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RockGardn Warbird

Chin Strap Clip	Visor Adjust Screw/ Vents	h Inside Chin Strap
Padded Liner Out	Padded Liner	A lot of vents in EPS

Description:

The Rockgardn Warbird helmet is a strange bread in the mountain bike world, it is a great bike product that also teaches some history.  The Warbird helmet’s paint job is themed off the two most famous fighter planes in WWII.  The American P-51 Mustang and the Messerschmitt ME-109.  There is a great amount of history in the tales of these famous fighters and Rockgardn has done a great job in bringing a bit of that tale to life in the graphics on the Warbird Series.  The helmets themselves are DOT certified and have a nice large round shape.  The Warbird series is a bit heavier a helmet then the Blacklite and does give a bit more of a Jack-in-the-Box appearance because of the thick protective EPS shell on the sides.  Which is ideal for impacts.  The graphic quality is great and the helmet is sure to attract positive comments.

The outer hard shell of the helmet has four screen covered vents in the shell and three in the chin guard.  The shell vents have two inlets on the forehead and two exit vents near the lower rear.

The visor adjust screw is easy to access and held the visor in place while testing the helmet. The side screws of the visor are low profile phillips head screws which I am sure are on the very inexpensive side but do their job very well. I never had a problem with the visor loosening up or tightening it back down.  Most importantly the visor is of normal size and can get up and out of peripheral vision and never slides down while riding or on a hard impact.

The care put into the making of the helmet is very good for the price. The materials, especially the inner padded liner held together well through the abuse of the washing machine.  Actually I like the Warbird inner padded liner much more than the Blacklite.  It is fully removable and does not have any glued in parts.  This means when removing the liner you wont rip any of the foam off.  The cheek pads are held in by Velcro that is stitched in, and the padded liner uses plastic snaps.  Good clean design that works, easy to remove and reinsert and should last over time.

The inner padded liner is soft and thick in some parts but does have mesh to allow for better heat lose.

The EPS shell is very well vented for a DOT helmet.  There are 11 vents in the EPS shell to help release heat and move air around the head while riding.  Most DOT helmets have 2 or 4 small holes drilled into the EPS shell for venting, but the Warbird has 11.  Almost as good at the Kali Aatma at less than half the price.

There are really only two things I’d like to see improved on this helmet, and they are the inner padding in the chin guard and the plastic rim around the bottom of the helmet.  The inside of the chin guard is a flexable hard plastic that looks less than inviting to smash your face into and the plastic rim around at the very bottom of the helmet around he outer shell is a bit sharp.  While putting the helmet on I sometimes felt like I was getting a shave.  You can file it rounder to soften it up but it should already be done for you.

With Helmet On:

The size I wore was a large and it fit well. My head measures 59cm round, and I found that with most of the helmets I wore a 60-62cm helmet was required for a good fit.

The helmet was most snug around the top of the head and a good fit on the cheeks but not too snug.  There is a bit of left to right play because the helmet is a bit more round.  The fit is different from the Blacklite.  The Blacklite was tight on my fore and back of the upper head, it didn’t fit my oval shape too well.  The Warbird is a much closer fit for my oval head but still a bit round.

There is plenty of room for the ears even though there is no specific cut out for them like some helmets have.

When riding the helmet actually vents very well.  I was surprised because I was told it is the hotter of the two Rockgardn helmets but that wasn’t what I experienced.  I think all the well placed vents in the EPS shell really help.  Of course if you are sitting around and here is not air being forced through the vents than it does get a bit warm.

One of the things I like most about this helmet is the fact that the cheek pads and outer shell come below my chin line.  The helmet feels secure and solid.  The thick EPS shell around the sides means and even along the cheeks means a good hit from any direction and it should do the job intended.  Keeping your brian safe.

Seeing out the helmet is no problem, it meets the 105 degrees of visibility required by the CPSC and fitting large goggles isn’t an issue either.

The chin guard is a good distance from the face but not so much so to seem pointy.  As well the chin guard doesn’t have a break like shape and is more inline with mountain bike only helmets and less moto helmets.

The inner padded liner does a good job of soaking up sweat and wicking it away. Even if the helmet is hotter than say a TLD, there was never a lot of sweat running down my face while using the helmet, as is the case with a TLD.

Cleaning:

Cleaning the helmet is easy to clean and the liner is fully removable.  Nice and simple to get out, a little bit of a pain to get part of it back in but no more than 5 min of messing around.

Fits Similar To:

O’Neal Series 9, Rockgardn Warbird

Goggles:

No problems fitting large goggles.

Leatte Brace:

Because the helmet fits low around the chin line and back of the head the helmet doesn’t have the greatest mobility in the Leatte brace.  Of course that is what you want in a crash, but while riding it would take some getting used to.

Value Rating:

For the money this is a great helmet. It isn’t too heavy, is comfortable, well made, and does what it is supposed to do at a good price.

Overall Rating:

Lets face it, it isn’t a $300 helmet and as such it isn’t as light weight or as well vented as pricier helmets. But overall it does a great job and is better vented while riding then other DOT helmets I’ve tested.  It is comfortable and does fit my not so round head very well. The only reason I can see not getting this helmet would be if it didn’t fit, or you didn’t like the graphics.  But for the DOT safety rating, the great venting while riding and quality it stands out in it’s class and price range.

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Main Page - Helmet List - Photos

Rockgardn Blacklite

D-Ring and Chin Strap	Visor Adjust	Vents above forehead	Inside Chin Guard
EPS Vent	Inside Helmet	Removable Padded Liner	Extra Mesh Cloth

(Click on Thumbnails to Enlarge)

Description:

The Rockgardn Blacklite helmet strikes me as a mature helmet with its simple but good looking black and white coloring and sleek chin guard design.  It also has a fairly small profile for a DOT certified helmet. Looking at it straight on it isn’t as wide as some others, which will help reduce the Jack-in-the-Box head effect.  It is fairly light weight as well.  The XL ranges in weight from 1350-1450 grams which is only slightly lighter than  XL Kali Aatma, 1278 gram at double the price.

The quality of the helmet is very good.  The stitching  and quality of the padding very nice and the outer Thermoplastic shell with it’s screen covered vents and molding are all inline with what you would expect from a more expensive helmet.  The molding around the bottom of the helmet is white, so it tends to show dirt and abuse more, but it cleans up fairly easily.

The padded liner on the inside is on par with other most other helmet, not as soft as the Kali Aatma nor as plush as the Azonic Fury.  Which is fine, because the softness will fad at some point and the plushness restricts airflow.  So this is a good middle ground.

The padded liner is semi removable.  The cheeks pads are held in with a well stitched Velcro, something I would have liked to have seen on $375 TLD, which just uses Velcro stickers.  The padded liner around the head comes out but it doesn’t remove all the fabric and liner from the helmet.  There is still a bit of light weight mesh that is clued in.  My one complaint on this test helmet is that it appears that in the construction process there was too much clue used and it clued the removable liner to the EPS shell and ripped it when removing. This would obviously only happen the 1st time the liner is removed, but it is a bit irritating.

