After having an off and banging my ear on a rock clearly my lid doesn’t protect me quite enough.

Is there owt similar to a Met Parachute available? but maybe not quite so expnsive

doesn’t fit your expense limit but I have a Casco Viper MX and it works great, a lot better than a Parachute I think.

so you had a one off accident, you’ll probably never repeat and you want to get a helmet specifically to cater for it?

yep Jam bo I know you’re right but…. my ear hurts.

You have a helmet that didn’t protect you enough, yet you want to get the same again – but similar? Get a proper full-face; the Parachute* is a half-way house.

* Yes, I’ve had one.

Househusband, my lid have is a normal XC lid not a Met Prachute. I’m after something to protect me a bit more but not full face in the traditional way. and not as dear as a Parachute.

Sorry – gotcha; thought you had a Parachute already! My suggestion still stands; if you want more protection than a normal XC lid then get the lightest and most comfortable full-face you can afford.

Parachute does not protect ears better than xc helmet, correct?

Just adds a plastic thing out front to fend off branches/snap and embed itself in your face?

Parachute does not protect ears better than xc helmet, correct?

Just adds a plastic thing out front to fend off branches/snap and embed itself in your face?

Exactly. I can not see any use for the Parachute, or the Switchblade (or whatever its called): The are a very poor halfway house and just look stupid. I was in Canada a few years ago and the guides knew people who had them and in a crash the face guard broke off and turned into a razor.

Learn from your mistake instead: It’ll be alot cheaper and better for you

switchblade has proper poly chin piece though.

And they don’t make it anymore. I’ll admit the Switchblade looks alot better but the Parachute just looks like it will snap off at the earliest opportunity.

“then get the lightest and most comfortable full-face you can afford”

The specialized one has some pretty big vents all over the back

Though if it were me, I’d feel a bit of a tool riding a full-face helmet on XC stuff (and most trail centres, and the peaks/lakes and ..) It maybe just that I’ve never used one though

In defence of the parachute, my daughter had a big stack in the freeride park at GT on Sunday. Headfirst off the lemming drop, landing shoulder & chinguard first. The shoulder didn’t do too well, clavicle now in 3 pieces. The parachute did better. The chinguard took a major impact which broke the helmet around the attachment point. Nothing came loose, nothing snapped, it just absorbed the impact and deformed within the helmet structure. Had she been wearing a normal XC style lid I’m sure she’d be missing teeth and have other facial damage.

As always it’s horses for courses, but even though she’s not an extreme rider, she liked the extra protection and confidence from wearing the parachute. Looks like she was right. Although off the lemming drop she’d actually have been better wearing a proper parachute!

Rob

for this respect, the switchblade was an amazing lid.
Not a full face, but for “engaged XC/enduro” (read mtb with plenty of rocks) it was just great.

I use a Giro Switchblade too. Do they still make them? It’s very comfy, light and easy to breath in.

Sandy & I also use Switchblades when riding the tandem. A proper full-face would be OTT, and way too hot. The Switchblade offers that bit extra protection, especially for Sandy if I forget to warn her about a low branch in the face! The poor stoker also gets very little warning we’re going to stack!
Shame they stopped making them. We’re desperate for some new pads for ours, just incase anyone has some sitting in their drawer at home?

Rob

Casco Viper here – pricey but very light, the chinguard is easy to remove for when you dont need it. Its not too bad when you have it on but it can get a uh phlegmy if you ride anything needing a bit of cardio effort! Otherwise just remember not to spit! Oh & it covers yr ears no probs

RepacK & Count: not come across the Casco before but just had a look on CRC. From the pics the styling looks a wee bit ‘Power Rangers meets Battlestar Gallactica’, especially the blue one, but as I’m sure you’re both people of impeccable taste, I’m sure it looks great in the flesh. I’ll definately go and track one down at a LBS and give it a go as a replacement for the Switchblade. Thanks.

Rob

after actually holding a MET parachute I can confirm that the naysayers are talking shit 🙂 the chin piece is pretty solid and won’t shatter like glass at the first sign of an impact, and will protect your ears more than a normal XC lid, see the picture

and all in all is not a bad helmet

All in all I reckons it does offer a lot more protection than a standard XC helmet, but less than a DH one (no shit) which is exactly what its supposed to do.

Yes it can look uh a bit odd? But so what.. 😉

i like the look of the parachute. dont see why MET would design a helmet and then not test the jaw-guard thing for turning into a jugular slicing device upon impact. my guess is that the negative comments are coming from people who have never even picked one up.

i’d buy one, i think it’s a great helmet for people who ride a bit harder over the rough stuff but also head out on all dayers.

As you say Repack, so what. Intact head wins over vanity. Just!!!

Rob

Hmm not seen that Casco Viper before, not a bad solution (sounds like you can carry the chin guard in your pack and just click it in for the downhills?). Only concern is one of the CRC reviewer comments saying you can’t get sunglasses arms in with the chin guard fitted (it does look like it goes on the inside of the helmet), that true? Bummer if it is as I’m not switching to goggles :p

I wore a Parachute for a couple of years, they look daft but they do offer a bit more protection, they aren’t uncomfortable and I’ve had at least one pretty big stack where the chinguard took an impact without slicing off my nose. I’d have to agree with Jambo though, no helmet is going to protect you against every accident. The coverage at the back of the lid is a bit rubbish compared to a proper full facer too.

You can get sunnies on – Ive some of the Endura ones & they fit fine & the chin guard fits in a decent sized pack easilly