Giro Merit MIPS Helmet Review – I Crash Tested It

I’ll be honest — I’ve made some very bad decisions in my life. One of the most embarrassing? Letting my condo insurance lapse back when I lived in Chicago. I was being a cheapskate, thinking “How often does something really happen?”

Well… something did. And it ended up costing me $20,000 out of my own pocket. That painful (and expensive) lesson changed the way I think about risk — and now, anything that helps reduce it isn’t a luxury but a necessity for me. That includes getting the best mountain bike helmet I can buy. Just a few weeks ago, I took a hard slam while riding. And I can honestly say the Giro Merit Spherical Helmet was worth every single dollar. Here’s what happened and why I think everyone should consider picking one up.

The Verdict

Before I jump into my personal experience of how I “tested” the helmet, let’s dive into the helmet on a daily basis. Besides incredible protection (more on that later), the helmet was the most comfortable I’ve ever worn due to the amount of ways to adjust it from the ROC LOC system to the adjustable dial on the back. And even on the hottest trail days, the large exhaust ducts kept the air flowing. And when you do sweat, which I do a lot, the Ionic+™ anti-microbial padding stays fresh. While it is an expensive helmet, after my fall I don’t think I’ll ever rock another helmet.

Giro Merit Helmet Specs

• Roc Loc® Trail Air – quick dial to adjust helmet size to your head size
• Adjustable moto-style screw-in visor
• Spherical safety – Giro’s design for MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System)
• Weight: 360g
• Retail: $240
• Buy from EVO |  Backcountry.com | REI

What Happened?

If you read “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride Is Wilder in a Freak Summer Snowstorm,” you know I’ve been spending a lot more time on the bike lately. In just two months, I’ve logged as many miles as I usually do in an entire season — all because I’m training for something I once thought was out of reach: TAMBA’s Rose-to-Toads Ride.

It’s no joke — 62 miles, 8,000 feet of climbing, and 10,000 feet of descending. I’m doing it to support Jaime’s dream (in ultra running), and honestly, it’s the biggest riding challenge I’ve ever taken on.

For my most recent training ride, my coach wanted me to get a taste of what it’ll feel like to ride over 40 miles and then drop into one of Tahoe’s gnarliest descents. The route? Climb up Christmas Valley to Big Meadow, then descend Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.

Fine… Until I Wasn’t

The climb may have been “short,” but it beat me up. I thought I was fine—until I wasn’t. My focus slipped. As I rolled around a corner at maybe 2 mph, I hit a granite roller. My front tire dropped into a ditch I should’ve gone around. I knew I was in trouble the moment I flipped over the bars and heard a loud crack.

Embarrassed and Stupid

Flat on my back, I screamed — not just from pain, but from frustration. I felt stupid, embarrassed, and completely wrecked. My friends rushed over, telling me not to move, checking if I was okay.

I sat on a rock and did a mental inventory. Aside from feeling like I got smacked in the leg with a baseball bat, I was surprisingly okay. My gear had done its job — my Shoreline of Tahoe jersey, elbow and knee pads, and most importantly, my helmet had all protected me.

The Helmet Saved Me

Then I looked at my helmet. Even though I felt fine — no headache, no signs of a concussion — my noggin protector was wrecked. The visor had shattered into pieces, and there was a deep dent in the shell right where I’d hit the ground.

All I could think was how incredibly grateful I was for how well the Giro Merit Spherical Helmet had performed. It did exactly what it was supposed to do — and likely saved me from something much worse.

What I Love About Them

Even before I took a spill, I was already impressed by how customizable the fit was. My head measures 163 cm—definitely on the larger side—so most helmets I’ve worn felt like trying to cram a watermelon into a small box.

But with the Roc Loc Trail Air fit system, I was able to dial it in perfectly. The padding struck a great balance—comfortable without being overly thick and yet allowing it to maximize the ventilation.

Bonus: the visor adjusts easily up or down, making it simple to block the sun when needed.

Spherical – The Safety Difference

Over the years, I’ve taken a few spills while snowboarding—some of them hard enough to leave me with serious bell ringers. After my latest fall, I decided to dig into what made this helmet different.

Most helmets now use MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System), which has become the gold standard. It works by placing a thin plastic liner between the padding and the helmet shell to help redirect rotational forces during a crash.

But Giro took it a step further. In collaboration with MIPS, they developed a new tech called Spherical. Instead of using a plastic liner, Spherical helmets feature two foam layers—an inner and outer shell—that rotate independently (you can see it in the picture above), kind of like a ball-and-socket joint. This design offers the same protection against rotational impacts but with improved comfort and fit.

What I Don’t Like

I sweat a lot, and for the most part, the padding did a solid job absorbing moisture. Even on long climbs, I didn’t have much sweat dripping into my eyes.

That said, after a solid 4 hours of steady pedaling in the summer sun—with barely any downhill to cool off—the padding eventually hit its limit and started to drip. Honestly, I don’t think any helmet could keep up at that point.

My go-to solution? I brought a small towel, dipped it in a stream, and used it to cool off my head during breaks. And after about a dozen rides, I gave the pads a quick wash with hand soap once I got home, and they cleaned up just fine.

Should You Buy It?

If you know me, you know I’m not a risk taker—I’m definitely not the “full send” type. So even if you’re a cautious rider or someone who likes to keep things budget-friendly, there’s one product I strongly believe you shouldn’t skimp on: your bike helmet.

Your brain is the most important part of your body, and having solid protection when things go wrong is absolutely worth the investment.

At the very least, make sure your helmet includes MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System). It’s easy to spot—just look for the yellow MIPS sticker.