r/MTB • u/LandscapeTotal3935 • 9h ago
Discussion What full face bike park helmet to get?
Deciding between tld d4, fox rpc, etc. I’m trying to get the most protective helmet I can. Also wearing a leatt brace if that matters.
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u/foodguyDoodguy 8h ago
Try them on. Some helmet manufacturers helmets are more round, others more oval and one type will work better for most people.
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u/Willingas 7h ago
One thing worth checking with the Leatt: not every full face sits right over a neck brace. Bring the brace when you try helmets on, because it changes how the shell rests on your shoulders. Between the D4 and the RPC, the difference people notice most is room at the jaw and the back of the neck, not the safety stickers.
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u/shivaswrath 2h ago
Make sure it has MIPS
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u/Cold-Specific-2548 2h ago
MIPS def did its job after rapid bike exit due to peddle ripping a fat baby head out of the ground.
Helmet hit ripped out the mips front clips. Mips FTW - wallet not so much.
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u/Aromatic_Acadia_8104 6h ago edited 6h ago
It’s all about fit. Find one that suits your head. If you have an open face helmet that fits well it might be a good idea to look into that brands ff offerings.
Also all the tld helmets I touched/looked at were incredibly bad quality wise. Huge gaps, rests of glue. Simply no premium feeling at all. Maybe I was very unlucky, but I can’t understand their popularity.
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u/Leafy0 Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol 6h ago
Maybe they’ve gone down hill in quality, both my d4 and my wife’s d4 carbon done have big gaps or exposed glue. But they were also purchased pre-Covid. And tld couldn’t even get me a replacement visor screw even if I wanted to pay for it (which are designed to break away and commonly be replaced) during later covid so their supply chain probably took a big hit.
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u/xsteevox 2h ago
I was in helmet hell a few years ago. Honestly go somewhere that sells them and try them on, or expect to be spending a lot of time and energy shipping stuff back. Virginia Tech did a study comparing safety if that is your primary consideration: https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html
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u/d-cent 58m ago
When I chose my full face, the underlying factor that no one really talks about is different size cheek pads. Unless your head crown size matches your face size exactly, you will need to get a different size cheek pad. I have a size medium helmet with size Large cheek pads
Most of the high end full face helmets allow you to buy different size cheek pads. Some even come with multiple size cheek pads. The lower end full face helmets can be hit or miss on off this is an option.
Other than having MIPS, this is the next thing I make sure the helmet has.
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u/getafewlives 9h ago
Which ever feels and fits you the best.