[TNC]

You're entitled to your opinion...

why do you guys keep making up crap that doesn't exist? i'm starting to think the over-marketing and hype of "AM" is actually created by you guys, not the manufacturers...

the parachute (and old giro switchblades) are light and wearable for AM, but don't offer the protection of a DH fullface (but arguably more than a regular XC helmet). a DH fullface offers the protection, but isn't light and wearable.

AND NEVER THE TWAIN SHALL MEET... unless some seriously exotic materials are used (are you gonna pay over $600 for a helmet? not a chance you cheap AM riders...) this is an impossibility. do you think these companies are blind? AM is the largest potential market in all of MTB, by a massive margain (excepting roadies of course). all of the big guys are developing like mad to get their piece of it, it's guys like MET that ARE pushing the helmet envelope.

there's a large amount of engineers and such on these forums, get off your asses and prove me wrong...i still won't buy one though, i'm more than happy with my skid lid thank you.

And so is everyone else...but no need to get that negative about it..."you cheap AM riders". Cheap?...I'll have you know that many AM riders are spending as much or more than any other category of gear-whoring MTB'ers...and proud of it.

On a serious note, I think you're wrong about, "never the twain shall meet". A helmet designed along the lines of a DH lid with creative padding and extensive venting can be designed and manufactured at a reasonable price. A modded Pryme AL is very close to this. Having had 3 Switchblades over the years, I agree that they do not offer the protection that many are looking for. The Switchblade and Met Parachute use that thin-skinned plastic and foam design that won't stand up to the level of integrity of the shell/chin design and materials in a fiberglass, thermoplastic, or carbon full coverage helmet. IMO it's not the helmet shell material that makes it hot, it's the ventilation and padding design that trap heat. Thin plastic shell design doesn't really let any more air inside the helmet than a thicker built DH style, but the number and design of the vents, the padding design/material, and the "stand off" distance make a dramatic difference. In fact, once I modded the Pryme, the stand off area within certain areas of the helmet is what really worked well to increase air flow to the vents. My hat's off to Met for doing something, but the integrity of that helmet isn't much better than the old Switchblade...which was lacking IMO. The harder shell of a DH style helmet is still what some are looking for...just with more creativity.

Larry, I'll throw out one other possible issue other than lawyers that may be impacting the introduction of this type of helmet...peer pressure. We've touched on this somewhat, but I think there is a notable level of "negativity" experienced on the trail when full coverage helmets are introduced. And I think some folks at the old helmet factory are among these types of riders who feel that negative issue. Please note that this is a vague opinion not based on any statistical study.

 

[ferday]

And so is everyone else...but no need to get that negative about it..."you cheap AM riders". Cheap?...I'll have you know that many AM riders are spending as much or more than any other category of gear-whoring MTB'ers...and proud of it.

On a serious note, I think you're wrong about, "never the twain shall meet".

ah TNC, a voice of reason. i didn't mean to come across negative (should use more happy smilies i guess), but the AM forum is already starting to develop some sort of elitist attitude, as if there is something new here...(sorry guys, AM is not new by a long shot). and believe me, i'm a gear-whore of the worst degree...

i technically agree with you about the helmets, but it's quite the fine line between protection and venting/lightweight. after enough "creativity" with the airflow, the protection is ruined. and there are the legal issues whether we agree with them or not...marketing use and real life use are completely different things unfortunately.

on that note, i've never experienced any of this "negativity" surrounding fullface on the trails, i'm more inclined to laugh when it's over 100' out and i see a fully armored guy riding high alpine...but when i take a bail i'm sure it's him that's laughing!

 

[Zen_Turtle]

... unless some seriously exotic materials are used (are you gonna pay over $600 for a helmet? not a chance you cheap AM riders...) this is an impossibility. do you think these companies are blind? AM is the largest potential market in all of MTB, by a massive margain (excepting roadies of course). all of the big guys are developing like mad to get their piece of it, it's guys like MET that ARE pushing the helmet envelope.

there's a large amount of engineers and such on these forums, get off your asses and prove me wrong...i still won't buy one though, i'm more than happy with my skid lid thank you.

