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MX helmets

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
wikitypooshlag said:
yeah size and weight is about it. they're big and heavy. not really necessary for MTB
You're wrong. A friend of mine went down hard during a 4x race in Mammoth. The blood inside his helmet was from when his Bellistic slammed into his mouth and tore his lip.

If you don't go hard or big, you can go with a mtn bike full face. Go hard...
 

bomberboy11

Monkey
Jul 15, 2005
665
0
At a computer...duh
The moto TLD helmets are wider and have more stiffness side to side (for the event of a MX bike landing on top of the rider). You usually don't have 300+ lb objects falling on you in DH, so that's a small corner they can cut for MX to DH.
 

preppie

Monkey
Aug 30, 2002
379
0
Europe
I have a MX helmet and it's HOT.
DH is slower than MX, so it doesn't vent that well.
The extra protection is not always needed, but on the other side, more protection is never a bad thing.

...for the Metrosexual Supermodel riders, it makes your head look really big. :rolleyes:
 

360

Monkey
Apr 17, 2003
227
1
Edinburgh
I run TLD Se, wouldn't use anything else now.

Anyway the only real issue is weight, I noticed the difference for the first ride then no more.

As for protection, i don't know what courses you guys are riding, but i've certainly been on a few this year were average speeds are up there with mx races. And remember we're not on a big open sandy track but in the trees, with rocks were it hurts ALOT more.
 

bikenweed

Turbo Monkey
Oct 21, 2004
2,432
0
Los Osos
Moto helmets rock. After three severe concussions and another 4 or so minor concussions, I can tell you straight up to go for the moto helmet. If you don't go very fast, a MTB full face will work, but it's far scarier to think of those silly little things breaking into pieces upon a real facial impact. I'm shoping for a full face right now, and at the last shop I was at, I could push a MTB helmet's chinguard (can't remember the brand or model, but it was true for several) in to past where my chin was. Scary, talk about false confidence! As far as heat, how often do you climb with a full face on? Most everyone I know just puts it on the handlebar for a climb, or some sort of camelbak. Eh, to each his own.

Oh and that No Fear helmet is BURLY, Snell and DOT approved. I have a Fox Pilot, No Fear's competitor, and I'd recomend the Fox to anyone. But this No Fear looks pretty good too...
 

maddogdh

Monkey
Aug 16, 2005
177
0
Highland Lakes, NJ
I ride a TLD SE. I know the difference, I've used Azonic and SixSixOne before. As for weight, size and venting the difference is minimal, and takes a run or two and then your not even concerned. The pay back is a snug fit like it should be and loads more protection from head trauma. I crash less these days, but when I do it's more serious becuase I'm always pushing it. My worst crash this year was a high speed nasty in some chopped up rutted up grass dirt stuff at high speed. Long story short, broken arm and shoulder, but my head was okay and I bounced that off the earth hard. I even gave a TLD SE to a friend "I had one lying around". He loves it and has since had a couple hard hits and swears that if it wasn't for a moto lid he would be silly.
 

black noise

Turbo Monkey
Dec 31, 2004
1,032
0
Santa Cruz
I think Cody Warren and Mick Hannah have MX helmets, because their heads look big.

Does anyone remember Johnny Waddell? When he stacked and was put in his coma for a month he had a MX helmet on. What would have happened if he didn't have that and he crashed the same way?
 

freeridermtb4

Monkey
Aug 27, 2005
132
0
check out the Six Six One helmet, probably the best MX helmet you can get for Mtb, its really light, just like my bell was, only drawback is its 350
dollars, but hey concussion or paying 350 your choice.
 

ncrider

Turbo Monkey
Aug 15, 2004
1,564
0
Los Angeles
I wore my MX helmet (fox pilot) at N* for a few days this summer. It took a couple runs to get used. The funny thing is when I got home and rode with my Bell Bellistic I felt unsafe. The helmet just felt like a toy. I now ride only with my MX lid and I really don't care if it's overkill most of the time.
 

JRogers

talks too much
Mar 19, 2002
3,785
1
Claremont, CA
I hate to be "that guy," but this exact topic has been discussed at length in the past.

In any case, I use an MX helmet (a mid-range Oneal) and I don't think I'd ever go back to an MTB-only full face. Like ncrider said, I rode with one for a while and after using an MX helmet, it feels too light, flimsy and insubstantial. Further, if you get a good helmet, I don't think that weight or heat are huge issues, at least for me. I noticed very little difference between the weight and heat in my Oneal vs. Belliistic when actually riding.
 

Brunettes

Monkey
Jul 27, 2005
421
0
East Coast
Yeah heat isn't too big of a deal for me but if its a huge helmet then I'll pass. I only brouhgt it up because why the hell are mtb helmets so expensive if they aren't "all that" protective and the NF one is pretty cheap for the protection and looks you're getting.
 

bikenweed

Turbo Monkey
Oct 21, 2004
2,432
0
Los Osos
Brunettes said:
Yeah heat isn't too big of a deal for me but if its a huge helmet then I'll pass. I only brouhgt it up because why the hell are mtb helmets so expensive if they aren't "all that" protective and the NF one is pretty cheap for the protection and looks you're getting.
Mountain bike components are EXTREMELY over priced because mountain bikers a rich bunch (of white guys-hey we all know it's true) who are willing to pay ludicrous prices. People buy frames for over $3000. Wow. Those Troy Lee helmets look really cool, and all the pro's wear them, so people don't think twice about spending $300 for a helmet. In all reality, a lot of it is just the "cool" factor. The No Fear helmet hasn't been all hyped up yet. Maybe in two years they'll have a "Carbon" model out for $450, and it might become really popular, who knows?

