DH vs MX vs Motorcycle Helmet

[jmop]

So how do you decide which class of helmet is best for you? I understand that downhill and mountain bike helmets are the lightest which is probably the best while riding, but not during crashes. What sort of situations require a beefier helmet such as a motocross or motorcycle helmet? What helmet do you wear and why?

[litewave]

I have five helmets, four of which are full-face with chinguards, two with MIPS. I don't think it matters much whether you choose MB or DH-rated helmets (eg, Bell Super 3R or Air vs. DH), unless you (plan to) ride in extreme conditions. If you are routinely riding in traffic on the roads in Chicago, I personally would go for maximum safety, however.

Edited September 28, 2021 by litewave

[Spaghetteh]

I've looked deep into this topic as well and have not come to a full conclusion myself. What I see most people in the community wearing are DH helmets; which is what I myself wear.

There's a whole lot of arguments and counter-arguments being made about DH vs MX vs Street. There are lots of people who say DH mountain biking is the closest type of activity to riding EUCs but as these devices get faster and more broadly used I feel that's becoming less true. Some recommend MX helmets for their high-impact protection, light weight, and increased environmental awareness (visibility and hearing) over street variants with the biggest counter-argument being that their non-round shape and visor could cause additional rotational force upon impact creating a greater potential for serious brain injury.

With street helmets people say their round shape is better for smooth-surface impact but worry about the lower peripheral-visibility and added weight causing fatigue which could lead to decreased situational awareness and increase the potential for an accident. I've also seen some suggest that they're intended for speeds of over 60mph, however this is contradicted by what I've found in my research and seems counter-intuitive since motorcyclists don't only ride on the highway.

I went as far as to reach out to a company that manufactures all three variants and described what I'd consider the most extreme environment modern EUC riders might likely be in, which is amongst traffic on urban streets between 40-50mph. They said absolutely not a DH helmet, their reason being that they were not DOT certified and rated for speeds and impacts lower than you experience in a street accident. They recommended either the MX or street variant and assured me that they were both tested for impacts at a range of low to high speeds; they added that they'd feel safest in a street helmet over a MX variant if they were riding an EUC.

Right now my plan is to continue using my DH helmet since, until my next upgrade, I'm only riding at sub-30mph and on mostly residential streets or bike paths. But once I'm going 30+mph and am regularly on busy streets with traffic I'll likely get a street helmet over an MX helmet for the reason that it's designed for street riding and that it would protect against wind-noise better than an MX helmet.

Edited September 28, 2021 by Spaghetteh

[DS1]

I am in the same situation trying to figure out what full face helmet would be the best compromise. MX vs Downhill MB vs Dowhill skater like a TSG Pass. Looking forward to hear others opinions and reasons why they feel that way. 

What is your driving factor when choosing a helmet? Is it weight, safety, cost, venting (to many to few) how much wind noise it suppresses or produces, or is style/ looks?

[Tawpie]

I chose the Bell Super DH for faceplant protection, general whack-the-head-on-the ground protection, light weight, field of view and aural situational awareness and it seems fine up to about 20 mph. Above 20 mph the wind becomes a thing because the eyes water or dry out, bug strikes are a big deal, and you can't hear a dang thing. Plus, the most excellent ventilation isn't nearly as welcome when it's 0°F. So I also have a visored motorcycle helmet, but really don't like the silence, weight, or the reduced field of view. However, I haven't used it much (yet) so for me the jury is out. It's much heavier than the Super DH so I'm also figuring the odds of my face/head hitting the ground are quite a bit higher, to counter that it's significantly "better" rated against that kind of thing (ECE R 22.05).

When I have a wheel that is capable of 25+ mph and I'm riding on smooth surfaces, I'll probably only use the moto helmet in spite of its drawbacks—I wasn't born with concrete for brains. That is unless I'm on single track, then I really want the visibility and light weight (to whip my head around without interrupting balance) of the Super DH. I figure if DH is the best rating for the crazies that ride downhill MTB (they go so so so much faster than I), it's probably suitable for what I do on the trails. But an MX helmet likely would have been fine since my speeds are quite low on single track.

Many (most?) "fast" pavement riders around here ride with the TSG Pass... style, being able to hear, and weight. In that order. Knock on wood, I haven't heard of any brain injuries even though the Pass's certifications are wanting. Us slower riders show up in a mish mash of hats from bike and skater gear to moto helmets.

