Cycle Gear supports those who suit up with safety in mind in this two-wheeled world of risk and reward. That makes the Multi-directional Impact Protection System (Mips), an ever-evolving result of two-plus decades of scientific hands-on research, a fundamental feature when your personal well-being is on the line.

The core Mips design features are all about reduction and redirection of rotational energy from all directions — both linear and angular. Basic helmets are tested for the former while Mips researchers know the majority of impacts are the latter. The anatomical design elements and workings of a Mips-equipped motorcycle helmet comes down to this: A head impact at speed creates rotational motion of the brain. This is often to blame for serious injuries that occur in a crash. What the KTH Royal Institute of Technology alongside Sweden’s Karolinska Institute have designed and refined is a patented safety feature that emulates Mother Nature’s own approach. The low-friction layer within the Mips system allows for “relative motion between the head and the helmet.” This type of independent movement displaces dangerous forces — and that’s what makes Mips technology so effective.

You’ve taken an important step today, learning more about how helmets help and what the Mips system does to protect your brain. If it sounds important, that’s because it is. It’s also why you can find Mips technology incorporated into dirt, street, cruiser, bicycling and even equestrian helmets. Cycle Gear’s selection both in-store and online allows you to shop your favorite brands and designs while walking away with a product proven to perform when you need it most.