Proper DH helmets

I have the previous model of the fox rampage pro carbon, got it for a really good price a few years back due to the newer one.

Best fitting helmet ive ever owned, would not hesitate to buy another if it got smashed, for the right price of course.

Doesn't get used that much these days as im an ebiker now so generally ride up rather than shuttle. The leatt gravity 4.0 is my everyday helmet, which is pretty good, but feels nowhere near as burly as the fox.

I don't have a ton to add to this conversation other then my own experience.  I have a D4 polyacrolite and my riding buddy has a fox RPC.  We're both quite happy with our helmet choices.  Me personally, I made my decision based on fit, I thought both helmets were quite well made with regards to fit/finish/features.  I had the previous generation RPC which got stolen and I just didn't replace it because I wasn't doing a ton of park riding for a few years.  Once it was time to replace it, I tried them both on and the D4 was a slightly better fit and I did really appreciate the lighter weight.  

My buddy has been quite happy with his RPC, which is actually his second one.  He had a pretty bad wreck and the helmet did it's job and gave up it's life in the process.  He happily bought a second one to replace it.  

Overall, I think you can't go wrong with the top few name brand DH lids, I think within reason, they all provide an increased level of protection and there are some standout features (different version of slip planes - mips, break away visors, etc) but they al slot in as less weight and protection then an MX lid and more weight and protection then an enduro lid.  For me, weight matters quite a bit, I believe these all provide the cranial protection that is sufficient, and from here, I start to worry about whiplash and neck injuries.  In addition, when I ride in the park for multiple days in a row (3+) I start to notice my neck getting more sore and tired.  For me, this was a determining factor of the D4 over others.  

That being said, some people have better spines, and do more cross training so that the weight reduction matters less.  ymmv.

I’m a big proponent of moto helmets these days. They’re a little heavier and hotter, but you get accustomed to it pretty quickly.

Their safety standards are generally more rigorous than bicycle standards. The new European standard ECE22.06 actually includes low speed and rotational force testing.

Anecdotally, I’ve had a couple of huge crashes relatively recently.

One was in my Fox V3 RS where I went headfirst off a 15ft cliff and bounced off a tree on the way down. I cracked the helmet in 4-5 locations but had no concussion.

The second crash was in a TLD Stage which is technically DH certified. I think I faceplanted off a jump but honestly, I don’t know. I can’t remember 2/3rds of the day. I got knocked out and had to go to the hospital for a CT and the whole nine yards.

Now, if I’m not pedaling up, I’m wearing my moto helmet.

moto vs dh helmets is intresting

used to be more cut and dry years ago about the differences in impact speeds etc

but now......... that should be dug into more

definitely would be interested to know more with research behind it of one vs the other

I don't have much experience with the Fox RPC, but I absolutely love my TLD D4 Composite. It's light enough where I don't mind pedaling in it at all; I don't feel the need to buy a lighter enduro full-face. Last summer I had a TLD Stage, and I had a pretty heavy crash where I basically landed on my head off a sizeable step down. I never showed any signs of a concussion after that crash, so I have faith that the D4 will protect me as well as I can ask for. 

I don't have experience with those helmets specifically, but I'll add another to your list.  I'm really impressed with the Leatt MTB 8.0 I got this season, the fit is perfect for me, it's built really well, and feels very solid and protective (totally subjective I know).  It can also be had for around half price right now if you look around.  I think it has some moto certifications and feels almost like a hybrid MTB/moto helmet.  I wouldn't want to pedal far in it but it was great all summer in Whistler when I was riding the park.  

I have the new RPC, I ended up having to order 2 sizes to get it right. It fits super snug compared to other fox helmets. I also ended up ordering thinner cheek pads, which don't come with the helmet even for the high price tag, to get the fit perfect. I settled on a Medium with the thin cheek inserts but still have a bit of chipmunk cheek going on. I've got it fully broken in now after a few races and whistler trip and its much comfier but was not that great out of the box initially. On another note I've had a few decent crash's where my head made contact the ground, and the helmet did its job well. I really do feel safer in it than the smith mainline I was running previously. Now that I know my fit I would buy it again but the initial sizing and fit were a pain to sort.

I just looked it up, it does meet a moto certification, ECE22.05.

ECE 22.05 is the outgoing version of the standard but it’s cool to see a company shooting for overkill instead of the bare minimum.

I held a friends Full 10 the other day and it was alarmingly light. It feels more like an enduro helmet than a DH helmet. Ironically he recently found a crack in the shell and has no idea how it got there.

My old RPC (previous generation) kept me concussion free in 2x helmet ending crashes; fox also hooked up the crash replacement. 