The Blacklite appears to only have four vents in the EPS shell and three in the chin bar.  There are two above the forehead with the ability to be closed and two near the back of the head that vent out of rear.  The EPS shell is rippled similar to the Kali Aatma, but less so.  This creates some space for air to flow over the scalp cool the rider down.  For me, the helmet didn’t get that hot, but I talked to another rider who just switched to a Blacklite off a Remedy and he said his one complaint was that it gets hot.  Otherwise he loved the helmet and the DOT level of safety it provides.  This is in a way not a fair comparison because the Remedy isn’t a DOT certified helmet, so doesn’t surfer from the less vented EPS shell that the Blacklite and other DOT helmets have. But it is a fact, it is a less vented helmet.

The visor adjust screws on the Blacklite are more in line with the O’Neil Series 9 helmet, moto style and you need a flat head screw driver to adjust the visor.  There are two adjust screws located at the back of the visor near the peak of the helmet instead of located below the visor with a thumb adjust screw.  The range of the visor has been increase this year over last years but it is still a narrow range compared to some other helmets.  Mark from Rockgardn said a couple guys had issue with the visor being in their peripheral field of vision.  That has been resolved in the ‘09 model.  The visor itself is of a nice sturdy build and fairly wide.  The visor pivot screws on the side of the helmet have a smooth and low profile and shouldn’t get snagged on anything in a crash.

The chinguard on the Blacklite is a bit sleeker and doesn’t have the birds beak at the end like the Aatma and Series 9 do.  This is nice, it keeps the design in line with downhill helmets as opposed to moto helmets.

With Helmet On:

The fit of the Blacklite is like no other helmet I’ve tried on.  Which is great. It means for riders with heads radically different than mine there is a helmet that will feel comfortable.  The Blacklite was tight against the front and back of my head. It has a more round feel and the chin pads were and loose.  I’ve got a more narrow and long face, especially as I’ve lost some weight over the past year, and the Blacklite is better for a rounder face with a larger profile jaw.  If a Remedy fits you well the Blacklite will probably as be a good fit as well. If a TLD doesn’t fit you well, you might want to look into the fit of the Blacklite.

Do to the fact the helmet fits my narrow and long head so tightly around the top of my scalp there is very little side to side play when I push side to side near the temples.  But conversely when I push side to side down near my jaw there is a large amount of side to side play which did rattle a bit when riding.  So, know your face, if it is longer and narrow the Blacklite is probably not your choose.  If you have a rounder face with a larger jaw the Blacklite is probably going to be a good fit.

There is plenty of room for my ears in the helmet and the chin guard is spaced at a normal and good length away from the face.  The inside of the chin guard has a medium soft feeling foam.  It wouldn’t be too unpleasant a feeling to have the jaw smashed up against it in a crash.

The cheek pads on the Blacklite start at the temples and come to about half way down my cheeks.  The pads themselves are pretty thin and soft but they do their jobs.  One interesting thing about the Blacklite is the EPS shell come down and out to where the cheek pads are.  Comparing it to the Kali Aatma which has no EPS liner along the cheeks, and the O’Neil Series 9 which has thicker cheek pads hide the EPS liner that comes down along the cheeks.  The Blacklite is a good in between.

The helmet meets and/or exceeds the 105 degrees of peripheral vision standard laid out in the CSPC standard and the helmet handles large goggles just fine.

Cleaning:

The cheek pads and liner are easy to remove, though with it not being a fully removable liner my suggestion would be to just soak the full helmet in a bucket rather than removing the liner and having to re-insert it.  Which is a bit tricky.  The cheeks pads are easy to remove and re-insert.

Fits Similar To:

This helmet fits completely differently than any of the helmets this remove.  My only suggest from another rider is that if a Remedy fit you well than the Blacklite probably fit fine as well.

Goggles:

I had no problems with the bigger Blur B-1 goggles on this helmet. There appears to be enough space for large goggles with out smashing the nose.

Leatte Brace:

coming soon….

Value Rating:

This helmet is a very good value. It is well made and can obviously take a beating. For $149 it is obvious that Rockgardn didn’t cut any corners in design and manufacturering.

Overall Rating:

Overall this helmet is great.  The only complaint I had is the extra glue which ripped a bit of the removable liner.  Otherwise, for $149, DOT certified with a low profile and sleek DH designed chin guard, fair weight, you can’t go wrong.  Seriously this is a great deal if you are looking for a DOT helmet.

www.rockgardn.com

Main Page - Helmet List - Photos

Main Page - Helmet List - Photos

Dainese D-Raptor LE

Chin Strap Clip	Liner Falls Down	h Inside Chin Strap	D-Raptor Back
Padded Liner Out	EPS Liner	Inside Helmet

Description:

The Dainese D-Raptor LE helmet is a visually jarring and lightweight. The see through fiberglass shell and dinosaur like ridges along the top and huge air vents make this helmet stand out in a crowd. The big chin guard design has caught some negative comments from a few riders, but this helmet is sure to draw attention with its unique style, and I’ve mostly heard positive things about it’s looks.
The helmet has six massive, screen-less vents in the shell and four screened vents on the chin guard. The chin guard vents are set on the sides instead of right at the noise. I didn’t notice any lack of air flow from this design style.

The visor is a tanned see through plastic that is held on by three low profile screws that have a latch type design for tightening or loosening. They work so so. The wire latch can’t really handle a lot of force with out bending. With in two months of use one of the screws feel out never to be found. I took the screw from the visor adjust and put it on the side, put lock tight on the remaining two, and used a zip tie at the top. A bit irritating for a $325 helmet.

The visor adjust screw is easy to access and use, and does hold the visor in place very well.
The chinstrap uses a high quality metal buckle design that did rust a bit over time but never lost strength or function. Most riders tend to shy away from the buckle style chinstrap, and with cheap plastic ones that warp over time I can understand. The metal buckle though is awesome and is very convenient. On pedals up the hill it is very easy to just unclip the buckle, than click onto the handlebars right near the stem, and pedal away. The D-ring takes more time, and normally I have to take my gloves off as well.

The inner padded liner is very soft and can with stand several seasons of sweat and abuse. The cheek pads are thick and slightly firm, running from the temples to about mid cheek. The cheek pads are held in place by a combination of metal clip and Velcro. Velcro holds the rest of the liner in place and over time the back sticky side of the Velcro can become unstuck to the EPS shell and liner and cause the liner to not stay in place. This is a major issue in the liner design on this helmet. The padded liner along the forehead can move down during a ride and start to cover the eyes, or at least make the helmet uncomfortable. Really, this is very frustrating, but buying more Velcro and replacing easily fixes it. Though a better designed inner liner would be ideal.

