# Looking for a better helmet...



## Sonoma_MTB (Mar 18, 2011)

I took a pretty nasty fall on Saturday, woke up with my face on a rock and no idea where I was. I realized pretty quickly that I'd had a concussion, the 10th ive had in my 28 years of life. Now, i've been told over and over that the effects of these concussions will come back to get me someday. I actually took about 6 years off of riding to avoid getting anymore concussions but over the years the fears of sipping food through a straw faded and I recently got back into biking. Unfortunately, I dont have a "slow" mode unless I'm riding up a hill and though I've given up downhill riding for more xc specific trails, once that bike is pointed down, I havent learned how to take it easy.

So that said, if I'm going to keep riding I'm going to need a better helmet. The helmet that I crashed in on Saturday is this one Urge Endur-O-Matic Helmet from Hucknroll.com. I figured this type of helmet would offer more protection than a normal xc helmet, and maybe it did, but a good amount of the impact was taken by my cheek bone. Maybe I need a full face helmet? But are there any that are light enough and vented enough for xc/am riding? Does anyone have any recommendations?


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## 2_WD (Jun 11, 2009)

I use a Specialized Deviant FF helmet. It's got lots of venting and is relatively lightweight compared to some other models. The air circulation is great :thumbsup:

Specialized Bicycle Components : Deviant Helmet


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## happyriding (May 9, 2008)

> I realized pretty quickly that I'd had a concussion, the 10th ive had in my 28 years of life.


You're done with mtb'ing and any other contact sport. Helmets don't prevent concussions. What made you think they did?

You made the choices that got you to this point. Take up running or swimming, or if you need an adrenaline sport...climbing.


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## Sonoma_MTB (Mar 18, 2011)

I guess I just assumed that a hard shell on the outside of my head was there to prevent head/brain injuries but apparently I've had too many to realize that's not their purpose. 

In all seriousness, only 3 of the concussions Ive had have been through helmets and I'd have guessed that helmets have prevented many more. Do you have any research that shows your statement about helmets not preventing concussions is true? Please post a link or point me in the right direction. 

Of course you do make a valid point here, I may have to be done with any activity that could damage my brain more. After my last major concussions I gave up mountain biking and skiing completely, this was literally my 6th ride after a 6 year break. Its hard to stay away from the rush of going fast forever.


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## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

Go with a Giro Remedy , it works, vents good, and isnt too heavy . This will be the FF helmet i pick up since i like to ride fast downwards on rocky uneven terrain lol .

Happyriding- Dude your a tool , he wasnt looking for a doctors point of view . Gees dunno whats up with these tools on this forum these days :/


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## Andrew8404 (Nov 20, 2011)

Check out the POC helmets. They seem to be a great cross between full face and xc helmets with added protection.


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## happyriding (May 9, 2008)

> I guess I just assumed that a hard shell on the outside of my head was there to prevent head/brain injuries


It's there to keep your head from splitting open. It doesn't prevent the rapid deceleration of your skull, which causes your brain to bash into your skull.

If you know you've had 10 concussions, you've probably had 15+. Unfortunately, mate, this is the future you are heading towards:



> In June 2007, Chris Benoit, a 40-year-old professional wrestler, killed his son, his wife and then himself. It's easy to be baffled by such a tragedy, but in the case of Benoit, his brain contained clues as to what could push a person toward such violent behavior. Doctors from the Sports Legacy Institute, which is dedicated to the study of brain injuries in athletes, examined Benoit's brain. Their tests showed that it was riddled with the clumps, tangles and dead cells characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.
> Chris Benoit isn't a unique case. Dr. Julian Bailes, who examined Benoit's brain, described observing a pattern of behavior in other ex-athletes who, after retiring from sports, experienced severe personal and business problems, eventually followed by depression and suicide [source: ABC News].
> So how did a 40-year-old man have a brain comparable to that of an 85-year-old man with severe Alzheimer's?


Now, what are you going to do about that?


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## happyriding (May 9, 2008)

aedubber said:


> Go with a Giro Remedy , it works, vents good, and isnt too heavy . This will be the FF helmet i pick up since i like to ride fast downwards on rocky uneven terrain lol .
> 
> Happyriding- Dude your a tool , he wasnt looking for a doctors point of view . Gees dunno whats up with these tools on this forum these days :/


Maybe you could give me some advice, too. I weigh 300 lbs, and I was wondering if you could recommend a light 24 hole wheel set for freeriding?


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## Sonoma_MTB (Mar 18, 2011)

there are certainly more factors that go into a 40 year old professional wrestler killing his family and then himself than just head injuries. this is one of the issues of reporting medical news. why were no other factors considered in this article? we know nothing of this mans life except that he had brain injuries and then killed him family so we are lead to automatically assume that one lead to the other. but what other factors in his lifestyle could have lead to, not only his killing of his family, but his brain being deteriorated? we have no idea if this man used steroids or other drugs that could have deteriorated his brain. we also have no idea if this man developed some kind of disease that would have begun shutting down his brain. the author wanted you to believe that this mans concussions lead to his horrible end but fails to provide factual evidence that that's what actually happened. 

so, mate, i would appreciate if you keep your predictions about my future to yourself until you have poured over legitimate research to give yourself some validity, at which point i would be happy to hear what you have to say.

and as for helmets not preventing concussions, of course they dont prevent all concussions. they dont always prevent you from splitting your head open either. they are there to minimize your risk. so with a bike helmet on you are ...% less likely to have a concussion, just like you are ...% less likely to split your head open. and in my last case, a good amount of the impact seems to have been taken by my left cheek bone which leads me to believe that perhaps a full face helmet would have further reduced my risk of concussion. 

now, what am i going to do about it? today i start the first of what is sure to be months of cranial treatments to try to change and remove the strain patterns in my skull that have developed from so many head injuries. will it work? who knows... will i have to give up impact sports forever? ... maybe. its still up in the air, as is my future of murdering families.


