TESTED: Limar Delta trail helmet

Words: Seb Jayne | Photos: Tim Bardsley-Smith

Limar are well-known around the world for producing a great range of helmets with their XC and road variants found on the heads of many top riders. A long history of sponsoring top teams has meant a lot of time has gone into developing the comfort, ventilation and performance of their helmets.

Their latest edition to the line-up is the trail and enduro focused Delta that boasts significantly more coverage than their previous models. Dropping into steep trails or jump lines with an XC lid doesn’t really cut it, especially with what we now know about head injuries.

The Delta’s triple shell PC/EPS shell has extensive coverage down around the temples and back of the head to aid in protection.The coverage of the Delta’s shell means, along with the Australian specific AS/NZS certification, it also complies with the new European E-bike NTA 8776 certification .Another great feature of the shell is the 17 ventilation ports to keep your head cool even with the extended coverage. It’s a shame not to see any MIPS or similar technology options on the Delta. I would rather have every tool available to prevent a head injury, but the MIPS-like systems do add additional weight and the Delta features a claimed weight of 310g for the medium and 370g for the large size we tested, which is light for the market. So, it comes down to whereyour priorities lie.

The light weight helps the fit of the Delta, which does feel comfortable on my head. I have a bit of trouble finding helmets that fit comfortably so it was good that the Delta sat squarely with only a bit of pressure around the temples for me. Along with the size options, the Delta comes in a Standard and Asian fit to match as many heads as possible. The massive pads in the helmet are very soft and definitely aid in the comfort.

One thing I had trouble with was the retention system, the bit that you can turn to adjust tightness. In the highest vertical setting, it was hard to access the dial which was alright for me as I was in the middle, but I could imagine it would get annoying.

In the correct setting for me, I found the Delta would move forwards and backwards unless I turned the dial to the ‘head crushing’ level, which even then wouldn’t stop it slipping completely. My XC lids are a Giro Aether and POC Octal and neither have this issue, though my Octal tends to shift backwards and Giro side-to-side. Helmet fit is personal and really based on head shape – always make sure you try a helmet on in store and don't rely on online fit guides.

Out on the trails, forward movement is usually the most annoying especially on steep tracks. That can be down to head shape though, so again, it is something to look for when trying a helmet on. Out on the trails the slipping forward wa sannoying and after steep sections I’d have to push the Delta back up, but apart from that the lightness and good ventilation meant it felt comfortable. I used a set of Oakley Radars during the test and they sat well with the Delta thanks to the space around the ears. The Delta is set up to work with Limar’s ROC goggle, which means there is enough room on the forehead for high sitting goggles and a goggle strap section around the back oft he helmet to hold the strap securely.

In the looks department, the Delta sits well with six colours to choose from with the matt dark red on test. The whole shape is very trail oriented, obviously, and the visor is very large and should protect you from low hanging shrubs or rocks flinging off your mates’ rear wheel.

Overall, I’m happy with the Delta even with the forward sliding. I do find it tough to find helmets that fit well so this ticks my box, but as with any helmet you should try one on first and look for excessive sliding in any direction. Feature wise, the lack of rotational injury protection like MIPS is a shame, but the wide coverage, good looks and comfort should tick most boxes.

RRP: $179.95
From: Apollo Bikes

Hits:
– Comfortable padding
– Great build quality
– Really good value

Misses:
– Retention on my head
– No rotational injury enhancement