Trail riding w/ Helmet, eh?
 

Figure I would post this here as it is more specific to this style of riding.

I wear a BMX style helmet http://brandscycle.com/merchant/278/...rge/DirtFB.jpg when riding trails and most of the time when I do pass other riders, they are wearing this style : http://cdn.overstock.com/images/products/L10854414.jpg

Are one of these helmets going to offer more protection then the other if I bail into the river or whack my grape on a tree limb? I'm just curious, I have fallen several times with my BMX style helmets and kept my egg crack free, but then again I usually am riding a BMX bike to go along with it. I'm having a blast riding the trails down the road from my house and expect to be doing a lot more mountain biking in the near future, so do I need to buy a new style of lid or does it all work the same?

Your BMX helmet provides more impact protection at the expense of comfort. A mountain bike helmet will have much better ventilation and also be lighter, but will still offer pretty good protection.

Your skate lid will work fine.

Should give you more neck protection.

Every helmet should have a sticker/stickers that say it has fulfilled such and such government safety mandates. Basically they all "work". But they are specialized toward certain styles of riding. Yours will work fine, but since you said you've crashed with it a couple times, check it very carefully for cracks. I just replaced mine because the brow had a nice crack from where I slammed my head into the ground.

I sport a BMX helmet as well.
Makes me feel safer.
I like the feel of it better,
its just hot... really hot in the summer.
--

Incorrect.

BMX/Skate helmets are made to withstand multiple low impact hits, while a dedicated bike helmet is a one-time use, high impact lid.

Incorrect.

http://www.pro-tec.net/bike/main.html and click "technology."

Well I guess he should only wear his skate helmet when he plans on having low-impact hits. :rolleyes:

I'm sticking with what I said in my first post.

Yes, I love technology, always and forever.

I have a bell helmet that cost me like $30, and is more circular shaped, then I see helmets like $100 and up, is it really all for more ventilation? It's just hard for me to cough up 100 or more for ventilation, does it really make more of a difference?

What? As far I'm concerned, that's just biased advertising, and I don't even see much relevance.

All it says the EPS helmets lose effectiveness after one hit, while the advertised helmets can take multiple hits. No mention of impact energy anywhere.


I will eat my own defecation if I'm wrong. That said, I am preparing the crap now.

your $30 helmet is plenty safe, with the pricey helmets you pay for a couple things:
-more vents
-lighter
-size specific (s/m/l vs universal)
-lower profile (especially in the road ones, you pay for the technoligy to make so little still protect you, basically the more expensive ones look cooler)
-diff adjustment mech (giro roc-loc at like $80+


I really like having a nice helmet, but its not a big deal, i dont' rag on anyone who doesn't fork over that kinda cash on a helmet, as long as you have a current helmet, i will lol at you if you ride some old pos (old school white bell dome comes to mind)

If you like what you have stick with it. I always thought that once you had a mtb helmet, if you hit something hard enough for it to actually matter, the helmet would basically crack in half.. that is instead of your skull. Maybe I am wrong though.

That point of a helmet is really to slow down your brain inside your head. The foam material crushes, and although it happens quickly, it helps decelerate you brain slower than just hitting something with your skull.

Skate helmets mainly help your head skid along the ground (preventing torsion to your neck, again from deceleration). MTB/road helmets also do this to a lesser degree.

If you really want to discuss comparative helmet safety, you should start by using terms like ASTM and CPSC, not "skate" and "bike." Many helmets meet multiple standards and it's got nothing to do with their "style."

Profail one cup.

I believe that any helmet sold in the US must be certified so in that respect you're covered. Spend what you want on a helmet so long as it's comfortable for you. As far as multiple impacts, I ride motorcycles and threw away a helmet that cost me nearly $700 because it fell off the top of a rack in the garage and landed squarely on the crown. If you bump it, scratch it up, or scrape on something it's fine. If you have a hard impact in it get rid of it, even if you can't see damage. I believe that Giro and SixSixOne have crash replacement policies to encourage you to discard the helmet.

Mike

please explain.

thanks.

No. We're talking about styles of helmets, not certifications.

Of course it has nothing to do with the style. Skate helmets ARE designed for multiple impacts. Bike helmets are not. It all has to do with what group the helmet is aimed at.

They cover the back of your head. I don't believe they cover your neck though.

Yes, my Ace Spade "skate" helmet covers the back of my head.
So, I feel safer in it.
I still dont see what your trying to prove profail, other than my helmet can take more hits than yours, The "skate" style helmets can take just as much force as the "bike" styles.


Anyone have 2 helmets to test??
take 100 pounds and drop it on each helmet, see which ones better...

That's hardly a conclusive test. I won't even explain why because it's so obvious.

The point is that a BMX helmet is designed for multiple low-energy impacts, and dedicated bike helmets are meant to withstand a single, high-energy impact. You'd know that if your read the thread.

Well job wit da engrish.

bmx/skate help with neck injury b/c they are rounded and flat on the back not pointed like road helmets, b/c of this bmx/skate helmets allow your head to lie flat, that is if you are on your back they don't cause your head to roll to one side, the point on road helmets causes your head to roll to one side exaserbateing neck injuries. Also some mtn helmets now have more rounded backs, the giro hex comes to mind

as for type of impact idk but skate helmets do have a foam liner inside a plastic shell so they should be fine for mtn biking (foam just like mtn helmets)

the only thing i would say against a skate helmet is that they don't have the adjustable fit like a modern road/mtn helmet. So its likely they it doesn't fit you as tightly as a mtn/road helmet, there fore in a sliding fall it might allow the helmet to shift on your head, but skate helmets cover so much of your head prolly doesn't matter

Please provide a link to a study/specification(SNELL, ANSI, etc.) that backs up your wildly inaccurate claim.

Thank you!