Let’s not beat around the bush, The Beam full-face Virgo Integral MIPS helmet looks pretty wild when you compare it to a conventional half-shell bike helmet – with its integrated chin bar and flip-down visor. But just like how DH full-face helmet tech has trickled down to a lot of lightweight convertible and full-face helmets for enduro and even some aggressive trail riders – it’s hard to argue with extra head protection.
The Beam Virgo Integral MIPS full-face city & ebike helmet
Full-face helmets are nothing new in cycling. But for some reason, they’ve really never made the transition from gravity mountain biking to more mainstream cycling.
The Beam Virgo full-face looks to break down that barrier with a lightweight and well-ventilated helmet that offers more of the light comfort, adjustable fit, and premium safety tech that we’ve come to expect from modern cycling helmets. Plus, of course, the added benefit of extra protection of the rider’s chin & face.
I’ve been following the development of this lightweight, multi-disciple full-face since it began as an aero road helmet almost 5 years ago. So, with my own adoption of more time riding a strange utilitarian ebike and a bright yellow cargo ebike, I was happy to test out this latest evolution of the Virgo full-face.
Why an ebike commuter full-face? Why not!
As more people have adopted ebikes as an alternative form of transportation, we have seen more helmets get ebike certifications – i.e. NTA 8776. Yet still, we still only really see ebike helmets going full-face for off-road-focused aggressive eMTB riding.
But, as commuter ebikes share more of the road and urban environment, it makes sense that ebike helmets could start to look a bit more like a scooter or moto helmet.
When you are riding back and forth to work amongst car traffic, or zipping around town on quick & powerful ebikes, The Beam Virgo Integral MIPS helmet simply offers extra peace of mind in a lightweight and comfortable helmet at a reasonable price. And it delivers enough ventilation that you won’t really roast when you have to pedal a bit on your own, too.
Tech Details & Actual Weight
The Beam developed the Virgo full-face to not only comply with the regular EN1078 / CPSC bike certification standards, but also to meet the more stringent European NTA-8776 regulation created for higher-speed (45kph/28mph) pedelec ebikes.
The French-designed helmet features a unique multi-layer construction. First, there’s essentially a more conventional in-mold half-shell helmet – with just a plastic shell molded over the edges of its EPS foam energy absorbing layer for wear & tear protection. Then, molded on the outside of that, there’s the complete ABS shell with separate in-mold EPS around the cheeks and chin bar for additional protection.
Lastly, inside it all, is a black MIPS Evolve Core liner insert to isolate your head from rotational forces in an impact.
- unique multi-part construction for conventional impacts, plus separate face protection
- ABS shell with in-mold EPS foam
- 5 forward & top facing vents, 4 rear exhaust vents & small internal ventilation channels
- fixed height dial-adjustable fit system, with adjustable nylon webbing chinstrap & plastic buckle
- removable, washable, sweat-wicking padding and separate padded cheek cushions
- optional, removable visors (glasses-friendly)
- optional, removable magnetic taillight
- designed in France, made in China
- EN 1078 / CPSC / NTA 8776 certified
- 3 adult + 1 child size available
- lightweight, starting as low as 600-650g claimed (size Small, without visor)
Our size medium The Beam Virgo Integral MIPS full-face helmet has an official claimed weight of 710g without its visor, but measures a real 706g.
But the actual weight with the visor is 786g, plus an additional 28g when the smart tail (brake) light is mounted.
Lighter than most MTB full-face helmets
As a mountain biker who spends plenty of time riding long travel trail, enduro, freeride, and the occasional downhill bike, there wasn’t really even any mental obstacle to opting for a full-face helmet for ebike riding. In fact, while riding commuter bikes or even trail bikes in the winter, I’ve already been apt to put on a lightweight enduro full face and goggles to get a bit of extra weather protection with the added safety just a bonus.
Weight-wise, I have a couple of light enduro MTB full-face helmets that are lighter (Dainese & Endura) than the Virgo without its visor, but only the Endura is lighter once I factor in a pair of goggles, and then only by about 10g. Only the Dainese has MIPS, and neither are NTA-8776 certified. What that says is that comparing apples to apples (or at least to pears), The Beam’s Virgo Integral MIPS is truly a lightweight when it comes to full-face protection.