Edited September 29, 2021 by Tawpie

[CarlW]

I'm in the hot humid south, and wanted something with good airflow and any features to facilitate me actually wearing it on a regular basis.  I ended up with a Troy Lee Designs Stage helmet.  Super light, MIPS, Fidlock clasp, and if you crash it, they are suppose sell you a new one at 30 percent off.  Customer support also was very good.  These super light MTB helmets seem overpriced to me, but went ahead with something that might get used, as opposed to something heavy and hot with restrictive visibility.  

[.....]

Bell DH here. Why? Comfort, light weight and I like to rub it in that I have helmets but dont wear them . I have MX and street motorcycle helmets. I find them to be too heavy and not aerodynamically fit for speeds as low as an euc. I think a decent mountain bike helmet will suffice in most cases. Most cranial involved accidents are glancing blows or slides. If I pile up into something with enough force to break my mountain bike helmet, I suspect my neck would have exploded under the street bike helmet anyhow. Vision is NOT overrated, nor is hearing. You lose a lot of both in cheap helmets or full shield helmets. No need for visors when theres no roost or branches. Visors catch wind, create noise and mitigate range of view.  Shields do come in handy when its cold, but cheap full shield helmets also fog up horribly. I'm in a mild climate here, sometimes a bit cold in winter. I wear mesh for summer or my MC suit when I want to melt. I wear many layers in winter. I have yet to find a full face, full shield, warm helmet worth wearing on my euc, tho I havent really tried. It's hard to smoke in most helmets, so that also limits my selection. Priorities man!

Edited September 29, 2021 by ShanesPlanet

[Guest]

Another topic to choose a helmet, there are many on this forum but it is always interesting to update knowledge and techniques. I wear a full face helmet or a jet helmet with a mask, because the important thing is the protection of the face. Then we think of the price, the weight, the comfort, the design. Finally, everyone argues in order to defend their priorities, their security, their freedom, their image. How far can one be rebellious or decent? Speeches and debates relaunched.

[lazybones99]

Thank you fir starting this discussion. I’m a newbie riding a v10 and wearing a good DH helmet with MIPS. 

I am so hooked on this awesome hobby that I’ve already decided to upgrade my wheel in the spring after I rack up some more miles and some of these new wheels are released.

I’ve been assuming with the new (>35mph) wheel, I will need to upgrade my helmet to MX or street but maybe that’s not the case? Most of my riding will be close to ideal conditions - a 2 lane bi-way with wide shoulder/bike lane and zero cross traffic.

I’m also in Michigan so it would be great if I could use the same helmet from 0-90 Fahrenheit 😁 but I’m not holding my breath.

 

 

[.....]

@lazybones99 Motocycle helmets are VERY common. Could you not simply borrow one from a friend and ride it around for an hour? GOOD motorcycle helmets are not AS heavy as cheap, and are WAY more comfortable. But, we are talking $300+ and good ones are wind tested for Moto speeds. I suspect that if you wear a motocycle helmet for an hour, you will have long since come to your own conclusion. I dont think youll find one helmet to be remotely comfy in 90 and 0 degree weather. I suspect you will want an open helmet for summer and a full bucket for winter. When yuo compromise on safety gear, you are doing yourself a disservice. Comfort is king and being uncomfortable mitigates your joy and makes it more likely you wont wear it. Ill fitting gear makes you more likely to crash and place too much faith in the protection that wont stay or work as it should.

[Tawpie]

1 hour ago, lazybones99 said:

maybe that’s not the case?

I figure it's all a gamble anyway… (a nicer term: risk management). How will your crash unfold? Will you just slide nicely on your wrist guards and knee pads? Will you mash your face once or twice into the pavement? Will your helmet deconstruct on the first blow? Lord help you if you start to tumble...

I honestly haven't looked at the test procedures to see how these things are tested, but my sense is that a moto helmet is better able to handle multiple strikes than a biking helmet and that's why I plan on using mine when "at speed" (besides the wind noise problem I mentioned above). My full expectation is that my DH helmet's chin bar will be fine for the first impact, but will be deformed so badly it'll be useless for the next. Likewise for its shell... one good whack and then it's merely a fashion accessory. Which might be enough. But for me anyway, I'd rather have the better odds of the moto.

A local who had his V11 crack a MOSFET and dump him on his face observed that his skating history made him think he could choose his fall, but on an EUC that's just not true. The fall is uncontrolled and so quick that the rider has little to no time to "fall correctly". So I'm assuming multiple helmet-meets-pavement events when I go down.

