Bolle Track-Down MIPS Helmet

Bolle, a company predominately known for its line of eyewear for snow and cycling sports, has been making a push into the helmet market. A few years back Bolle launched a helmet called the One. The One helmet featured removable parts that transformed it from an aero road bike lid into a cross-country mountain bike helmet. It’s the helmet Mr. Potato Head would wear if he ever got into cycling. To be honest, it wasn’t the most attractive helmet, and its features were far behind its competitors. Bolle took another swing at it with its latest helmet, the Trackdown, and seems to have knocked the ball right out of the park, or at least filled the bases. The Trackdown is a mountain bike-specific helmet from Bolle designed to provide safety and function for trail riders. Bolle sent us one of its new Trackdown helmets with MIPS to test out on our local trails. 

Tech features:

First and foremost, Bolle went back to the drawing board to greatly enhance the aesthetics of the helmet, giving it a more traditional trail helmet look. Bolle then added safety features, such as MIPS, and incorporated the Avid Progressive EPS technology found in Bolle’s snow helmets. Utilizing large interior ventilation channels inside the helmet, Bolle was able to enhance airflow, decrease weight and increase safety by making the top of the EPS shell behave like a lower-density material. The helmet has a 360-degree retention system and three-position-adjustable visor. Considering Bolle specializes in eyewear, it’s no surprise that the company made sure the Trackdown could safely store your sunglasses when not in use. The two front ventilation ports, which Bolle refers to as the “Sunglass Garage,” do just that. The Trackdown helmet is available in small (52–55cm), medium (54–58cm) and large (58–62cm). It’s available with MIPS for $170 and without for $140. The helmet comes in multiple colors, and a pair of matching shades is just another purchase away. 

Field test results:

The Bolle Trackdown MIPS fits true to size and offers a wide range of adjustment, thanks to its 360-degree retention system. The straps are nothing fancy but get the job done. The helmet’s padding stayed in place throughout our testing, and the large air ports offer great ventilation. The three-position visor is right at the sweet spot in the middle position, keeping it out of our field of view while still providing shade and protection. At the lowest setting, the visor can be seen in your peripheral vision, but it blocks the sun well during evening or early-morning rides. The high setting allows riders to store glasses or goggles underneath the visor. When wearing sunglasses, the helmet didn’t interfere, and when storing glasses on the helmet, the glasses stayed in place well even while we were bouncing around the trails. Bolle gave the new Trackdown a great look and followed it up with safety and function. The helmet has a reasonable price of $170 with MIPS and is offered in multiple colors to better match your gear. Bolle may have missed the mountain bike market with its previous helmet, but its newest helmet, the Trackdown MIPS, is a solid option for mountain bike enthusiasts.

Hits

• Comfortable fit 

• Affordable price 

• Holds sunglasses well 

Misses

• None

Star Rating-★★★★★

www.bolle.com

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