I’d wanted to try something new after 5yrs, but was super indecisive on RPC, Full 10, D4, Leatt 8.0, or spec dissident 2. 

Bought a dissident 2 after trying it on; dropped from below bar height getting the rig on the shuttle into a grass/gravel parking lot and cracked the shell… absolutely wild lack of durability given it’s supposed to be a DH helmet and their team were quite particular about staying on fox until spec had something very safe. No luck with crash replacement (asked for CR because it’s my fault it fell) in this case but not sure if I’d even take one w/out an aggressive discount. Hopefully others who have actually damaged it while crashing have had better experiences. Super disappointed in the product and customer experience (with specialized Italy). 

I’ve asked a few times on tech rumours but does anyone know if the new ECE 22.06 alpinestars SM10 is actually safe for mortals to ride END / DH? The entire DH and BMX team are on it, and it would be so great to replace my cracked Spec helmet with something I can also use for MX/trail riding (also considering the Leatt). For now riding a cracked specialized helmet and hoping when back in the states to find a solution with my local spec dealer. 

 

I've always been a fan of TLD, I've gone through maybe 6 of their helmets in my lifetime from the D2 up to the D4. I've unfortunately gone through a D4 and a Fox RPC in the last two years with both shells cracking. They both did their job, but the RPC seemed to transmit significantly more force through the foam and I felt the effects of the impact pretty heavily. The D4 on the other hand felt like the multiple layers of foam crushed in a way that slowed the impact significantly and I had no ringing in my ears or sharp pain in my head with no concussion symptoms to follow. Both are great helmets but I feel like the D4 is really the best of both worlds for fit and safety. 

I'l say that with the TLD D4, pay attention to the "Shell size". You can think you are a medium in TLD & it will fit awful, when really it's the same shell size as the Large and it winds up fitting great.  Pad sets are pretty cheap to swap out & it's worth trying both when shells span multiple internal sizes.

If you want solid protection, a dirt cheap price and a helmet that tested BETTER than the D4, there are still new TLD D3's online for sale & I loved that helmet.

Knowing that various brands have only 3-4 shell sizes and you can swap out interior pads to fit you better can be all the difference.
IF....IF...you can find them in stock to try on a variety.

Bluegrass eagle legit carbon takes the top spot for me, best fit i've ever had, good ventilation and the weight is just right as it feels super stout but is not a burden in the neck. It's been tried and tested by lots of locals i know, and PB's Alicia Leggett had her life altering crash wearing one. RPC is too heavy for a full day, D4 carbon too expensive. Haven't tried others.

I purchased a 6D ATB-1 quest after reading recommendations from several people on this forum, as well after seeing lots of them on BMX and Slopestyle athletes (once I started spotting them, they were everywhere). Unfortunately, the mass and bulk of the helmet was just a complete deal breaker for me and I ended up returning it. It fit properly, but simply moving my head around I could instantly feel the mass. An unfounded opinion perhaps, but I find it very difficult to believe that strapping a huge mass to your head and riding rough track is good for your brain or vision.

So, I'm sticking with my questionably safe helmet of choice, the 100% Aircraft 2. It at least has an slip-plane feature with exactly no published test data associated with it (that I've seen, anyway). But it's major selling points are reasonable mass, extremely good BALANCE of that mass, and (given recent clearance prices) very low cost. My wife has had the misfortunate of taking a good face slam wearing one and she walked away with a blown up chin bar but without concussion symptoms, which is a sufficiently glowing review for me.

What are everyone’s thoughts/experiences with the 100% Aircraft helmets?

I had the previous version RPC with the fluid inside system that I crashed super hard in and put a small crack in. Bought a new version with MIPS, I'm usually on the small side of large helmets and the Large RPC fits perfect. 

I tried a D4 and while lighter a large was too loose and a medium too small, it also feels much less substantial than the RPC. That being said my TLD SE5 moto helmet is the best most comfortable and well made helmet ive ever put on my head.

Id say if you are doing more enduro style trails at bike parks go with the TLD if you are bombing the park on a DH bike at high speed the RPC is where its at. 

I dont have much input on fox but i just got my first DH helmet. I was using mostly a bell super dh but dented it on a tree and just got the full 10 and it feels great. If it doesnt fit it doesnt fit but i found that even pedaling in it wasnt bad and in some ways maybe better than the super dh. I think it just seems to wick sweat away better vs the super dh letting more of it drip down onto my face. It is still hotter but im surprised how good it is for a dh ff. Might have to give the fox or d4 a try as well just to see if either fit my head better than the bell

I bought an Aircraft 2 a few months ago when they were 50% off and I really like it. It feels like a good balance of weight/ventilation. I previously rode in a Smith Mainline helmet and while it was light, it didn't feel like it had the same ammount of protection. The Aircraft feels more like a solid DH lid and it happens to fit me well.

