While producing a helmet that meets safety standards is relatively straightforward, adding in comfort and ventilation quickly increases complexity and, ultimately, cost, which is why it's easy to find helmets well over the £100 mark.
A helmet priced at £30, then, might be easy to overlook, but in the Corsa, GT has managed to create a lid without the usual compromises of a cheaper design – weight, poor ventilation and poor security.
For a start, the Corsa has an impressive 22 vents. Vents alone don't provide great ventilation, but here GT has engineered internal air channelling into the shell to draw air in at the front and push warm air out at the back. There are better vented helmets out there, but even in hotter weather the Corsa did an excellent job of keeping us cool.
Aside from being well ventilated, the Corsa also compares well on weight: 270g is incredibly competitive for helmets costing three times as much, and a good fit means the weight is well distributed, giving no pressure points.
The 22 vents kept us cool even on hotter rides
The low weight can be attributed to the co-moulded design, where the EPS foam inner and polycarbonate shell are moulded together. This not only gives a lighter build, but allows for the large number of vents without compromising strength. The polycarbonate shell isn't as extensive as you might get on pricier lids, and this does leave some EPS foam exposed to knocks.
Retention systems often let down cheaper helmets, but though the Corsa's cradle is unpadded, sitting just above the base of the skull makes this less important, and the shape fitted our tester's head well. GT uses a pair of ratchets on the cradle for size adjustment, with each side needing adjusting equally to ensure a good fit, and this can be done one-handed.
The straps are the only downside – they aren't static at the rear of the helmet and they do get quite sweaty. It's a minor niggle on what is an incredibly competent helmet, and forgivable when you look at the price.
This article was originally published in Cycling Plus magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.