Specialized Deviant is one good example and I think Specialized is a company big enough to consider potential legal implications. The Deviant is expensive and unfortunately doesn't fit me well but otherwise i would have bought it as it meets my idea of light and strong for AM riding (and in fact is not cheap...)

When people ask about my body armor I reply that I broke my shoulder twice and that's enough for me to consider these alternatives. There are gifted riders out there that never crash and don't feel the need for protection. I'm fine with that. I'm not one of them. :nono:

I agree with DM-SC that AM is evolution of XC... there will always be people who point and laugh and argue, otherwise it wouldn't be evolution.

 

[Dan'ger]

ah TNC, a voice of reason. i didn't mean to come across negative (should use more happy smilies i guess), but the AM forum is already starting to develop some sort of elitist attitude, as if there is something new here...(sorry guys, AM is not new by a long shot). and believe me, i'm a gear-whore of the worst degree...

i technically agree with you about the helmets, but it's quite the fine line between protection and venting/lightweight. after enough "creativity" with the airflow, the protection is ruined. and there are the legal issues whether we agree with them or not...marketing use and real life use are completely different things unfortunately.

on that note, i've never experienced any of this "negativity" surrounding fullface on the trails, i'm more inclined to laugh when it's over 100' out and i see a fully armored guy riding high alpine...but when i take a bail i'm sure it's him that's laughing!

Sounds like someone finally got around to slamming a Dew and punching himself in the face!

 

[ferday]

Sounds like someone finally got around to slamming a Dew and punching himself in the face!

i had wrote a long reply about AM, but this about sums it up. thanks for the laugh!!!

 

[TNC]

Hey stripes...could you elaborate on the "compromised the protection" comment? I'm just curious what your detailed experiences were on the modded setup that you didn't like. It might help others here. Can you post a closeup pic of the modded interior? Maybe the more we exchange info on some of these modded setups, the better franken-helmet we can come up with...LOL!

 

[mkiv808]

The shell color makes little difference. The foam liner is a great insulator.

But if you think black will be hotter, you will probably feel hotter in black.

Well, black would be an issue in the sun. It's just simple science that black heats up faster than white. If the shell itself heats up more, certainly the interior will become hotter.

 

[TNC]

Sounds like...

Easy.. where you remove the lower padding, if something would hit me on the jawline, the plastic shell sans padding may shred my face.

Just not worth the compromise IMHO.

You may have removed too much material. That rubber pad in the jaw/chin area doesn't disrupt air flow to any degree as it's already slotted for the vents there. I didn't remove any of the rubber parts that would have allowed hard or sharp fiberglass to touch my face in a crash. I'd agree...that wouldn't be good.:eekster:

Here's a closeup of the interior and the jaw area. That's a rubber pad in the jaw area. I only removed neck, cheek, and ear fabric padding. All rubber and styrofoam parts are still intact. IMO it was just the thick fabric padding in the cheek, neck, and ear areas that trapped heat.

 

[BigLarry]

And so is everyone else...but no need to get that negative about it..."you cheap AM riders". Cheap?...I'll have you know that many AM riders are spending as much or more than any other category of gear-whoring MTB'ers...and proud of it.
....

Larry, I'll throw out one other possible issue other than lawyers that may be impacting the introduction of this type of helmet...peer pressure. We've touched on this somewhat, but I think there is a notable level of "negativity" experienced on the trail when full coverage helmets are introduced. And I think some folks at the old helmet factory are among these types of riders who feel that negative issue. Please note that this is a vague opinion not based on any statistical study.

The Deviant is only $130. I paid full price of $150 for my Xen. I don't consider that horribly expensive for a good helmet. The $500 dollars for the carbon only saves you 10% or so in weight, 900 grams versus 1000. I thought it was light enough in the fiberglass version.

