Submitted by
Pascal Lessard
a Weekend Warrior
from Montrea, Quebec, Canada Date Reviewed: September 27, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Freeride, extreme all mountain
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
www.chainreactioncyc
Strengths:
Very comfortable! You feel really safe and helps you go faster and faster. It’s light and looks really awesome and evil! I don’t get it why other companies don’t make similar helmets. Too bad, this is one is awesome and all you Enduro, freeride and extreme all mountain riders should wear one….that way you will keep your teethes and low dental bills!
Weaknesses:
A bit tight around the ears.
Similar Products Used:
None. It's unique and thats too bad for all the other companies
Bike Setup:
Doesn’t matter, only the way you ride that counts...ok 2009 amazing stumpy epic comp with a few add-ons and mods.
Bottom Line:
it's unique and amazing
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mefistofeles
a Weekend Warrior
from Diamond Bar,CA., United States of America Date Reviewed: September 18, 2009
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$180.00
Purchased At:
chain reaction cycle
Strengths:
The helmet truly is a light well ventilated full face helmet.
Weaknesses:
The sizing is a bit tight. I bought the large and had to strip out the helmet lining in order to make it fit. Riding with glasses can be quite difficult with this helmet. I paid a fortune for this helmet $180 and they discounted it a week later by $40!
Similar Products Used:
Giro Remedy
Giro Phase
Bottom Line:
As per the last reviewers comments this is a full face helmet so it the ventilation and ergonomic properties will not be different from an open face helmet.
However taking that into mind I think this as astounding helmet for what the type of riding that I mainly do, urban nighttime riding. I've tried riding with a "proper" full face helmet (Giro Remedy) at night and during the day, and it's certainly doable but man after two or four miles it's simply too much you'll find yourself drenched in sweat.
The Met Parachute on the other hand has proven to be an excellent "compromise" helmet that provides full face protection and good venting. My first ride was an 18 mile urban ride and I worked quite well.
However the second ride was much tougher it was a 23 mile ride with a group of fixed gear riders on my cyclocross bike. Of course we flying down the straights but there were also a few very harsh and steep climbs. At no time did I feel that the Met Parachute was an undue burden or that I could have gone much faster without it.
So far this helmet has proven to be a great helmet that hasn't let me down while riding with a group of very fast riders. Although most of riding was done at night it still feels far more comfortable and cooler than a full face helmet under similar circumstances.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
g3rG
a Weekend Warrior
from Arizona, USA Date Reviewed: September 11, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Still searching
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$155.00
Purchased At:
crc
Strengths:
Unique design, with a bit more face protection. Decent fit to my head shape (i.e. not round)
Weaknesses:
Poor ventilation, very poor padding, obnoxious strap mounts, routes sweat into eyes. Personal taste, but to me the glossy black version looks like something from the kids aisle at the local mega-discount store.
Similar Products Used:
Giro Xen, Giro Remedy.
Bike Setup:
Giant Reign-X, e150, Hammerschmidt, Saint
Bottom Line:
Overall very disappointing. I like the chin bar, and it is a nice styling concept, but functionally it is well below my expectations. Although there are lots of cooling holes, they do not have inside passages to allow air to flow through the helmet. If air can't flow out, it can't flow in. The pads are decoration at best, and the center rib presses on the apex of my head. The straps are mounted to points up inside the helmet (typical of much cheaper helmets) making it a fight to get them in the right place, and they are never comfortable. The headband is cheap hard plastic, and the overmold shell only covers the outermost surfaces. The only thing that adds value beyond bargain basement helmets is the chin bar.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Erik
a Cross Country Rider
from UK Date Reviewed: April 30, 2009
Favorite Trail:
LLandegla, N Wales
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At:
Stif, Leeds UK
Strengths:
Lightish & good for helmet mounted tubular lights. Well ventilated - even for hot summer riding and not claustrophobic in the slightest. The chin & cheek protection doesn't look like much, but it definitely works... Excellent protection for the side of the head too, lower down than most helmets.
Weaknesses:
Bit of a snug fit over the ears. I'd recommend a Buff to help it ease on & off in the winter. The small amount of padding on the internals starts to come adrift after a years use or so. (same as most well used helmets I guess)
Similar Products Used:
Several normal Giro & Met MTB helmets. This is the 2nd Parachute after I broke the 1st one.
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Superlight, Fox F100, lots of Hope bits, XTR stuff.
