How to choose the right Enduro helmet?
5 TIPS TO CHOOSE YOUR ENDURO HELMET
Enduro and All-Mountain are wide terms to describe the mountain biking practice that puts the pleasure in downhill and on natural trails in the first place. You have to be prepared to face all types of obstacles, steep uphill, or long journey on the bike. Your bike is likely to have 130mm of travel or more, and could be muscular or an E-Bike. Having the right bike for the job, what do you need to consider when choosing your helmet?
Here are our 5 top tips to choose your Enduro and All-Mountain helmet.
1
- COVERAGE
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Coverage is something essential when considering buying a helmet for mountain biking and e-mountain biking. You should pay attention to the coverage at the temples and at the back of the head. The helmet shell should go low enough to protect those areas. Double check as well that the shell doesn’t interfere with your neck when you put your head up, like you would do riding a really steep trail. The extra coverage shouldn’t have downsides, and that’s why MET and Bluegrass helmets are providing an extended coverage while offering enough clearance to adjust the retention system on the flight and avoid any interference with a bag or your neck.
2
PROTECTION
Riding confident is crucial. Depending on the terrain you want to tackle, the speed you like to have, or the bike you are using (Enduro, E-Bike); should you go with an open face or a full-face? If you ask yourself this question, you might consider investing in a convertible helmet like the MET Parachute MCR. The first thing to control is the actual extra protection provided. The chinbar must be ASTM certified, the only certification that tests the impact on the chinbar. Not all helmets have it! Then, check if the helmet is a true two-in-one. You should have a proper open face without the chinbar, and proper full-face coverage when it’s back in. That will give you perfect versatility and some savings in the end, avoiding the need to by two helmets. To enjoy this feature properly, check if it’s easy to convert the helmet into full face and back, like the magnetic chinbar release system of the Parachute MCR that allows quick and instant conversion. On top of that, you could add an anti-rotational system, as the MIPS system you find as an option on our range.
3
SUNGLASSES AND GOGGLE COMPATIBILITY
Wearing glasses or goggles in Enduro or All-Mountain is essential as providing the necessary protection for your eyes in the downhill. As the shell of this kind of helmet is protecting more the temples area, you should check it won’t Normally the shell should have enough gap with your skull to avoid this issue. If you use goggles, check the helmet has an edge at the back in order to properly put the strap in place. The presence of a goggle clip is a plus, like on the MET Roam or on the Bluegrass Golden Eyes. Another important feature is the goggle/glasses storage. Check if there is storage for glasses. It could be purposely-designed vents, like on the MET Terranova. For the goggle use, check if the visor is adjustable enough to store the strap or the goggles, making it easy to put them on without stopping.
4
COMFORT AND USE
For long and demanding journey on the trails, the comfort is vital. That could come from different characteristics you can check before buying your helmet. Among them, the weight is the most obvious to check. That’s true for an open face, but even more on a convertible helmet or a full-face for Enduro; as it’s their main advantage against a full-face made for Downhill. You should pay attention to the ventilation. No need to count the number of vents, but pay more attention to the internal air channeling and exhaust ports as they will guarantee you a constant airflow inside of the helmet. Finally, check the retention system: a 360° belt with micrometric adjustment will guarantee optimal comfort by avoiding pressure points on your skull. All MET and Blugerass helmets are equipped with this.
5
DURABILITY OVER TIME
- You can find Enduro and Trail helmets at different prices. In the MET and Bluegrass range, our entire Enduro and All-Mountain helmets are sharing the same DNA: extended coverage, flexible visor, 360° adjustment. However, the higher you go in the range, the more refined features you will find (MIPS, more regulation to find the perfect comfort, visors with multiple positions…). For example, if you use your helmet a lot, a model with polycarbonate covering totally the EPS shell will be a big step in terms of durability. Finally, pay attention to the crash replacement policy. In case of fall, you can benefit a discount on your new helmet, like we offer on all of our range
