atomicAdam

Don't get me wrong, I love the D2 I have, I would just like to have seen TLD thicken up the sides a bit more and reduce the price. Maybe shorten the visor too. The aerodynamics of the D2 could be improved which it seems like they worked on. Wind tunnel photos anyone?

So here are a few thoughts. 100grams heavier, that is lame. 1/4" thicker EPS shell, that is good, I hope it is on the sides where it is lacking in the D2. 20 vents? Helmets don't need a lot of vents they need the right vents. The more vents you have the less EPS shell you have. Unless the vents are small, in which case they don't vent well when you are waiting for you hommie to get down the trail. In other words, when you are stopped. Basically all helmets vent well when you are moving. So, more vent isn't always good. The other reason which is more important is the more vents you have the less EPS shell you have. Which means the EPS shell that is there has to be harder to displace the energy from a crash. The EPS testing has to displace under 250 Gs of force. A nice thick soft EPS shell can take the spike of the impact and smooth it out nicely. Either high speed or low speed. An EPS shell that has less material still have to test under 250Gs and so the EPS shell is made harder to meet that requirement. This means at high speed impacts (over 20mph or so) the helmet will displace the energy of the impact well and will reduce the impact for your brain. At lower speeds impacts there isn't enough force and your brain ends up smashed against your skull causing injury. Which is why XC helmets with all those vents are so freaking dangerous. ... anyways.... I'd really like to see the impact test results on the new EPS shell at low speeds and high speeds. We dont all bomb down the hill like Sam. The other thing, look at how high the back of the helmet is. Totally exposing your most important vertebrae. I'm sure with a Leatte brace the helmet will have a lot of mobility, but if you aren't wearing one there is just so much being exposed.