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MIPS helmets worth it?

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Old 11-02-15 | 02:29 PM
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I just bought a Bell Gage with MIPS. Wife asked why it was so much more than the usual ones we get at Target or Sports Authority. I pointed at my head and said "I've only got one melon." It was worth it to me.
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Old 11-02-15 | 03:15 PM
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Originally Posted by GuitarBob
I'm reasonably certain I saw a video of engineers (Giro, I think) who were building jigs specifically to test MIPS technology. My impressions? First, they take this stuff damned seriously, as they should. Second, they had an air of being skeptical about MIPS too, so they knew they had to test it.

The upshot, if I remember right, is that there are some types of falls where MIPS should offer a benefit, and other where it will make little or no difference.
The word jigs does not conger up images of credible testing. Last time I looked human bodies were highly articulated and can probably strike the ground in more than a hundred different ways from trajectories initiated from highly variable initial conditions.

Isn't a sliding contact unavoidable except when the rider faints while standing still?
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Old 11-02-15 | 03:48 PM
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Originally Posted by oldnslow2
I recently replaced my 4 year old helmet with a Giro Synthe MIPS. The MIPS option was only $25 more so i figured.. .why not.
I just got a reggo Synthe....but it was far cheaper than just $25...mine was on sale, but also, I think the older colorways now are cheaper than the 3 or 4 new colorways of the synthe that are available... I kind've wished I would of held out and got that new white and hi-lighter yellow colorway of the synthe.
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Old 11-02-15 | 03:51 PM
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Originally Posted by bigdo13
I just got a reggo Synthe....but it was far cheaper than just $25...mine was on sale, but also, I think the older colorways now are cheaper than the 3 or 4 new colorways of the synthe that are available... I kind've wished I would of held out and got that new white and hi-lighter yellow colorway of the synthe.
I paid $172 out the door for mine. I was thereat the right time and jumped on the deal.
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Old 11-02-15 | 03:51 PM
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Originally Posted by sced
The word jigs does not conger up images of credible testing.
Sorry you don't like the term, but it was mine, not theirs. If you prefer 'fixture' that's fine, but my post stands.

If you ride (or are forced to ride) into something rather than fall (mostly MTB?), I imagine that blunt impacts are more common. And that's the point with MIPS -- it's designed to help with the types of sliding impacts that are common when cycling.
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Old 11-02-15 | 03:55 PM
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Originally Posted by oldnslow2
I paid $172 out the door for mine. I was thereat the right time and jumped on the deal.
wow, yeah, for the MIPS synthe that was a deal....

overall i just love the Synthe too...feels weightless, looks great.... classy, classy helmet from Giro... next I get some Giro Empire SLX slippers to go with it eh!
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Old 11-02-15 | 03:58 PM
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Originally Posted by pacalolo
I just bought a Bell Gage with MIPS. Wife asked why it was so much more than the usual ones we get at Target or Sports Authority. I pointed at my head and said "I've only got one melon." It was worth it to me.
Which begs the question, if cycling puts your noggin at such high risk is it really worth riding a bike?
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Old 11-02-15 | 03:59 PM
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Originally Posted by TimothyH
Velominati rules are arbitrary and dumb, and therefor not applicable.
I would generally agree with you. However, rule 35 is correct and must be adhered to.
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Old 11-02-15 | 04:11 PM
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Yes. Because prior to taking the bike up again, I was at serious risk of heart attack by being 60+ lbs overweight.
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Old 11-02-15 | 04:16 PM
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Originally Posted by topflightpro
Yes, you are correct. I should have written, they all meet the same minimum standards for protection. MIPS claims to provide additional safety benefits. I am not an expert on what those benefits are.

I should also qualify, more expensive does not always mean lighter. My Giro Ionos was much heavier than the Atmos it replaced.
Yeah I don't know. Putting aside the whole MIPS issue, maybe cheaper, heavier helmets are better. Maybe the expensive ones give you more comfort, less weight and more aero, but not more safe.
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Old 11-02-15 | 09:51 PM
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The Bicycle Helmet Standards advocates that round shaped helmets are safer than helmets with pointy things. Other than that, all helmets have to meet the same set of standards and (in absence of real world tests) provide equal protection. Oh, the other thing is that it have a proper fit and be strapped on properly.
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Old 11-03-15 | 12:21 AM
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Bicycle helmets are designed, tested, and certified to protect you in a fall from about standing height, no more, no less. Mainly this protection is from skull fractures, not concussion. Impacts that rotate the head are much more prone to cause concussion than linear impacts. The brain is actually pretty resistant to linear impacts. So MIPS helps in some crashes.

Expensive helmets may (but not always) be more stylish, have more adjustable and positive retention systems, more durable padding, and slightly better resistance to multiple impacts. Venting in most helmets is pretty good these days. Results vary, a lot.

