RicePudding

I'm on the market for a new helmet as my old Fox Flux is getting rather worn and tatty after using it for many many years.

Of course the big thing in cycling helmets currently is MIPS with many claiming that it reduces the chances of concussion and brain injuries in a collision.

I've seen many professional websites claim that it is a worthwhile investment if you're looking at a new helmet. On the other hand I have seen a lot of criticism citing that there is no tangeble evidence that MIPS actually works and is all just marketing hype.

So based on this I am looking at two helmets in the same price category:
Kask Mojito or Giro Cinder MIPS

Both attainable for around £80
Which would you pick?
What is your opinion on MIPS?

dabac

What I look for first in a helmet is fit.
Since I have a head that's more oval than average, that can be a challenge.

If I were to find a helmet that was a good fit, and with MIPS, then that's what I'd buy.
Maybe it isn't such a life-saver some claim, but I haven't seen anyone suggesting that MIPS adds any danger.
For the frequency that I replace helmets, the cost isn't really a concern.
OTOH, if the best fitting helmet isn't MIPS, then I'd buy that anyhow.
A non-MIPS helmet that gets used will do more good than a MIPS helmet left at home.

JoeyBike

1. Just remember that bicycle helmets make money for helmet manufacturers.

2. Helmets make your head BIGGER, so you are more likely to hit it.

3. The range of impact where any bicycle helmet makes a difference is small.

4. Most helmets mid-range to high end will be MIPS soon, so you won't have any choice.

5. MIPS must offer more protection because helmet manufacturers say it does. See #1

RicePudding

I do plan to try the helmets before buying, being the tight individual I am, I don't easily part with £80 without thoroughly justifying it to myself. I agree that a well fitted helmet will make better mileage than a helmet sold on just looks or features.

I was curious that Kask make some excellent helmets but they don't offer any MIPS variants of their helmets and from what I have read, they don't plan on implementing it in the future, which made me further question its effectiveness.

jon c. 

I can't say that what I've read on MIPS is all that convincing. Time will tell. But if I could get a helmet that met fit, ventilation, and weight considerations that also had MIPS, I'd probably opt for it. It can't hurt. And the prices have come down to where it doesn't seem that MIPS helmets are much more expensive. OTOH, I wouldn't reject a helmet I really liked because it didn't have MIPS.

Kedosto

MIPS is nothing more than an attempt to mitigate sheer forces transferred from the helmet to the skull and finally the brain in the event of a crash. Unfortunately, MIPS selling point is based around the notion that cyclists helmets are currently being fastened so tightly that virtually no sheer forces are lost in transfer from the helmet to the skull during the impact. I know of no instances where anyone could possibly wear a helmet that tight and remain even slightly comfortable. In reality many riders wear the helmet too loose or improperly positioned and the helmet shifts on impact. The shifting on impact (sheer force reduction) is exactly what MIPS proposes to provide. MIPS may possibly allow cyclists to strive for a tighter fit while still providing sheer force protection, but I suspect such a tight fit would still be largely uncomfortable. As other have already stated, MIPS doesn't appear to add any negatives, so one could reasonably assume "it can't hurt." I would argue fit, more than anything, is the best criteria for choosing a helmet.


-Kedosto

dabac

wingless

79pmooney

2 weeks before I'd ever heard of MIPS, I crashed hard, over the bars aan on on to my left side. Collarbone, a couple of ribs, an acre of road rash and my last memory was of the right side of my helmet hitting the road hard, then a long grind. I snapped to full attention as soon as I stopped moving; no concussion. (Just my brain/body saying "you don't need to witness this." There was no time lost. The car behind me was right where it should have been.)

The striking facts of this crash were 1) I hit hard, including my helmet. Apparently I never tightened the straps enough because the helmet spun around, knocking my classes off and near severing my ear. And I had no concussion at all. (I've had a massive TBI and many concussions since because I live with NFL quality "loose brain syndrome". (I coined that but any NFL lineman would know instantly what I am talking about.)

Read about MIPS and was an instant believer. How else do you explain my hit and zero concussion? If MIPS helps just a little, I want it. I paid a lot more for my POC Trabec than the non-MIPS version (first helmet I saw that fit and was not a dark color). Don't regret it at all. ve that for my next helmet, I have a lot of MIPS choices and the prices have come way down.

Ben

tcs

BTW, kids, just so we're all up to speed: MIPS is a patented, proprietary design which seeks to reduce rotational energy to the brain in a crash. MIPS is licensed to numerous helmet companies.

Other companies have their own in-house designs that seek to reduce rotational energy to the brain in a crash: 6D with their Omni-Directional Suspension, Kali Protectives with their LDL, Leatt with their 360º Turbine, POC with their SPIN and probably others.

Other 'beyond mandated minimum safety tests' considerations besides weight and ventilation: visible-ness, rounded exterior with no snag points, slick outer surface that slides instead of catches, extended rear coverage, dual density foam energy management.

tcs

The first generation MIPS helmets were existing models that removed some thickness of polystyrene to make room for the MIPS. They still met minimum standard, possibly by using harder foam. Shrug.

skye

Save your money, buy a mirror instead. Way better for your safety.

mr_bill

superdex

1) something not from a manufacturer: https://helmets.org/mips.htm

2) it gives my wife peace of mind, that works for me.

Teamprovicycle

Here is a thought , how about a moto gp helmet .?
motor cycle helmets are made to withstand higher forces NO?

Dahon.Steve

+1
Very good points.

I was thinking about this and you are not supposed to wear a helmet extremely tight, because once it presses very hard against your temples, it becomes painful and likely to give you headaches! The reason I avoid MIPS is that it appears to add a layer of plastic that covers the vents making it hotter in the summer. Helmets are hot enough during the summer and adding technology that blocks even a portion of the vents will be a good enough reason NOT to wear one.

Helmets are like bicycles. If it does not fit, you will not use one.