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Long gone are the days of trickling a trail bike down a descent because of dodgy tyres or geometry.

These days, they climb really well; and most descend incredibly well too. So much so that at times, a trail bike will be the fastest bike for certain downhill sections.

So if trailies are capable of barrelling down singletrack at 60km/h, why no full-face helmet?

Fortunately, helmet manufacturers have now seen the need for a lightweight, full-face trail lid; and the Fox ProFrame was the first to land in our offices for testing.

At 735g, it’s far lighter than a traditional downhill helmet, yet it carries a downhill safety certification. Other features include 24 air vents, an integrated chin bar, a Fidlock buckle system, a secure visor, and the MIPS safety system. And the look and feel of this head protector is classic Fox, and oozes style.

On the trail, it’s a little strange at first to be pedalling up a climb wearing a full-face – we did tilt the helmet a little, to increase vision and breathing for climbing. The huge air vents on the chin bar facilitate good air flow and breathing on the climbs. The buckle system releases easily enough even with full-finger gloves on, so trailside regroups and chats with mates are easy as.

As we dropped into the descent and began to pick up speed, we immediately realised the big confidence boost this helmet brings with it. Hopping gaps, flowing through tricky turns and smashing rock gardens while knowing that you have proper head and face protection helped us relax a little, and ride even better.

We figure for rides longer than two or three hours we might well stick to the regular open-face helmet option, and hold back when charging the descents. But for anyone looking for a short, fast ride with maximum protection, we think Fox have a winner here.

Final note: we used the helmet with goggles, and noted that the fit is snug enough that you can easily use your regular trail eyewear without any downside. Or go the goggle route.

The Take Out Trail riding just got a whole lot more fun.

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