What is the best xc/trail helmet?

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Crashley84

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Hi guys, a friend of mine is in need of a new helmet and wants/needs the best our there.
He has a medical condition and if he takes any sort of knock to the head he quite literally could die so it needs to be good.
He is only going to be riding on cycle tracks (no off road stuff) so doesn't need a full face.
Thanks all
Ashley
 
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There is no "best" all cycle helmets are made to pass the same safety standards. (but that doesn't mean all are equally protective)
With such a specific medical condition your friend should visit a few bike shops to try on lots of different helmets until he's happy he's found a helmet with the best mix of fit, security and comfort for his head and appropriate head coverage for his particular condition.
I'd also read up on all the current various helmet technologies to have a good understanding of the various safety features and retaining systems currently available before you even start looking.

Questions like yours on forums are often just replied to with recommendations from riders of what they have/like and even without such specific needs that's often not actually very helpful.

Explaining more of the medical condition may be helpful as someone here may have or know of someone with a similar condition and be able to help with advice.
 
Crashley84 said:
He has a medical condition and if he takes any sort of knock to the head he quite literally could die so it needs to be good.
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I thought this was my wife for a second. Regardless of terrain choice, proper fit is very important(as mentioned in here). Explain to the local bike shop(LBS) what your needs are and try them all on. And do your research as best you can. Some of the doctors may have some specific requirements depending on the extent of the neurological injury. They may also be riders themselves.
Besides any cranial impact, vibration was also a factor for me. A full suspension eMTB or even the hardtail helped me. Riding in vehicle traffic is something to avoid too. Keeping to the tame trails can be fun also. You’re less likely to have a crash, but if it happens, a well fitted helmet, suitable for your needs, can lessen the chance of further injury. But it can’t eliminate it.
 
Thanks for the replies guys.
I appreciate the request is a bit vague and the answers a pretty much what I've already said so at least I know I'm on the right lines with what I've told him.
Appreciate that the answers for best helmet are likely to be just what people currently have too so will send him to a lbs to get the right fit 👌
Not sure exactly what the condition is other than I know if he gets even a small knock to the head he can get a bleed on the brain.
Obviously knows it won't offer complete protection but he wants to be a little more protected than a £10 helmet from Aldi .
Cheers
 
Without wanting to be that guy....but the facts are, ride bikes, fall off. It's only a matter of time, so if your pal is living on the knife edge you describe, then they shouldn't be going anywhere near them.
 
The air-bag helmet is actually functioning and well-tested concept, I wouldn't laugh it off.

With falls, just like in boxing, there are two primary kind of damages we protect against. Dull one like concussion, for which rotational harnesses inside like MIPS system help with, and sharp ones that can penetrate the skin/skull, which people fear more but are actually less dangerous if you have helmet.

For your friend, it's important to know which of those are more dangerous for him. I presume it's concussion, and even there, there are some new technological alternatives to MIPS that claim to surpass that, so I would look into it. But at minimum, the best MIPs helmets on market are still by Swedish POC.

Also, I would make sure to adjust the bike and riding technique towards caution. If it means softer and slower tires everywhere, then so be it.

In fact I tweaked a bicycle like this for my father who has debilitating injury in his back, and any fall could have dangerous consequences. So even if he rides mild trails, his levo is outfitted with super soft burly tyres with inserts and low-pressure. Efficiency doesn't matter when health is primary concern.
 
My brother went to the barbershop one day and asked;
Brother-“could you please trim the last three hairs on top of my head”.
Barber- “Which side do you part your hair?”
Brother-“Left side please”
Barber-“Oops, one hair fell out while I was parting with the comb.”
Brother-“Ok then…part my hair in the middle”.
Barber-“Oh no!, I’ve just combed out another hair …you have one left “.
Brother-“F**k it, leave it messy then”
 
Bigcoose said:
Some folks think their hair is the best helmet.
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Absolutely no one thinks that.

Some folk through their own free will choose not to wear a helmet while cycling. Sometimes that's a foolish decision other times when put into perspective and considering the actual risk it's actually fairly a sensible decision.P lenty types of cycling activity being very low risk. (lower than many activities you wouldn't dream of wearing a helmet to partake in)
But this is not really an appropriate thread to debate prejudices and blinkered views on helmet use though is it?
 
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#lazy said:
Is he sure mtbing is the right hobby?
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I suppose it’s kinda risky but hopefully he can manage those risks. You probably know that there’s different levels skills. He’s probably not a Red Bull team member anymore but he’s not a couch surfer either. Baking muffins can be risky too…ask how I know!😉
The mips system offers good protection if it fits properly. The WaveCell system is good too but I could never get a proper fit. So I use a few different mips systems (open face, full face and convertible). And I forgot to mention …it’s good mental therapy just to get out there.
 
Well to be honest, hair "does" kind of imitate MIPs effect to a degree and works alongside it if you don't overtighten the fit :- )
The longer you abstain from washing the better might be the results..
 
Zimmerframe said:
But certainly considerably more functional and easier for the blokes to carry at a nudist camp ?
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.…for half the members …the rest carry two. It’s probably a very happy place.
I’m more of a half bagel kinda guy …🤔.
 
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Gary said:
Absolutely no one thinks that.

Some folk through their own free will choose not to wear a helmet while cycling. Sometimes that's a foolish decision other times when put into perspective and considering the actual risk it's actually fairly a sensible decision.P lenty types of cycling activity being very low risk. (lower than many activities you wouldn't dream of wearing a helmet to partake in)
But this is not really an appropriate thread to debate prejudices and blinkered views on helmet use though is it?
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Get a grip Gary, at no time is Riding a bike without a helmet a good idea.
I thought you were a bright guy but obviously you aren't 🤨🤨
 
Bright enough to make that decision by myself and not resort to name calling when I find someone who can't. Thanks.
 
I chose a helmet with Koroyd rather than EPS. Most helmets are made with a hard outer shell and an EPS layer fixed to its underside. Some better quality helmets use 2 different EPS layers each with a different density to better distribute any shock.

Koroyd is a sort of honeycomb structure used in place of the EPS. As is usually the case the more advanced technologies ( dual EPS layer or Koroyd) are found in somewhat more expensive models. MIPS is also a useful additional safety system, as are visors that detatch in a fall so they do not contribute to rotational forces. After that, fit is important.
 
Crashley84 said:
Hi guys, a friend of mine is in need of a new helmet and wants/needs the best our there.
He has a medical condition and if he takes any sort of knock to the head he quite literally could die so it needs to be good.
He is only going to be riding on cycle tracks (no off road stuff) so doesn't need a full face.
Thanks all
Ashley
Click to expand...

POC Kortal Race Mips, the built in technology allows you to input your medical history etc so medical teams can scan the helmet and recover the information should the need arise.
 
Gavalar said:
POC Kortal Race Mips, the built in technology allows you to input your medical history etc so medical teams can scan the helmet and recover the information should the need arise.
Click to expand...
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