Catlike Mixino Helmet review

The Mixino continues Catlike’s distinctive small vented design, with 39 vents and internal channels to direct airflow. Incorporating graphene into the inner skeleton of the shell has allowed Catlike to reduce the helmet’s weight while retaining its strength. It’s the helmet used by the Movistar team of Nairo Quintana, Alesandro Valverde, and Alex Dowsett, so you’ll have seen plenty of it over the racing season.

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Inside, there are long, quite narrow ribs running from the front to the back and there’s minimal padding: just two strips running back to front along the ribs and a narrow pad across the forehead. Despite the lack of pads, it’s remarkably comfortable with a deep fit which suits my head shape really well and produces minimal pressure lines across the forehead.

The rear cradle is easily adjustable via its small dial and up/down sliders on the side of the helmet. The rear cradle consists of two padded rings, which fit around the base of the skull and are also minimal but effective. The whole ensures a firm and comfortable fit with minimum bulk and contact points.

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All those vents keep the helmet cool even on hot days while the forehead padding has helped keep sweat and rain out of my eyes. It’s quite a noisy helmet though, as the large number of small vents tend to create wind howl.

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For an extra £39.99 you can buy a thin aeroshell which fits over the top of the helmet and clicks into the front and rear to cover up most of the vents. I wasn’t clear how much faster this made the helmet, but it does make it a bit quieter and keeps the rain out. It doesn’t impede ventilation too much either, as there are still a couple of forward facing vents left open and the wide channels in the interior of the helmet still allow air to flow easily from front to back.