Giro Launches the New Insurgent Spherical Full-Face Helmet

Giro Sport Design, the cycling world’s design leader, today announced the release of Insurgent Spherical, built to deliver the protection that top riders demand as they redefine what is possible in progressive mountain biking. Built around the advanced protection of Spherical Technology powered by MIPS, the Insurgent has been designed for optimum ventilation, comfort, and performance. With 50% better cooling efficiency and 200g lower weight than the Disciple Mips, Insurgent Spherical delivers a new level of full-face protection from Giro. The Giro Insurgent helmet is available immediately from authorized Giro retailers and Giro.com for $350 US MSRP/ €389.95 / UK £349.

Key Features include:

Spherical Technology powered by MIPS
MIPS Brain Protection System
Progressive Layering with EPS outer liner & EPP inner liner
EPP chinbar liner and pre-preg fiberglass shell
Optimized airflow intake vents and channeled ventilation
Stack ventilation features 20 vents with internal channeling
Adjustable moto-style screw-in visor
Added central visor bolt hole enables action camera mounting space
Tool-free breakaway visor bolts
Directional snap system for removable cheek-pads
Two sets of cheek pads for variable thickness adjustability
25mm webbing with D-Ring buckle
Ionic+ antimicrobial padding
1,040 grams size M/L (CPSC)

“While some brands have prioritized requests from recreational riders for the lightest possible helmets, our professional gravity athletes have a different set of demands, and the Insurgent is built from the inside out to meet their needs,” said Giro Senior Industrial Designer David Thompson. “In 2019, we went to Red Bull Rampage to kick off the project with Kurt Sorge and Graham Agassiz for initial design parameters and athlete considerations. When I came back with final prototypes last year, it was heart-breaking to see Carson Storch crash out in practice, but so gratifying to hear him credit his Insurgent for helping avoid more serious injury. And, of course, it was pretty amazing to see Sorge and Reed Boggs ride in their Insurgents onto the podium just days later. Reading their field notes, doing Zoom calls...getting feedback from riders like them and racers like Richie Rude of Yeti / Fox Factory Racing was a massive part of our design process. Seeing the pros in their element while feeling very confident in our product is the reason we keep doing what we are passionate about here at Giro. I’m proud to finally make the Insurgent available to all gravity riders looking for professional-level protection.”

Cooling comfort was one of those top requests from pro gravity riders and Giro used their proprietary in-house Therminator heat-sensing head form to refine the placement and design of 20 intake vents, the internal channeling pathways, and exhaust ports. The measured results are clear: Insurgent is 50% more efficient at cooling than both Disciple Mips and leading competitor helmets. Weighing in at 1,040 grams in size M/L, the Insurgent is also 200 grams lighter than the Disciple Mips–despite the addition of key features like Spherical Technology.

The Insurgent Spherical utilizes a pair of foam layers that work like a ball and socket to redirect impact energy in a crash. The outer layer is EPS, which is well suited to high-speed crashes, while the inner layer is a lower density EPP foam with rebound characteristics to address low-speed, roll-around-in-the-dirt-type spills.

A lightweight, soft-touch, and absorbent pad set adds to comfort. Two different cheek pads allow riders to achieve a customized and comfortable fit, and are secured via a directional snap system for easy removal in case of a crash. Additional features include a patent-pending Flex Gasket along the lower edge of the helmet, designed to reduce the role a helmet can play in certain collarbone impacts. Also new are tool-free breakaway visor bolts with an integrated Allen key receiver for easy removal, and a central visor bolt hole, which does double duty as the ideal mount for P.O.V. action cameras.