Perhaps a better way to say it is not peer pressure, but accepted custom. The Tour de France riders for 100 years didn't wear helmets, even though it made a lot of sense and the helmets were getting better. Now, nobody would think of not wearing one.

It's true some worry about the impression they give when they're dressed up like a Ninja Turtle for aggressive XC rides. Full Face and/or armor could even scare non-MTB hikers and give MTB a bad image until it becomes common place.
In the standard market dilemma, not many of those ventilated FF helmets for XC are going to sell until they become common practice. And it won't become common practice until a good FF helmet exists. Perhaps a good market campaign by one of the helmet leaders (like Specialized), along with massive posting of pictures of the aftermath of our fearless moderator, Francois, will convince more to do it.

Even at the repeat Demo ride, right after Francois ill fate, Dan and I were the only ones out of 30 riders who went for a FF helmet. And I'm still oddly self-debating on how much I want to wear it, even though it would have been great on an endo the very next day. It's going to take time to change the XC/AM habits, regardless of helmet quality.

 

[GuruAtma]

The Met helmet sure looks like just what we need---a well ventilated helmet that is for aggressive trail riding, not for the Red Bull Rampage, but still protects the face. Who knows if it's really strong enough? It's too bad we don't have a chance to find out.

Maybe riders in other countries can comment.

 

[davec113]

The Met helmet sure looks like just what we need---a well ventilated helmet that is for aggressive trail riding, not for the Red Bull Rampage, but still protects the face. Who knows if it's really strong enough? It's too bad we don't have a chance to find out.

You can order it from England here :thumbsup: :

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=2407

I agree, this is exactly what I want for riding more difficult trails around CO, but I can see where others may want a heavier-duty helmet. It just depends on riding style and ability. I am NOT going to push the limits on my 7" front/ 6" rear bike without FULL armor. When I am trailriding, I am out to have fun, and I do enjoy a technical challenge. I personally draw the line where riding a section of trail requires full commitment, and the penalty for not pulling it off would be severe. However, this limit is different for all riders. I was out today with a guy that rode stuff similar to a black diamond trail at Keystone with just an xc helmet, but he was so skilled and smooth that this terrain is easily within his abilities. For my skill level, I wouldnt try some stuff on that trail without my armor... I guess when I'm miles from the nearest help, I try to give myself a safety factor, and don't attempt stuff I could get seriously hurt trying with no armor on. On the other hand, if you have a long travel bike, it is easily capable of handling very technical terrain, and can achieve high speeds thru some pretty rough stuff, this is where the Met helmet comes in. I'm not going balls-out, but the nature of riding a long travel bike is such that an xc helmet does not inspire enough confidence for me, especially since I'm an intermediate who will make more mistakes and not have the experience and bike-handling skills of an expert.

As far as the Met not providing enough protection, I'm not sure a "modded" ff dh helmet will be as good as the Met? Why? Because the padding needs to be there to cushion the impact, its the way a ff is designed to work. It is not designed to crush and break like an xc helmet. The Met has a face protector made like an xc helmet, and does NOT require padding to function properly. The styrofoam will crush and break before your face does, dissipating impact forces (to a point). An unpadded section of a ff will just jam the fiberglass shell into your face... I would argue that without actual testing of a modded ff, you could possibly be making this helmet dangerous to the user. How do you know? I guess you could go on feel and intuition, but I'd rather trust the engineers at Met, who have carefully designed a face protector that will actually dissipate impact forces properly. I'm NOT saying this is a comparable product to an un-modded ff. The dh/moto helmets obviously were designed to dissipate A LOT more force than a xc helmet, I just think removing padding MIGHT be dangerous, to the point a para-chute could be a better choice.

