Claire's a very cautious rider, and quite smooth, but I do have two scenarios where the chin bar was scuffed up in the last few months. In one she was attempting to climb a steep rock armoured section and between her 24" wheels and just power to weight ratio with the bike factored in she stalled out near the top and looped out. Not particularly fast but there was nothing she could do to avoid the helmet meeting the ground.
In another, and I'd guess this has happened to every rider at some point or another, she was cruising along at a fair clip pumping on a smooth blue trail when a rock shifted and her front wheel washed out. It all happened so fast that she was still holding the handlebar when she tagged up.
I wouldn't call either of those crashes inviting risk beyond what is simply making the choice to go mountain biking on the North Shore.
I'm not concerned at all about the ABUS lids ability to take impacts - I mean, I'm encouraging her to wear it - but, and I think the helmet light mount is a great example, I find myself wondering where the cut-off point is between the lightest weight option and adding in tech - specifically MIPS or a similar system for rotational forces.
So yeah, it's the helmet tech de jour versus this: "_the net safety impact might still favour the lighter helmet. Less momentum acting on the head/neck could be beneficial in a number of possible scenarios. Even just in terms of rider fatigue and degraded bike handling skills._"
Agreed that a helmet is like the lifejackets on a Ferry. Happy to pay for them to be there - and I'd rather have good ones than shitty ones - but it would be best if I never need one.
Feb. 20, 2023, 7:56 a.m. - Andrew Major
Claire's a very cautious rider, and quite smooth, but I do have two scenarios where the chin bar was scuffed up in the last few months. In one she was attempting to climb a steep rock armoured section and between her 24" wheels and just power to weight ratio with the bike factored in she stalled out near the top and looped out. Not particularly fast but there was nothing she could do to avoid the helmet meeting the ground. In another, and I'd guess this has happened to every rider at some point or another, she was cruising along at a fair clip pumping on a smooth blue trail when a rock shifted and her front wheel washed out. It all happened so fast that she was still holding the handlebar when she tagged up. I wouldn't call either of those crashes inviting risk beyond what is simply making the choice to go mountain biking on the North Shore. I'm not concerned at all about the ABUS lids ability to take impacts - I mean, I'm encouraging her to wear it - but, and I think the helmet light mount is a great example, I find myself wondering where the cut-off point is between the lightest weight option and adding in tech - specifically MIPS or a similar system for rotational forces. So yeah, it's the helmet tech de jour versus this: "_the net safety impact might still favour the lighter helmet. Less momentum acting on the head/neck could be beneficial in a number of possible scenarios. Even just in terms of rider fatigue and degraded bike handling skills._" Agreed that a helmet is like the lifejackets on a Ferry. Happy to pay for them to be there - and I'd rather have good ones than shitty ones - but it would be best if I never need one.