Buying a new helmet. What you like and what you don't like

[DieselnDust]

1 hour ago, Spafsack said:

On the subject of helmets, it seems having a peak on an mtb helmet seems old school? Seems more people ride 'road type' helmets or no peak helmets nowadays, why is this? 

Peaks are sun visors but most people ride with sunglasses so the peak is just extra bits of plastic to break off in a crash and likely hurt you 

[ChrisF]

1 hour ago, Spafsack said:

On the subject of helmets, it seems having a peak on an mtb helmet seems old school? Seems more people ride 'road type' helmets or no peak helmets nowadays, why is this? 

 

I still prefer one with a peak.  But then I often ride into the morning sun and USE that peak.

[Robbie Stewart]

23 hours ago, Spafsack said:

Seems more people ride 'road type' helmets or no peak helmets nowadays, why is this? 

for the same reason they wear lycra . . .  

[MORNE]

On 4/4/2024 at 1:19 PM, ChrisF said:

 

December I got stung by a bee while cycling.

 

Bee went IN the front vent hole .... got trapped on my scalp.  (there are enough space for the air to move through, but not for an insect)

 

I duly got stung while at speed on a downhill .....  Stopping with hand on the bars while janking the helmet off with the other ....

 

 

Very FEW helmets actually have vent "slots" that follow through from front to back.  I ended up buying a Sepcialized helmet that offers this.

 

 

Yea yea ,,,,,, whats the chance of another bee getting stuck in there ..... darned if I can put on that other (still very new) helmet without feeling exposed .....

My Giro road/gravel helmets (and im sure other brands too), have a mesh in the holes. Same with my POC full face. My Spez half-shell ones don't. 

[MORNE]

23 hours ago, Spafsack said:

On the subject of helmets, it seems having a peak on an mtb helmet seems old school? Seems more people ride 'road type' helmets or no peak helmets nowadays, why is this? 

Maybe the XC bunch. Extra wind resistance and all i guess. To be fair, i find the peaks on most new mtb helmets to serve literally no purpose other than cosmetic. They don't do anything, especially the non-adjustable types you find on many new helmets 

[ChrisF]

2 minutes ago, MORNE said:

My Giro road/gravel helmets (and im sure other brands too), have a mesh in the holes. Same with my POC full face. My Spez half-shell ones don't. 

 

Nope, not any more.

 

My old Scott had this mesh. 2017 model.  LOVED that helmet !

 

Now only the most entry level R500 helmets have the mesh.

 

I walked the isles and SEARCHED all the helmets at CWC, CL, BikeAddict, Trek, Giant and Spez ....  I WANTED that mesh ..... just cant find it any more.  This was in December and January.

[ChrisF]

3 minutes ago, MORNE said:

Maybe the XC bunch. Extra wind resistance and all i guess. To be fair, i find the peaks on most new mtb helmets to serve literally no purpose other than cosmetic. They don't do anything, especially the non-adjustable types you find on many new helmets 

 

Jip, the lip of the helmet serves as the visor long before the visor blocks the early morning sun .... they sit way too high.

 

The only advantage ... it casts a nice shadow onto the front vent holes, providing some (needed) shade to my extended forehead .... 

[V18]

So. On the MIPS thing again. Did some research. The solution to the cam-like rotation lockout would have been a semisphere inside the outer shell that can rotate freely. I was surprised to find MIPS SPHERICAL.

Looks like everyone were thinking the same thing.... Exept that the deemed spherical helmets don't have an inner spherical profile. More half egg shape. This would still cause an eventual lockout/jamming point and ramp up in rotational acceleration.

Ugh. Correct name. Wrong shape. Should be called MIPS OVOID. 

[DieselnDust]

37 minutes ago, V18 said:

So. On the MIPS thing again. Did some research. The solution to the cam-like rotation lockout would have been a semisphere inside the outer shell that can rotate freely. I was surprised to find MIPS SPHERICAL.

Looks like everyone were thinking the same thing.... Exept that the deemed spherical helmets don't have an inner spherical profile. More half egg shape. This would still cause an eventual lockout/jamming point and ramp up in rotational acceleration.

Ugh. Correct name. Wrong shape. Should be called MIPS OVOID. 

Spherical is a Bell/Giro patent. One shell floating over the other 

[V18]

6 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

Spherical is a Bell/Giro patent. One shell floating over the other 

That it is. But it certainly ain't spherical. 

[DieselnDust]

1 hour ago, V18 said:

That it is. But it certainly ain't spherical. 

😂 no of course not, pips aren’t shaped that way so the inside is noggin shaped while the interface is closer to spherical.

[V18]

2 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

😂 no of course not, pips aren’t shaped that way so the inside is noggin shaped while the interface is closer to spherical.

Of course. But I expected the inner surface interface that they market as "ball and socket" to at least be spherical. It ain't. 

[KV.SA]

On 4/4/2024 at 4:25 PM, DieselnDust said:

Peaks are sun visors but most people ride with sunglasses so the peak is just extra bits of plastic to break off in a crash and likely hurt you 

A couple years ago I “face planted” on the bridge just after the step downs on Armageddon 4… helmet had a peak which impacted the bridge first.. got off relatively unscathed and it felt like the visor possibly stopped a more nasty direct slap to the face, by absorbing some of the initial impact. 

[DieselnDust]

4 hours ago, Kvrsa said:

A couple years ago I “face planted” on the bridge just after the step downs on Armageddon 4… helmet had a peak which impacted the bridge first.. got off relatively unscathed and it felt like the visor possibly stopped a more nasty direct slap to the face, by absorbing some of the initial impact. 

I’d like to think the designer had that sort of impact event in mind when they designed the helmet but…

I’m glad it worked out well for you. I’ve seen some case where the visor breaks off and cuts the face or scalp. Those visors should be really soft plastic or rubber

[Inked Mountain]

Has anyone had the chance to test a helmet before buying it?

Helmets can feel quite different on the bike compared to the showroom. 

[Zebra]

One should always TEST before buying.

You gave me an idea…

On my next trip to Woolies, am going to ask if I can TEST a pair of underpants around the block, to CHECK for comfort, since they COULD pinch, etc.

Cheers!