A metal screen covers the chin vents but vents on the top of the helmet don’t have any screen or filter. The screens on the chin guard have come loose over the past two seasons and just rattle around inside the chin guard now. The screen-less vents on the rest of the helmet are very large, and allow for a massive amount of air flow and cooling, but you can allow sticks and bugs into the inside of your helmet. Not some much fun when it is a bee, but mainly getting a stick inside from low hanging branches is more irritating.

The inside of the chin guard is not as plush as some other helmet nor as hard as the O’Neil 9 series. I’ve had many chances to get up close and personal with the inside of the chin guard and I’ve never found the padding to be lacking.

With Helmet On:

This helmet is amazingly comfortable. It probably fits better than any other helmet I’ve ever tried so far. It is snug and supportive around the cheeks and the lower back of the head. It is lightweight and vents the best of any full-face helmet I’ve tried to date (20090225). It can’t help it, with those massive whole on the sides and top.

There is very little side-to-side play and almost none back and forth. This is a stated size of XL at 62cm and fits my head perfectly. Even though my head only measures 59cm around. Every head is different, but if you get a chance to try a D-Raptor LE on I don’t think you’ll be quick to take it off. Comfort is where this helmet shines best and above manly others I have tried.
Even though the inner padded liner is a bit sparse there is no discomfort from the hard EPS liner against the skull.

The helmet can easily fit larger goggle sizes with out putting pressure on the nose and seeing side to side and down in front has never been an issue. One place I have found issue with the visor is sometimes on sharp G-outs or very sharp berms the curve near the front of the visor can cut off just the slightest edge of sight when you are looking for your exit out of those sharp places. This is with the visor moved just about all the way up and out of the way as well. Visor movement range is fairly normal.

The chin guard does a good job of covering and protecting the chin and the bottom of the helmet levels off below the jaw making sure it isn’t easily exposed in a crash. It is a good helmet in a crash. I’ve done it many times, and can still think coherently about 80% of the day.
The helmet fits similar to the TLD D2 and SixSixOne Evolution carbon. It also has a low profile. No Jack-in-the-Box head.

Cleaning:

Cleaning the cheek pads is very simple and easy. Unfortunately the rest of the liner is not removable. Well, it is if you take the whole EPS liner out, take off the tape holding the padded liner on, wash it, and re-tape and reinsert the EPS liner. Basically, a pain and waste of time. I would suggest not doing it and just washing the liner inside the helmet.

Fits Similar To:

TLD D2 and SixSixOne Evolution. Though it is way more comfortable than either, at least for me.

Goggles:

The Raptor LE fits large goggles just fine with out forcing down the goggles and putting pressure on the bridge of the nose.

Leatte Brace:

coming soon….

Value Rating:

For the money the Dainese Raptor LE is very light weight, flat out amazing venting heat and air flow, and made of good quality material. Though, for $325 I would like to have seen better inner padded liner design and screens on the vents.

Overall Rating:

This helmet works for DH and certainly can take a bashing. Though in all honesty I think it is basically perfect for the XC rider who wants a full face. It is light weight, and has large vents similar to XC style helmets. For me personally and I glad I’ve owned it and used it for so long. I know what to look for in other dh helmets that the D-Raptor LE is missing.

For the record I’ve heard that Dainese is revamping its line of dh gear so I look forward to what they have planned. If they can solve some of these issues I think they would have a knock out helmet worth every penny and more.

Main Page - Helmet List - Photos

Main Page - Helmet List - Photos

Helmet Shootout?  Well, unfortunately not exactly.  I started this project with a ‘who’s best’ focus, but after getting these helmets in I realized a ‘who’s best focus’ only helps me, not you.   So this has changed to more of guide.  The write up on each helmet focuses more on the facts, the fit, helmet similarities or difference.  So if you’ve tried on that $375 TLD, loved the fit and feel, but can’t shell out that much, use this to see what other helmets might be best for you and what their features are.  Don’t worry though, I’m not going to sugar coat anything, if a helmet really has a flaw, I will point it out.

All these helmets got 4 to 5 days of ride minimum ride time from me and some other riders.  I tried different sized goggles out, washed and examined all this helmets, and written my reports for these helmets.  I have also done my best to describe how the helmet fits.

If you have questions about a detail I might have left out, or if something isn’t totally clear, please write a question in the comment section. Words, as we all know, are not always as clear as we’d like them to be.  Let me be a resource to help you find a helmet.  Ask questions and make comments on your own experiences if you’ve got them. It helps everybody out in the long run.

I’d like to thank the companies who have sent in a helmet/s to get this guide going.  If you’d like to send in a helmet for this guide please send me an email.

Index (Quick links)

- Observations
- How to pick a helmet
- What is a Helmet Made From
- Safety Ratings
- My Head
- Helmet List
- Characteristics Chart
- Similarity Chart
- Photos
- More helmet resources

Observations

This is a quick little section of things I’ve come to realize about the differences in helmets.  Some observations are obvious to most people who’ve worn several different full face helmets before, but others might not be so familiar.

* More manufacturers need to include a sizing pad fit kit in with the helmet.  TLD has got the obvious cornered on this one.  Others….??? Hello?

* Different helmets meet different rider needs.

* Weight vs. Safety Rating:  A DOT/Snell or DOT helmet with current technology is going to weigh more than a helmet with a CSPC, ASTM F-2032-00/1952-00, and CE ratings, most of the time.

* Price vs. Weight:  The more a helmet cost, the lighter weight it will probably be, relative to the safety rating.

* A thick, soft, all encompassing EPS liner is going to be better at saving you brain from internal damage than a thinner, less encompassing, lots of vents, EPS liner. (Please see the safety rating section for more explanation.)

* A thicker EPS liner will lead to a more ‘Jack-in-the-Box’, or larger helmet profile.  Especially on the sides.

* DOT/Snell helmets don’t typically vent as well as a helmet with lots of vents and lower safety ratings.

* Some helmets don’t fit large goggles well.

* Different helmets give different levels of room for your ears.

* Floating padded liner allows a wider verity of head shapes to fit the same helmet.

How to pick a helmet

There are only a few things you really need to think about when picking a helmet.

Fit - The helmet should fit snug around your head.  What does snug mean?  Snug means it should fit like your shoes fit your feet.  Not too tight to be uncomfortable, not so loose it has a lot of play. There should not be a lot of room on the inside as if you had on a pair of shoes several sizes larger than your feet.  There should be as little left to right (side to side) play as possible.  As well, forwards to back play should be as little as possible.  The helmet should be level and stable when you shake your head around.  Where I noticed most of the side to side play in helmets was just above the ears there tends to be a gap in the contact space between the helmet and my head.  Any side to side movement there should be reduced as much as possible with extra fit pads or by finding a helmet with a better fit.  Front to back movement should also be reduced.  You don’t want your helmet sliding forward and down your face covering your eyes after you’ve Canadian head bobbed a landing.  You want something that will stay just where it should at all times.

