Want to look like a proper professional? It’s a lot easier than actually being one, after all. And the top tip for getting “the look” has to be a custom-painted helmet.

Allan Doyle set up MFX Air Art towards the end of last year, and it looks like he’s been kept pretty busy since then. If you were at the Fort William World Cup you probably saw his lid- (and frame) packed stand. We kept passing it while dashing out to take pictures on the course, thinking, “Ooh, must go and check that out,” and then utterly failing to do so. However, Al takes pictures of everything he does (er, that’s everything he does in the sphere of helmet painting, not absolutely everything, that’d be just weird. Although we’re sure someone on the internet has done just that. Are we digressing again?)

Where were we? Ah yes, helmets. The ones pictured here are just a few of MFX’s latest projects, some of which are for proper professionals and others for those who just want something a bit individual. From top left we have a new lid for Morewood’s 4X racer Joey Gough; a pleasantly understated grey number for Descent-World’s Si Paton; a half blue lightning/half purple design for Marcus Williams; and Al’s personal lid in good old black, red and white. That’s the one to look out for if you fancy a custom helmet of your own – it doesn’t actually have “Stop Me And Buy One” written on the back, but we’re sure Al won’t mind if you do. As long as he’s not actually in the middle of a race run or something.

He’s also working on a new helmet for UK freerider Rob Jarman. Outside mountain biking, 65-year-old MX veteran Robbie Allen will be racing the Paris-Dakar rally wearing an MFX-painted helmet. We don’t know what that one looks like, but given the reputation of Paris Dakar something in bright orange with “I AM HERE” written on it would, we feel, be prudent.

Find out more at www.mfxairart.com.