Sweet Protection is a protection and clothing company born in Trysil, Norway from the desire to produce better equipment than was currently available on the market. Founded in 2000 by a group of bikers, skiers and kayakers who take a no compromise approach to every product they make, Sweet Protection have adopted a single-minded philosophy to product design, releasing carefully thought out and well made products all with a signature subtle Scandinavian style.
The Trailblazer is the premium Trail/Enduro lid from Sweet Protection. Taking over from the Bushwhacker, it uses a new shell design and updated fit and features list over the previous model.
The entire Dirt School and Tweed Valley Guides team use the Trailblazer day to day so rack up a significant number of miles in the helmet. Let’s find out what our Mountain Bike Guide Tomy thinks of his Trailblazer.
Features
The Trailblazer, being a high end helmet, has a list of features to make the helmet not only safer, but also more comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.
Sweet Protection’s STACC (Superficial Temporal Artery Cooling Channel) ventilation system flows air across the user’s Temporal Artery, a high blood flow area of the head across the forehead and temple, without exposing the user’s temple. This helps the helmet keep as cool as possible whilst maintaining the high safety level that Sweet Protection are known for.
On the topic of safety, the Trailblazer received 5/5 Stars in Virginia Tech’s helmet tests, an independent safety testing method based on 10yrs of sports head impact research. Focused on a helmet's ability to reduce linear and rotational acceleration to the user's head, a 5 Star rating means the Trailblazer offers some of the best protection against concussion on the market.
The helmet is also equipped with a MIPS liner, to help reduce the rotational forces on the user's brain in a crash, as well a 4 piece shell construction, which uses varying thicknesses of outer shell to increase protection in critical areas.
To help dial in a perfect fit, the Trailblazer comes with 2 sets of comfort pads in different thicknesses to ensure everyone can make their helmet as comfortable as possible.
Performance
On trail I found the Trailblazer very comfortable to wear, even over long rides, and never had any issue with pressure points or uneven feeling tightness on my head. Setup for me was simple, just tighten the dial until comfortable and go riding. I found the helmet to be very stable when riding over rough terrain and didn’t feel a need to excessively tighten the helmet for extremely fast and rough tracks. Lowering the cradle through its 3 steps of adjustment makes it feel incredibly secure and solid to wear but even with it set to the highest setting I never had to reposition the helmet.
For me, the ventilation provided by the Trailblazer was very good. I didn’t find the helmet excessively hot or humid to wear. However, much like helmet fit, everyone is different and some people run hotter than others.
I’ve been lucky enough not to have any major crashes in the Trailblazer, however the secure fit and 5 Star safety rating from Virginia Tech give me every confidence that in a crash, the helmet would do its job well. Sweet Protection also offer a crash replacement scheme, giving a 40% discount on a replacement helmet within 3yrs of original purchase.
Final Word
The Sweet Protection Trailblazer is a highly protective, comfortable and secure helmet for trail and enduro use. I also think its clean lines and distinctive shape look great and different from most other helmets out on the trail.
If you’d like to know more about the Trailblazer, or try one on for yourself, pop into our shop in Innerleithen or give us a call on 01896 831429.
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