I had previously a Giro Cipher which was great but a little hot for enduro/tour trips. For my new one I was hesitating between a Giro insurgent, a Leatt Gravity 8.0 and a Gravity 4.0. Ended up with the latter, as I wanted a more versatile helmet (enduro races/laps, bike parks laps, mountain tours, mostly in hot south of France summer).

It's a good fit (2 sets of cheek pads come with the helmet), light, but still feels like it offers good protection (2 density foam, padding on the chin guard, rotational feature, breakaway visor). For sure it's too early to truly assess its performance, but I think it matches my needs (not a die hard full speed DH rider)

That new cert, I think started in late 2022, seems best of both worlds as you said (the addition of rotational and low speed for MOTO is great) and i'd be curious which DH/Bike helmets could pass that cert. German Bike Mag used to do an amazing protection shoot out in the lab, with all the tests and then rank the helmets-not sure they do it anymore.

As someone that has been to the lab to test helmets, some of the results are shocking of how poorly some do-I wish that information was public. I think Virginia Tech is starting to do some full face testing too, so keep looking there.

Above all else, reputable brand and try them on! comfort is key.

A proper DH helmet should be a motocross helmet. 

I wear 100% Aircraft 2 for bike parks. Even though the Smith Mainline is DH certified, I use it for my non-bike park rides.

Not really answering your question but I use an SM10 for DH and Moto. It’s very light at 1200 ish  grans and one of the better ventilated moto helmets (from what I have read) but still would be too way to hot and heavy for enduro or any type of riding where pedaling uphill is involved. It does seem on paper much safer than most of the DH helmets with its high tech shell, 4 layer eps, mips and passing the ECE22.06. To kinda of answer your question I think back in the day helmets construction was basically one layer of eps foam glued to a composite shell (fiberglass or carbon fiber) so Moto helmets were not as good at preventing low speed impact concussions as a DH helmet because they had to use harder foam in order to pass dot/snell tests. I Think those days are past and moto helmets are a step above DH helmets at the moment for safety.  

Got bell rung really hard first two crashes with tld stage.  2nd one cracked the helmet.  Did the helmet do it’s job?  Probably but compared to other helmets where I feel like I’ve taken bigger hits without issue I didn’t buy another.

Other than it’s ventilation my old Fox rampage helmet was really good.  Ended up getting a fox proframe and it’s a great helmet especially since they are pretty easy to find discounted to a very reasonable price.  Haven’t really had to test it yet but it’s much better ventilated than the old rampage and it’s much burlier than the stage was.

ive recently been using the new KALI Protectives Shiva 3.0   , i had previously been riding in a Kali Shiva 1.0 and i find the new 3.0 to be way more comfortable than the 1.0 , the cheek pads are softer ( but not too soft that it moves on my head when i dont want it to in bumps and it feels like in a crash it wont be moving around ,   the visoer is softer and more flexible than the previous model i had.   The helmet is DOT rated aswell which is a big reason a picked this over many other models that were not rated that high, i'm loving that its just black carbon weave and very little graphics on it too.  i highly recommend this helmet for a safe and comfortable option for DH riding and racing 

Ironically in an interview between Remy Metailler and the Specialized Helmets guy, they stated that DH helmets undergo more strict testing than Moto helmets...

Mine lasted me a total of 3 weeks riding before it cracked during a not so big crash with me getting concussed and spending a night in hospital. Replaced it with a different helmet. Was a shame thoug because it's the most comfortable helmet I ever had on my head.

Just got a new Fox Rampage Pro Carbon and I'm super impressed. It's light, comfy, surprisingly well ventilated, and light. I'm happy that full faces are getting bigger in general. I'm no scientist, but I have done an egg drop experiment in middle school and I know that a bigger helmet has more room for the squishy parts that protect your brain. Compared to my old D2's and D3's it's just a much bigger bubble around my brain. It's also very, very expensive, so that sucks, but it's a very cool product. Coming off a nine year old D3 so I think it's a pretty big upgrade in safety, no offense to TLD's 2015 product team.

Fit wise do the fox helmets tend to run more oval or more round? 

From my experience they fit similar to TLD, but about half a size off. I wear a large Fox for my V3 RS, my Mainframe, and my old Rampage Pro Carbon. My TLD Stage is an XL/XXL with the smallest pads instead of a M/L. I always felt like I was between sizes on the D3, but I haven’t tried the D4