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## Eckstream1 (Jul 27, 2011)

Sonoma_MTB said:


> there are certainly more factors that go into a 40 year old professional wrestler killing his family and then himself than just head injuries. this is one of the issues of reporting medical news. why were no other factors considered in this article? we know nothing of this mans life except that he had brain injuries and then killed him family so we are lead to automatically assume that one lead to the other. but what other factors in his lifestyle could have lead to, not only his killing of his family, but his brain being deteriorated? we have no idea if this man used steroids or other drugs that could have deteriorated his brain. we also have no idea if this man developed some kind of disease that would have begun shutting down his brain. the author wanted you to believe that this mans concussions lead to his horrible end but fails to provide factual evidence that that's what actually happened.
> 
> so, mate, i would appreciate if you keep your predictions about my future to yourself until you have poured over legitimate research to give yourself some validity, at which point i would be happy to hear what you have to say.
> 
> ...


Unfortunatly science does not fully understand the long term effects of concussions... So until then we will just have to use common sense and think.

That being said... Since you dont downhill I would also suggest the Specialized Deviant! Its super light and heavily vented so it would be perfect for XC or AM.

Also... Travis Pastrana is very vocal about his concussions and how they have affected him... Check it out.











Here is some additional reading on the topic...
WAS TRAVIS PASTRANA PLAYING RUSSIAN ROULETTE? | News | Product Reviews

University Of Pittsburgh Sports Concussion Study First To Show Cumulative Effects Of Multiple Concussions In High School Athletes

On a side note... I was part of the University of Pittsburgh study. I've had several diagnosed concussions...


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## womble (Sep 8, 2006)

happyriding said:


> It's there to keep your head from splitting open. It doesn't prevent the rapid deceleration of your skull, which causes your brain to bash into your skull.


Do you want to get a clue before spouting crap on the internet?

Look at the first graph on this page. It clearly shows that a helmet mitigates against rapid deceleration forces in a skull.

Helmets: How they Work and What Standards Do

@ the OP: The Deviant is the best ventilated proper FF. Any of the halfway solutions like a MET Parachute or a Casco Viper are more to protect your teeth than your skull.


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## Sonoma_MTB (Mar 18, 2011)

Thanks everyone, I'm definitely going to check out the Deviant when I can return to biking.


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## Supermoto Fan (Sep 29, 2011)

aedubber said:


> Go with a Giro Remedy , it works, vents good, and isnt too heavy . This will be the FF helmet i pick up since i like to ride fast downwards on rocky uneven terrain lol .
> 
> Happyriding- Dude your a tool , he wasnt looking for a doctors point of view . Gees dunno whats up with these tools on this forum these days :/


+1 on the Remedy. Although it is the first full-face helmet I have tried or checked out for bicycling (I'm a motorcycle guy, so full-face helmets for street, track, or dirt are certainly not new to me), I was pleasantly surprised that it became unnoticeable within minutes.

I was lucky enough to score one in my size off Craigslist for $25. :thumbsup:


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## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

Supermoto Fan said:


> +1 on the Remedy. Although it is the first full-face helmet I have tried or checked out for bicycling (I'm a motorcycle guy, so full-face helmets for street, track, or dirt are certainly not new to me), I was pleasantly surprised that it became unnoticeable within minutes.
> 
> I was lucky enough to score one in my size off Craigslist for $25. :thumbsup:


Damn thats a sick deal !! Yea mine just came in, fit is spot on and its extremely light too .. Gonna give it a try when the temps get a bit colder out while i do my AM riding and exploring some unmarked trails


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## 4Butter (Jan 14, 2012)

*Consider a mouth guard..*

This is my first post on this forum.. I've lurked for quite sometime, but upon reading this thread I wanted to throw in some more info that could possibly help. It is true that every concussion you have the next will be more likely to occur. Also that your helmet choice won't be able to keep your brain from making contact with your skull in the case of sudden deaccelerarion. With both those things being said if you wish to continue doing what you love I think the best helmet you can buy will be a solid investment.

Secondly and purhaps more importantly since no one mentioned it, I would seriously consider a mouth guard. Preferably one made for you and made for contact sports. It can help avoid your teeth smacking together during impact and causing further injury to your thinker. This is the reason you see football players including the quarterbacks (which makes it difficult for them to talk to other players) wearing mouth guards.

Just a thought Sonoma.. I know the feeling of not wanting to walk away from things you like doing. I've got jaw issues (reason I'm reading this thread about FF helmet) and I've even needed surgery, but I'm not going to quit doing the things I enjoy including riding.

Good luck!


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