Your Needs - What are you looking for in a helmet?  Are you looking for the lightest weight helmet out there?  Are you looking to get the safest helmet you can find?  Does ventilation matter most?  What are your needs?  These are questions you are going to have to ask yourself.  For example, lets say you live in a hot climate so you want a helmet that vents really well but you also want a helmet with a high safety rating, like a DOT safety rating.  You’ll have to balance out the DOT vs. venting vs. weight conflicts.  The Dainese D-Raptor has huge vents and air flows though it like it isn’t even on, but, it doesn’t have DOT safety rating.  Will you compromise the safety rating for better ventilation or will you want to know what best meets your needs?  Figure this stuff out, look for a helmet that will fit those needs, buy it, wear it, be safe.

What is a Helmet Made From

There are two main parts to the helmet, the Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam shell on the inside that handles most of the energy management from a crash, and the external shell which can vary in material from plastic to carbon fiber and fiber glass.

Quickly speaking, the EPS liner doesn’t absorb the energy in a crash but rather transfers it into heat.  This process is referred to as impact management.  Helmet manufacturers design and custom tune the EPS physical design and density to manage the energy from a crash.  Below are two images which show different g-force ratings over time.  One with a helmet and one without.  You can see the one with is much softer and the peak is moved further along in time as apposed to the helmet less impact where the peak of the spike is un-managed.

Helmet On

Helmet Off

(Images from Helmets.org)

There are several different types of foam liner used for energy management, but most manufacturers use the EPS foam.  Also some foam liners can vary in density relative to what the manufacturer believes is best.  Generally speaking, once a helmet has been hit hard enough in a certain spot all the managing ability of the EPS liner has been used up and the helmet (or liner if you can) should be replaced.  A second impact to the same location will offer very little protection.

The shell can deflect some of the impact energy to helmet manage as well, but mainly it is there to keep something from penetrating the EPS shell which is must softer in comparison.  As well, it gives manufacturers something to color on.

Safety Ratings

There are a lot of different safety ratings for helmets. DOT (FMVSS 218), Snell, CSPC, ASTM F-2032-00, ASTM F-1952-00, CE EN1087 (British version), UN ECE 22.05, and the list goes on.  If you are interested in reading the standards just click the name of the rating for more information.

Most helmet safety articles focus on motor bike helmets.  This doesn’t mean there is nothing to learn.  There is a fantastic but long article from Jim Brown you should absolutely read.  Seriously, read this article. It is mainly concerned with DOT vs. Snell safety ratings, but in that it explains a lot about EPS liner g-force ratings and why they matter.  Along with a lot of other great information about helmets.  Helmets.org also has a very robust list with info and more links on bicycle helmet safety standards.

These safety ratings are mostly concerned with two things, making sure the g-force ratings of the EPS liner don’t go over a certain amount and making sure the chin strap stays on.

Do yourself a favor, find the safety standard that regulates the strength of the helmet chin guard.  I bet you’ll be surprised to find which ones don’t have it.

Also poke around on Helmets.org and find out about helmet recalls and other interesting things like the Danish Cycling Federation’s fear of the CE standard becoming the lowest common denominator in helmet safety standards.

My Head and What I Look for in a Helmet

You should know a bit about the shape of my head so you can keep that in mind when reading about a helmet’s fit.  When I say certain things like, the helmet feels more ’round than oval’, or it has a greater ’side to side play’ for me than other helmets.  You will have a great understanding as to what that means.

Imagine putting a dot about an inch above the eyes in the middle of the forehead as a reference point. My head measured around from that point and back is 59cm round.  From level with that point but from ear over the top to the other ear is 26cm.  Again from that point on the forehead to the same point on the back of the head measure to 31cm.  The distance from the point on the forehead to the measuring point of the ears is 16.5cm. That would mean from that point above the ear to the equal point on the back of my head is 13cm.  My head shape is more oval than perfectly round.  So helmets with a more oval shape will fit my head best. I also don’t have a lot of hair.  A full head mind you, but only about an inch long at this point and not lusciously thick either.

Measure your head and find your headform shape.

I’ll tell you now a couple of things.  Every helmet I tried had a max size larger than 59cm.  The max size range was from 60-63cm.  Helmets with a larger max size that also had a rounder shape had more side to side play for me.  The helmet that fit me (note this is ‘fit’ not ‘I liked’) best  was the TD D2 Carbon after I put the extra sizing padded in.

What I look for in a helmet is light weight, a solid visor adjust screw, ability to fit large goggles, good ventilation, covers the jaw and lower back of the head well, something that feels like a helmet.

Helmet Resources

Helmets.org
Motorcycle Helmet Performance: Blowing the Lid Off
DOT (FMVSS 218)
Snell
Consumer Safety Product Council
Google search

Main Page - Helmet List - Photos

Main Page - Helmet List - Photos

SixSixOne Evolution Carbon

Visor Adjust Screw	Inside Chin Guard	Evolution Rear
Evolution EPS Liner	Evolution Helmet Inside	Padded Liner

(Click on Thumbnail to Enlarge)

Description:

The SixSixOne Evolution Carbon helmet is similar in style to the TLD D2 but with a bit more comfort and design perks.  It is cheaper, a bit heavier, and this particular test helmet had some quality issues, overall a though a great helmet. The shell design has a small profile and helmet offers a completely removable padded liner and is well vented.

The Evolution carbon offers eight vents for your head and three in the chin guard. The vents are screen covered with the largest chin guard vent also having mesh cloth.  One this test helmet the glue for the screens on the chin guard had some issues.  Plainly it wasn’t enough and one screen has popped loose with the other one half way undone.  I’ve talked to SixSixOne about this.  They said the first run of helmets had some QC problems with the screen glue, but all should be good by now.  If you’d had any issues or not, please comment.  It could just be that this test helmet was an outlier.

The visor has a good range of movement and the visor adjust screw is easy to access and adjust. The side adjust screws for the visor are fairly flush with the helmet profile and shouldn’t be an issue when sliding along the ground. The visor is about average width and size, not being as wide as the D2 or as small as the Aatma.

The inner padded liner for this helmet is very well thought out and appears to be well made. The cool thing about it is that it kind of floats inside the helmet.  The bowl of the liner is a bit smaller than the bowl of the EPS liner, so, it feels like it is a super thick and comfy liner without actually being one.  Also this allows the shape of a riders head to define the shape of liner rather than the head having to fit the shape of the EPS and padded liner.  A co-worker hear has a radically different head than mine, almost Egyptian pharaoh like, and the helmet fit both of use very well.  Very awesome.

Also the padded liner comes out as one single piece that that includes the side cheek pads. There are two metal snaps on the cheeks and a bit of Velcro, but otherwise the helmet is held in place with hard plastic pinched between the EPS liner and the shell. The padded liner itself varies in form, from soft padding to a screen mesh for air flow.

