MIPS: What Is It and Why You Should Care
What Are You Talking About?
To start, I want to make it outrageously obvious: Safer Cycling Calgary believes strongly in helmet use for all ages, types and levels of biking. I only have one brain and it's pretty important to me so doing what I can to protect my brain from injury is... well, a no-brainer. Brain injuries can ruin your day, alter your life or be fatal and a helmet is literally the only thing that we have available to protect us from head injury.
Joe Kurmaskie, author (all of his books are highly recommended!) and avid cyclist - he rode with his kids across North America, twice - said it best when asked why he wears a helmet when others don't: "if you don't think your brain is worth $35, neither do I." It's usually your choice whether you want to wear a helmet (it's the law for under 18s and anyone riding an ebike in Alberta) as it's your brain.
If you're going to wear a helmet, please make sure it fits properly. Here's a fun video demonstrating how, and reasons why you should wear a helmet every time you ride your bike.
Joe Kurmaskie, author (all of his books are highly recommended!) and avid cyclist - he rode with his kids across North America, twice - said it best when asked why he wears a helmet when others don't: "if you don't think your brain is worth $35, neither do I." It's usually your choice whether you want to wear a helmet (it's the law for under 18s and anyone riding an ebike in Alberta) as it's your brain.
If you're going to wear a helmet, please make sure it fits properly. Here's a fun video demonstrating how, and reasons why you should wear a helmet every time you ride your bike.
What Is MIPS?
In short, MIPS is new technology in helmets. It's actually not that new, having been developed in 1996, but only relatively recently being adopted and expanded to helmets.
MIPS stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System. In the real world, virtually every crash involving the head or blow to the head has a rotational component to it, and as understanding of brain injuries improved, so did the understanding of the effects of these rotational forces on the brain. MIPS is essentially a lining in the helmet which reduces the rotational forces transmitted to the head, thus reducing the trauma to the brain. Like a traditional helmet, the force of the impact is absorbed by the shell and inner part of the helmet, but the MIPS layer also reduces the rotational forces which lead to very specific types of brain injuries.
Note: MIPS is a system and is used in over 100 brands of helmets, it is not a helmet brand itself. There are also other similar systems.I shared a picture of a broken helmet: this was my husband's helmet which he was wearing when he crashed at a bike park. The impact that day definitely involved rotation, as the point of impact was behind and above the ear as he moved forward, and he sustained a concussion. No helmet can prevent all head injury, but these kinds of systems can help to reduce the severity of a head injury. My husband may not have gotten a concussion that day if he'd had a MIPS helmet.
Reasons Not To Get A MIPS Helmet
As with anything, there are reasons you may not want to get a MIPS helmet: the most obvious one is cost. MIPS is an add-on system and raises the cost of a helmet somewhat. Going back to Joe Kurmaskie's quote, though, how much do you think your brain is worth? A quick browse of bike helmets available at a big store known for it's outdoor and automotive goods shows that a regular non-MIPS bike helmet will cost between $30-$50 (I've seen many of the ones in the $40-$50 range in courses) whereas a MIPS helmet will cost about $80 (many are currently on sale for $68). Is your brain worth $80? The choice is up to you.
Another reason not to get a MIPS helmet is that it does increase the weight of the helmet slightly, as compared to a similar helmet without MIPS. They may also have less ventilation and thus may feel hotter on the head.
Another reason not to get a MIPS helmet is that it does increase the weight of the helmet slightly, as compared to a similar helmet without MIPS. They may also have less ventilation and thus may feel hotter on the head.
In Conclusion
There are many choices when it comes to helmets. If you choose to wear a helmet when you're biking, as the only line of defense available, you may want to choose the improved protection offered by a MIPS helmet. The additional protection against rotational forces can reduce the likelihood and severity of brain injury when a crash happens.
Regardless of what kind of helmet you wear, please remember that a single impact on a hard surface - including falling from a shelf or you bike tipping over with helmet hanging from the handlebar - is almost certainly going to mean you should get a new helmet. There may be damage that you can't see, and the helmet may be as effective as a hat on the next impact.
You only have one brain: do you think it's worth protecting with a MIPS helmet?
- Melissa Malejko, Owner of Safer Cycling Calgary
Regardless of what kind of helmet you wear, please remember that a single impact on a hard surface - including falling from a shelf or you bike tipping over with helmet hanging from the handlebar - is almost certainly going to mean you should get a new helmet. There may be damage that you can't see, and the helmet may be as effective as a hat on the next impact.
You only have one brain: do you think it's worth protecting with a MIPS helmet?
- Melissa Malejko, Owner of Safer Cycling Calgary
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Beginner: July 22, August 6 - more can be scheduled
Intermediate Kids Summer camp: August 14-18 only
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Are you unsure how to teach your child how to use their bike for transportation?
Is your child available the week of August 14-18?
If you answered yes to these questions, we can help! We offer a 5 day summer camp for youth (age 9-15) to learn how to ride their bike for transportation and recreation in order to safely ride to school, friend's homes, parks, restaurants and more!
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