low brow and a rear cradle that can extend down a good distance it’s enough to make it feel like your head is in the helmet rather than the helmet is on your head, if that’s not too fine a distinction to make.

While riding, it’s been essentially faultless. Comfort is key for me, and while I haven’t given it a run out in truly sweltering temperatures yet, I do wear a cap under it on frosty days, which is usually a sign of decent ventilation. Adjustment on the fly is a breeze, and the dial has a positive click in both directions with little resistance. It’s easier than many dials I’ve used, and it’s perfectly possible to whip it off, take your cap off, and reapply your helmet while riding, though, naturally, I must suggest that you shouldn’t actually do this.

While the ear cradles aren't adjustable, they are low profile and sat low enough that they never troubled me. I did find that the vents don’t hold sunglasses particularly well, though, so I tended to opt to stick them down the back of my jersey if I ever needed to remove them.

Now, obviously, I haven’t crashed the helmet to test out the safety features, which ultimately is what it’s for, but it complies with European regulations EN1078, and you get that added MIPS rotational impact protection that you don’t currently get with the FCR despite it being more expensive. This is a real win for me, and it does somewhat raise questions as to why the FCR doesn’t also include MIPS, at least not in the UK - a MIPS offering is available in Europe. The only drawback, perhaps, is that it doesn’t have a Virginia Tech rating, an independent system for rating helmets, so if you want safety above all else, then you’d be better off looking to one that has been tested in this manner.

Onto aero again briefly. I’m not going to pretend that it ‘feels fast’ because that’s a daft thing to say about a helmet. What I can say is that we’ve tested the very similarly shaped FCR in the wind tunnel, and it was excellent, and that was enough to make me reach for this one over my other helmets when I was on rides where I wanted to be fast. If you’re after a purely aero helmet, then go for the FCR, but for the general rider who has an eye on performance but it isn’t the be all and end al,l then the FCR is an excellent helmet.

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Value

I honestly can’t believe this helmet costs as little as it does. It’s only £79.99 and, for the most part, feels like a helmet worth twice that asking price. The only bit that feels cheap is the chin strap, and I can’t, in good conscience, say that ever gave me any grief. Truly stupendous value, and if I was buying a helmet for myself, it’d probably be this so I’d have more money for other things.

Verdict

If you aren’t counting every watt, then the Van Rysel RCR MIPS has to be on your consideration list for your next road bike helmet. It’s extremely comfortable, it looks good without any bargain basement aesthetics, you get added MIPS technology, it’s pretty well ventilated, there’s some pro team brownie points if that’s your thing, and all for well under £100.

Unless you want the most aero helmet possible, the most ventilated helmet possible, or the safest helmet possible (as this hasn’t been rated by Virginia Tech), then I can’t see a compelling reason to choose other options besides aesthetic considerations.