The EPS liner has six very large venting holes along the top of the head, four for the forehead and another two for the rear. The EPS liner is very thick on the top and front of the head but a bit more thin along the back and sides (another compromise for a small profile helmet.)

With Helmet On:

This helmet fits similar to the TLD D2 with a couple distinct points of differences. One, the floating padded liner fits to your head and there is a lot more room for my ears. Getting headphones on while wearing the helmet is simple

The cheek pads for this seem to be about as soft as the D2 or Dainese, They sit against the cheeks without squishing. The cheek pads run from the temples to about half way on my cheeks. The padding around the face has some gaps in it that let air flow to the head and ears.

The padding on the inside of the chin guard is softer than some other helmets. I feel like I wouldn’t mind as much having my jaw slammed into it in a hard impact. Speaking of the chin guard, the first time I put the helmet on it seems that the guard was closer to my face than with other helmets. I talked to SixSixOne about this and they said that is the first they have heard that. They said they actually increased the length this year. I figure my perception of the chin guard being short must be because I am right on the cusp between a L and XL helmet.  Also the padding inside the chin guard is thicker on the Evolution than the D2 which could help make it seem shorter. Whatever the reason the chin guard never got in the way or had any visually impeeding effect.  My co-worker who uesd the helmet and had a bit smaller of a head than I didn’t mention a thing.

The helmet meets and/or exceeds the 105 degrees of peripheral vision standard laid out in the CSPC standard.

The helmet is similar to the D2 in that is rides a bit higher at the back of the head and it settles about even with my jaw bones. So even with me being  just at the L/XL cusp, the helmet fits very well.

Cleaning:

Cleaning this helmet is very easy. The padding is fully removable and in one piece. Metal snaps keep it in place as well as hard plastic pinched between the EPS liners and the shell. Getting the liner back in place was a slight bit more trouble than some others, but I found when squishing the plastic between the EPS liner and the shell if you push it in at an angle it helps.

Fits Similar To:

TLD D2, the main difference being the greater room for ears and floating padded liner. The helmet seems to have a more oval than round shape on the inside giving a snug fit around the side, very top, and back of the head.

Goggles:

The Evolution fit the larger Blur B-1 goggles just shy of fine. A bit more room than the TLD but not as much as some others. 

Leatte Brace:

coming soon….

Value Rating:

This helmet is a great value. At about 100 grams heavier than a D2 Carbon but about 100 greenbacks cheaper, it should be a helmet to consider. Besides the slight imperfections in the plastic molding around the face, the helmet offers a light weight vented helmet at a competitive price.

Overall Rating:

Overall I think this helmet offers a great amount of features and quality.  The floating inner padded liner makes it so that this is almost a perfect fit of anyone who tries the helmet on.  The one complete liner as well is very nice, and being near $90 less than a TLD D2 Carbon you’ll be very happy with your helmet and maybe have some money to take you date out to dinner.

www.sixsixone.com

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Main Page - Helmet List - Photos

Mace Gurka

Visor Adjust Screw	Inside Chin Bar	D-Ring and Chin Strap	Gurka Back
EPS Liner	Inside Helmet	Padded Liner

(Click on Thumbnails to Enlarge)

Description:

The Mace Gurka helmet is designed to be extremely safe for extreme DH without the weight penalty of a DOT or Snell rating, and the price tag of a fancy carbon helmet. The helmet has a bit larger of a profile, more in line with a DOT helmet. The helmet uses the same universal form as Bell and Giro with a thin padding liner.

The helmet has no venting except a front vent in the chin guard. This is to obtain a maximum safety to weight ratio. The helmet does only meet the CPSC safety standards, which are very robust, but every helmet sold in the US must meet this standard. With this Mace helmet, the solid and thick EPS shell, from top to side to back and front, allows a manufacturer to create an EPS liner with a lower g rating. Basically softer density EPS shell. This will help save your brain from internal damage in a crash. I have not seen the test result numbers for the Mace Gurka EPS liner so I don’t know if that is the case here, but it could be.

The visor has about an average range of movement and was never in the way when riding. The visor adjust screw is very easy to use, and the side screws have a low profile and shouldn’t catch on anything in a crash.

The construction quality of the helmet is very good. The only thing I found to be of issue is that the plastic piece on the chin guard, the very front vent holder, wasn’t completely seated correctly. FIxed that issue and it is good to go.

The inside of the chin guard is padded with some soft material that feels like it has some jell in it. Similar to what you find on some XC gloves. Actually very soft and comforting.

With Helmet On:

The Gurka has a bit of a tighter fit at the front and back of the top of the head. It fits rather differently than the the D2, Evolution, Kali, Dainese, or O’Neal. There is a lot of room along the sides that give the helmet a fair bit more side to side play that others. This for me, with my short hair doesn’t really work. But remember Jay Hoots, with his mass of dreads is a Mace rider, so, anyone with a large volume of hair should try on a Gurka.

The Gurka allows for plenty of ear room and I never had an issue with getting earphone in or adjusted while inside the helmet.

The padded liner is very thin, but not uncomfertable, and has gaps around the face that will let air in while you are flowing down the mountain. Otherwise there are no vents and this helmet can get warmer than others.

The cheek pads start at about temple height and run down to about the middle of the cheek. The padding is a bit thicker than the D2, D-Raptor, or Evolution so it can handle a good side swipe.

The helmet meets and/or exceeds the 105 degrees of peripheral vision standard laid out in the CSPC standard and there is plenty of room for large goggles.

The Gurka fit lower on the back of the head and settles a bit below the jaw bone offering solid protection completely around the head.

Cleaning:

The padded liner is easy to fully remove and clean. The cheek pads are held in with metal snaps and the rest of the liner is held in with a hard peice of plastic pinched between the EPS liner and the shell. Similar to the SixSixOne Evolution I found it easier to get the hard plastic back in place if not pushing it straight in but rather at an angle.

Fits Similar To:

The Gurka has a bit of a unique fit to the other helmets. It definitely feels rounder than oval D2 with lots of space on the side of the head and a bit tight at the front top of the forehead and top back of the head. (this seems to run on, can u separate) This thing will probably fit great if the D2, Evolution, D-Raptor or O’Neal feel like they are pinching the side of your head. The Gurka fits at most, similar to the Aatma but that gives a bit more room at the front top and back top of the head.

Goggles:

Large goggles fit just fine so one shouldn’t have any issues with goggles.

Leatte Brace:

Coming soon….

Value Rating:

The Gurka is a good value. It offers a extremely high degree of protection with a thick and solid EPS liner and shell at a reasonable weight and fair price.