Riding Review
I’ve ridden the Virgo Integral MIPS mostly through autumn, with my ebike rides generally leaning towards jackets and gloves weather, so I really can’t vouch for how it will do on hot summer days when you have to pedal uphill by yourself. Or when your ebike battery will run out. But I have ridden in cold enough weather to notice that the vents do let a good bit of air in, so I definitely put a thin windproof cap on when it got closer to freezing.
I picked the sand tan helmet to test because I figured the lighter color would offer improved visibility to drivers. And I have the clear Crystal visor, which still has a tiny bit of a gray tint, although it’s completely fine for riding at night with lights.
The visor itself doesn’t have any specific handles or tabs to move it. But it sits far enough away from my face that I have no problem pushing it up or down by the visor’s edges, even with winter gloves. When it’s not exceptionally cold, I like to ride with the visor up so I can feel the wind on my face. Or half way up which offers a tiny bit of shading against the setting sun. But on especially cold, windy, or even rainy days, dropping the visor down is great.
Virgo Integral’s snap-on Smart Rear Light
I especially like the Virgo Integral’s included rear smart taillight (optional on Access models), as it greatly boosts nighttime and low-light visibility.
It puts out a steady 40 lumens of red light, then powered by an on-board accelerometer, it automatically boosts to 120 lumens when braking for added visibility. The water-resistant 28g USB-C rechargeable taillight has a 400mAh battery for a claimed runtime of 20 hours, and a 2hr recharge time – both of which seem to match my real-world use.
The Smart rear light is StVZO-certified, and comes in a package with the top-spec Virgo Integral models, or sells for 49€ separately.
Riding Takeaways
If you are only used to road, gravel, or conventional urban commuter helmets, The Beam Virgo Integral MIPS full-face is a pretty shocking switch. And I won’t lie, the first comments that I’ve got from coworkers, friends, and family were often astonishment why I would want a helmet that they thought looked more like a motorcycle helmet than a commuter bike helmet.
But on second thought, pretty much everyone understands that more coverage and more protection means improved safety. And what other reason do we wear helmets than to keep our heads safe?
Plus, more ebikes means more time sharing the road with cars, more inexperienced riders on heavier ebikes (vs. conventional bikes), and maybe even higher average speeds. So there’s good reason to offer more protection to the heads of ebikers. And The Beam’s Virgo Integral full face does all that in a lightweight and comfortable helmet, that I personally feel better riding.
The Beam Virgo Integral – Pricing, options & availability
The Beam offers their Virgo full-face helmet in 3 sizes: S(51-54cm), M (55-58cm) & L (59-63cm. Then, you get to pick from 4 colors – black, white, navy blue & sand (tested). And then, if you get one of the top-tier Integral models, it comes with your choice of 4 visor options – lightly tinted Crystal (tested), dark smoke tinted Black, reflective Polarized Blue, bronze-tinted Yellow.
Lastly, The Beam Virgo is available in 4 spec options to hit all price points: Integral includes both the visor of your choice and the taillight. Access is without a visor (but one could still be added later).
Technically, it looks like only the top-tier is available in the US web store, at the moment. But global delivery is available from the European webshop, so you might just have slightly higher shipping costs or extra delivery time.
The top-spec The Beam Virgo Integral MIPS full-face (as tested) sells for $299 / 299€, directly from The Beam’s online shop. Get rid of the visor & that smart taillight, and the Virgo Access MIPS retails for just 239€. Or without the extra rotational impact protection, the Virgo Integral sells for 229€ with the accessories, and the Virgo Access goes for 179€ without.
There are also even a cheaper XS (48-50cm) & S (51-54cm) kids versions for just 99€ in more child-oriented colors, too.
As an extra holiday shopping deal now in Europe, if you buy any Virgo helmet right now, The Beam will give you a free visor and a helmet Reflector reflective sticker for free, making it cheaper to get a visor-equipped commuter full-face. (Apply code: VIRGOSTYLE at checkout after adding the accessories).