Ultimately, we need to honestly evaluate how much risk we take, and prepare ourselves accordingly... If I try to clean all parts of the trail I rode today, I will have armor and an unmodified ff helmet, unless my skills get a lot better. I generally do not need to bring armor to feel safe, but this trail was tough! (South St. Vrain Trail, Front Range, CO)...

 

[Oni]

Someone, just buy the Met Parachute!

Do the R&D, and tell the rest of us how you like/dislike it.

Oni R&D Onza clipless, Trek forks, Real cassette and other stupid things, so it's time for someone else to take the hit (um, not literally) for the team!

 

[Dan'ger]

From the Chain Reaction Cycles Site

Home Page > Helmets Full Face > MET Parachute > Reviews Back MET Parachute RRP £99.99 £89.99 Save 10% Show All Reviews In Your Language Write A Review Total Number Of Reviews: 25 Average: 4.16 Sort By Rating - Most Useful First Rating - Highest First Rating - Lowest First Date - Earliest First Date - Latest First [TD] ***** Blizzard writes... from Unknown 21 April 2004 18:10 Allthough i wont be able to use it for a while due to a broken collarbone (broke my last lid in the same crash!), i can compare it to the giro Switchblade. The strap system on the Parachute is vastly superior to the giro, and the pads give a better, more secure and comfortable fit. The parachute also offers a wider range of adjustment than the giro. They both weigh about the same, which is very light compared with other full face lids. The styleing of the parachute is odd, but once you have got used to it it actually looks pretty good, and it also looks good without the chin guard, unlike the giro. Very well ventilated, more so than the giro. Sizing is a little small (large will probably fit down to a 55-56 head) so if u are boarder line go for the large, allthough a snug fit is good to prevent the helmet slipping about. Visibility is very impressive, u can hardly notice it is a full face lid. One last point, the flowery one looks really good and goes damn well with the wierd looks of the helmet, but is not for people who dont want to be noticed. Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 69 People out of 84 Found this review useful. * Anonymous from Canada 25 February 2005 10:26 Do not buy this helmet unless you ride moderate XC. I've been living in this country for about 2 years to work ON my dirt jumping. I lived and rode downhill in Whistler and the North Shore for 3 years and the amount of people that snaPped the chin piece and messed up the face is staggering. STAY AWAY FROM THIS LIKE THE PLAGUE Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 67 People out of 84 Found this review useful. ***** Anonymous writes... from Unknown 13 June 2003 14:31 awesome!!! make sure u get the right size because u really need a tight fit. the front guard sticks out a bit far but who gives a ..... its very light and looks pretty cool. ive got the titanium and its great. 90 squid is a reasonable price so if uve got the money this is the ..... Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 58 People out of 72 Found this review useful. ***** Craig Sumner writes... from Unknown 18 November 2003 21:31 i listened to the other guy........ he was completly correct! this helmet looks great is light and can be used on any MTB scene. the bolts for the chin guard are metal but are easy to undo. the silver looks great. comfy new style pads are sooooo much better than my old 20000 crackerjack and the clip system is pure artwork. measure up good cos u need the right size. this helmet looks good with or without the chin guard. ear room was not a problem for me. i can even wear shades. the price is ok but for the quality u have to pay this bit more. if u want the helmet with the same quality but no chin guard go for the met anaxgore 2. same looks same quality. no chin guard but cheaper. (comes with a three year guarantee and a full face helmet bag ! YAY!) Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 58 People out of 70 Found this review useful. ***** nice helmet writes... from Unknown 07 January 2004 20:29 this helmet is da best. I got mine about a week ago and it rocks. i have taken it on some pretty rough stuff and it barely rattles at all (you do need a tight fit). mines in titanium but the flowers still look cool. For 90 quid its a bit expensive for a helmet but it saved my life once already and it makes you more confident on big drops and jumps. if you got the money buy one! Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 57 People out of 74 Found this review useful. ***** curious writes... from Unknown 29 December 2003 20:54 the titanium is a wicked colour, but i want to know what the flowery one looks like, should i have got that instead????????? Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 55 People out of 72 Found this review useful. ***** Jimmytheone writes... from Unknown 20 June 2004 21:40 Had this helmet 6 months and have to say it is excellent. Great protection aned ideal for freeride, it adds confidence and doesnt look bad either. I rode into a branch and the face guard although looling flimsy steped away intact along with my face! Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 54 People out of 68 Found this review useful. **** Andy D writes... from Unknown 12 May 2004 08:32 Comfortable and light, you hardly know it's a full face, it does not restrict you in anyway. Protection is great aroound the ears and face. A good cross XC full race but not an alternative to the heavey down hill helmets Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 52 People out of 63 Found this review useful. *** Andy writes... from Unknown 21 May 2004 18:33 jUST HAD A BIT OF A WIPE OUT WEARING MINE AND RECKON I'D HAVE A BROKEN CHEEK BONE WITH A NORMAL HELMET Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 48 People out of 66 Found this review useful. ***** mini lenny writes... from Unknown 14 March 2004 12:41 the best all round helmet out there except the switchblade. i got the titanium one but my mates got the flowery one and it looks sweet i was worried it would look girlie but looks sorted. i never ridden with the chin guard off but with it one it is a great confidence builder and looks the part, bit pricey but well worth it. GO BUY Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 43 People out of 59 Found this review useful. *** big lenny writes... from Unknown 20 December 2003 13:12 very light and comfortable, but possibly the most mingin' helmet ive ever seen!!!!!!!!!! I much prefer the giro switchblade and its cheaper! Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 42 People out of 60 Found this review useful. ***** Stinky boy writes... from Unknown 15 August 2004 12:10 I got this, the flowery version as my m8 got the titanium, its bin pretty good + you get the looks rather than the dull tit.. hasnt saved my yet but then i any fallen yet!! s'all good part from the paddin comes out but nowt a bit of double sided stiky tape cant fix :-D Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 40 People out of 56 Found this review useful. **** McLean writes... from Unknown 11 November 2004 17:53 Well constructed - gets a bit hot around the ears when climbing. Gives you the confidence without the weight penalties (especially if you've ever hit a tree with your face). Not quite as heavy as the Giro equivalent (switchblade). I haven't crashed it yet either. Compared to my other full face lids (hanggliding) the chin guard doesn't fit as close to your jaw line and isn't particularly well padded either - but I guess it's a trade off with ventilation for cycling. Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 37 People out of 52 Found this review useful. **** Ian from United Kingdom Owner 25 October 2005 11:46 5 Months since getting my first Met Parachute. Managed to smash the first one within 2 weeks of purchase and the replacement within 3 months of receiving it. Now, it is worth stating that on both occasions (both crashes happened during fairly big jumps) the helmet protected my head well. I did have bruising on my face as the chinguard isn't padded and consequently any hard knock to the side of the helmet can result in the chin guard coming into contact with your face (unlike a proper full face helmet where there is padding to the side of the helmet). However, if you ride aggressive XC (as opposed to more freeride/downhill) then the Met is ideal as it does give greater protection than a standard XC helmet whilst retaining the same flow/weight characteristics. If you tend to ride more DH/freeride consider something a little more sturdy. Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 25 People out of 27 Found this review useful. ***** Bill Rockwood from United States Owner 04 November 2005 01:36 Very attractive, comfortable, vents good, its very light, and it does not limit vision at all. It is CE Certified. Glasses fit good under helmet. I just bought it last week and took a four hour ride on rough rocky terrain. It fits really good and is super comfortable. It also looks really cool. The chin gaurd would probably might break if you took a hard face plant but it offers great protection for those that are recreation mountain bikers from tree branches, rock outcroppings, and would keep the teeth and jaw intact in a mild fall. A great buy in my opinion plus it has a three year warranty. Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 20 People out of 23 Found this review useful. **** Anonymous from United Kingdom Owner 13 December 2005 17:44 So far this helmet has done me very well. donot buy this helmet if you DH or do lots of high impact, dangerous stuff. Its not like other Full face helmets. Its more for XC. For me it was perfect, I wanted a light, breathable helmet but with the added protection afforded by the jaw guard. Its not nearly as hot as most full-face helmets, but then again its not really the same. If you are an XC or just general all rounder that wants something with a little more protection this will do the job great. To be fair, its not a full crash helmet though. You can unscrew the jaw gurds so you can use it for road biking too. Its really good for what it is, doesnt obscure vision, you can drink with it on using a camel back too. The only thing is it is pricey, but I think its pretty unique on the market. Great helmet. 4/5 only because of high (worth it really though) price Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 20 People out of 23 Found this review useful. ***** simon berggren from Sweden Owner 22 November 2005 18:59 i bought this helmet 1 year ago and when i crashed and broke my collarbone, it broke. but the helmet saved my life! its a very light " full-face helmet", looks ok, feels nice, but its to expensive. 