Overall Rating:

It is hard to give a helmet with no vents a great overall rating. I’m just not fully sold on a no-vent helmet. The Kali Protectives Aatma has vents and is DOT certified, a higher rating than the CPSC of the Gurka, though, you are going to pay twice as much. If the no vents isn’t a issue for you, and you are on a budget but really do want to protect your brain as best as possible, than you should absolutely consider the Gurka.

www.macegear.com

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Main Page - Helmet List - Photos

O’Neal 9 Series

D-Ring and Chin Strap	9 Series Visor Adjust	9 Series Vents	Inside Chin Guard
9 Series EPS Liner	9 Series Inside Helmet	9 Series Padded Liner	9 Series Back

(Click on Thumbnails to Enlarge)

Description:

The O’Neal 9 Series helmet is definitely a DH Darth Vader helmet. Not in the big bobble head way, or I can’t breath except through a machine way and definitely not in the nice Vader helmet, the comic-con is over there type of way. This helmet is for when the trail is about to get absolutely nutty and you must crush it. At least that is the impression I get from wearing it, touching it, and feeling like I could take a bat to the head and still come out just fine.

The 9 Series helmet is made out of a composite carbon fiber and Kevlar shell with a Snell/DOT certified rating. The construction quality is top shelf. Everything worked as it should, snapped into place, didn’t come loose or feel cheap. It is a three hundred dollar helmet that looks and feels like a three hundred dollar helmet.

The profile is larger than the TLD D2, SixSixOne Evolution and other similar helmets because it is both DOT and Snell safety certified. It isn’t so large though that you feel like a Jack-in-the-Box.  Something about the lines and the fact it rides a little higher up the back of the head just don’t give it a Jack-in-the-Box look.

The helmet has three screen and mesh covered vents in the chin guard. Two shell vents just above the eyes actually have open and shut tabs. Not sure why, I’d think you’d always want them open, unless in a dust storm maybe, but still, it has got them. The EPS liner itself has six vents; two just above the eyes that align with the shell vents and four smaller ones on the top. The chin guard has two side vents that feed air into the cheek section of the helmet. It is actually a well-vented helmet for being so thick, big and tough, but the EPS sheel does not have grooves to help vent heat, compare it to the Aatma EPS shell.

The visor is adjusted by a notch on the exterior of the helmet and with thumb screws on the side. The visor has about average movement and was never in the way while riding. The position adjust screw for this visor is cumbersome to fully tighten down because the visor itself is in the way of getting your fingers fully around the screw. But, it isn’t impossible to tighten. The thumb screws on the side of the visor work fine but they do stick out a bit and could maybe get snagged on something in a crash, or at least, wont skid as easily.  They should in theory pull out of the helmet if they do snag on something.

One thing different I noticed on this helmet is that the chin bar is super beef. It gives the impression that you could take a Mac truck to the chin and be OK. The padding on the chin bar isn’t soft or squishy, it feels like a hard EPS liner that is meant for taking a high speed impact. Maybe even a bat to the face.  Sorry, no, even thought the wife asked, I didn’t let her test that.

With Helmet On:

The O’Neal helmet fits normally, like the TLD and others, though it is a little tight. A Snell Certified helmet should be a bit tighter than other helmets, but these O’Neal 9 Series might run a size smaller than advertised. For this size, large 61-62cm, my cheeks are squeezed a bit more than I’d personally prefer and the overall fit is just a slight too tight. But otherwise the helmet feels great.

There is enough room for the ears and earphones were not a problem to get in, but not adjustable once inside.

The padded liner seem to make contact with everywhere around the head except for the ears. This is similar to the TLD, whereas with the Kali, Mace, there was some space between the pads and the head.  Really this is a fitting issue, so for me the Series 9 fits like the TLD D2 and feel good. The helmet feels less round than oval, though there is a tad bit of left to right play above the ears.

The cheek pads make constant contact with the face, running from about even with the middle of the eyes down to the center of the cheeks. The pads are not as large as the Dainese, more in line with the TLD pads, ending about an inch from your lips (about center of the cheeks.) The cheek pads themselves feel thicker than they do in other helmets.

The helmet meets and/or exceeds the 105 degrees of peripheral vision standard laid out in the CSPC standard and the helmet handles large goggles just fine.

Being 1,640 grams, the helmet is heavier than others and on a person with a weak neck it could cause pain. A riding friend of mine, who had a different but about equal DOT/Snell similar to the 9 Series helmet, mentioned that he always felt that he could never get the helmet moved around fast enough in a crash.  He is a strong guy, but does ride a small.  It seems the weight vs. safety ratings is the major compromise for this helmet.

The space between the chin and chin bar seems about normal though the chin bar does have a distinct downward spike to it, almost like a bird beak. I could see this maybe causing some damage to a riders body around the collar bone or upper chest. Although I’ve known riders who had helmets without this feature who have had their collar bones broken from being smashed against the helmet in a crash, so maybe it doesn’t matter.

The helmet does cover a bit more of the back of the neck but not as much as the Kali Aatma or Mace Gurka. The shell and padding does come below the jaw line. Your going to have to work to hurt yourself in this thing.

The vents in this helmet do actually work, even if they look a bit small and the EPS liner isn’t grooved like other helmets. It is not the coolest helmet, but it does get air flow, when moving that is.  It seems to me that the visor for the 9 Series is actually very well designed to get air flow into the helmet.  When moving the helmet definitely cools down.

Cleaning:

The pads for this helmet are held in place by metal snaps and hard plastic. Getting the padded liner in and out was very easy. Cleaning this helmet is super simple.

Fits Similar To:

Helmet fits similar to the TLD, you can feel constant contact of the pads all the way around the head with no gaps in the space, especially around the ears.

Goggles:

I had no problems with the bigger Blur B-1 goggles on this helmet. There appears to be enough space for large goggles with out smashing the nose.

Leatte Brace:

coming soon….

Value Rating:

This helmet is a very good value. It is well made and can obviously take a beating. The parts, paint, thick padded liner, ability to wick sweet all shine like they should. It is pretty well vented and it gives you the feeling that you can challenge the world. For $299 the build quality, fit, and everything else is quite worth it.

Overall Rating:

Overall there are a couple things I would change on this helmet if I could. First I would get the sizing inline with reality. I would switch out the visor side thumb screws with some of lower profile ones. I would move the snaps for the back of the padded liner to a different position, so if you are wearing a bit undersized you wont feel the difference in pressure.  Finally I would find a way to meet the DOT/Snell certification with the grooves in the EPS liner to help with heat release and venting.  Otherwise, the helmet is awesome!

www.azonicusa.com

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Main Page - Helmet List - Photos

Kali Protectives Aatma

Aatma Visor Adjust	Aatma China Guard Inside	Aatma D-ring and chin strap	Aatma Back
Aatma EPS Liner	Aatma Inside Helmet	Aatma Padded Liner

(Click Thumbnail to Enlarge)

Description:

Kali Protectives is a new company on the scene out of the San Jose region of the Bay Area. To get straight to the point, what make this helmet special is the dual density composite fusion EPS liner. Basically the EPS liner is formed inside the shell rather than outside and glued in. This technology allows for no air gaps between the shell and EPS liner and reduces weight of the helmet because no clue is required.  Another bonus is that the liner is dual-density. Heavier EPS on the top of the head, lighter on the sides.  The EPS liner is thick and the helmet is strong enough to meet the DOT safety certification at a mear 1278 grams (for the size tested). Bonus the liner has very large air vents for a DOT helmet. Compare the EPS liner to the O’Neal Series 9 which has vent holes but no grooves to help heat escape.  This is pretty awesome.