Bottom Line:
There's almost nothing else like it out there. A fullish face helmet for a slightly mad cross country rider who needs another 2" travel... I broke my wrist a couple of weeks ago by attaching myself to some large boulders after a bad landing (at night) but also used my cheek & jaw to help stop. No damage to face, a decent few gouges out of the helmet chin guard. Best helmet I've owned & I'm up for another one when I'm able to ride again.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jimmyp
a Cross Country Rider
from Wales Date Reviewed: January 17, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Afan Argoed - Skyline
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
Chainreaction
Strengths:
Good fit, light weight, in black it's relatively stealthy.
Weaknesses:
Not quite as comfortable as a Giro Xen, pretty expensive.
Similar Products Used:
Giro Xen, Giro Havoc
Bike Setup:
Orange 5 AM, Fox 36R, RP23
Bottom Line:
I had been looking for a semi-full-face for trail riding. I have a DH helmet for DH already, but as anyone knows these are far too hot for trail riding.
This helmet is pretty amazing - I swear it gives me an extra 5% balls. Also doesn't look as gay as XC lids.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kierin Brogan
a Weekend Warrior
from Upper Rissington Date Reviewed: February 5, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Leckhampton Hill
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$170.00
Purchased At:
AW Cycles
Strengths:
Versatility, lightweight, loads of ventilation. Comfortable to wear all day on a cross country/all mountain ride.
Weaknesses:
None that I've found yet.
Similar Products Used:
SixSixOne Comp
Bike Setup:
2007 Norco Six 2, Manitou Travis single clamp forks, Avid Code brakes, Sunline V One pedals, Oury lock-ons.
Bottom Line:
I recently bought a new bike to upgrade from a Trek Fuel, my riding was becoming too quick and aggressive for the short travel Trek. My Norco is allowing me to go a lot quicker. On a recent trip to Cwm Carn in Wales I was on the final decent and took and off camber left hander way too quick, it seems a few people do this and in order to stop the trail getting wider the trail builders have put big rocks wide on that line. Long story short I went over the bars very quickly with no time to get my arms out. I hit the left hand bank hard, breaking my fall with my shoulder and lower face. If it wasn't for the helmet I think I would have been pulling teeth out of the bank instead of the helmets visor. 2 days later and my shoulder is still very sore, face is fine. This helmet is perfect for all day riders who do cross country/all mountain riding but want to go big on drops, jumps, freeride areas, etc.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
dulyebr
a Weekend Warrior
from Santa Monica, CA Date Reviewed: January 6, 2008
Favorite Trail:
porcupine
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$160.00
Purchased At:
online shop in the UK
Strengths:
face mask give greater protection, great quality, the venting in the helmet and face mask is excellent. I don't feel like I'm re-breathing my own air.
Weaknesses:
get many off-putting looks riding xc trails with this helmet as it looks a bit extreme. taking it on and off is somewhat uncomfortable.
Similar Products Used:
Giro
Bottom Line:
I lost control of my bike recently due to the dirt being so loose and powdery. I was surfing (not riding) down the hill, when next thing I know, a large rock "jumps" out in front of me. Unable to avoid it, I lose control and head flailing toward the brambles. Since the dirt was so soft, my outstretched hands couldn't stop my face from getting slammed by a rock. Even with the face-guard I ended up with a small, quarter sized raspberry on my right cheek and a bloody nose. Would have been *much* worse without the Parachute as evidenced by how scratched up the face mask got.
For those of you on the fence about this helmet, get it. I'll be re-buying one, or one like it, for my next helmet for sure.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Asi
a
from Israel Date Reviewed: October 29, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Bottom Line:
Light, ventilated enough for trail riding (though not as cool as XC), just saved my jaw in a technical-terrain wipeout while AM riding. An XC lid would have had me counting broken teeth right now. Its sad that there are very little other helmets that fit the gap between jaw protection and the coolness needed for trail riding.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Christian
a Weekend Warrior
from UK, Mexico, Chile Date Reviewed: July 13, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
London
Strengths:
Light, well ventilated, good adjustment, super cool look. Multiuse. Can detach face protection and use it as your normal open face helmet.
Weaknesses:
it feels tight but that is the way it should be for full face helmets. Up hill is not 100% the same than an open face helmet; you can still feel your breath a little bit. Padding, could be improved. Face protection does not really look that sturdy. But then I am not seeking to test that feature in a real crash. Relativelly expensive.
Similar Products Used:
Bell open face helmets. Fox Rampage. 661 Full Bravo. Fox flux.
Bike Setup:
AMB
Bottom Line:
So far, fantastic. It does gives you more confidence. Cannot compare with proper DH helmets but it has its advantages. If you are not a pro down hiller or a epic up hill climber nor a long run flat boring gravel roads but like the buzz of relatively fast and or technical tracks, this helmet may be the answer for you.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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