3/5 but ill give it a 5 since the protections was good when i crashed. Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 19 People out of 22 Found this review useful. * Ronan from Ireland Owner 26 September 2005 21:02 I have one of these, the face guard is very flimsy, for serious downhill this thing will not do the job, just get a proper downhill helmet, and a road type, I ended up taking the face off as I dont trust it. Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 19 People out of 22 Found this review useful. ** Anonymous from United Kingdom 02 November 2005 11:28 Anyone who has this helmet and thinks it offers good protection is having a laugh. The main helmet bit should be spot on by the looks of it, but that chin guard is gonna do pretty much nothing in a PROPER crash. Instead of being lulled into a false sense of security by the guard, why don't you get a proper full face (there's a reason why they are heavier and less ventilated........) and/or a piss pot......You can get a Bell Bellistic and piss pot on this site for less than the price of this thing. Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 18 People out of 20 Found this review useful. ***** Jonesy from United Kingdom Owner 05 December 2005 14:12 Buy one, it will save your chin. Light enough to be used as a hard xc lid and tough enough for freeriding, jumps etc. I would say if your only downhilling, then buy a full face lid Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 17 People out of 20 Found this review useful. ***** David from United Kingdom Owner 14 November 2005 20:43 Had one of these for 8 months. Been OK in the summer - not too hot. Looks a bit cumbersome maybe and I agree with the guy from Canada - face shield would break in a hard face plant. However, I had a big hit (15-20 mph) just above my left eye with a foot-diameter tree this weekend at Nant yr Arian. Very loud ringing in the ears and a bit stunned but remained conscious and was on my feet in a few minutes. Finished the ride. No visible damage to the helmet but I will get it replaced. I was impressed. Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 17 People out of 20 Found this review useful. ***** Anonymous from United Kingdom Owner 16 January 2006 16:26 I think this is a great lid Expensive but great !!! I'm 41 ride heavy cross country a bit of free ride, 4 foot drop off's and have a play on down hill runs every now and again.It's light, cool on the head has taken 2/3 big impacts.I love it best buy I've had for a long time. Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 12 People out of 16 Found this review useful. ***** Dan from Australia Owner 26 April 2006 11:03 For aggressive XC/All Mountain this thing is the ticket. I have had mine for 15mths now and it has saved my face twice. Finally managed to smash the top part recently headbutting the ground. It is not a DH lid. If you do hardcore stuff get a fullface. If you do XC get XC helmet. For anything in between this might save your face. Having face planted with a XC lid it is not a good day out. Get a Parachute Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 8 People out of 10 Found this review useful. **** Andrew from United Kingdom 27 April 2006 14:32 Firstly, this is NOT a downhill helmet as some people who have written reviews seem to think. But if you knew anything at all about downhill you'd know that. I'm on my second one of these. The first one was replaced under the crash replacement warranty when a drop off went horribly wrong. I landed on my jaw from about 6 foot, the helmet shell split, as I believe it's designed to do but the chin guard stayed in tact and certainly saved my rugged good looks and a hefty dental bill. I walked away with nothing more than a scratches to my chest. In my crash tested opinion this helmet is certainly strong enough to take the knocks when it matters. Once you've ridden with this helmet for a few minutes you actually forget all about the chin guard, that is until you try to eat or drink something with it on. It's comfortable, fairly light, relatively cool and can easily be used as an all day XC helmets. In fact, I've ridden Enduros and 24 hours events with it. The only criticism I have really is that the pads don't seem to last very long. All in all this is a very good helmet that can be used for all day XC rides or Freeride will the added assurance of a little extra protection around the face area. But is NOT a downhill helmet (not that it's marketed as one). Oh, and Ronan from Ireland, "the face guard is very flimsy, for serious downhill this thing will not do the job, just get a proper downhill helmet, and a road type, I ended up taking the face off as I don't trust it". You don't trust the chin guard so you remove it. So do you think it's safer without it? You numpty. Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 8 People out of 10 Found this review useful. **** Teppo from Finland Owner 04 May 2006 10:30 Anyone who buys this helmet for downhill is an idiot. The Parachute is not a downhill helmet. At best it'll do the job for aggressive XC/Freeride. Was this review helpful to you? YES NO 7 People out of 9 Found this review useful.