The main practical reason not to have a visor on a road bike is because you are bent over lower, and the visor will block your view ahead. But in night riding, that can be a good thing.

As far as risk in transportation modes, cycling has the lowest rate of head injury, walking slightly higher, riding in a car about twice as likely as a bike, and motorcycle about 7 times. So if you want to get the most out of your helmet, wear it in the car.
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Old 11-03-15 | 01:12 AM
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Visors on the road are strictly banned. See rule 35. If you need shade see rule 22.

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Old 11-03-15 | 08:00 AM
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Originally Posted by oldnslow2
I paid $172 out the door for mine. I was thereat the right time and jumped on the deal.
That's about what I paid for my Synthe Mips. I thought about going for one of the older colors on sale, but really, I wanted the matte black one. Colorado Cyclist was offering 30 percent off all helmets, or something like that. (Of course, I haven't worn it yet. It's sitting in a closet waiting for my wife to give it to me for Christmas.)
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Old 11-03-15 | 08:18 AM
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Originally Posted by oldnslow2
I paid $172 out the door for mine. I was thereat the right time and jumped on the deal.
That's a good deal. I paid $200.00 (directly from Giro), using a crash replacement discount, which I think was 15%.
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Old 11-03-15 | 09:28 AM
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Originally Posted by oldnslow2
Yes.

All helmets need to meet a minimum, but the more expensive ones exceed them. My Synthe is incredibly lighter than my Bontrager Circuit.
There is no proof that a more expensive helmet offers more protection than a cheap one, providing they meet the minimum safety standards.

MIPS helmets are supposed to offer more protection against concussions than other helmets.

More expensive helmets normally offer one or more of the following:

1. Lighter
2. More Aero
3. More ventilation

It's up to you how much these are worth to you.

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Old 11-03-15 | 10:03 AM
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Originally Posted by ColaJacket
There is no proof that a more expensive helmet offers more protection than a cheap one, providing they meet the minimum safety standards.

MIPS helmets are supposed to offer more protection against concussions than other helmets.

More expensive helmets normally offer one or more of the following:

1. Lighter
2. More Aero
3. More ventilation

It's up to you how much these are worth to you.

GH
Arguably nothing. I would very likely pay more money for a helmet that gave me more protection and less aero and less ventilation.
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Old 11-03-15 | 10:35 AM
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Originally Posted by Nachoman
Arguably nothing. I would very likely pay more money for a helmet that gave me more protection and less aero and less ventilation.
A DH helmet provides both
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Old 11-04-15 | 07:55 PM
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I was wearing a water sports helmet for IDK how long now. It's a flexible shell with two density protective padding. I got hit by a car and the only comfort I had was my helmet. I suffered no head trauma what-so-ever despite having gone head first into the windshield. It may be excessive but would I do the accident again with a different helmet? I don't think would.

For that matter however I'm starting to consider torso, back, shoulder and hip protection. I obviously won't die from a head injury but the others are dangerously closing in.
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Old 11-04-15 | 08:02 PM
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Originally Posted by Nachoman
Arguably nothing. I would very likely pay more money for a helmet that gave me more protection and less aero and less ventilation.
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Old 11-04-15 | 08:06 PM
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Let us know how it goes, Nachoman.
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Old 11-04-15 | 08:21 PM
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You'll notice how many motorcycle riders don't wear a helmet. That thing is probably 6 pounds 5 ounces. Being able to spit should be added to the list of qualities considered when purchasing protective head wear. You would look like a child with that thing on.
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Old 11-04-15 | 09:18 PM
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Should motorcyclists wear bike helmets?
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Old 11-04-15 | 09:21 PM
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Originally Posted by joejack951
Let us know how it goes, Nachoman.
lol. Point taken.
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Old 11-04-15 | 09:23 PM
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Originally Posted by BigC_82
I too am intrigued by mips technology as I'm in market for new helmet next year.
Originally Posted by topflightpro
MIPS may be great, or it may be just marketing hype. I don't really know..
Originally Posted by corrado33
MIPS is more than just allowing the helmet to move a bit when you crash. It's also about reducing rotational weight and stopping the heck from getting whiplash by lightening the helmet altogether.

In all honesty, I think MIPS is a solution in search of a problem.
I compared both MIPS and non MIPS in the same helmet in a store. I was surprised at what MIPS really is - the pieces that support the helmet on your head are just a little more extensive. It supposively allows the helmet to twist a little on impact. But the entire thing is so minimal, it seems like a joke. The structure is almost nothing over a regular helmet and probably costs Giro a dollar more to make. I'm not sure what the post about reducing rotational weight means, but the MIPS Synthe model weighs 20 grams more.

Last edited by StanSeven; 11-04-15 at 09:29 PM.
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