Anyone seen those carbon AXO moto lids from a few years back? My friend has one and it's way lighter than a TLD MTB helmet, but it's a moto specific. I hear they cost a lot, but it seriously was the lightest thing I've ever felt.
 

snoopz666

Monkey
Dec 24, 2004
248
0
now residing in kamloops
i used to use a giro madmax 2 but after my crash in whistler, i saw what happens to thoes thing in a crash, it was cracked really pad in about 4 places and im glad i landed on the side of my head because face first would not have been a good thing. so now i have a fox v3, ya its a bit heavier and hotter, but just my feeling it and looking at it you can tell it will offer you way more protection the a mtb ff helmet ever could. even if it costed more then my last helmet it was worth every penny.

honestly out of all the protective gear you could spend your money on, your helmet should be the priority. how much would you pay for your head?
 

sayndesyn

Turbo Monkey
bomberboy11 said:
The moto TLD helmets are wider and have more stiffness side to side (for the event of a MX bike landing on top of the rider). You usually don't have 300+ lb objects falling on you in DH, so that's a small corner they can cut for MX to DH.

I'm not so sure that is the reason. They are wider because there is a thicker foam liner that collapses upon impact and thus bringing your head to a stop over 2 inches instead of .5. Thus it can sustain a larger crash without brain damage. The current DH helmets may be enough for 4X, but if you are travelling at 40mph and are taking a header I sure as hell wouldn't want a carbon fiber TLD D2 on. As suspension technology continues to increase the speeds will increase and thus the amount of protection needed will increase. Already you are starting to see pro's wearing moto helmets. I'm betting within 2 years the D2 will be phased out in favor of something that blurs the line with the moto helmet.
 

sayndesyn

Turbo Monkey
And for those really worried about weight... Check out the new Thor carbon moto lid. 400 bones retail, but I bet you can find a decent deal from a moto store online.. Unlike mtb there is so many stores competing for your business in moto gear you can find some awesome deals. I just bought two pairs of tld GP pants for 80 bucks... How much do their mtb shorts cost? ha
 

Alex966

Monkey
May 6, 2005
346
0
Charlotte, NC
Dude, I don't have an MX helmet yet, but I totally believe that with the places that we ride at, and how gnarly the terrain can get, the drop's we do, an MX helmet is the way to go. Just because we won't always get up at MX speeds, doesn't mean you won't hit your head just as hard on a freakin boulder or tree. A crash is an unpredictable thing, as we all know, and you can't really control what part of your body hit's what. I'll be getting SixSixOne's MX helmet, the Flight, very soon. It is constructed of Kevlar, Carbon, and I believe Fiberglass. It's well built, strong, and light weight. Or for you TLD fans, the TLD SE is totally a badass helmet. Also, don't forget to check out some of the typical MX brands, Bell, O'Neal, Thor, M2R all make badass MX helmets, since that is their primary industry for helmets.
 

JRogers

talks too much
Mar 19, 2002
3,785
1
Claremont, CA
Alex966 said:
Dude, I don't have an MX helmet yet, but I totally believe that with the places that we ride at, and how gnarly the terrain can get, the drop's we do, an MX helmet is the way to go. Just because we won't always get up at MX speeds, doesn't mean you won't hit your head just as hard on a freakin boulder or tree. A crash is an unpredictable thing, as we all know, and you can't really control what part of your body hit's what. I'll be getting SixSixOne's MX helmet, the Flight, very soon. It is constructed of Kevlar, Carbon, and I believe Fiberglass. It's well built, strong, and light weight. Or for you TLD fans, the TLD SE is totally a badass helmet. Also, don't forget to check out some of the typical MX brands, Bell, O'Neal, Thor, M2R all make badass MX helmets, since that is their primary industry for helmets.
Well said. My view is that the more common small crashes are not what I'm worrying about. An MTB helmet might be better for that stuff but so what? I'm concerned about big impacts, the kind of thing that can cause permanent damage. That's why I use an MX lid.
 

Zutroy

Turbo Monkey
Dec 9, 2004
2,443
0
Ventura,CA
JRogers said:
Well said. My view is that the more common small crashes are not what I'm worrying about. An MTB helmet might be better for that stuff but so what? I'm concerned about big impacts, the kind of thing that can cause permanent damage. That's why I use an MX lid.

Actually a lot of small injuries can be worse than a large one over the long run. A mountain bike spec helmet will take a much harder hit than most people realize. Think about it this way, look at the helmets roadies wear these days, and the impacts they have to hold up to when they hit the pavement. Alot more goes into designing a helmet than just how think the material is. The problem with the standards is it is a pass/fail test. The only thing we know is a helmet passes, we don't know how well it passed, or how high above the limit passes. The other engineering issue with a helmet is to make it take the bigger hits your ablility to manage smaller ones goes down.

Heath took a big hit that's for sure, unfortantly that brand her was wearing doesn't have the best face protection, it has been known to have the face guard collapse in.