Reviewed: Mavic Crossmax Pro MTB helmet
Mavic's stylish enduro helmet is light and comfortable enough for your trail/xc shreds, but burly enough for fast, gnarly descents.
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“A versatile enduro helmet that’s just at home on your trail and XC rides”
Price: $180
Weight: 320 grams (size M)
Rating: 9.1/10
My needs are pretty simple when it comes to mountain bike helmets: It has to be comfortable, it has to be burly, it has to be light, and it has to look good. (Okay, maybe not so simple after all.)
Mavic manages to fill that tall order with the Crossmax Pro, an Enduro-specific lid that I found just as useful and comfortable on everyday trail rides. At 320 grams, it’s light enough to be comfortable on XC rides too, making it a versatile helmet for all your riding styles.
Why, then, does Mavic market it as Enduro-specific? It’s the small features, like the adjustable visor and shape of the helmet at the front that accommodates goggles. Mavic says the fit is designed to help alleviate goggle fogging. The Ergo Hold SL retention system is also fairly burly, snugging up comfortably around your head when the trail turns gnarly. It’s snug, yes, but the XRD foam at the forehead is basically memory foam, like your bed mattress, and it’s soft and comfortable. It’s that foam that allows you to really cinch down on the retention system so the helmet doesn’t jostle through rock gardens. A tighter fit keeps things in place, while the foam provides just a little more cushion to keep the fit comfy.
That foam pulls double-duty by absorbing vibrations and acting as an extra cushion during impacts. Thankfully, we didn’t test its impact efficacy out on the trail.
But beyond that, the Crossmax Pro seems more like a jack-of-all-trades. Perhaps that’s because it looks cool in all the colors offered, and it’s got a generally low profile that doesn’t feel bulky even though it provides pretty thorough coverage over the head and behind it, too. (Big win: that extra coverage on the sides and back of the helmet doesn’t interfere with sunglasses.) And all types of riders can appreciate the mosquito netting that keeps flying critters out of your hair while you’re shredding your favorite descent.
