Catlike is a Spanish company that was started by ex-pro rider, Pep del Ramo. Pep's idea was to offer top notch cycling helmets to his fellow rider so that they could race faster and safer; an ideology that is still very much in existence today, and helped by direct feedback from Catlike Pro Cyclists like Thor Hushovd and Samuel Sanchez. Incredibly popular amongst both road and trail cyclists alike, Catlike's stand out products are undoubtedly the Whisper and Whisper Plus Helmets.

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You’ll have seen the distinctive shape of the Whisper Plus on the heads of riders from Euskaltel Euskadi and Cervelo Test Team, amongst others, with more than one podium appearance.

The Whisper Plus doesn’t just grace the heads of such august names as a marketing freebie though. Its design has been finely tuned over the last few seasons through working closely with the riders themselves, taking on board their feedback and tweaking and tweaking the design until it squeaks.

At 290g for a size medium, the Whisper Plus isn’t as light as some helmets on the market at the moment, especially at this kind of price. Its main goal, however, is to offer an optimum balance between safety, ventilation and weight, and as such it does a good job. Certainly, as soon as you put the Whisper Plus on, you’re aware of the air flowing through the 39 separate intakes across the helmet that give it its trademark ‘look’, keeping comfort at a max no matter how hot the weather. Having long hair, I personally find overheating can be a problem, yet this helmet allowed sufficient airflow to cool even my hot head.

If I have a concern about the venting, it’s the insect risk of so many large forward facing vents with no mesh liner of any kind. That said, the huge vents at the back should allow anything to escape anyway! Unless it gets caught in your hair…..

The fit of the helmet was a little fiddly to fine tune, based on a fairly standard strapping arrangement and sliding gripper at the back, but even before adjustment, the helmet cradled my head securely, inspiring confidence. A neat Velcro fastening padded roll can be adjusted to make the under chin strap more comfortable. You’d not want to have to adjust the strapping or fit on the fly.

Choosing my usual size, the Whisper Plus fitted well, although at the absolute smallest it would adjust to. It would definitely be worth trying one on before buying if you’re borderline between sizes.

The Whisper Plus is CE certified following the usual safety tests. Its CES (Crash Energy Splitting) technology ensures impact force is evenly spread across the whole helmet, which is also helped by the venting pattern. All in all it should keep your noggin as safe as any other helmet.

The Whisper Plus comes in enough colour options to please even the pickiest rider. And if you have a penchant for team strip, then fill your boots.

A protective case is also available as an extra.

Verdict

Hard to find fault with this well ventilated and comfortable helmet, even at this price. It inspires confidence and looks great too - 8/10

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