I don’t understand. please explain your ill will.

The first ones that came out looked a bit fragile, and probably wouldn’t have given the protection intended, and in fact could have caused more damage than not having a face protector.

But a friend got a later model last year and the face protector looks to have been beefed up a fair bit. Although I am still a bit dubious about a normal helmet fastening system being able to hold in place during a face plant.

People don’t get it and imagine it will fail and is pointless as they never fall off etc.

Used one for a couple of years great bit of kit. Used abused and extensively tested.

You won’t get any from me. Worn one for years since several incidences of being knocked out cold having hit my jaw.

Comfy, light and stop yer face being scratched up during a face plant. What’s not to like?

I’ve never been able to deploy the parachute despite pulling the rip cord (both of them) very very hard.

I’ve got one from 2007 and I’ve face planted in it. It saved my face. People who don’t wear a helmet get slated but getting a met parachute is a step too far? I don’t understand. They cause no additional hassle to a standard helmet apart from blowing snot rockets is harder.

To me they look daft, neither a XC lid or a FF helmet, sort of an inbetween that does not look like it will do the job of a FF – which is what the face protector bit is for, and what the user bought it for.

They look too fragile, they look like the force of a crash will rotate your head or snap the flimsy chin protector. Compare the helmet with a FF, there is more helmet, more padding and more gripping your head with a FF.

I imagine they give you a mental feeling of protection rather than actual protection you would get from a proper FF helmet.

If your going to ride rocky DH, sure, use a proper FF helmet. Otherwise just use a XC lid.

they look daft

does not look like

They look too fragile

they look like

I imagine

Your scientific reasoning and logic has no place here on STW.

Oh.

Halfway house that isn’t a good xc helmet or a good DH helmet.

They look too fragile, they look like the force of a crash will rotate your head or snap the flimsy chin protector. Compare the helmet with a FF, there is more helmet, more padding and more gripping your head with a FF.
I imagine they give you a mental feeling of protection rather than actual protection you would get from a proper FF helmet.

So you never tried one then…as with most it’s fairly speculative stuff. Tried hard to smash mine and didn’t.

I have nothing against Met Parachute helmets.It’s the helmets wearing them that are usually the issue 😉

I’m not just saying it for effect, I face planted in mine and it protected me. snot rockets aside, I think it’s a great xc helmet.

There was a photo on here recently of the result of a crash with a Parachute. Punctured cheeks were involved which kinda put me off!

Because its always fat blokes on 5 inch suspension bikes, leisurely riding round singletrack wearing them.

It’s never chiseled looking speed freaks hooning about.

I’ve gone face first into the ground while riding jumps wearing a full face lid, it saved my face. I’ve done similar wearing a normal lid and ended up dazed and bloody. My reaction to it all was to learn not to jump as badly ) not wear more protection. Riding trails in a lid like that is too claustrophobic imo (I had a Giro Switchblade – wore it once, hated it, sold it).
I know it’s safer to cover up more but to answer the OP *I think* parachutes are seen as a sign of over-compensation or a low acceptance of risk, or having a lack of awareness of skill and terrain? *Disclaimer, that perception may not match reality etc etc*

Personally I couldn’t give a tss, wear what you like ) mountain bikers very rarely look ‘cool’ anyway, whatever we think we look like..

I have nothing against Met Parachute helmets.It’s the helmets wearing them that are usually the issue

Brilliant +1

Id be interested in seeing that photo jodafett

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/anyone-crashed-with-a-met-parachute-result

Yet more evidence that they’re good vs. ignorance/aesthetics/biggotry.

Oops, bigotry.

I don’t like them as they obscure my beautiful face, and stop others from being able to share in its marvel.

They are no different to wear than a standard xc helmet yet will protect your face more in a crash. I routinely forget that the chin bar is even there. The “flimsy” chin bar has a metal bar running through it so it’s hardly flimsy. If anyone thinks it is doing the same job as a full face they are clearly mistaken. The helmet will move in a crash but there will be something between your face and the ground as you slide along. I think they are a good idea and there is far more anecdotal evidence of beneficial effects in crashes than there are scare stories such as the one above that gets wheeled out every time they are mentioned!

Id be interested in seeing that photo jodafett

Quick search but couldn’t find it so I guess “not true if no pictures”.

It is surprising how many are put off by a. It’s looks & b. what they think there friends will say should they get one…….

I respect people’s views, but the Met Parachute saved my daughter from a very bad head injury at Glentress on Friday; where an open face would probably have not protected her skull…..

Rest assured I’ll be replacing that one with another Met Parachute.

jodafett – Member

There was a photo on here recently of the result of a crash with a Parachute. Punctured cheeks were involved which kinda put me off!

There’s a couple of pics that do the rounds- nobody ever seems to ask what the damage would have been without the helmet.

Mountain biking has become such a vain sport. Are people really that worried about what other riders think of them?

A mate bought one after his missus landed on her face wearing a normal xc helmet and ended up with lots of facial scarring, he likes it though hasn’t faceplanted in it. I do have an especially beautiful face and have been tempted though currently happy with my Flux.

According to my Garmin, when I face planted in my MET parachute,I was doing 28mph. Split the helmet in two, front to back, snapped tendons in left AC joint and extensive bruising around left hand temple. Chin guard all scuffed up but in one piece. It saved me a broken jaw. I look like a knob in my replacement MET, but a knob with a full set of teeth.

They could be better but there is not much else in the same category, a win for me. (you can unscrew the jaw protector in 1 minute with a 50p coin)

met parachute, and a wifebeater…………. 😉

actually i think they are a good idea,had a switchblade yeats ago and liked it a lot

I wore this when i am riding solo on a weekdays .. As light as a MET P…

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=70486

I never knew there was any controversery about them until I read this
Seriously considering getting one, which is why I opened the thread. So the consensus seems to be that they mostly work fine but look a bit silly? The looks don’t bother me, I need it to work well in a crash but not get my head as hot as a ff, especially on the climbs. So, yay or nay?

Hi ya Muddy 😀

I hear MET have stopped making the parachute now. Probably because someone got there head skewered off.
I’m going to buy another while there is still some stock about. My 2007 model has seen better days now.

I bought one of those Cratoni helmets cheap off Ebay. The chin guard is a simple open back plastic moulding. Its very flexible and I don’t think it offers any real impact protection, it would stop scratches. I don’t wear it, its more of a kids helmet to my mind. I’m glad you like it though! 😀

How easy is it to breath in them though? I find a normal full face awful for any kind of hard pedalling up hills etc.

Personally I don’t find the chin guard obstructs my breath at all. Its that well vented, it just feels like wearing an open face helmet to me.

On very hot days I sometimes remove the helmet on familiar long climbs, the chin guard allows you to easily hang it off the bars.