Comments on: Ribcap – Flexible Armor Stocking Cap Helmets

By: gotminethanks

gotminethanks — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 08:13:21 +0000

Got mine now thanks to you guys for bringing this to my attention! I don’t plan on wearing it on my bike, but think its what all us snowboarders have been waiting for! I’ve taken a few tumbles and so far so good – even cracked my head off some ice and felt fine! Got it here if anyone else is looking: http://www.ribcap.ca/en/productsribcap.asp They got it to me in a week – really easy guys to deal with.

By: abenormal

abenormal — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 17:03:47 +0000

GenWaylaid has it backwards; it’s the crushable EPS in a helmet that cushions the blow to the head and prevents concussion. This stuff has no cushioning, it stiffens on impact. I’d argue that the EPS is the most important part of the helmet. Look at bicycle helmets, some of them are just EPS and forego a plastic shell entirely. Just a quick reminder… the human head can come to a sudden stop from less than 13 mph without suffering brain damage. Bounce your head off a curb or fender at 15 MPH and you’re looking at a torn brainstem and brain swelling, permanent brain damage and possible death… and that’s head speed, not the speed you were travelling. You can generate over 13 mph of head speed falling off a _parked_ bike.

From the looks of it and reading the material, a beanie made of this stuff would be worthless as a motorcycle helmet, and if it gave the wearer false hope of some kind of head protection it could actually be worse than wearing nothing at all.

It’s an interesting material with applications anywhere we currently wear hard plastic armor, but it’s not suited to helmets. There’s no benefit to a flexible shell over the crush liner instead of the hard shell we currently have. Unless it’s both lighter and more puncture resistant then I’ll stick with my kevlar/fiberglass or carbon shell, thanks.

By: Eric

Eric — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 14:34:42 +0000

Not my opinion of a helmet; but can you imagine having a body suit of this stuff under your riding gear. WOW

By: davidabl

davidabl — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 18:01:19 +0000

GenWaylaid had hit the nail on the head.
The most revolutionary aspect to the stuff is in the re-design of crash helmets and hardhats.

By: GenWaylaid

GenWaylaid — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 05:07:44 +0000

It’s not a complete replacement for a helmet, but I suspect the d3o material would still make a useful replacement for the crushable foam component. The advantages are that it would probably be more compact, and unlike foam it comes out of every impact more or less as good as new. That would be convenient if your head happens to go dribbling across the pavement. Maybe only the helmet shell would have to be replaced, saving some money in the long run.

As a side note, putting this stuff in all the panels of a jacket would deflect not just road impact but perhaps even small-caliber fire. Yet another handy feature.