I’m sitting at home nursing 2 broken wrists. More surgery next week but I am still planning my (slightly delayed) come back.

Two months ago I crashed and smashed my first helmet in 20 years of riding – a Giro Xar. I had no issues therefore in replacing that helmet with another giro. I crashed again 2 weeks ago at Mabie and have been left with badly smashed up wrists but the helmet worked again – a giro hex. It definatly saved me from serious head injury.

How I am seriously thinking about the whole helmet safety thing. Logic says buy another Giro. I wonder if I am missing anything though? Anything that offers better coverage (without going full face) or greater impact absorbtion? Sure Giros seem to work for me but is there anything that works better?

Any help greatly appreciated.

I like giro, but that just my head shape. I’ve never died whilst wearing one either.

Id think more about riding skills than a new helmet 🙂

get another Giro and try not to crash. what kind of riding are you doing?

Like wise for giro and my head… I recently asked a similar question here but in the end i found a good deal on the giro and went them again, but as and when i see the recommended brands i will be trying them on and taking notes…

If giro fit your head and stay in place to do their job in a crash, they’re obviously a good fit for you, why look elsewhere?

Though by the sounds of it, you’d be testing anything else out soon enough :-S

Giro on crash replacement mate, feel for you with two smashed wrist , I’m 1 monto today since my broken arm op, 1 month of bloody daytime tv !! 2 arms must be a nightmare ,

don’t forget Giro have a crash replacement offer which gets you a discount off a new lid in return for the old broken one.

The POC Trabec feels like it offers more protection on the lower part of the head (dont know the scientific word for that part). Comfy too! Its just a bit expensive..

I’ve tried a bunch lately and the Giro I have will be replaced by another of exactly the same, due to fit more than anything else…. as for more protection, you have the likes of the Urge Enduromatic, it didn’t fit my head quite right and reviews suggest I’ll sweat to death wearing one.
Otherwise you’ve have the like of the Met Parachute, though opinions are sharply divided as to whether they really give more protection or could potentially cause more issues.
The Giro Xen/Hex and Xar are amongst those that give the best coverage of your head (reaching further down the back, than most), so I’d stick to one of those are a similar design.

This style of helmet seems to be the latest trend with MTB journos. Not sure whether it does actually offer more protection, but the lack of vents (and the price) puts me off.

I’ve certainly come to like the look of POC Trabecs and as said they do seem to offer good wrap round coverage.

But as said Giro do offer crash replacement so why spend more than you need to? I think you get a voucher against your new purchase.

I noticed the Bike Chain have a PayDay voucher code available for this weekend which will get you 10% off a POC helmet. Nice kit, saw Crawford Carrick Anderson at Innerleithen last weekend in his POC gear and it looks the business when all around is grey and dreary…

HTH.

Giro crash replacement policy is half price. I’ve used it several times and Madison are great to deal with. No fuss and very efficient.

I broke my POC full facer last September. No crash replacement policy so I won’t be buying POC again. 😕 That may change if 2Pure offer a replacement scheme as they have a great approach to customer service but if not, it’s got to be Giro for the win!

I have a Urge Enduro and it is great. Fits better than my Xen and isn’t as hot as it looks. It is definitely hotter but I managed 30 welsh miles when we had those hot weeks a month ago and I didn’t die. As a bonus if yo get the black and white one you can pretend your in CHiPS.

I went from a Giro Xen to a Fox Flux and find it a far superior helmet for less cash. The peak on the flux is pretty useless though, if it is sunny a lot where you are…

yes yes but surely the question here is with two busted wrists, who wipes yer bum?
although it may be conclusive in the arguement with the boss of why you can’t return to work early

😉

I really like the Fox Striker, but the Giro should be cheaper with crash replacement so if it fits, hard to argue for anything else

How about a Giro Feature? Should fit your head nicely and a bit more protection. Price isn’t insane either.

Thanks for the positive replies.

I will definatly check out the POC. I live in yorkshire so heat is not a problem! If i’m lucky Giro will have some new designs out by the time i’m on my mtb again!

As for the type of riding, i do all sorts. I’m a mountain biker, i don’t like to pigeon hole.

As for who wipes my bum – thankfully I can still do that.

If your interested, the crash was due to over-jumping a double on the mini-x at mabie. Nose heavy landing, OTB and here I am.

All MTB style helmets are designed to break apart and prevent skull fractures. Saying the Giro saved your life twice by performing like it is supposed to I don’t regard as brand but common BS standard design. Some MTB helmets are so large they increase the chances of striking your head on the ground. If I was wearing a smaller profile helmet, crashed, and didn’t strike the helmet, or not enough to have it break apart, then do I say the helmet failed to do its job?

I started motorbiking first, and there was one general rule, “Make sure the helmet fits.” A loose helmet is bad. At high speed it pushes up your nose. I a crash it rams up your nose causing a nose bleed, or even a broken nose, or worse, a neck break.

When it’s come to MTBing and the larger number of crashes, and imho different types to motorbike ones, I’ve add to that “…and presents a low profile”.

I’ve used a Met Crackerjack for ages. Inadequately vented tbh. Width wise my ears just stick out from the sides, but it looks a bit high. Still, being thrown on my side means the chances of impacting the ground are lessened, which means the “boxers injury” causing the brain to spin is lessened. I’ve cut my ears a few times though.

On trying the new Crackerjacks, they no longer size the same. They’ve changed them, they are smaller now. So I tried a Fox Transition (in a medium) and it just fits me with the small padding so I bought that. Width wise it is just wider and protects my ears I believe. Height wise it is less than the old Crackerjack.

I’ve tried a lot of helmets on in shops and they always seem so massive, and particular at the sides, which I feel is a real risk of the awkward “boxers” brain injury. Since I am already suffering a long term brain injury this sort of thing is always on my mind when sizing up helmets. I think that if you’re riding on two wheels long enough you eventually decide what is most important to you.

Re POC

I have cause to revise my decision on whether to buy one as I hear that The Bike Chain are offering a half price crash replacement deal to anyone who buys from them. That’s pretty awesome in my book. Hmmm! A Trabec could well be on the cards now! 😀

Cheers

Sanny

TJ will be along in a minute to tell you your Double Crash Confession is Tory hyperbole and that you would have been fine if you’d not been wearing one…. 😉

Seriously though – if it fits (i, too, have a Giro shaped head) wear it…..

Giro crash replacement policy is half price. I’ve used it several times and Madison are great to deal with. No fuss and very efficient.

They sent me the wrong size twice, including one tiny girls helmet with pink flowers on. They did give me free stuff to apologise though.

I like Giro helmets. But I have a ‘Met’ shaped head.
I like the POC ones too but I feel I’d be over-selling myself if I wore one.

Both myself and the fella I ride with wear Giro Hex helmets, he has broken two now and walked away without any marks on his head. I recently broke one in a high speed crash with rock – helmet did what it was supposed to do.

So in summary tried and tested… why buy anything else? Whilst I was waiting for my half price crash replacement I bought a spare helmet for emergencies, a Specialized Vice as it was less than half price in the sale – doesn’t feel nearly as comfy as the Hex.

Why not go full face?

I had a v. similar experience, never broke a helmet in 25 years riding, then broke 2 in quick succession. The 1st was a Spec Decibel, replaced with a Fox Flux which was well made but just didn’t suit my head shape. I found it very hot as well although others find the opposite. After breaking that I went with a Giro Hex which is the best of the lot so far. As everybody seems to say, it is all about how it fits your particular head shape.