The helmet does have a larger profile than the TLD, SixSixOne Carbon Evolution and the Dainese D-Raptor. It also has a very round profile, and on the wrong person could give a Jack-in-the-Box head look, but this is your brain we are talking about protecting, image shouldn’t be all you think about.

One thing to notice is the paint on the shell. At least on this white color model, is a flat white and scratches very easily. All helmets obviously get scuffed at some point, with this one the honeymoon period was a bit shorter. The no gloss finish probably helps shave down a few grams.

The quality of the parts of this helmet appear to range from excellent to average. Most likely to keep below a $300 price point. The plus side, or rather plush side, Kali has gone far and above in making this helmet amazingly comfortable. This is flat out an amazingly soft and plush helmet. Also Kali has made sure to add the extra little things to the helmet like a D-ring grab strap and a snap for the strap. The plastic molding, the thick padding, the screens on the vents, the stitching of the fabric…all these things are great.

Kali definately didn’t skimp where it counts but it seems they did cut cost in some ways. If the TLD D2 Carbon is an example of perfect overall part quality than the Aatma is a bit below that. Of course it is $75 cheaper.  The average parts seem to be the bolts that hold the visor on and the visor adjustment parts.  Cheap side bolts, yeah I’m being a bit picky, but it is best you know. A bit of a trouble from the visor adjuster for me could lead to frustration for someone else.  Similar to my frustration with the Dainese D-Raptor visor adjust bolt falling out, twice!

The visor itself is much smaller than most others at the front. Roughly a mere 5 inches. I’ve not had a chance to test this one in the rain but I am looking forward to it. The visor has about an average range of movement. There is no trouble with getting it up and out of the way. Though being so small it is hard to see how it could ever be in the way. One curious thing is the visor is made out of 4 parts. It seems a bit much. At the time of press I’ve still not got an answer to why the visor has so many parts.

With Helmet On:

When putting the Aatma on you get the since that this is a real helmet. The helmet fully engulfs the head, with the shell settling a bit below the jaw line and covering a good deal of the back of the head. Compare how my hair line is not visible at all with the Kali on compared to other helmets. It feels like something you could take a major hit in and hopefully come away with little head or brain damage.

The Aatma in this test is using an earlier padded liner, the next version might feel or vent differently, I’ll seek out the next version of the liner and update the review when I’ve had a chance with it.

The inside does have a bit more of a rounded shape than the TLD D2. Almost more in line with the Mace Gurka, which I’ve been told has the same universal head form as the Giro Remedy. I haven’t tried on a Remedy yet so I can’t be sure of the similarity between the three. Needless to say so much can change with padded liner. I can feel a tad more left/right play in the Kali helmet Aatma about an inch above the ears. Though, unlike the the TLD, there is a fairly large amount of room for the ears.  If the Kali doesn’t fit completely sung, I would suggest, as with any helmet, hunting down some liner padding to help fill up the space.  It had a pretty close OTB while where the Aatma and it did slide forward and down on my head.  If I had padded it up like I was able to do to the TLD D2 than that probably wouldn’t have happened.

On the padding fit around the face. The padding does not fully seal the rest of the head off from the face. There is a small gap between padding and face right above the ears.  At least on my head.  Nothing wrong with this, just suggest I might need a bit snugger a fit.

Getting earphone on and adjusted was easy.

The leather and fabric inside the helmet are amazingly soft. I mean, so soft you actually take notice of it. The padding has a ton of cushion. I have to really press down hard on the helmet before I feel the EPS liner. There is also a little patch of fabric in the back just near the bottom of the helmet which gives a bit more grip to your head. If you rub it with your fingers compared to the rest of the material inside you definitely feel more friction. Not too sure if it actually makes a difference with hair or sweet.  Maybe bald guys could benifit.

The helmet has eight screened vents that work but the helmet definitely give you the wind in the hair sensation that the TLD D2, SixSixOne Evolution, or Dainese D-Raptor do.  Though you only really notice when you have something to compare to.

On the chin guard there is one nose vent and there appears to be two vents along the side but it seems they are just for show. They look cool, but maybe next year Kali can make them do something or ditch them to save weight.

Being that this is a well vented DOT helmet, those of you riding in hot conditions who demand the safely rating of DOT should snatch one of these helmets up.

The helmet meets and/or exceeds the 105 degrees of peripheral vision standard laid out in the CSPC standard and easily has enough room for large goggles.

The space between the chin and the chin bar seems about normal. The cheek pads come down to just about even with my lips and are a bit more robust than the TLD or SixSixOne. The padding in the pads is just enough to let your cheeks know they are there without giving you a case of fish lips. Where there is no padding further down the chin bar there is only a bit of medium hard plastic liner. Not as inviting to smash your mouth against as some other helmets but the chin bar is well out of the way.

Cleaning:

Getting the padded liner out of this helmet is simple. The cheek pads are held in with metal snaps and a hard plastic that is pinched in between the EPS liner and the shell. The rest of the padded liner is held in with hard plastic pinches between the EPS liner and the shell and some plastic clips. The clip design in the back seems a bit weak, but I’ve not had any issue of the liner coming undone and you’ve got to have some softer plastic back there for a crash.

Fits Similar To:

This helmet has a bit more of a rounded feel, rather than oval. The space between the helmet and the sides of my face feel more open compared to the D2, Evolution, 9 Series and Dianese. Fit is similar to the Mace Gurka with less play.

Goggles:

This helmet had no trouble fitting larger goggles or smaller ones for that matter.

Leatte Brace:

coming soon….

Value Rating:

For $299, this helmet amazing. DOT safety rating, light weight, comfortably plush, vented and good graphics.  If you are looking into a moto-style DOT helmet this should be in your top choices.

Overall Rating:

Overall if you are looking for a DOT helmet this is worth your time and if the fit is right, worth your money. If Kali just sends along a bit of extra padding (like the TLD does), add a roost guard or gets the visor (including the visor hardware) settled, this might be a perfect DOT helmet.

www.kaliprotectives.com

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Main Page - Helmet List - Photos

Troy Lee Designs D2 Carbon

D2 Strap D-Ring	D2 Chin Bar from Inside	D2 Inside	D2 EPS Liner, note vents
D2 Velcro Stickies	D2 Back Side	D2 Removable Padded Liner	D2 Visor Adjust

(Click on Thumbnails to Enlarge)

Description:

The TLD Carbon D2 helmet is visually stunning and incredibly light weight. The quality of the helmet is completely top shelf. The helmet has small shell profile with eight vents in the shell and three in the chin guard.

