Met Parachute (again)

.blitz

Riding round the Chase on Sunday I noticed a lot of people were wearing Met Parachutes. Everybody seems to have their own opinion on the looks/safety aspects but I wondered if the chin guard gets in the way when eating/drinking on the move?

I noticed one bloke had his drink tube inside the chin guard :?

bregante

nope. it doesn't ,

wouldn't wear one for FTD tho

.blitz

Do you have to lift the chin guard up to take a drink?

bregante

no. i only use mine for very technical stuff (not used it in uk this year) but did use for all dayers in the pyrenees this summer. i just tilted my head up ever so slightly and fed the drinking tube / power gel under the chin guard. not tried eating anything while riding tho. there is loads of room between my chin and the chin guard to do it. it may of course depend whether you've got a head like desperate Dan!

.blitz

Bregante wrote:

i only use mine for very technical stuff

Any particular reason? BTW thanks for the info so far 8)

Panter

I can drink in mine, but it's very awkward.

It's important ot remember that the chin guard offers VERY minmimal protection, and is only for some protection against branch strikes etc.

Cheers,

Chris

nferrar

I was on a ride with someone a while back using one for the first time - he threw it off in disgust at the top of the climb as it was such a hassle to drink with it on

Alex

Every time someone wears a MET parachute, a fairy dies.

I cannot begin to understand the motivation behind the series of marketing meetings that led to it's creation, but I imagine they went something like this:

MET sales dept: "We're not selling enough helmets to ATGANI mountainbikers."

MET Marketing dept: "Why not make a ultra light weight full face helmet, that with a few clicks becomes a cross country helmet by removing the chin guard!"

MET Engineering dept: "That would be pointless, the chin guard wouldn't give any real protection and in the event of a strike it'd pivot around the rider's head like a pendulum."

MET Sales Dept: "Who cares if it works or not, it'd look unique and we could sell it to scared people who don't know any better!"

MET Marketing dept: "We could market it as a freeride helmet, that's always been the bike industry's fall back for an essentially useless product"

MET Engineering dept: "Shouldn't we advise people to wear a proper full face helmet if they feel they need full face protection?"

MET Sales dept: "Nah, we don't make one and it'd cost too much to tool up for it. Go ahead and base this thing on a road lid.

MET Engineering dept: "I've see better ideas emerge from my poochute"

MET Marketing dept: "Parachute? Brilliant name, we'll go with that."

.blitz

silveringsurfer

+1

Daz555

Have any bike mags actually tested the Parachute to see how strong it is?

bregante

Daz555 wrote:

Have any bike mags actually tested the Parachute to see how strong it is?

Good question, ~I don't know.

some great comments on here from people who don't actually say whether or not they have actually TRIED ONE :roll:

I have one, and as I said above, I rarely wear it in this country because it is overkill for most uses here and, if I'm doing anything even approaching what I laughingly refer to as DH, I have a proper full facer. Obviously it is slightly more restrictive than a normal xc lid (and you look a bit of a tw4t in one round Cannock ) - but if it gives the rider additional confidence, what's the harm?

That said, I have worn it many times on some seriously technical trails in the pyrenees and found it reasonably comfortable, lightweight and strong. I have face-planted going over some vertical-ish terracing and the chin guard took the impact without so much as a hint of a problem - doubtless saving me from a nasty facial injury. A mate also went down quite heavily on a tabletop at llandegla wearing his, the chin guard split
(as it's designed to do) and dissipated the energy from the impact of his face on the ground. Not a scratch on him. yes the helmet was jiggered but ~I know what I'd rather have.

Overall, in my view, they are not a bad helmet - glad I bought mine and it will go with me next time I go abroad - I don't personally see a problem with anyone who wears one for general xc - any protection has got to be better than none, no?