 

[uktrailmonster]

I've had experience of both the Met Parachute and Casco Viper MX (my current helmet). I think these are both a good compromise for a trail rider looking for a little more face protection. Neither are DH helmets. I think the Casco has the better chin guard design. It's lighter and clips on/off without screws so it's more of a genuine convertible than the Met. Fit is down to personal preference, but I prefer the strap/tension system on the Met.

I also recently tried the Deviant in the local shop. It's certainly a great looking design. It seemed a lot closer to a proper DH helmet than either the Casco or Met. The main difference is the face padding, which I thought would be too sweaty for general trail use. I guess that's why the Casco and Met use chin guards without face padding. So I'm not sure who the Deviant is really aimed at.

 

[TNC]

Those reviews sound just like the Switchblade results...interesting.

 

[TNC]

Must be that pointed head.

No, I left the jaw/chin area alone. I removed the exact same padding you did.

When I removed the cheek padding, I noticed the helmet moves around too much for me. A blow to the lower part of the jaw itself (NOT the jaw/chin bar) would render the helmet useless. Removing the neck padding made the most difference, with the least amount of compromise.

There's definitely going to be some technical rides I use it for, and I think as I get accustomed to the Pryme, it's going to be my primary helmet (unmodified of course).

LOL!...well, obviously I'm kidding. As shiggy had pointed (no pun ) out, if the helmet doesn' t fit the noggin properly, it won't get the job done. I've done a couple of low speed face plants in rock sections so far with mine, and it's stayed put. One of them just about ripped off the visor. One thing came to mind on your description there. I wonder if one size smaller helmet would be a better fit once the aforementioned padding areas are removed? Just thinking out loud here.

 

[davec113]

Yeah, I wanted a ff for dh this year, Deviant was nice, but seemed less sturdy than most others. Went with the Bellistic for $67... 1/2 the price of the Deviant, seems sturdier, and at Keystone and Vail, its not too hot. If you want the sturdiest helmet for extreme use, look for a DOT approved helmet, because if its not DOT/SNELL approved, it only has to meet the standards for regular bike helmets (xc). I actually called Bell about this, and they can't say the Bellistic will protect you any better than an xc helmet, it just has more coverage. They recomment if you go over 35 mph, get a DOT helmet, as they are tested up to 60 or more mph, and have more stringent guidelines as far as padding and materials.

It seems obvious that the Bellistic will protect better than an xc, but there are NO guidelines on how much more protection you get vs. an xc helmet. So, there can be huge differences in how well different models of ff helmets will protect you.