The visor thumb adjust is easy to use and the visor itself has a very wide range of movement. Definitely the widest range of any of the helmets in the shootout so far. The visor itself is a bit wider than the other helmets in this shootout as well.  At the very front it measures about 6 and 3/4 inches. Thanks to the large range of visor movement, you can get that wide front end up and out of the way. I would assume that having a wide front would help more in the rain, unfortunately rain seems to have disappeared from the Bay Area at the time of testing and writing. The hardware that holds the sides of the visor onto the helmet has a low profile which should help to prevent snagging on anything in a crash.

The D-ring is easy to use and the straps are comfortable. The leather, or p’leather, along the strap and back of the liner does feel a bit on the less expensive side for a $375 helmet. However, it does do the job.

The liner is held in place with Velcro, you know the kind, one side Velcro and one side sticky, and a hard thin plastic that is pinched in place between the EPS liner and the shell.  One Velcro sticky on this test helmet had come unstuck from the EPS liner when removing the padded liner. These Velcro stickies might be something you’ll have to replace over time as sweat and water take their toll. But fortunately the sticky Velcro patches can be easily found at Wal-Mart in the fabric section. I’ve had to replace them on other helmets, isn’t really a big deal, but plastic snaps might have been nice.  Assuming the weight trade off was reasonable.

The TLD D2 does come with sizing padding to stick to the EPS shell under the padded liner to get the best fit possible for your head. You can make it fit more snug on the sides, the back, the front or all around.  A nice customizing option I am surprised more helmet manufacturers aren’t supplying their customers with. Seriously, TLD really has proven to be the most customer friendly by providing these sizing pads. After talking about sizing with several people, everyone argeed, a simple but truely handy option from TLD. This test helmet is an X/XL and I used the pads to make the helmet a bit smaller overall. I also tried on a M/L helmet, the stated size for my 59cm round head, that was too small for me. 

With Helmet On:

The Carbon D2 fits my head shape very well and is there for great to wear and comfortable.  But in a bare bones type of comfort, rather than the plush, soft, warm and enveloping comfort of the Kali Aatma. It is light weight and well vented. Fits a bit snug along the ears compared to other helmets, but mine seem to have enough room. Though snug ears don’t bother me like they do some people. Getting earphones in under the helmet, or even adjusted with the helmet on, was not much of an issue.

The liner inside is a bit sparse and therefore even though the D2 does fit very well to the shape of my head, if your head isn’t a great match I could see this being rather uncomfortable because there isn’t a plush padded liner to soften the contact with the hard EPS liner. At times I could feel the hard EPS liner through the padded liner, though the sparse liner does allow for better venting and a lighter weight helmet. There are pros and cons to every manufacturers decisions.

The cheek pads on the sides don’t go as far down the chin line as some other helmets. The pads themselves feel a bit less firm than some others as well, but about equal to the SixSixOne Evolution and the Dainese D-Raptor.  The DOT and DOT/Snell helmets seem to have thicker padding along the cheeks.

The EPS liner has many grooves and holes to allow for as much venting as possible. The SixSixOne Evolution Carbon has as much venting as the D2, though the Dainese D-Raptor has larger and more direct vents than either.  The EPS liner in the D2 is very thick at the forehead, the top of the head, and the upper back of the head. The EPS liner thins out considerably, in relation to the top, along the sides and botton back of the head.  This means that a good hit to the could cause considerable damage compared to a hit at the forehead, top or upper back part of the head.  Compared to a DOT/Snell helmet, or a helmet with thicker EPS liner all around,  the D2’s ability to displace impact energy from side impacts might not be as great.  The trade of here is a lower profile helmet. 

The helmet meets and/or exceeds the 105 degrees of peripheral vision standard laid out in the CSPC standard. I at no time had any issues with the helmet or visor blocking my view when looking through a berm or g-out.

The roost guard. You either love it or hate it. I had a friend completely cut his out, and others who swear by it. If you have a big chin or some facial hair you could always just trim the plastic roost guard back a bit. Overall, I’d say it is a bonus.

The TLD D2, similar to the SixSixOne Evolution, does expose a bit more of the back of the neck than some of the DOT and larger profile helmets and the shell settles about equal to my jaw line.  See the side view image above.

Sweat, this helmet gets it out! Unlike the other helmets I have worn so far, my sweat just pours out of the D2. I do sweat a lot, and it is good that it comes out of the helmet rather than stay in, I suppose. In all honesty, I am not sure if this is irritating or not, it is just something I noticed.

Cleaning:

The side cheek pads are held in by Velcro so are very easy to remove and replace but the Velcro itself might have issues staying stuck to the EPS shell over time. Again, a weight trade off. The rest of the liner comes out easily and goes back in again without much fuss. But it is basically stuck to the EPS shell using Velcro patches that will wear out the more you wash.

Fits Similar To:

661 Evolution Carbon, Dainese D-Raptor

Goggles:

It seems that the D2 has a bit less room for larger goggles than some of the other helmets.  With Blur B-1’s on my nose was squished a bit, though the B-1s are very large goggles.  Spy goggles, a bit smaller than the Blurs fit fine. So, just note that larger than normal goggles might not fit as well.  At least they didn’t on my face.

Leatte Brace:

coming….

Value Rating:

The super light weight, venting, fit, build quality and bling factor of the TLD D2 is outstanding. Is it worth $375? Well it is hard to say. Does it have great value? Other helmets will obviously do the job.  I suppose if the fit is best, and you are not looking for a DOT/Snell helmet, than the D2 Carbon is definately worth it.

Overall Rating:

I can make a couple personal suggestions to improve the helmet. I’d like to see the design move to;  plastic snap on the chin strap and no Velcro to hold the lining in. SixSixOne was able to accomplish that, but, possibly at a weight penalty. I’d also look into a bit softer fabric on the inside and extending the cheeks pads down the length of the chin guard a bit more. Overall the D2 is dang near the pinnacle of helmet design if you are looking for the lightest, coolest, race helmet on the shelf. The carbon model is pricey.

www.troyleedesigns.com

Main Page - Helmet List - Photos

Main Page - Helmet List - Photos

TLD D2 TLD D2 TLD D2 Kali Aatma (Image a bit closer than others) Kali Protectives Aatma Kali Protectives Aatma O'Neal 9 Series O'Neal 9 Series O'Neal 9 Series 661 Evolution Carbon 661 Evolution Carbon 661 Evolution Carbon Mace Gurka Mace Gurka Mace Gurka Dainese D-Raptor LE Dainese D-Raptor LE Dainese D-Raptor LE

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