Edited September 29, 2021 by Tawpie

[jmop]

20 hours ago, Spaghetteh said:

I've looked deep into this topic as well and have not come to a full conclusion myself. What I see most people in the community wearing are DH helmets; which is what I myself wear.

There's a whole lot of arguments and counter-arguments being made about DH vs MX vs Street. There are lots of people who say DH mountain biking is the closest type of activity to riding EUCs but as these devices get faster and more broadly used I feel that's becoming less true. Some recommend MX helmets for their high-impact protection, light weight, and increased environmental awareness (visibility and hearing) over street variants with the biggest counter-argument being that their non-round shape and visor could cause additional rotational force upon impact creating a greater potential for serious brain injury.

With street helmets people say their round shape is better for smooth-surface impact but worry about the lower peripheral-visibility and added weight causing fatigue which could lead to decreased situational awareness and increase the potential for an accident. I've also seen some suggest that they're intended for speeds of over 60mph, however this is contradicted by what I've found in my research and seems counter-intuitive since motorcyclists don't only ride on the highway.

I went as far as to reach out to a company that manufactures all three variants and described what I'd consider the most extreme environment modern EUC riders might likely be in, which is amongst traffic on urban streets between 40-50mph. They said absolutely not a DH helmet, their reason being that they were not DOT certified and rated for speeds and impacts lower than you experience in a street accident. They recommended either the MX or street variant and assured me that they were both tested for impacts at a range of low to high speeds; they added that they'd feel safest in a street helmet over a MX variant if they were riding an EUC.

Right now my plan is to continue using my DH helmet since, until my next upgrade, I'm only riding at sub-30mph and on mostly residential streets or bike paths. But once I'm going 30+mph and am regularly on busy streets with traffic I'll likely get a street helmet over an MX helmet for the reason that it's designed for street riding and that it would protect against wind-noise better than an MX helmet.

I found this answer to be very insightful. In doing more of my own research, I’ve come to the conclusion that MX helmets are probably our best bet. While the protruding jaw may get caught or dragged in the case of a crash, the reason it exists is because mx riders do a lot of jumps and may smash their jaw on the handlebars. Similarly, in the event of a cutout, our jaws might go straight into the ground, so the reinforced jaw would be helpful. Not to mention the lighter weight and better visibility are crucial for euc riders. Most mx helmets have breakaway peaks/visors so that shouldn’t be an issue, and you can just wear goggles to protect your eyes while riding. Still gotta do more research on which one to buy, but I think a dot approved mx helmet + goggles offers the best protection while still offering good visibility and weight.

[Spaghetteh]

7 minutes ago, jmop said:

I think a dot approved mx helmet + goggles offers the best protection while still offering good visibility and weight.

I just wanted to add that the innovation in rotational force mitigation seems to be far ahead the curve in MX helmets over street and DH/BMX helmets, presumably because the combined speed and uneven terrain they're designed for is more prone to producing significant rotational force. While impact dissipation is important to protect against skull fractures, the rapid micro-accelerations that are caused by rotational forces pose an equal if not greater threat to your brain. Bad analogy, you can build a soda can out of the hardest and most impact-resistant material known to science but it's still going to bubble over when you open it after it's been dropped because it's contents are still free to slosh around within.

MIPS is a widely licensed anti-rotational force technology that can be found in many higher-end DH helmets as well as some MX helmets but there a few MX helmet manufacturers that have developed their own, more robust anti-rotational force technologies. After scouring countless threads on motocross community hubs it seems the manufacturers leading the industry in anti-rotational tech development are 6D, Leatt, and Bell (specifically their Moto-9 Flex).

[Skeptikos]

I am (very slowly) organizing a bunch of my safety gear notes into a website. The helmet page has a bunch of info meant to answer this exact question. Here's the important takeaway:

Helmet type	Speed (mph)	Certifications
Bicycle	<20	CPSC, EN 1078
Downhill Mountain Bike Racing	20-28	ASTM F1952
Motorcycle	>28	DOT, ECE, Snell, SHARP

Off-road helmets (mountainbike/motocross) are better for slower speeds and hotter temps, and obviously off-road riding. On-road helmets (downhill longboarding/motorcycle) are better for faster speeds and cooler temperatures.

On-road helmets are quieter, but at higher speeds you're not going to be able to hear much anyway due to the wind noise. In general, I think the worries about motorcycle (or motocross) helmets are overstated. If you're going at faster speeds I would definitely get one for the much higher levels of impact protection they provide.