Met’s latest cycle helmet, the Urbex Mips, has been designed to achieve the NTA certification indicating suitability for use on speed pedelecs (S-pedelecs). It also features a magnetic LED light that can be easily removed for charging.

Faster and more powerful than standard 25km/h e-bikes, S-pedelecs are legally classed as mopeds in the UK. Although they are still fundamentally e-bikes, their 45km/h top speed means riders are obliged to wear a motorbike helmet instead of a cycle helmet.

The various challenges of registering an S-pedelec means they haven’t especially caught on in the UK, but elsewhere they’re sufficiently common that they are becoming recognised as a separate class of vehicle.

This has given rise to a new helmet standard: NTA 8776, which sits between an ordinary cycle helmet and a moped helmet.

The NTA standard requires greater protection than the EN 1078 cycle helmet standard because of the higher speeds involved. However, it also factors in the physical effort of riding and the need for proper ventilation.

The Met Grancorso was the first helmet to comply and Met have now released the Urbex Mips, an urban helmet that appears to be aimed at e-bike riders in particular.

As the name indicates, the helmet also makes use of a multi-directional impact protection system (Mips), a low friction layer that allows 10-15mm of relative motion between the helmet and the head in all directions. This layer reduces the rotational motion transferred to the brain in the event of an impact.  

The other striking feature is an LED light that attaches to the upper back part of the helmet. This connects magnetically, meaning it’s easy to remove and recharge. The light comprises 25 LED spotlights and has five modes of operation: a steady red light, a pulsing red light, a blinking red light, a strobing red light and an automatic night-safe mode, which is a steady blue LED.

Battery life is up to six hours with a one-hour charge time. The helmet also features a padded chin strap with magnetic fastening system.

The Met Urbex Mips is available now for £160.