Bell said to check out www.helmets.org for more info...

 

[uktrailmonster]

Yeah, I wanted a ff for dh this year, Deviant was nice, but seemed less sturdy than most others. Went with the Bellistic for $67... 1/2 the price of the Deviant, seems sturdier, and at Keystone and Vail, its not too hot. If you want the sturdiest helmet for extreme use, look for a DOT approved helmet, because if its not DOT/SNELL approved, it only has to meet the standards for regular bike helmets (xc). I actually called Bell about this, and they can't say the Bellistic will protect you any better than an xc helmet, it just has more coverage. They recomment if you go over 35 mph, get a DOT helmet, as they are tested up to 60 or more mph, and have more stringent guidelines as far as padding and materials.

It seems obvious that the Bellistic will protect better than an xc, but there are NO guidelines on how much more protection you get vs. an xc helmet. So, there can be huge differences in how well different models of ff helmets will protect you.

Bell said to check out www.helmets.org for more info...

Yeah, that's the point I was making about the Deviant. It seems too light to be a proper DH helmet and too enlcosed / sweaty for regular trail riding. So who is it for? Extremely cautious trail riders or extremely brave Downhillers?

I think both Met and Casco have hit the middle ground with the Parachute and Viper MX. They both offer mild face protection on what are otherwise regular XC helmets. I think that's a good compromise for trail riders who just want that little bit more protection than a standard XC lid offers. Having said that, the deviant might make a great cold weather trail riding helmet. Perhaps I should use the Viper MX in the summer and Deviant in winter and more dangerous trails. Or is that just an excuse to buy yet another helmet?

 

[GuruAtma]

After having read all the above posts, I got myself a Deviant for my trip to Downieville this past weekend. For those unfamiliar, Downivielle is in the Sierras of California and hosts an annual downhill race, but several of the trails involve a fair share of uphill peddling. It was 90 degrees at the bottom of the trail.

If the Met would have been available at a local shop, I proabably would have went for that since I'm a fairly conservative rider anyway.

I took Big Larry's advice and went for a large size (I'm between medium and large) and added extra pads in non-venting/ non-sweaty areas. This gave me a bit better air circulation and more room to get the camelbak hose in my mouth.

Overall I felt pretty cool in the helmet. The main difference I noticed was the cheek pads, but with a litttle fish-face contortions I could get airflow there too. Cruising down hill I could definitely feel air blowing over my scalp, ears, and face. The mouth piece didn't get in the way when huffing and puffing on the climbs either. It did get in the way when I wanted to hock a loogie. Oh well.

When riding the shuttle up to the trail head, other bikers with FF helmets where impressed with the light weight, but admonished me to get some dirt and scratches on it as soon as possible.

 

[croatiansensation]

I know this question is outside our current comparison here, but it seemed like the right place to ask it. Does any one have any experience with or opinons of the azonic t-55 helmet that I see on sale everywhere? The venting looks pretty decent IMO. . .

Well, I pulled the trigger and bought an x-large t-55; just couldn't resist Jenson's $40 price. I haven't used it in anger yet, but my first impression is that it is pretty decent. It weighs about 3 lbs. on the 'ol bathroom scale which puts it at about what the manufacturer says. It looks way more durable than some of the 661 helmets I have looked at, and the pads are pretty top notch, comparable to some of the motorcycle helmets I have owned in the past. Initial fit seems very comfortable (I'm one of the oblong head shaped freaks), but a little loose. I have a head size of about 60.3cm, which is right on the break between the L and XL sizes, so that could be why it is a little loose. As you can see from the pics below venting is pretty decent, but definitely not as good as the pryme's venting.

Update: Rode with it a couple of weekends ago in 100+ degree heat with all the padding in, and was pleasantly suprised. It was only a little warmer than my regular XC lid. Visibility is excellent, but it is a little bulky. Overall, I would have to say I'm really pleased with this helmet, and I totally recommend it.