[pnj]

I cracked my Pro-Tec Classic in January.

A lot of the newer helmets have really hard foam in them. Does anyone have experience with these things? The foam seems as hard as the ground. The protec Classic has nice soft foam but it has prevented more then one concussion for me.

Anyone smashed their head into the ground with one of the hard foam helmets?

what helmet do you recommend and why?

open face only.

 

[TortugaTonta]

I am liking the Bern I have, it doesn't feel too bulky and I don't look like this when I wear it. . . .

 

[pnj]

Have you smashed your head into the ground with it?

I don't care about looks, I do care about concussions....

 

[Tetreault]

Tsg kraken, no hard foam, soft shell that flexes to fit nice on your head, maybe the most comfortable bucket ever?

Click Here

 

[BMADED]

I have been rockin' the POC Receptor Flow, it is a bit more then most others out there but I have been very happy thus far. Granted I have ony hit my head once, but it fits great (weird sizes) and is quality for sure.

 

[sealclubber]

the tsg still has the hard foam shell beneath the plastic shell.

sounds like the OP is looking for something like his orig pro-tec 2 stage foam, for which there is no replacement, as of now.

which is still available...

 

[pnj]

I'll probably just replace my helmet with another protec classic....

 

[FR4life.]

I still dig the classic "full cut"

But I've been rockin the bucky lasek helmet for a while now, they come in a few other colors now of which i was not aware. Super comfortable, with the old soft pads.

 

[landcruiser]

For both dirt and street the hard foam is way safer.

Foam is all about energy absorption. That soft foam may feel comfortable on you head, but in any crash, you'll reach 100% compression immediately and transfer much more harmful energy into your head. Hard foam will be able to absorb a lot more energy and actually protect you. There's a reason that any helmet made to a standard (CPSC, DOT, etc) use hardfoam.

Check the fine print on most of those soft foam "helmets." Bern won't even call it a helmet if it has soft foam; they'll call it a "hard hat" instead.

 

[sealclubber]

For both dirt and street the hard foam is way safer.

Foam is all about energy absorption. That soft foam may feel comfortable on you head, but in any crash, you'll reach 100% compression immediately and transfer much more harmful energy into your head. Hard foam will be able to absorb a lot more energy and actually protect you. There's a reason that any helmet made to a standard (CPSC, DOT, etc) use hardfoam.

Check the fine print on most of those soft foam "helmets." Bern won't even call it a helmet if it has soft foam; they'll call it a "hard hat" instead.

may as well add park to your safety standard of hard foam. i ride 2 stage foam, after 10 years of impact with hard foam (CPSC certified). last year i took a bad enough head impact that made me consider the 2 stage foam over another hard foam pro tec. its much more comfortable, doesnt drip sweat mid-set, and has (so far) left me with a much lighter headache after numerous impacts. sure, there is a threshold at which the hard foam will do much much more for your safety, however it is very high.

after last years scare about the cpsc banning bicycles under 24" unless they go under huge testing, ive not bothered to worry if things meet their specs. SXP is new tech, that a hard foam helmet can be reused. it makes sense for entire foam road/mtn bike helmets(where crashes dont happen 3x a day), but for a skateboard or bmx helmet with a hard plastic outer shell, it should not have to conform to cpsc standards. they need their own standards that assume a helmet is like a hockey pad, something that takes impacts continually throughout its lifetime.

 

[BikeFan84]

I have a protec classic, giro something (newer one inmold) and a Bern Baker, the bern is by far the most comfortable. Soft foam like you are looking for.