Fox Racing Metah Helmet

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If you don't know Fox, you must be new to the planet, or at least all things moto- and mountain-bike-related. The roots Fox have in technical riding gear and apparel run deep and they continue to refine and upgrade their offerings. Ten years ago, Fox launched their first trail-specific helmet dubbed the Flux. It was and still is a staple of protection for many riders. As bikes have progressed and all-mountain riding has become more and more aggressive, Fox knew that their helmets needed to follow suit. Enter the Metah. The Fox Metah Helmet was designed from the ground up to handle the rigors of modern-day mountain biking.

Fox introduced us to the Metah at Sea Otter. The first thing we noticed were the large, ample vents combined with, what seemed like, considerably more coverage than the Flux. Having run the Flux in the past, with great results, we were eager to pop the Metah on our dome to see how it fit. The L/XL size slid on with a surprising level of comfort. Occasionally, trail helmets with significant coverage and hard foam don't always easily fit our head shape and require some finessing and refinement to get the fit right. The Metah was dialed out of the box for our particular cranium.

Since the Metah is offered in two sizes, S/M and L/XL, Fox includes easily swap-able comfort pads in differing thicknesses for a perfect fit. One pad encompasses the forehead area and two other pads handle fit down closer to the ears. Throw in their single-hand-adjustment retention system on the back of the helmet and the Y-Strap system under the ears and getting a secure fit for riding is simple. The visor is fixed and does not pivot up or down.

The general look of the Metah is bigger than the Flux. It's a trade off we have to make these days for more complete coverage, higher-tech protective materials and lots of big vents. The high-tech impact material Fox uses is called Varizorb. Varizorb is comprised of varying density EPS foam layers in a sandwich configuration. The softer foam in the middle of the sandwich has a conical shape which spreads out load and acts as a speed-reducer upon impact. We'll trade a well-protected skull for a slightly bigger visual profile any day. Oh, and did we mention the big vents? Air flow and over-heating should not be an issue in the Metah. While we haven't taken the Metah on the trail just yet, we do not foresee the take-off-your-enduro-helmet-while-climbing technique being needed with this lid.

The Metah comes in a handful of color options, so you can run stealth or go nice and bright. We'll provide some real-life feedback after a few rides in the Metah soon, and if we decide to use our heads as an auger on the trail, we'll report our post-crash findings. Stay tuned.

Fox Metah Specs and Details

• First Fox All Mountain helmet with lower coverage on back of head for added protection
• 14 Big Bore vents, improved airflow and reduced weight
• Fox Varizorb multi-density impact reduction system
  
• Fixed anchor Y-Strap system
  
• Premium liner with sealed edges for increased comfort and moisture management
• Single hand dial actuated retention system
• Retail price is $149.95
• Five color options available.
  

Kovarik and Voreis schralp the new Metah helmet

For more info on the Fox Metah helmet, visit foxracing.com.