France’s The Beam has launched its Virgo full-face helmet for use on e-bikes and other electric two-wheelers, and it almost immediately smashed its crowdfunding target on Kickstarter. The company says that the Virgo is designed for speeds up to 28mph (45km/h) and offers “complete protection of the face in case of a frontal crash”. It’s available with Mips technology that’s designed to protect your brain against damage from rotational motion.
> Find out all you need to know about MIPS
“After years of hard work and tons of tests, our engineering team came up with a solution adapted to the new uses of e-bikes, scooters, or powered vehicles, which require greater protection and higher visibility than conventional bicycle helmets,” says The Beam.
“Virgo helmet can be used on various types of transportation modes, especially if a rider reaches a high speed in a wild urban environment. Thanks to its safety technology within the shell, Virgo offers multi-impact protection zones in the areas most likely to be hit in a fall in case of a frontal crash.”
The Beam says that Virgo is designed around the Dutch NTA-8776 regulation that covers helmets for speed pedelecs that can be powered up to 28mph (45km/h). It also complies with the regular EN 1078 bicycle helmet standard.
> Check out Endura’s SpeedPedelec helmet here
Speed pedelecs – or S-pedelecs – are legally classed as mopeds in the UK. This means riders need to have a driving licence and the vehicle needs to be registered, taxed and insured.
> Buying and riding an S-pedelec in the UK
“With the arrival of electric bikes in our cities, the speed is higher than ever,” says The Beam. “That’s why you need a helmet designed for better protection. This could mean a slightly heavier helmet that does its job of providing better protection while still being comfortable while riding.”
One of Virgo’s key features is the use of a polycarbonate shell that’s designed to protect the face as well as the rest of the head. It doesn’t look like you get as much facial coverage as with a typical full-face mountain bike helmet, for example, but the Beam says the design “allows for flexible shock absorption while simultaneously protecting the chin and jaw”. Your ears are left uncovered so your ability to hear traffic shouldn’t be affected.
You also get several switchable front visors for different weather and light conditions. Each visor is held in place by magnetic fasteners on the front of the helmet.
The Virgo comes with a removable and rechargeable LED on the back that’s held in place by magnets. It contains an accelerometer and lights up automatically when you brake.
Fit is handled by a dial adjustment system at the back and different sizes of padding.
Although it’s clearly not as airy as a sports-style bike helmet, The Beam says that “eight powerful aerations integrated into the shell [create] channels of air that refresh your head during rides”.
The Virgo is available either with or without Mips, a low-friction layer within the helmet that’s designed to reduce rotational motion by absorbing and redirecting rotational energies and forces to the brain. In short, Mips is intended to offer additional brain protection from oblique impacts.
The Beam is keen to shout about Virgo’s weight too, the helmet coming in at 600g to 650g. Although heavier than a standard road helmet, that’s lighter than most full-face mountain bike designs.
The Virgo is available in three sizes and four colours: Carbon Black, Warm Sand, Pure White and Midnight Blue.
To be in line for a non-Mips Virgo helmet you need to pledge at least €90 (about £79) on Kickstarter. You need to pledge at least €118 (about £103) for the Virgo helmet with Mips. As we always point out, supporting a crowdfunding project is not the same as buying a product through a retailer. Shipping is expected in August 2023.
