Shark Attacks! Skwal 2 and Spartan helmets

If you've just pulled your stinky old lid out from the back of the cupboard after a winter lay-off, you might be thinking of a new helmet. And with that in mind, we've got a couple of new Sharks in to test over the coming season.

First up, for me, is this new Spartan Carbon full-face lid. It's an upper-mid-priced design, and replaces the Race Pro which was my previous Shark full face lid. Our Laura has just recently done a full review on a Spartan actually (here) so I'll be seeing how my experience compares with her. Out of the box, there's a very nice, high-quality feel (as you’d expect for £380-ish), and the spec is also strong. Flip-down sun visor,removable liner, supplied Pinlock anti-fog insert, premium helmet bag – it’s all here.

The one criticism I've had of Shark lids in the past has been the visor aperture, which I felt was a bit restricted, cutting your view when doing lifesavers etc. This design seems better than some I've tried in the past though. I'll report back in a few weeks after some initial wear.

The other lid we have in is a Skwal 2, which is being tested by one of the Visordown helpers, Dan B. Dan works up in that London, and commutes the 13 miles in every day on his Monster 1100. He's been using a budget lid, but we've persuaded him to try out this posher helmet for a bit.

The Skwal 2 has a unique LED lighting system, aimed at improving visibility on the road. That could be a boon for Dan, who had a SMIDSY crash last year on his commute. It uses a built-in rechargeable battery with a USB connector and handy switch which turns the light on or off, and there's also a flashing mode.

Apart from the clever lighting setup, the Skwal has a polycarbonate shell, quick-release visor, loads of vents and a smart aerodynamic design. Dan's using it now, and we'll report back on it soon.

More info on Shark here.